Giant Goose Game with Moving Squares

We draw a giant spiral Goose Game (a traditional Spanish board game) on the ground, and children, in small groups holding hands, are the game pieces: they roll a giant die and move along, doing the movement each square calls for. It introduces a traditional game and practices jumping, moving around and taking turns.

How to play

1. Before class, the teacher chalks a spiral of about 20 big squares with simple pictures: geese, a bridge, a well (a hoop), an inn (another hoop) and squares for jumping, crawling or tiptoeing. When we arrive, we all walk it slowly to get to know it (3 min).
2. Make four groups of game pieces, each named for a color: red, blue, green and yellow pieces. The teacher explains: roll the die, count out loud and move that many squares together, holding hands (2 min).
3. Play: each group rolls in turn and moves along, doing the movement of the square they land on (jump with feet together, crawl, spin…); the other groups copy it from where they are (6 min).
4. Special squares: on a goose, shout “Goose to goose, my turn's not loose!” and jump to the next goose; on the bridge, cross with arms in an arch; in the well, do squats until another group comes to give a high five; at the inn, sit and take three breaths (3 min).
5. When all groups reach the goose garden in the middle of the spiral, we do the goose dance together: arms like wings and duck steps (2 min).

Rules

• Move only when it's your group's turn.
• Game pieces always hold hands.
• No one stays in the well: another group comes to rescue you.
• We win when everyone reaches the garden.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: big squares with no edges so the wheelchair can roll through; swap movements for arm gestures or chair turns.
• Autism: a go-to adult or buddy in the group and a turn card (“our turn,” “we wait”).
• Visual impairment: also mark the squares with raised tape, and the group counts each jump out loud.

Learning goals

• Get to know and enjoy the traditional Goose Game.
• Do a variety of jumps, turns and ways of moving.
• Wait for a turn and move in step with the group.

Equipment for a class of 25

• tizas: 6
• dado gigante: 1
• aros: 2

Teacher tip

Draw the spiral before the children come outside: chalking with kids waiting eats up the session. Introduce the special squares one at a time as they come up, not all at the start.

More main activities for Elementary