By using imagination and play, children learn that strong, clear sound comes from good breathing rather than pushing or shouting.
1. Form a circle and imagine the candle
Ask the children to sit or stand in a circle.
Tell them to imagine there is a candle in the middle of the circle. Ask them to picture it clearly and describe what colour it is.
Ask the children if they think they can blow the candle out.
2. Try to blow the candle out
Ask them to try blowing it out three times using only small breaths. Explain that the candle does not go out.
Now ask the children to take a big, deep breath and try again. This time, the candle blows out straight away.
3. Talk about breath power
Explain that using a full breath gives us more power and control than lots of little puffs.
Link this to using the voice, explaining that when we want to project or speak clearly, we need to take a good breath first, rather than pushing our voice.
Encourage the children to try once more, focusing on calm, deep breathing.
Keep the atmosphere playful rather than competitive and emphasise that calm, deep breaths are most effective. This exercise works well before vocal projection tasks and helps children understand that volume comes from breath support, not shouting.
Lucy Quick, Principal of Perform.
