Face to Face: My Right, Your Right
A partner game that moves from finding right and left on your own body to finding them on a partner facing you. Students practice projecting laterality onto another person, paying attention and cooperating with many classmates.
How to play
- Partners stand side by side facing the same way. Call commands on their own bodies ("right hand to your left ear") (2 min).
- Face to face, one step apart: "With your right hand, touch your partner's right shoulder." Check that their right is across from your left (3 min).
- Left-right handshake: high-five right to right, left to left, then crossed. Each pair invents a 4-move handshake using both sides (3 min).
- Free jog. On the whistle, call a command ("left knee to left knee") and students find a new partner and do it within 5 seconds (4 min).
- Every pair that gets it right earns a class point; class goal: 10 in a row (2 min).
- Each pair teaches its handshake to another pair, who copies it face to face without mixing up sides (1 min).
Rules
- Gentle touches with an open hand, no pushing.
- Find a new partner on every signal.
- Slow down and look for open space when finding a partner.
Variations
Easier
All commands side by side, never face to face.
Standard
Alternate side-by-side and face-to-face commands, switching partners.
Harder
Crossed and back-to-back commands ("your left hand to my right shoulder") with no demo.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: with a partner using a wheelchair, use hands, arms, shoulders and head, and the partner comes to them.
- Autism or touch sensitivity: point a few inches away instead of touching and keep one trusted partner.
- Skill level: confident students call commands for another pair; unsure students do extra side-by-side rounds.
Learning goals
- Identify right and left on their own bodies.
- Recognize the right and left side of someone facing them.
- Cooperate with different partners while respecting personal space.
Teacher tip
Almost everyone mixes up a facing partner's sides: demo with a student beside you, then turn face to face so they see it flip. It works best from about age 8.
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