Childhood Games ~ Musical Chairs

In this continuing series dedicated to the games of childhood we now enter the cut-throat world of musical chairs.

Now this is a game that has damn near everything, in fact as far as games go it’s pretty close to perfection. It’s competitive, has a degree of risk and tension and is performed to corny party music, what more could you ask? I dare say that with the exception of pass the parcel, musical chairs is the ultimate party game.

To play the game is simple, to win it requires speed, anticipation and the ability to correctly use underhanded tactics. I never even got close to winning a game as a child, probably because I wasn’t ruthless enough and still am not, I bet I’d get beaten at a game today.

All you need to play, is a large room, plenty of chairs, an adult to control the music (and halt any potential kiddie riots), and a large group of over-sugared children. The chairs are set up in a circle (you could use a square but circles look better), making sure that there is one less chair than there is children. Once everything is set up just so, the music can begin.

So the music begins and all the kids start to walk sedately around the chairs, there may be some jostling of the slower kids but otherwise all is quite calm. Then the adult DJ hits the pause button, and pandemonium breaks out. The chairs become a great treasure that must be attained at all cost, friendship goes out of the window and even family ties are forgotten as each child strives to be the one who’s not standing at the end.

Ruthless Musical Chairs players forcing the weakest away from that precious last chair.

When the dust clears and peace is restored, one poor soul will be discovered, teary eyed and snotty nosed, defeated. With one child now eliminated a chair is removed, thus keeping the number of chairs lower than the number of kids, and it begins again. The game continues in this way until all but one of the children are removed. Sometimes this can last as long as three cheesy pop songs.

With the possibility of prizes awaiting the winner, is it any wonder that sneaky tactics become the norm? A sly elbow to the person behind, a little trip to the one in front, anything that can create a few precious seconds to gain the chair. Children are more ruthless than adults when they really want to win.

A lesson to be learned, winning at musical chairs increases the chances of a successful future (obviously this is scientifically unproven, but still it’s a good theory).