Follow the Leader

Name and Purpose

• Follow the Leader builds observation skills, body awareness, and turn-taking.
• Players practise mirroring, focus, and creative expression in a low-pressure moving game.

a.k.a.

• Mirror Walk, Shadow Steps

Age / Group / Time / Space

• Ages 5-12 | 5-30 players | 5-15 minutes | Any open space indoors or outdoors; a path or loop works well

Materials

• No materials required
• Optional: cones to mark a walking path or loop
• Optional: simple music to set the pace

Quick-Run Card

1. Choose a first leader (volunteer or staff to model).
2. Everyone lines up behind the leader.
3. The group copies every movement, sound, and pace.
4. After 2-3 minutes, rotate to a new leader.
5. Celebrate every leader’s choices before rotating.

Setup and Boundaries

• Mark a safe walking path or loop if the space is large
• Signal: 1 short whistle = swap leaders; 2 whistles = stop and gather
• Check for uneven ground, trip hazards, or low-hanging obstacles
• Keep the group visible to staff at all times

How to Play

1. One person starts as the leader. Staff can go first to model.
2. Everyone lines up in a single-file line behind the leader.
3. The leader moves through the space: walk, skip, stomp, crawl, balance, make sounds, anything goes.
4. Everyone copies every movement and sound as closely as they can.
5. After 2-3 minutes, staff calls a swap and the next person in line moves to the front.
6. Continue until everyone who wants a turn has led.
7. There is no right or wrong way to lead. Every choice is celebrated.

I-OPt Options

• A (Active): Take a turn leading and invent bold, physical movements
• S (Support): Follow enthusiastically and encourage the leader with big energy
• Q (Quiet): Follow at the back of the line using smaller, quieter versions of the movements
• O (Observer): Watch from the side, join the line when ready

Inclusion Adaptations

• Leaders who use mobility aids or prefer seated play can lead from a stationary position using hand, arm, and facial movements
• Players who prefer not to make sounds can focus on movement only
• For very young groups (ages 5-6), staff leads for the first two rounds to establish the pattern before handing off

Stewardship Moment

• No materials used, so no waste to manage
• Reflection: “When we pay close attention to someone else, what does that tell them?”

Consent

• Pre-brief: “In this game, one person leads and everyone else copies. If you would prefer to follow along from the side at your own pace rather than joining the line, that works great too.”
• Mid-game check: After a few rotations, check in: “Is the pace feeling okay? Anyone want to slow it down or mix it up?”
• Opt-out/re-entry: Step out of the line at any time. Rejoin at the back whenever you are ready.

Risks and Mitigation

• Players bump into each other in the line: remind everyone to keep one arm’s length between them
• Leader takes the group into an unsafe area: staff redirects with a light call and models redirecting back
• A player feels nervous about leading: make leading optional; players can say “pass” and the turn moves to the next person

Warm-Up Suggestions

• “Freeze Frame”: walk around freely, freeze on the whistle in whatever shape you are in
• “Animal Walk”: staff calls an animal and everyone moves like that animal for 30 seconds

Debrief Questions

• What? “What did your leader do that you enjoyed copying?”
• So What? “What was harder: leading or following? Why?”
• Now What? “When in your day do you lead? When do you follow? Which feels more natural to you?”

Cleanup and Reset

• Collect cones if used
• Quick check of the space for any hazards left behind
• No other cleanup needed