Teachers trying 1-2-3 (Clap) at a training session

The winter nights are drawing in, so here is an energising game that a brilliant Year 3 teacher in Manchester showed me: 1-2-3 (Clap).

It makes a great P4C warm-up for children, and can help them practice turn-taking, listening, focus and collaboration.

To play, sit in pairs. Each pair counts 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, etc., taking turns to say the next number. Go as quickly as you can without making mistakes.

Then, start again but replace one of the numbers with a clap. So, for example 1,2, [clap], 1,2, [clap], 1,2, [clap], and so on. You could continue by introducing further variations such as replacing another number with a knee tap.

Enjoy.