Animal Walk

Instead of taking a trip to the zoo, have children become the zoo—and burn through any restless energy. This fun and imaginative activity encourages body awareness and creativity. As children mimic different animals, they’ll explore different ways of moving and expressing themselves. By acting out animal behaviors, they can embody qualities like calmness, strength, and gentleness, supporting emotion regulation and self-awareness.

STEP 1

Clear a space for the group to move around safely. Begin with everyone seated on the ground.

STEP 2

Tell the group to visualize an animal’s habitat, such as “Imagine you are walking into a jungle and you see a snake slowly slithering on the jungle floor.” Describe the quality of the movement, such as “Snakes move gracefully and smoothly, rippling like a wave.”

STEP 3

Ask them to imagine that they are starting to turn into a snake. Tell them to start moving their arms or necks as if they were a snake just waking up.

STEP 4 

Now encourage kids to use their whole bodies, if the room permits. They might move onto their bellies and continue moving around like snakes.

STEP 5

Once movement has peaked, instruct them to slow back down by acting like a snake that is getting sleepy.

STEP 6

After closing their eyes for a brief rest, repeat with another animal, starting off by imagining the habitat, seeing the animal, and naming some qualities about the animal to embody. 

Here are some examples.

• Turtle: slow, steady, patient

• Frog: leaping, crouching, silly

• Kangaroo: bouncing, hopping, energetic

• Giraffe: elegant, stretching, reaching

• Dolphin: playful, fluid, smooth

• Cheetah: quick, graceful, shy

• Lion: strong, brave, proud

• Elephant: lumbering, swaying, bold

• Bear: strong, protective, confident

• Gorilla: powerful, strong, curious

• Bird: light, soaring, free

• Butterfly: graceful, fluttering, delicate