Search Online Playground
A resource center for teachers to enhance learning through integrating movement, exploration and mindfulness into classroom lessons. Many of the activities can be adapted to be used on a playground, at home, in the boardroom and beyond.
Use search bar to search by activity, grade level, keyword, or browse categories below.
Duck, Duck, Animal
Short description of activity: A variation of Duck, Duck, Goose that requires creativity and fast thinking
Type of activity: Team Builder, Energizer
Minimum Time Needed for Activity: 10 min
Grade Level: K+
Subject Area: None
Materials:
None
Set up:
- Have participants sit in a circle facing in.
Play:
- Player A begins moving around the circle, patting each player gently on the head saying “duck” every time they pat someone on the head.
- At some point, they will name a different animal (cow)
- Player A begins running in the same direction they had been walking. Player B gets up and begins running around the circle in the opposite direction.
- When the two players meet at whatever point on the circle, they face each other and make the sound of that animal, or act like that animal.
- NOTE: Be careful of head-on collisions! It happens more often than you would expect
- Once they are both done, they continue past each other in the same direction to be the first in the vacated spot.
- Whoever sits first stays put. The player who did not get the spot continues play, beginning with the animal named (cow, cow, …)
Variations:
- The player should try to think of the animal they will say beforehand, otherwise the player says “cat, cat, -long pause- mongoose” and it takes away the surprise aspect of the game.
- Try not to repeat animals.
- Add adjectives to the animals for the players to act out (angry kitty, sleepy hippo, nervous giraffe, etc)
- Players can sit in a different way to indicate that they have already gone so that all players get a turn.
