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Guest Post: Get Active! Animal Relay Game

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Each week we will bring you a new Guest Blog Post with ideas and games to get the kids up and moving as a part of our Get Active series! Today’s Get Active Post is brought to you by Jessica Black, Director at MyGym Virginia Beach-Hilltop.

This week’s get active challenge is the Animal Relay Game! This game encourages children to be creative and use their imaginations while moving around and getting fit!

Supplies:

No supplies needed, just an open space! Playrooms usually are a great place to play this game, or if the weather permits play it outside in the yard!

Directions:

This game is super easy and tons of fun! Have your child start at one end of the playroom/yard and travel across to the other side of the playroom/yard while acting out different animals. You choose the animals, and ask your child questions about each different animal to give their brains a workout too! Here are some examples to get you started:

“FIRST LET’S TURN THE PLAYROOM/YARD INTO A JUNGLE!”

Cheetah run –

  • “First let’s be like the fastest animal. Do you know what the fastest animal is? That’s right, a Cheetah!”
  • “Since people run faster on their feet, when I say GO I want to see you run on your feet across the playroom/yard to the other side as fast as you can. When you get to the other side freeze there on your feet.
  • Repeat running back.

Elephant walk –

  • “Now this time instead of going fast lets go really slow. Let’s be elephants!
  • Encourage them to put their hands together to make a trunk and take big, slow steps, swinging their trunk from side to side.
  • Go all the way to the other side of the playroom/yard, stop and freeze, and come all the way back.

Giraffe walk –

  • “What animal is really tall with a long neck? A giraffe!
  • Encourage child to stand on their tiptoes, stretch their arms straight over their head, and walk across the playroom/yard.
  • You can make this one silly and say “Eat some leaves from the trees when you get to the other side of the playroom/yard!” Then encourage them to come back to the other side performing the motions again.

Monkeys forward roll –

  • “Where do monkeys live? In the jungle! Monkeys are silly!”
  • “Can you move like a monkey (this is hilarious to watch them do)
  • “Freeze!” Put your hand way up in the air! Now reach down and touch them on the ground in front of your feet. Tuck your chin, and do a forward roll!

NOW LET’S CHANGE THE GYM INTO THE FOREST!

Bunny hopping/jumping –

  • What kind of animal has big floppy ears, a bushy tail, and hops? That’s right! A bunny!
  • Instruct your child to make bunny ears with their hands, and remember to keep their feet together when hopping, and hope all the way to the other side of the playroom/yard.

Bear walk –

  • Now this time let’s turn into bears! (This one is kind of tricky parents; you may have to demonstrate it!)
  • Instruct your child to walk on their hands AND their feet at the same time and say “Growl” like a Grizzly Bear!

Frog Jump –

  • “Now squat down like a frog. We have to froggie jump all the way across. Don’t forget to make froggie noises!

This game is one of my favorites because it encourages creativity but also gets those muscles moving! Not to mention it is a great way to get your child to put their thinking caps on!

To make it trickier for older children, change the questions you ask them before you tell them the skill to try and get them to guess it! Get creative; add some of your own!

I would love to hear feedback on how this game went, and what types of animals you did with your children!!!

Looking for more fun ideas for the family? Be sure to check out the MyActiveChild.com lists of Activities, Athletics, Resources and of course our Daily Calendar of FUN in Hampton Roads!

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photo credit: Lighttruth via photopin cc

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Tags: Get Active Kids!
Category: Guest Post