Big Booty

To energize mind, body, and voice, to create group mind and introduce the idea of failing joyfully and supporting one another even in failure.

Materials

No materials are needed for this activity.

Framing

In the outside world, your participants may be expected to be right, to always do well, and to apologize for mistakes, especially in school. Big Booty is a fun, high-energy way to take students away from the real world, where failing is bad, and thrust them into a world where failing is joyfully celebrated.

Instructions

Organize your group to stand in a horseshoe formation, with the student at the right end dubbed the “Big Booty” and the others numbering off from 1, starting with the participant next to Big Booty. The last participant, instead of being given a number, is dubbed “Little Booty.”
The group stomps their feet rhythmically, one foot at a time, while clapping and singing the song:
“Big Booty, Big Booty, Big Booty.
( Right Left Right Left
“Aww... yeah...”
Right Left Right Left)
After singing the song once, Big Booty starts by saying his/her name and then another number. For example, “Big Booty, Number 5.”
Number 5 would then pass to another participant in the same process, “Number 5, Number 7.” At any time, the call can be passed back to Big Booty. But at no point can there be callbacks or a back and forth.
If anyone hesitates, makes a mistake, or is out of time, they must yell, “Aw, shoot,” and move to the end of the horseshoe while everyone else maintain the rhythm by stomping.
When that participant moves to the end of the horseshoe, he/she becomes Little Booty and everyone else numbers off again.
Play as long as you want.

Modify

Once your group has gotten quite good at Big Booty, you can add a dance break to the mix. For example, if Number 4 receives the call, a dance break would look like this:
- Number 3: Number 3, Number 4.
- Number 4: Number 4, Number 4, BREAK IT DOWN! The students then create dance music and dance around joyfully for four beats, at which point Number 4 gets things going again: “Number 4, Number 7.” Play resumes from there.

Safety

Continue to facilitate a safe environment for your group and encourage peer supports throughout as participants make mistakes. This is a funny game and laughing is encouraged, but only if everyone is enjoying themselves.