Chic-A-Boom

Step-by-Step Instructions

Form a large circle, including yourself.
Demonstrate a series of moves, asking your group to copy you, pointing your index fingers alternately up and down, and to the left and right.
Teach them the following chorus, making the appropriate moves with each line:
“….AAAAND, UP CHIC-A-BOOM, CHIC-A-BOOM, CHIC-A-BOOM.
AND DOWN CHIC-A-BOOM, CHIC-A-BOOM, CHIC-A-BOOM.
TO THE LEFT, CHIC-A-BOOM, CHIC-A-BOOM, CHIC-A-BOOM.
TO THE RIGHT, CHIC-A-BOOM, CHIC-A-BOOM, CHIC-A-BOOM.”
Then, moving into the middle of the circle, sing the following tune as you look directly at one person:
“HEY THERE [enter name,] YOU’RE A REAL COOL CAT.
YOU’VE GOTTA LOT OF THIS, AND YOU’VE GOTTA LOT OF THAT.
SO COME ON IN AND GET DOWN……”
At this point, invite this volunteer into the centre of the circle with you.
Resume singing the chorus, inviting the whole group to sing it with you.
After the chorus is sung, everyone in the middle of the circle invites a new person from the circle to join them.
This chorus and verse routine continues until everyone ends up in the centre of the circle, for one final rendition of the chorus.

How To Play Narrative

Stand with your group as part of a circle, and teach them these groovy moves.

By way of demonstration, point your index fingers up into the sky alternating thrusts of each hand to a beat, ie left-hand up, then right-hand up, etc.

Next, perform something similar, but point down with alternate thrusts towards the ground. Invite your group to follow your moves.

Then, point your fingers to the left in and out, in and out, as you take little rocking steps to the left. And finally, point your fingers to the right, in and out, in and out as you’re taking jaunty little rocking steps to the right.

Okay, as you can tell, it’s in all in the delivery, but you’ve got the moves, here’s the tune…

“HEY THERE [enter name,] YOU’RE A REAL COOL CAT.
YOU’VE GOTTA LOT OF THIS, AND YOU’VE GOTTA LOT OF THAT.
SO COME ON IN AND GET DOWN……

….AAAAND, UP CHIC-A-BOOM, CHIC-A-BOOM, CHIC-A-BOOM.
AND DOWN CHIC-A-BOOM, CHIC-A-BOOM, CHIC-A-BOOM.
TO THE LEFT, CHIC-A-BOOM, CHIC-A-BOOM, CHIC-A-BOOM.
TO THE RIGHT, CHIC-A-BOOM, CHIC-A-BOOM, CHIC-A-BOOM.”

Now it’s time to put it all together.

It starts with one person in the centre (you perhaps?) who will sing the first part of the little ditty, with attitude just dripping off you. Sing as you look directly at someone, use their name as indicated, and when you get to the “COME ON IN AND GET DOWN…” part, side up to this person, take them in your arm and lead them into the central limelight of the circle.

Then, you, your new cool cat, and everyone still standing in the circle thinking “When am I going to be dragged in?” will launch into a medley of “chicabooms” replete with groovy moves and spunk.

The up, down, left and right pointing of hands accompanies the chic-a-booms beat-box style.

Once you have sung the verse through, every person in the centre (it doubles with every verse) will turn to another standing in the circle and start all over again.

Two begets four, four begets eight, and within four or five verses, you’ve got everyone in the circle having a great time. And might I say, looking very cooool.

Practical Leadership Tips

The more the merrier with this one. Chic-A-Boom can work with a small group, but it’s over almost as soon as it starts. Save it for your really large groups.

Given the obvious singing and dancing elements of the routine, this is generally not an effective ice-breaker. So, consider your sequence with this one before launching into it, ie your group must be mentally and emotionally prepared to take this activity on.

Initially, all of the new people escorted into the centre of the circle will fear that they don’t know the lyrics to the tune, so don’t expect them to join you loudly in the chorus, just yet. Be sure to take the lead in the circle – perhaps singing a little louder than most – until you get a critical mass.

I often use this exercise to conclude my session or program. It leaves people on a high and allows the group to feel a sense of whole-group accomplishment.

Social-Emotional Learning

You could integrate Chic-A-Boom as part of a well-designed SEL program to help establish and promote healthy and positive relationships in your group.

Specifically, this activity offers opportunities to explore and practice the following social & interpersonal skills:

Self-Awareness

Experiencing Self-Efficacy

Social Awareness

Appreciating Diversity
Respecting Others

Relationship Skills

Build Positive Relationships
Demonstrate Cultural Competency
Work Collaboratively

Responsible Decision-Making

Promoting Personal & Collective Well-Being

You can learn more about SEL and how it can support character education here.

Health & Wellness Programming

There is no specific health & wellness perspective to this activity other than promoting the corporate benefits of gentle physical movement, corporate singing, and a good laugh.

In a small way, you could argue that one’s willingness to sing and dance in front of others could test the social and interpersonal competencies and behavioural norms of your group. That is to say, a general level of hesitancy to join the centre of the group may indicate the presence of an unhealthy dominant culture in which group members are not willing to take a risk for fear of embarrassment. You could turn events of this nature into a powerful conversation in which you invite your group to explore the skills of empathy and compassion.

If you can think of more explicit ways in which Chic-A-Boom could be purposefully integrated into a health and wellness program, please leave a comment at the base of this page.

Popular Variations

Alternate Moves & Lyrics: Ordinarily, Chic-A-Boom would be considered way too cool to be varied, but I guess you could be permitted to alter some of the lyrics or dance moves!

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Useful Framing Ideas

Our programs are often criticised for being too much fun, and lacking in culture. Well, I’m here today to flatly reject such accusations. I want to share with you a wonderful little all-singing and all-dancing routine that has been passed on down through the generations…

You’ve heard the saying, it doesn’t matter what you do, it’s all about how you look. And these days, it’s all about looking cool. You know, that laid back, care-free approach, the swagger, the sun-glasses and trendy clothes [demonstrate this look as you speak]. Well, have I got an activity for you…

Reflection Tips & Strategies

Coupled with one or more reflection strategies, here are some sample questions you could use to process your group’s experience after playing this fun energiser game:

Was this exercise fun? Why or why not?
How did you first feel when someone invited you into the centre of the circle?
How did you feel at the end, when everyone was dancing in the middle? Did it make a difference that you were no longer on your own?
Where else in your life does ‘strength in numbers’ make a difference to you?

Program Templates

Passive ‘Team-Building’ Session

What You Need:
8+ people, 60 mins, set of 9 rubber spots, pens & paper

Commonalities – quick & fun game that seeks lots of things in common
Quick Shuffle – classic real-person variation of the memory game
Traffic Jam – challenging group initiative which seeks to solve a traffic jam
Chic-A-Boom – wonderful circle game to finish your program on a high

Source

The inspiration for Chic-A-Boom, and many more large-group energisers, was sourced from the following publication:

No Props No Problem by Mark Collard. 150+ interactive group games including ice-breakers, energisers, trust exercises & team-building activities

NO PROPS NO PROBLEM - $49.00 AUD

Contributor Mark

Add your Comments...

Have you played this activity? What worked, what didn't work? What type of group? Do you have useful advice for other users? Do you know a fun variation?

Comments (1)

David Piang-Nee February 2, 2018
Great activity when group gets comfortable with each other to sing. Especially awesome camp fire song especially on last night.. as you get to give compliments in a way though the song to each other 🙂

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Chic-A-Boom

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Step-by-Step Instructions

How To Play Narrative

Practical Leadership Tips

Social-Emotional Learning

Health & Wellness Programming

Popular Variations

You Might Also Like...

Become a Memberto Access this Activity

Bill & The Button Factory

Become a Memberto Access this Activity

People to People

Become a Memberto Access this Activity

Cat On Yer Head

Useful Framing Ideas

Reflection Tips & Strategies

Program Templates

Passive ‘Team-Building’ Session

Source

Add your Comments...

Comments (1)

No Props No Problem

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