Musical statues
| Players | Variable |
|---|---|
| Age range | Usually children |
| Setup time | 1 minute |
| Playing time | Variable |
| Random chance | Music stoppage may seem random to players, but is under the control of the leader |
| Skill(s) required | Quick reaction time, ability to stand completely still |
Musical statues is a children's game played at children's birthday parties in the UK; in the USA it is often called "Freeze Dance." It is similar to Musical Chairs.
Rules
Players stand in an area, usually a dance hall and wait for music to start to play (controlled by the game master / judge). When the music starts the players should dance to the music, the more spirited the better. The game master will then stop the music at a random point. When the music has stopped all players should freeze. The judge then walks among the players and watches to see who is still moving or doesn't stop fast enough, those people are called out of the game. Play continues until there is only one person left (the winner).
If the game starts to get difficult to call people out, the players should be encouraged to get more enthusiastic so that it is more difficult to stop on time.
Sometimes the game master can also call a theme for the statues, so that the players must impersonate something such as an animal or activity.
World record
The world record for musical statues was set on 16 August 2013. Over 1,500 students at Mansfield State High School in Australia participated in the event.