Whakaropiropi ai

Tagged with:

Physical activity
Movement concepts and motor skills
Hauora
Years 1–4
Years 5–8

Play Whakaropiropi ai!

Exploring te ao kori — Activity collections

This resource is part of a series within the Exploring te ao kori activity collections called Tākaro ā-ringa | Hand games.

Read background information View all Tākaro ā-ringa | Hand games activities View te ao kori collections

Small children singing and doing actions.

Intended outcomes

Ākonga:

play whakaropiropi ai and demonstrate safe and fair play practices
identify and compare ways that playing games competitively can impact on friendships.

Suggested approach

Whakaropiropi ai is played with two people facing each other. The two will start the game by beating their thighs with the palms of their hands in unison.

One of the two, the defender, will begin the game by calling to the other, "Whakaropiropi ai", and the challenger replies "Āe".

The defender then calls "Tēnei mea te hōmai" and chooses one of the five actions described below:

Arms at the side of the body, bent at the elbows to point at the opponent, with both fists clenched.
Arms at the side of the body, bent at the elbows to point at the opponent, with both hands open, fingers extended and pointing away from the body.
Arms at the side of the body, bent at the elbows to point at the opponent, both hands open with the fingers extended and fingertips touching to form an A shape.
Arms at the side of the body, bent at the elbows to point at the opponent, both hands open with the fingers extended and fingertips touching to form a V shape.
Arms at the side of the body, bent at the elbows to point at the opponent, both hands open with the fingers extended and the right extended fingers on top of the left extended fingers.

The challenger then replies with, "Hōmai" and chooses a different action to the defender. This continues to and fro until one player unwittingly does the same action as the other. In other words, one player has been "tricked" into doing the same action as the other player.

At the completion of the game, ākonga will discuss how the points are won.

Ākonga then get into teams of four and play Whakaropiropi Ai in a round robin as for Hei tama tū tama.

Young people demonstrating how to play whakaropiropi ai

Transcript

One girl (the defender) stands facing two boys and another girl (the challengers) who are standing in a line facing her. The defender calls out “Whakaropiropi ai” and slaps her thighs, the three challengers then do the same. The defender says “Tēnei mea te hōmai”. The challengers say “Hōmai” and make the positions with their hands. The game is quick. They say “Hōmai” and choose positions eight times before the defender says “Hōmai ra” and one of the boys goes out.

The defender says “Whakaropiropi ai” and slaps her thighs, and the remaining two challengers do the same. The defender says “Tēnei mea te hōmai” and the challengers say “Hōmai” and make different positions with their hands. They repeat “Hōmai” and make positions five times before the defender says “Hōmai ra” and the second challenger goes out.

The defender and the last challenger say “Whakaropiropi ai” and slaps their thighs. The defender says “Tēnei mea te hōmai” and the challenger says “Hōmai” and makes a position with his hands. They repeat “Hōmai” and make different positions 18 times, getting faster and faster, before the challenger goes out and everyone laughs.

As a class, ākonga share and record different responses from their group about winning and losing, and how people behaved differently.

Ākonga discuss the effect of some behaviours on relationships and friendships between class members, discuss how to show acceptance of success and disappointment, and discuss the importance of playing games, such as these hand games, just for fun.

Ākonga play another round of one of the hand games and use behaviours and strategies that enable them to play competitively and fairly. Ākonga reflect on their own play and identify how they behaved differently.

Ākonga can consider questions such as:

How does your behaviour affect others around you?
What behaviours or strategies encourage you to get on better with others?
Identify ways in which we can behave to support positive relationships with those we play with and against.
How can you remember to use positive strategies and behaviours in future competitive situations?