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Group: 5+ · Where: Indoors · Materials: chairs (optional, but recommended) · Skills: attention, speed
All players sit in a circle of chairs or on the floor (chairs are more comfortable), and one seat stays empty. One person starts by sliding over onto the empty seat and saying, “I’m sitting.” The next person slides over and says, “in the grass.” The next one slides over and says, “and waiting.” The last person slides over and says, “for [any player’s name].”
The person named then sits down on the empty seat. Now the newly empty seat is claimed by whoever is faster, the player to its right or to its left. The person who sits down first says, “I’m sitting,” and the whole thing starts over.
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Variation with more action: This version is also known as “My Chair.” It can be played with the “I’m sitting in the grass …” chant as well.
In “My Chair,” all players sit in a circle of chairs while one player without a chair stands in the middle. The goal of the player in the middle is to grab an empty chair. As soon as a chair becomes free, the player to the right of the empty chair has to touch it and shout “My chair!” before sitting down. After the first and second player have done that, the third player has to touch the chair and call out another player’s name, for example “Maya’s chair!” That player then has to sit down on the named chair, which frees up their previous chair and starts a new round in which the players try to claim the empty chair again. Whoever makes a mistake while naming or claiming chairs goes to the middle.
In “My Chair,” all players sit in a circle of chairs while one player without a chair stands in the middle. The goal of the player in the middle is to grab an empty chair. As soon as a chair becomes free, the player to the right of the empty chair has to touch it and shout “My chair!” before sitting down. After the first and second player have done that, the third player has to touch the chair and call out another player’s name, for example “Maya’s chair!” That player then has to sit down on the named chair, which frees up their previous chair and starts a new round in which the players try to claim the empty chair again. Whoever makes a mistake while naming or claiming chairs goes to the middle.
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This game is part of our collection “The 50 Best Games for Youth Ministry”.
