Boppity Bop Bop Bop

  1. Icebreaker
  2. Indoor Game

  • Large Group (10 and up)

  • Ages 3-5

  • None

  • 10 minutes or more

Development Goal

To develop verbal communication, strategic thinking, and eye-hand coordination.

Before You Start

  • Go over instructions. Provide examples of each sequence and use call and response to make sure everyone knows how to play the game.
  • All ties are resolved with Rock Paper Scissors.

Set Up

The group should be standing in a circle, shoulder-to-shoulder.

How to Play

  • The group gathers in a circle with one player in the middle (selected by the leader).
  • The player in the middle walks up (or points) to someone in the circle and says, “Boppity bop bop bop.”  If the player in the middle completes the phrase before the other person says, “Bop,” the two switch places. If the player on the outside says, “Bop,” before the middle student finishes the phrase, the game continues with the same player in the middle.
  • The player in the middle can fake out students on the outside by simply pointing and saying, “Bop,” to a player in the circle.  If the outside player says, “Bop,” the two switch places.

Variations

  • Play as a name game by…
    • The person in the middle walks up (or points) to someone in the circle and says either, “Left,” “Right,” or “Center,” followed by “Boppity bop bop bop.”
    • The player in the circle must say the corresponding person’s name (i.e., the person to their left, right, or center/in the middle) before the person in the middle completes saying the phrase, “Boppity bop bop bop.” If they don’t, the players switch places.
  • Make the game more challenging by adding any of these commands:
    • House: Player in the middle walks up (or points) to a player and says, “House.”  The player pointed to must squat down and say, “Come in!  Come in!” while making a “come here” gesture with their hands.  The two players on either side of the squatting player must use their arms to make a roof over the squatting player. The player who reacts last out of the three goes to the middle.
    • Airplane: Player in the middle walks up (or points) to a player in the circle and says, “Airplane.” The player pointed to makes aviator sunglasses/goggles with their hands. The players on either side make an airplane wing with the appropriate arm (student to the left sticks out their left arm and the student on the right sticks out their right). The player who reacts last out of the three goes to the middle.
    • Palm Tree: Player in the middle walks up (or points) to a player in the circle and says, “Palm Tree.” The player pointed to makes themselves a palm tree in the breeze with their arms in the air, waving them side to side. The two players to the immediate left and right of the palm tree do the hula dance. The player who reacts last out of the three goes to the middle.