Children everywhere used to have strong tradition of clapping games. In Africa that tradition still exists and is enjoyed hugely.
We usually begin a workshop with games. It gives a little time for the CBN children to relax after a bit of hectic outdoor play and – more importantly – it brings them together as a cohesive group. Our wonderful community facilitators (Vuyo and Phumeza) master-mind the games and the children are then ready to come into the first story session in a (hopefully) calm state of mind!
We play games that the children already know – they come from traditional culture in Eastern, Cape, Zimbabwe and Malawi. Here is a link to other games from elsewhere in the world (with video demonstrations).
https://www.bl.uk/playtimes/articles/clapping-games
Image: Clapping and bonding. Credit: Nick Mohr
