Five Challenges, Five Leaders: A New Leader at Every Station

Groups of five rotate through five cooperative stations, and at each one a different student leads, hears ideas and makes the final call. Everyone gets to lead and to follow someone else.

How to play

1. Introduce the stations: pass a hoop around without letting go of hands, carry a ball using dowels, cross the “swamp” stepping only in hoops, everyone through a turning long rope, and build a shape with ropes on the floor (5 min).
2. Each group draws the order of leaders; the leader hears at least two ideas and decides (2 min).
3. Rotate through the five stations, 5 minutes each, with a different leader each time (25 min).
4. Thank-you round: each student tells a leader specifically what they did well (3 min).

Rules

• The leader can't do the task alone: their job is to organize.
• You can suggest, but you go with the leader's decision during their station.
• At the jump rope station, turners call out before starting and students enter one at a time.
• No jumping over dowels or using them to hit.

Variations

Adaptations

• Deaf or hard-of-hearing students: each station has a task card and the leader uses agreed gestures.
• Wheelchair users: the rope and swamp stations are adapted (a low rope passed under; large hoops as islands to roll through).
• Students unsure about leading: may co-lead with a partner on their turn.

Learning goals

• Lead by listening and deciding.
• Follow someone else and contribute ideas without taking over.
• Solve cooperative movement challenges.

Equipment for a class of 25

• hoops: 15
• ropes: 6
• balls: 6
• cones: 10
• dowels: 12

Teacher tip

Post a sign with the task at each station so you don't explain it five times. Common issue: the usual leader runs every station; watch that turns are respected.

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