Objective
In this game, the children are on a safari learning about animals at the same time as they are physically active. The game gets the children to use their bodies to imitate the movement pattern of various animals.
Instructions
- Everyone sits on a bench or something else to form a train.
- The child sitting at the front is the train driver and decides where the train will go. For instance, you travel to Africa and visit a savannah. Whilst there, you see an animal. The adult asks the children which animals live in Africa. If a child answers, “A Lion”, the adult asks: “What does a lion run like?”
- The child demonstrates and all the children become lions. Everyone runs around as lions for a while before they are stopped and you talk about what lions eat. The children say meat and they all become hunting lions. The children find an antelope (talk about what it is) and they eat it. Then everyone runs back to the train.
- The train drives further and you see a night animal. It is important that the adult is engaged in the game and explores further via the story.
Variation
- Here you can control the movements that you want the children to do by seeing different types of animals. Examples of different animal movements:
- Elephant: stamp
- Kangaroo: jump on two legs bending well the knees
- Leopard: run fast
- Snake: wiggle
- Bear: hands and feet on the floor
- Turtle: crawl on knees and forearms
- Penguin: legs tightly together and arms tightly at the sides, wobbly walk with tiny steps
- Mouse: heel-to-toe (like balancing on a line)
- Frog: leap with both legs placing hands on the floor between the leaps
- Horse: gallop
- Duck: walk whilst squatting
- Seal: lie down your stomach and lift the upper body with the arms. Move around with your arms
- Crab: feet and hands on the ground with your back facing the group and move sideways
- Bird: lightly jump with flapping arms
- Flamingo: stand on one leg
- Starfish: jump moving your legs in and out and arms up and down
- As a variation, you could be onboard a submarine looking for sea animals.
Equipment
Bench or anything else for a train