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Ringer Socialisation and
Interaction Activities
Fun non-ringing team-building activitiesfor a handbell group
Introduction
Looking for a fun activity that has a handbell theme? Perhaps
for a short break from regular ringing rehearsals or at a
gathering of many ringer groups, or a ringer party. The idea of
a handbell group being a team, working together as one unit and
every ringer getting to know each other better can be nurtured
by activities such as those that follow.
Each of the games below can incorporate further interaction as
part of the game e.g. by making it part of the game for each
ringer to introduce themselves to the others in their team or
perhaps to say something about themselves. And the accent is on
fun! Many more familiar games can be given a handbell "twist" -
have a "brainstorming" session with other ringers once they've
seen the games and your imagination is the only limit! Have fun!
Ringer Socialisation and Interaction
Activities
Find the Bell-Saying
A pre-prepared set of cards has one letter on each card. All the
cards when put in the correct order together will make up a bell
saying. The number of cards and the saying will be determined by
the number of ringers taking part. All the cards are
distributed, one to each ringer. The ringers are told that the
card with a red letter is the first letter of a word (and
written on the reverse of that card will be the number of
letters that will be in that word). The other letters are
written in black. Ringers have to arrange themselves as quickly
as possible into the correct order to make the saying. Note that
where there are more letters than ringers the cards that are not
distributed can be left on display in front of all ringers to be
picked up by them as required so that some ringers may end up
holding two cards.
Search for the hidden handbell shapes
In advance of ringers entering a room something like 40 card
cut-out handbell shapes about 6" (15cm) tall are placed
discreetly, but not hidden, around the room. Ringers group in
teams (maybe 4, 5 or 6 in each team) and each team is allocated
a collecting point of their own (e.g. a specific table). One
member of the team stays at the collecting point and keeps a
count of the handbell shapes as the team brings them in. After
instruction the ringers must find the handbell shapes as quickly
as possible and the winning team is the team with the greatest
number of shapes collected once all have been found.
Find the Singing Bell
One ringer is chosen to go out of the room and another ringer
hides a picture of a handbell (about 12" tall or 30cm) in the
room. On the first ringer's return all of the ringers in the
room sing a bell song or nursery rhyme (e.g. Frere Jacques),
singing quietly when the searching ringer is nowhere near the
picture, and singing the loudest when the searcher is nearest to
the hidden bell picture. Continue varying the volume until the
searching ringer finds the picture. Repeat as often as required
with different ringers hiding and searching for the picture.
Knock away the handbell shapes
Teams of 4, 5 or 6 ringers stand in relay formation. About 6' (2
metres) from each team is placed 5 card cut-out handbell shapes
each about 6" (15cm) tall on the floor. In relay the teams must
throw a beanbag (or an old pair of handbell gloves!) at the
handbell shapes to make them all move beyond a line drawn on the
floor in chalk (or removable tape) about a further 3' (1 metre)
away - the ringers remaining the same distance away at all
times. The first team to knock away all 5 of their handbell
shapes beyond the line on the floor wins.
Pin the handbell on the ringer
Teams of 4, 5 or 6 ringers stand in relay formation. For each
team a large cartoon-style picture of a ringer is drawn (minus a
handbell) onto card. A corresponding handbell shape is cut out
of card. Each ringer's picture is fixed to the wall in front of
each team. Each ringer in each team in turn must be blindfolded
and make an attempt to affix the handbell shape (with adhesive
putty or similar) in the hand of the ringer on the picture. A
judge awards one point for each good attempt. The first team to
finish also gets 5 points, the second team 4 points and so on.
Handbell Picture Jigsaw Match
About 8 colour pictures of handbells (e.g. from old Christmas
cards, out-of-date manufacturer brochures etc) are each cut up
into 11 pieces and then all the pieces from all of the pictures
are jumbled up and put in one large pile on a table (there being
more pictures than number of teams). Teams of 4, 5 or 6 ringers
stand in relay formation, each in front of a table on which they
will complete one picture (a "starter" piece having been given
to each team, ensuring each team has a different picture). In
relay each member of each team goes to the central table and
returns with one piece of their picture. If they bring a piece
not belonging to their picture it must be returned immediately
by the next ringer in turn. The first team to complete their
picture wins.
Throw the stuffed handbell
All ringers stand in a large circle. In turn they shout out
their names. Then one ringer holds a large soft-toy style
stuffed fabric handbell (or an old pair of handbell gloves) and
shouts out their own name followed by the name of another ringer
(who must not be his/her neighbour or the ringer who passed the
bell to him/her) - e.g. "Mark to Helen" before throwing the bell
to that ringer. The game continues and it must be checked to see
that everyone has had the bell before stopping - those who make
a mistake must run round the outside of the circle before
rejoining the game. A variation would be to get each ringer to
say something about themselves (e.g. what they like to do) as
well as their name, both parts to be repeated before throwing
the bell.
Tear a newspaper handbell
Teams of 4 ringers each sit round a table. Each table has a
large piece of newspaper. In turn one ringer tears the newspaper
to make a handbell shape. Every 5 seconds a bell is rung and the
next ringer in each team must take over tearing the handbell
shape. The most detailed handbell at the end of 1 minute wins.
Ask 8 questions of your fellow ringers
Each ringer is given a sheet of 8 questions and they must ask
each other the questions and fill in one name beside each
question on their sheet as appropriate. They must have 8
different names. The questions can be like "is left-handed",
"has a pet dog", "has a birthday in September", "can touch their
toes without bending at the knees", "can recite a poem", "has
blue eyes", "knows in which year man first walked on the moon",
"has a shoe size that is an even number". First to complete
their sheet wins.
Bell Beetle Drive
Teams of 4 ringers each sit round a table. Each ringer in each
team has a sheet of paper on which is printed a drawing of a
traditional style handbell with parts given a number as follows:
handle - 1; handguard - 2; bell body/casting - 3; clapper head -
4; clapper flight - 5; clapper pegs (2 of these) - 6. Each team
has a dice and each ringer in turn throws the dice. The ringer
must throw the numbers in the sequence 1 to 6 before they can
draw that part of the handbell. Each part drawn scores 1 point.
First ringer to complete a drawing shouts "Bell!" and all groups
must stop while a check is made. The winner (the highest score)
at each table progresses to another table and the game continues
until 4 games have been played. The ringer with the highest
score at the end of 4 games is the winner.
Match up with other ringers to complete a
picture
Pictures of handbells are cut into pieces. At the beginning of
the game each ringer is given one piece of just one picture. The
ringers must find the other ringers who have the other parts to
complete the picture of which their own piece is only one part.
Matching Ringing Techniques by mime and
sound
Pieces of paper are given to each ringer, the contents of which
the ringers must not let others know. On each of these pieces of
paper has been written the name of a handbell technique, an
action for miming that technique, and a sound to make that
represents that technique. On the command "Perform!" the ringers
have one minute to keep repeating their sound and action while
at the same time trying to locate the ringers with the same
sound and action. Ringers must not say anything other than the
sound on their piece of paper. They continue their sound until
the command "Rest!" is given at the end of one minute, by which
time all groups of ringers with matching actions and sounds
should be standing together. At this point the director may get
each of the groups in turn to demonstrate their mime and sounds
for the other ringers to correctly shout out the technique being
represented. Techniques and instructions as follow in the
following format: technique name, sound to make, action to
perform. Martellato, "whump", hammer action into imaginary
table; Echo, "wow", bounce hand off imaginary table; Shake,
"trrr", rapidly move hand backwards and forwards at shoulder
height; Swing, "ee-oo-ee", swing hand from shoulder height round
in an arc out, down and behind you; Thumb-damp, "clip", ring
hand at shoulder height with thumb pointing upwards.
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