Singing Games Year 5 Notations - Obwisana

The song "Obwisana" is a traditional African passing game that provides a rhythmic and engaging activity for Year 5 children. The game is played while sitting in a circle, with each child having a beater placed on the floor in front of them. It's important for the children to sit in such a way that they can easily reach the beater in front of the person to their right. The notation for the song "Obwisana" consists of simple rhythmic patterns that are easy to follow and are meant to be played in time with the singing.

Before introducing the song, it's essential to teach the children the concept of passing the beater in a rhythmic manner. Each child practices reaching out to the beater to their right, picking it up, and placing it down in front of themselves, all in time to a clear and steady pulse. A counting method, such as saying "1,2,3 AND DOWN," helps to coordinate the group's movements, ensuring that the beaters are picked up and placed down simultaneously. Once the children are comfortable with this passing technique, the song "Obwisana" is taught. The goal is to maintain the rhythm and pass the beaters without confusion, ensuring that no child ends up with too many or none at all. The game can start with a smaller group for practice but is designed to accommodate a full class of up to 30 students. A clear starting signal, like singing "1,2,3,and Ob..." helps to initiate the game, with the children picking up the beaters on "and" and placing them down on "Ob," continuing in time with the pulse for the duration of the game.