This is a simple singing circle game about seed dispersal and the mutually beneficial partnership between mobile animals (in this case, birds) and rooted, rather stationary plants. It celebrates the way that birds help plants to disperse their offspring – often in exchange for the tasty, energy rich fruit that surrounds the tough little seeds.
There’s singing, choosing, and circling in this game (which lends itself well to slightly more complex dance steps such as ‘grapevines’), in addition to a race between a sprouting seed and a hungry mouse. It’s usually well liked by students and helps strengthen their awareness of the ancient and beautiful symbiotic relationships that plants have evolved with many animals, not just for pollination (seed formation) but also for seed dispersal.
For details on playing the game, check the page on this website that contains the draft pdf for Circling the Sun, Racing the Wind, which was shared at the conference.