BBC News Online: UK

Musical chairs 'too violent'

A booklet, launched by the Education Minister Margaret Hodge, says that nursery schools should consider playing a less aggressively competitive game - such as musical statues.

Towards a Non-Violent Society, the booklet produced by the Forum on Children and Violence, argues that musical chairs only rewards the "strongest and fastest".

Instead it says that the booklet "merely advises that teachers might think of less confrontational alternatives".

But the Conservative education spokeswoman, Theresa May, called the advice "political correctness gone mad".

"Children have playedand enjoyed musical chairs for years," she said.

"This is yet more interference by a government, not content with just telling teachers what to do, they are now telling children what games they can and cannot play."