Singing Games Activity Book - Bow Wow Wow

The Singing Games Activity Book presents a delightful musical game for children called "Bow Wow Wow," which is designed to be played by an even number of participants standing in a circle. The game begins with teaching the children how to change partners smoothly by shaking hands with the person they're facing and then moving past them, right shoulder to right shoulder, to meet and shake hands with a new partner. It's important to keep the children facing the same direction throughout to avoid confusion, and using a rhythmic countdown such as "1,2,3, move!" can facilitate this process.

Once the children are comfortable with partner changes, the "Bow Wow Wow" game can be introduced. The sequence of actions includes clapping their own hands three times, wagging a finger at their partner, walking past their current partner to stand in front of a new one, and then clapping the new partner's hand three times. To assist the children in remembering the steps, calling out cues like "CLAP, WAG, MOVE, CLAP PARTNER!" can be very helpful. The game is engaging and can continue until the children return to their original partners. For an added challenge, the game can be played with 'thinking voices' to encourage internalisation of the words, and can even be extended to a canon format where a second group starts the game right after the first group sings "Bow wow wow." To further develop rhythm skills, children can perform the song using rhythm names with corresponding actions, such as clapping for "Ta," tapping knees for "Te-Te," and a silent 'sh' for rests.