Human Merrily-Go-Round

Taken From: unknown

Category: 30 Plus

Needed: Gym scooters - a little wooden or plastic platform about 12 x 12 x 3/4 inch to which four ball bearing swivel casters have been firmly attached. It resembles a small mover's dolly and permits free movement in any direction. Instructions: Give each group of eight people one gym scooter with which to form some kind of "human merry-go-found" -- don't tell them how, though! I first tried this activity with a group of very receptive elementary-school physical education teachers. Within a few minutes some great carousels were rolling, presenting a variety of creative formation. the simplest of these began with four people sitting on the floor facing inward with their legs straight and their heels on the scooter board in front of them. The other four players stood in between the seated ones, who reached up to grasp the wrist of the standing person on either side. When the seated persons lifted their behinds off the ground, the standing players then walked around in a circle, supporting the seated ones between them. This formed the merry-go-round, and it worked "wheely" well. By lifting their behinds only slightly off the ground, the sitters avoided any hard bumps if the merry-go-found suddenly ground to a stop. The configurations of human merry-go-rounds are endless. Some possibilities include having some or all of the sitting people rest their hands on the scooter board, with standing partners holding their feet; several people standing with one foot on the scooter board while a partner supports the other foot; or several people lying on top of each other on the scooter board with standing partners providing the propulsion. It is a very merry game for almost any age group.

Variation: Marianne Torbet suggested a variation of this game using a parachute or large circular blanket. Several children lie on the parachute with their bodies straight and their feet in the center. The people around the perimeter of the chute lift the edge high enough for the center people's backs to be raised off the floor; then they walk the chute around in a circular motion.