The Shepherd Looks for the Hidden Sheep

The little sheep escape from the pen and hide around the playground; the shepherd searches, and every time the drum sounds, all the sheep answer with a soft “baa” as a clue. Each sheep found joins the flock behind the shepherd and helps listen, so nobody is left out.

How to play

1. Mark the pen and the hiding area with cones; rehearse a soft “baa” and the sheep walk (2 min).
2. The shepherd (the teacher) falls asleep in the pen counting to ten while the sheep go hide (2 min).
3. The shepherd wakes, taps the drum, and all the hidden sheep answer “baa” without moving (2 min).
4. Each sheep found lines up behind the shepherd, and the flock keeps listening and searching together until all are home (3 min).
5. New round: two children are shepherds with the drum, and the teacher hides with the sheep (4 min).
6. With the whole flock in the pen, the sheep lie down to sleep and the shepherd tucks them in with a pretend blanket (1 min).

Rules

• When I'm hiding, I answer “baa” every time the drum sounds.
• I don't switch hiding spots when the shepherd is close.
• If I'm found, I join the line and help look.

Variations

Adaptations

• Hearing impairment: instead of the drum, the shepherd raises a big scarf, and a fellow sheep taps the child when it's time to answer.
• Visual impairment: the child is a shepherd alongside the teacher, guided only by the “baa” sounds, which is the whole point of the game.
• Limited mobility: the child picks a nearby hiding spot on a flat path and, once found, leads the flock line.

Learning goals

• Locate classmates by sound.
• Hide within the boundaries of the space.
• Play as a team with no one eliminated.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Hand drum: 1
• Cones: 8

Teacher tip

Set clear boundaries: some 3-year-olds hide so far away they're out of sight. Kids often answer “baa” and then bolt, so stress that hidden sheep stay put.

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