What Animal Am I? Guess the Pose
Taking turns, a child silently does an animal or object pose and the rest guess what it is; nobody wins, everyone copies it. They invent and recognize poses, using the body to communicate.
How to play
- In a circle, the teacher does a pose without talking (say, butterfly) and kids guess; then we all copy it (2 min).
- Remember together the poses we know: cat, dog, cobra, butterfly, tree, mountain (2 min).
- One child goes to the middle, the teacher whispers an animal and the child does it silently; the others guess and copy (4 min).
- Now the child in the middle picks their own animal or object and can invent a new pose (2 min).
- Finish by all doing our favorite pose at the same time (2 min).
Rules
- The one doing the pose doesn't talk: only the body speaks.
- I raise my hand to guess the animal.
- Every pose counts, even made-up ones.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, the teacher shows the child a picture card, and the group guesses among three choices.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, known poses whispered in the ear, plus a few invented ones.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, they go up in pairs and make one animal or object pose together (a bridge, a boat).
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: show the animal with arms, face and trunk from their spot.
- Visual impairment: describe the pose the classmate is making, or let them touch it with permission to guess.
- Autism or shyness: go up with a buddy, or just guess without going to the middle.
Learning goals
- Express ideas with the body.
- Recognize poses in others.
- Invent new poses.
Teacher tip
Don't make it a contest: guessing right earns no points, everyone copies. Keep a list of animals handy in case the child in the middle gets stuck.
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