Squat Me Baby Energizer Game

Squat Me Baby is an amusing balancing activity, great for partners or teams in a group

The Benefits of Squat Me Baby Energizer and Ice Breaker Activity  

• Improves balance skills
• Partner activity
• Healthy competition
• No props needed

Encourage everyone in the group to seek out a partner that have hands which are more or less the same size. Allow everybody to chat a bit, exchange greetings with each other. Have each pair stand face to face about 60cm apart (two ruler lengths apart from toe to toe).

Demonstrate what is expected from the group and each pair. Stand with feet together and lower yourself and bend at the knees into a squatting position.  You will now be balancing on the balls of your feet. Keep the hands up, palms facing outwards and elbows in next to your body. From this position, facing each other, you are ready to begin the challenge.

Begin on the word “GO”. The aim is to unbalance your partner but take note, no pushing is allowed. The part that can connect with your partner, is the hands. In other words, you cannot touch their knee or shoulder, etc. Since everyone is already in an unstable position, sometimes you don’t even have to touch the other person, only make a sudden move, which can put the other person off balance.

Have everyone do the activity for about three rounds, each round is usually only about 10 -20 seconds, depending on the group. If the group is up to it, continue with the activity, but get everyone to swap partners.

Contextual Framing Ideas  for Squat Me Baby Energizer   

Some of us can maintain our balance fairly well, it is something we develop and learn over time. The more you practice and the stronger you become, the easier it will become to balance.

When using only your feet, there are many ways you can test your balance. The following exercise will have you in a fairly unbalanced position, let’s see who can last the longest…

Association can be a powerful thing; how would you feel being on either the A-team or the B-team? You might be thinking in terms of competition, the A-team being better. What about ‘Pineapple’, how many of you, when thinking of this, start to have a mouthwatering effect? How about I mention ‘off-balance’ or ‘unbalanced’?…

Step-by-Step Instructions for facilitating Squat Me Baby Energizer  

• Have the group form pairs
• Each pair must stand about 60 cm apart, facing each other, with their feet together.
• Everyone must bend at the knees and move into a squatting position, on the balls of their feet.
• Each person must then raise their hands, palms facing outward, with the elbows against their bodies.
• The aim is for each person to try and cause their partner to become off-balance.
• Only the hands of each person are allowed to touch their partner’s hands. No other part of the body is allowed to be touched.
• Have everyone play for three rounds and then mix it up by changing partners.

Facilitators and Leaders Tips

To entertain groups, even more, there are many ‘dividing groups or splitting into pairs activities’ available.

When demonstrating the game, make sure to focus on the goal, which is not to push over but only to ‘put off-balance’.  A hard push is unsafe and can lead to injury, so keep it subtle.

Point out that resting on the soles of the feet is not allowed and is not the same as balancing on the edge or balls of the feet. If you find somebody doing this, simply correct them and continue playing the game. 

Debriefing and Reflection Tips 

Here are some questions to ask the group, which will help them to process their experiences of playing the game ‘Squat Me Baby ’

• Did you find it easy or difficult to balance on your toes?
• Was there something that helped you to balance?
• What strategy did you use that put your partner off-balance the most?
• Do you think this game is fun and why?

Variations of Squat Me Baby Energizer and Ice Breaker Activity  

• Teams: Instead of just two players, have four players together standing in a square shape and facing each other. Each person must then unbalance everyone else in the group.
• One hand only: Play the game the same as normal, but now you can only use one hand instead of two.
• Rope Challenge: Play the game as normal, including a short length of rope between partners (2 m to 3m). Each person must squat, facing each other about one metre apart. The aim is to use the rope to put the other person off-balance. Each person should only hold the rope in their palms and not around the wrist.