# Chic-A-Boom Participants form a circle, learn a directional pointing chant, and cascade into the center as each person in the middle invites a new member inward until the whole room is chanting together. **Time:** 10 minutes. UWT suggested duration to allow up to 24 participants to cascade into the center. **People:** 4 to 24. Single circle transitioning into a central cluster ## Choose this exercise **Purpose:** Re-energize a group and establish shared physical rhythm through synchronized movement and call-and-response chanting. **Use it when:** Use during afternoon energy slumps, after long sedentary blocks, or when opening an active, movement-friendly workshop session. **Skip it when:** Skip when participants need quiet focus, when loud noise would disturb neighboring rooms, or when participants prefer low-stimulus, low-visibility tasks. ## Materials and tools - One flip chart or slide showing the chorus and verse text (see participant materials) ## Before participants arrive 1. Clear an open floor space large enough for all participants to stand in an unobstructed circle and move toward the middle. 2. Display the lyrics on a flip chart or wall screen visible from the circle perimeter. ## Say this to open We are going to do a fast movement energizer called Chic-A-Boom. It combines rhythmic pointing with a chant that pulls everyone into the center. First, mirror my hand motions and repeat the chorus with me. ## How to run it ### 1. Teach pointing movements and chorus (3 minutes) Gather everyone into a single standing circle. Demonstrate pointing both index fingers rhythmically: up three times, down three times, left three times, and right three times. Teach the chorus: 'And up chic-a-boom, chic-a-boom, chic-a-boom! And down chic-a-boom, chic-a-boom, chic-a-boom! To the left, chic-a-boom, chic-a-boom, chic-a-boom! To the right, chic-a-boom, chic-a-boom, chic-a-boom!' Run through the full sequence twice until the room points and chants in unison. ### 2. Introduce invitation verse (2 minutes) Step into the center of the circle. Chant the verse while looking directly at one participant: 'Hey there [Name], you're a real cool cat. You've got a lot of this, and you've got a lot of that. So come on in and get down!' Wave that participant into the center to stand beside you. Immediately lead the entire group in chanting the full chorus with pointing movements. ### 3. Cascade into the center (3 minutes) Both people now in the middle each look at a different person on the perimeter and chant the invitation verse together, naming their chosen person. Those two join the middle, making four. All four chant the verse to invite four more. Continue doubling the center group after each chorus until everyone has joined the central cluster. ### 4. Final chorus and brief debrief (2 minutes) Lead one final, high-energy rendition of the full chorus and pointing gestures with everyone standing together in the center. Give the group a round of applause, ask one observation question, then return to workshop seats. ## Debrief questions - How did the tempo and volume change as more people moved from the outer ring to the middle? - What helped you stay in sync while tracking both the pointing directions and the words? **Finished output:** The entire group completes the movement-chant sequence gathered together in the room center. ## Remote All participants turn on cameras in gallery view. Teach the gestures on screen. To simulate the center, participants start with cameras on and neutral backgrounds. When invited by name, participants turn on a virtual spotlight or raise a designated digital reaction icon to show they are now in the middle. In each round, everyone marked as in the middle chants the verse together and calls another person, doubling the virtual center until all cameras display the reaction icon for the final chorus. ## Hybrid In-person participants form a circle around a wide-angle room camera and microphone, with remote participants visible on a large display screen. When someone in the center invites an in-person attendee, that person walks into the physical center. When inviting a remote participant, the caller says their name, and the remote participant raises their digital hand icon. When remote participants in the center invite others, they call names aloud through room audio. Both groups perform the directional finger gestures together. ## Access and participation choices - Participants may remain seated and perform directional gestures from a chair without entering the physical center. - Anyone who prefers not to be called into the middle can cross their wrists across their chest to pass; the caller immediately invites the next person without pause. ## If the session gets stuck **Two callers in the middle name the same person outside the circle.** The named person joins one caller, and the other caller immediately points to and names the person to the left or right. **The group rushes the rhythm and the chanting falls out of sync.** Establish a strong foot-tap or clapping beat before the chorus starts and lead the pointing movements with broad, exaggerated gestures. ## Terms used here - Call-and-response: A performance pattern where a leader sings or chants a phrase and the group repeats or answers it. ## Participant material: Chic-A-Boom Chant Lyrics CHORUS: And up chic-a-boom, chic-a-boom, chic-a-boom! And down chic-a-boom, chic-a-boom, chic-a-boom! To the left, chic-a-boom, chic-a-boom, chic-a-boom! To the right, chic-a-boom, chic-a-boom, chic-a-boom! INVITATION VERSE: Hey there [Name], you're a real cool cat. You've got a lot of this, and you've got a lot of that. So come on in and get down! ## Sources and adaptation Observed in Playmeo library, attributed to Mark Collard. Retained the original Playmeo lyric text, directional pointing actions, and exponential cascade into the circle center. Added explicit hybrid and remote operational rules using virtual reactions, clear non-punitive pass cues, full lyric printout text, and structured minute allocations. [Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/energizer-warm-up-games/chic-a-boom) [Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/energizer-warm-up-games/chic-a-boom/) Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/hilariously-fun-large-group-energiser-activity-chic-a-boom/