Karavai
Also known as Каравай, Birthday Bread
A Russian birthday circle game where children sing about a giant loaf of bread and the birthday child picks friends to join them in the middle.
How to play
The birthday child stands in the centre of a circle.
Other children join hands and walk around them, singing the Karavai song, stretching arms wide ('this wide'), crouching down ('this low'), reaching up ('this tall') with each verse.
At the song's end 'choose whoever you love!', the birthday child chooses one friend to join them in the centre.
The song starts again; the original child may leave as the chosen friend is now in the centre.
The game continues until everyone feels included.
Keep it fair
Let the birthday child know beforehand they must choose different people each round, choosing the same friend repeatedly causes hurt feelings fast.
