Goose Game of Moves for Everyone
On a path of hoops in the yard, like a giant board for the Spanish Game of the Goose, teams move forward with a big die and the whole group does the move pictured on each space. It builds coordination, turn-taking and a traditional game, with moves that always have a standing and a seated version.
How to play
- Lay out the hoops in a spiral with a card in each; some cards have a goose on them and the center is the pond (2 min).
- Make four teams: each team is its own game piece and travels together, holding hands or as a train (1 min).
- Taking turns, a child rolls the die, we count the dots out loud and on our fingers, and that team moves that many hoops (4 min).
- Wherever a team lands, all teams do the move on that card, standing or sitting (4 min).
- If we land on a goose, we shout the traditional rhyme "From goose to goose, I roll again!" and jump to the next goose (3 min).
- Everyone reaches the pond and celebrates with a goose dance (1 min).
Rules
- I wait until my team has the die.
- When a card comes up, we all do it.
- My team travels together.
- Nobody wins: we wait at the pond until everyone arrives.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, a die with just one, two and three dots and a path of twelve hoops.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, a regular die, twenty hoops and goose spaces.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, add special spaces: the bridge (cross while balancing) and the well (wait as a statue).
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: every card shows two pictures (standing and seated), and the hoop path leaves room to roll alongside in a wheelchair.
- Blind or low vision: the die has raised dots made with thick glue, and the team counts each hoop out loud as they step in.
- Autism: explain how the game ends with the pond card and give the child a set role, like rolling the die or reading the card.
Learning goals
- Coordinate varied movements by following a picture.
- Take turns within a game with rules.
- Learn about and enjoy the traditional Game of the Goose.
Equipment for a class of 25
- hoops: 20
- large foam die: 1
- movement cards: 20
Teacher tip
Before playing, show a real Game of the Goose board, a classic Spanish board game many kids play with grandparents. Make the die from a fabric-covered foam cube, big enough for anyone to roll.
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