Animal Movement Games

Let's move like animals!

Animals move in so many funny ways. 🐻 Bears stomp, frogs hop, and crabs scuttle sideways. Today we will copy them in fun animal movement games!

Moving like animals is great for your body. It makes your muscles strong, helps you balance, and teaches your arms and legs to work together. And because it feels like a game, you will want to keep going and going!

First, find a soft, clear space. A carpet or a grassy garden is perfect. Ask a grown-up to play along, and move anything you might bump into.

Bear walk 🐻

A bear walks on its hands and feet with its bottom in the air.

1. Put both hands flat on the floor.
2. Keep your legs almost straight, bottom up high.
3. Walk slowly forward — move one hand, then the foot on the same side.
4. Growl like a big bear!

This makes your arms and tummy strong.

Frog jump 🐸

Frogs squat down low and then leap.

1. Squat down with your hands between your feet.
2. Push hard with your legs and jump forward.
3. Land softly with bent knees.
4. Ribbit, ribbit!

Frog jumps make your legs powerful.

Crab crawl 🦀

Crabs scuttle along on their hands and feet, with their tummy facing up.

1. Sit down and put your hands behind you, flat on the floor.
2. Bend your knees with feet flat in front.
3. Lift your bottom off the floor.
4. Walk on your hands and feet, sideways or backwards.

This is tricky and very funny!

Flamingo balance 🦩

A flamingo stands tall on just one leg.

1. Stand up nice and tall.
2. Hold your arms out wide like wings.
3. Lift one foot off the floor.
4. Balance! How long can you hold it?

If you wobble, that is fine. Put your foot down and try again. Arms out wide help you stay steady.

Snake slither 🐍

Lie on your tummy and wiggle along the floor like a snake. Keep your legs together and push with your arms. Hiss as you go!

A fun game: Animal Safari

Play this with a grown-up:

1. The grown-up calls out an animal, like "Bear!"
2. You move like that animal.
3. When they call a new animal, you switch!

Mix them up — bear, frog, crab, flamingo, snake. Can you remember them all? This is a brilliant way to warm your whole body up.

Stay safe

• Play on a soft floor with space around you.
• Go slowly when you try a new move.
• Land softly with bent knees when you jump.
• Always have a grown-up nearby.

You are an animal moving star!

Now you can bear walk, frog jump, crab crawl and flamingo balance. Which animal is your favourite? 🎉

Want more moving fun? Try Dancing and Moving to Music. To learn why moving helps your body get ready, read Why Warming Up Matters.