For the community that is children's choir, few things encourage cooperation more than trust. Forging this trust is sometimes difficult in the strict context of a choral lesson plan. Trust-building games serve to relax the individual child and allow him or her to feel closer to the others in the choir group. One game common to this genre is called Knots. Children arrange themselves in a circle and each child holds hands with two others, neither of whom is adjacent to them. They must then untie themselves by stepping over or under without letting go.
Successful communities are seldom comprised of strangers. To forge a strong choral bond, the kids who make it up must talk and learn about each other. Sharing games allow the children of the choir family to communicate in a non-threatening manner that encourages them to make the first steps to forge friendships. Games such as "personal scavenger hunt" are ideal for this purpose. Challenge members with a list of things to find, such as "a person with a brother named Bob" or "a family member who uses tools." In the end, everyone becomes more familiar.
Emotional and physical tension interfere with optimal performance in any task. In choir, these stresses create nervousness and restlessness that draw focus away from vocal efforts. Limbering up games serve to relieve the various anxieties via physical activity. The best games for this type are moderately strenuous such as "Little Sally Walker." In this game, the members form a circle. A "challenger" calls out a rhythmic chant while the others clap. The challenger moves around the inside of the circle and stops before one of others with a physical challenge performed to the beat. If the challenged kid fails to repeat the move, they have to swap places and become the challenger.
Like any muscle, the vocal cords perform well after being warmed up. Vocal warm up games target the tracheal muscles, stretch their range and volume and prepare them for a full performance. Vocal challenges similar to "American Idol" provide an entertaining way to warm up and pursue friendly competition. "Encore" is a more informal game that is good when time is short. One member starts by singing a line from a popular song and then points at another member who must sing the next line, and so on, until someone misses, and then the round starts anew.