Ali Baba Action Circle

Name and Purpose

Ali Baba Action Circle builds group rhythm, attention, and creative movement in a circle format.
Players practise noticing the person beside them and adapting to what’s happening in the moment.

a.k.a.

Age / Group / Time / Space

Ages 8-16 | 8-40 players | 10-20 minutes | Any circle space, indoors or outdoors

Materials

Quick-Run Card

Form a circle. Everyone chants “Ali Baba and the 40 thieves” together while doing one action.
Leader changes the action on the next chant.
On the following chant, the person beside the leader adopts the new action.
The new action travels one person at a time around the circle.
Round ends when every player is doing something different.

Setup and Boundaries

Stand or sit in a circle with enough space to move arms freely
Signal: one raised hand from the leader stops the chant; two claps resets to the start
Check for tripping hazards if players are seated on the floor

How to Play

The whole group stands or sits in a circle.
Everyone chants “Ali Baba and the 40 thieves” together while doing one agreed action (e.g., clapping).
After three chants, the leader changes to a new action.
On the next chant, the person immediately beside the leader switches to that new action.
With each passing chant, the action moves one more person around the circle.
The leader continues changing actions so that eventually every player is doing a different action simultaneously.
Round ends when every player has a unique action. The group then syncs back to one shared action to celebrate.

I-OPt Options

Start: A (Active) – Perform the action fully with energy; S (Support) – Help keep the chant tempo steady; Q (Quiet) – Do a seated or small-movement version of each action; O (Observer) – Watch for who still has the same action and count along
Mid: A – Exaggerate the action for fun; S – Quietly cue the person next to you when their turn comes; Q – Nod or tap to keep beat instead of chanting; O – Track how many unique actions are in play at any moment
Late: A – Suggest a new action to the leader for the next round; S – Cheer each person as the wave reaches them; Q – Smile and keep your action going; O – Signal to staff when every player is on a different action
End: A – Lead the group in syncing back to one shared action; S – Help quieter players feel noticed by saying their action name; Q – Show a thumbs up; O – Share what action they noticed the most

Inclusion Adaptations

Any action that involves standing can be adapted for seated players (arm waves, head nods, finger snaps)
Players with hearing differences can watch the person beside them for the beat rather than relying on the chant

Stewardship Moment

No materials means no waste. Briefly name it: “We just had 20 minutes of fun with nothing but our voices and bodies.”
Reflection: “What would we have needed if this were a different kind of game? What did we save?”

Consent

Pre-brief: “This game involves doing a movement action in front of the group. For those not comfortable with whole-body movement, smaller actions like finger snaps or head nods are just as valid.”
Mid-game check: Halfway through, pause and check energy with a thumbs signal. Adjust difficulty or speed based on the group.
Opt-out/re-entry: Any player can slow their action or do a small version. Re-entry is automatic as the wave reaches them.

Risks and Mitigation

Player feels singled out when the wave reaches them: normalise by having staff join the circle and take turns too
Chant pace becomes too fast for some players: leader controls the tempo; slow it down if needed
Actions become inappropriate or exclusionary: staff model and redirect to physical-only, kind actions

Warm-Up Suggestions

Do one round where everyone uses the same action all the way through, just to establish the chant rhythm
Practice the phrase “Ali Baba and the 40 thieves” together twice before starting

Debrief Questions

What? “What was it like to hold your action while everyone around you was doing something different?”
So What? “What does that tell us about staying focused in a group where everyone’s doing their own thing?”
Now What? “When in daily camp life do you need to hold your role steady even when things feel chaotic?”

Cleanup and Reset