They practise a tongue twister, then run to the correct side of the room depending on whether you call "Mumble!" or "Articulate!".
Then, by either exaggerating the tongue twister as a mumble or saying it as clearly as possible, children become more aware of how they speak and how to make their voices heard.
The Mumble game is a fantastic way to encourage vocal precision while keeping things light and silly.
1. Set the stage
Designate two sides of the room - one side is the Mumble Side and the other is the Articulate Side.
2. Demonstrate both articulating and mumbling
Give a comedy example of incomprehensible mumbling, like "Muh muh muh swudda duh duh wuff."
Then contrast it with a clear, over-enunciated phrase, like "She sells seashells by the seashore."
3. Begin in the middle
Ask the children to stand in the centre of the room.
4. Practise a tongue twister together
Give the children a phrase like: "Seth at Sainsbury's sells thick socks" and repeat it a few times together clearly.
5. Start the movement game
Ask the children to walk around the space. When you call "Articulate!", the children need to run to the Articulate Side and say the phrase as clearly as possible.
When you call "Mumble!", they run to Mumble Side and say it as muddled and unclear as they can (without shouting!).
6. Add variety
Try different phrases such as: "World Wide Web", "Red Lorry, Yellow Lorry", or even a line from a favourite song
You can play a few rounds to keep the energy high. Make sure to praise the expressive voices!
This game always gets lots of laughs, especially from the mumbles! It's a brilliant way to introduce clear speaking and explore how our voice can change dramatically with intention.
Lucy Quick, Principal of Perform.
