Game Time!

Some of the best times at school are when we're in the courtyard playing games with our class. We aim to teach about an hour and fifteen minutes each morning, then leave the last fifteen to play games with us, since we are SO cool!

The games are hard to explain because I'm still learning myself. But some they really like are:

~~Fire on the mountain

~~Let me see your walkin'

~~2,4,6,1,1

~~If you're born on Monday...

~~Bam, Bam, Bambadika

For all of these games we stand in a circle facing inward. Fire on the mountain is played with everyone squatting down clapping. We sing "There's a fire on the mountain, run, run, run!" while someone with an eraser runs around the circle, drops it on the ground behind someone, then tries to run all the way back around to the now empty spot left by the friend who the eraser was dropped behind.

Let me see your walkin' is played with someone being called into the circle to walk all fancy while everyone claps and sings. Then they all clap and sing, "Let me see your dancin', come in and dance".

2,4,6,1,1, is a hand slapping game kind of like one little girls play on elementary school grounds. Like the hippity-hop hand game.

And If you're born on Monday is played with everyone singing "If you're born on Monday, come in and dance..." while all the kids born on monday come in...and dance. Yeah, pretty simple. Funny how everyone knows what day they were born on because their middle name is the day of the week in either Ga or Twi. I had no idea which day I was born, so I told them thursday...and trust me, they know if you don't come in because they know each other's days.

William, me, and Godfried

Bam, Bam, Bambadika is the one with all the shaking hips and lots of clapping.

This is me and Jennifer

For some reason, the kids think it is absolutely hilarious when I dance or participate in any way. They will take special measures to put me in the spotlight because, like I said, they think I'm THAT cool...or THAT funny I guess!

My lesson on sign language was a hit. We had the kids write their names on a piece of paper #1. so they could spell out their name but secretly #2 because we need to learn their names! Carlie was awesome at helping to teach the alphabet. She had the idea to go around the whole room and practice spelling each of the kids' names. After a few names I would throw in a phrase or two and that kept them interested. I taught them how to clap in sign language because the kids always clap after someone gives a correct answer. They stayed SO engaged it was great. They thought it was so funny when I signed fast because it is so new.

Our experiment with "Glupe" was an absolute disaster. They stuck their little fingers in it and it was just a mess. Oh well. They did a good job at cleaning it up afterward without being asked which was good.

We were going to go to "Reggae Night" tonight (Wed.) for a cultural experience. However, it didn't take long to think that maybe we would have more fun going out to eat and then watching a movie...Girls Night! So glad my roommies are like me and don't feel like dancing with drunk, high foreign men at night. Our night was so much better. And this weekend is going to be a long weekend excursion so it was good to rest up. Twelve hours in a bus with more potholes than road is a long time. Hopefully the animal reserve will be so great we'll forget all about the journey~