Circle Animal

  1. Cooperative Games
  2. Icebreaker

  • Any Size

  • Grades 1-2

  • None

  • Less Than 10 minutes

Development Goal

The object of this game is for players to think quickly and work together.

Before You Start

  • Begin in a circle.
  • Choose two or three animals to mimic
  • Review the sounds and actions of each animal with players.
  • Demonstrate how each animal formation will look.
  • Review boundaries and rules, ask for questions.

Set Up

Clear open space

How to Play

  • All players begin in a circle, with one player chosen to be in the center of the circle.
  • The player in the center will point to a student on the circle and call out an animal.
  • The player, who is pointed to, along with the player to his/her right and left, has to create the animal named.
  • If the player in the center points to Joefor example, and says “rabbit”, Joe holds two fingers over his head making rabbit ears.
  • The two players next to Joe each tap one foot on the ground to mimic hopping.
  • Players who do not do the correct movement step out of the circle.
  • These players now move to the center of the circle and choose animals for people to create.
  • Game continues until only three students are left.

Variations

Other animals include:

  • Elephant: the person in the middle makes trunk with arm, and those on the left and right make ears by placing arms in ½ circle shapes next to head of middle.
  • Cat: the person in the middle makes claws with hands, and the people on the left and right use their fingers of one hand to create whiskers next to face of middle.