[QUOTE=CanadianAdult;344164] We also play - oh I forget the name - the game where you have to skate from one end to the other without being caught by someone in the middle, eventually everyone is in the middle and you have to get past them without being touched. I can't believe I can't remember the name!!


In the UK it's bulldog, and we play it quite often on games night at club ice. Generally the two coaches will start in the middle and target the good skaters on the first run as it gives the weaker ones more of a chance, but it's good fun.

[QUOTE=fsk8r;344209]
I already mentioned the name of the game as being "Blob". You start out with two skaters as the Blob and then when someone is touched by either skater being the Blob, the skater who was touched by the Blob goes in the middle and becomes part of the Blob until no skaters are left to become the Blob.

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Aaah yes that's it! We call it British Bulldog !

Let me suggest some games and pseudo-games that people play with both kids and adults. Most aren't new ideas, or mine at all - others already use them, in one context or another. Let me be clear - I haven't tried them in "my" classes.

A roller rink near me plays Limbo during part of public sessions, where you skate under a bar, without falling or touching a hand to the ice, or knocking the bar off it's supports. Adults try too, though they have to compete against the shorter kids at that rink. The winner gets something free from the snack bar.

They also do a non-competitive thing where you copy someone doing correspondent things to the words and music of "You put your right foot in..." A small, more or less in-place unpartnered dance routine.

One local ice dance coach's group lessons include weird little moves to challenge people, like heel pivots, 3 turns with crossed feet. He also does standard moves with choreographed upper body positions - e.g., raising an arm while doing a chase. And he does short move sequences, also with choreography.

Some move sequences are part of standard ISI and USFSA classes and tests, but they are long enough that a lot of the problem for many adults is memorizing them. Copying the shorter sequences during the lesson is less of a problem.

I notice a lot of coaches do them.

Another group lesson coach did a neat short choreographed sequence involving waltz jumps on alternate feet, with one step in between - in front of the body rather than behind - very challenging for some of us, but fun to try.

There are a few coaches who do absolutely gorgeous body pose choreography, not just for the advanced private students, but for all their private and group students. It breaks up the monotony. And it looks cool.

Maybe the common practice of restricting group lessons to a very set patterns of moves is less fun than doing some choreography.

I guess that is what ice theater is, but this is in the context of more standard technique classes.

I once took a course for aerobics instructors. A significant part of the course was learning to do your own choreography - emphasizing things like what is easy to remember, what moves flow together, how to "call" sequences so your students don't have to remember the whole dance sequence, appropriate music, remembering to switch "left" and "right" calls cuz you are facing them (sounds trivial, until you try it). It was a lot of fun. I think a lot of students would enjoy doing that sort of thing at a less elaborate level. If each student has a chance to come up with a few short routines to teach the other students. It would be very important to tell students not to be critical of other student's ideas. And because of the learning styles thing, I think it would work best in a class of a similar age group.

I think a lot of coaches don't realize how much fun coming up with your own moves and sequences is, even for the less advanced students.

There is an obvious problem with this idea - they pretty much would have to spend time outside class to invent and practice the routine - something most group lesson students don't do. Hopefully most adults DO spend time skating outside class.

Possibly you could make it a group design thing. Let each kid improvise and demonstrate a short change to a sequence designed by the instructor or another student. Allow choreography, not just move sequences.

Very very important: let those who want to opt out. This shouldn't be like what school teachers do where they force a slow student to try to answer a question, it should be fun.

Would letting students come up with costumes be fun for students? I don't mean fancy stuff involving sewing or buying expensive stuff. I mean wearing weird hats or mismatching colors and stuff. I think both kids and adults could enjoy this sort of thing, up to a point. But again, you must be able to opt out, because dignity is very important to some people.

For some of these ideas, some small prize ($1 at the snack bar?) would help - let the student's vote on the winner.

I'm not sure if these are along the line of what people mean by games, but they can be fun.

Hmmm. I like the student and group design ideas so much I'm going to try it with the kids. There is sometimes time left over at the end of class, and this could be interesting.

Oh wait. I don't want to threaten the student's amateur status.