Walking in Someone Else’s Shoes

Name and Purpose

• Walking in Someone Else’s Shoes helps players practise empathy by imagining life from a different perspective.
• Players build listening skills and learn to value roles that are often overlooked.

a.k.a.

• Perspective Walk, Role Swap

Age / Group / Time / Space

• Ages 8-16 | 6-25 players | 20-35 minutes | Classroom, indoor circle, or outdoor seated circle

Materials

• Index cards or paper slips with a role written on each (Doctor, Teacher, Farmer, Artist, Cook, Builder, Librarian, etc.)
• Pens or markers for writing roles
• Optional: a hat or bag to draw cards from

Quick-Run Card

1. Write one community role on each card. Shuffle and deal one per player.
2. Set the scene: a community has faced a tough challenge and needs everyone’s contribution.
3. Each player shares how their role helps the community rebuild.
4. Ask each player to swap cards with a neighbour and speak from the new role.
5. Debrief: what did you notice? What surprised you?

Setup and Boundaries

• Seat players in a circle so everyone can see and hear each other
• Signal: raised hand = pause and listen; two taps on the floor = wrap up your thought
• Keep the tone warm. Remind players before starting: “Every role matters. There are no small jobs in this game.”

How to Play

1. Shuffle the role cards and deal one to each player face-down.
2. Players look at their card quietly. They do not share their role yet.
3. Set the scene: “Imagine your community has just faced a big storm. You all survived, and now you need to rebuild together. Everyone here has a different skill that the community needs.”
4. Go around the circle. Each player shares how their role helps the community get back on its feet.
5. After everyone has shared, each player passes their card one spot to the left.
6. Each player now speaks as their new role, describing it from the inside.
7. Debrief together using the questions below.

I-OPt Options

• Start:
  • A (Active): Dive in and speak with full energy about your role
  • S (Support): Listen closely and nod to encourage others as they share
  • Q (Quiet): Prepare what you want to say in writing on the back of your card
  • O (Observer): Listen to two or three people before choosing your own words
• Mid:
  • A (Active): Add details, a story, or an example when you share
  • S (Support): Ask a gentle follow-up question after a fellow player speaks
  • Q (Quiet): Keep your sharing to one or two sentences
  • O (Observer): Track which roles the group responds to most warmly
• Late:
  • A (Active): Lead the card swap and energise the second round
  • S (Support): Help a quieter player find something positive to say about their new role
  • Q (Quiet): Write down one thing that surprised you before the debrief
  • O (Observer): Offer one observation during debrief about what you noticed
• End:
  • A (Active): Kick off the debrief with your own answer
  • S (Support): Summarise what you heard from the group
  • Q (Quiet): Share one word that captures how the activity felt
  • O (Observer): Thank the group for what you noticed

Inclusion Adaptations

• Players who prefer not to speak aloud can write their response on the back of the card and pass it to a partner to read
• Role cards can be illustrated or described verbally for players who need reading support

Stewardship Moment

• Collect all cards after the activity. Store them for future use or repurpose the paper.
• Reflection: “Every role in a community uses resources. How can we make sure nobody’s contribution goes to waste?”

Consent

• Pre-brief: “This activity asks you to imagine being someone different. There are no right or wrong answers. For those who would rather listen than speak, that is a full way to participate. You can pass at any point and come back to your thought when you are ready.”
• Mid-game check: After the first sharing round, pause. “How is everyone feeling? Give a thumbs up, sideways, or down. We can slow down or take a breath if needed.”
• Opt-out/re-entry: Any player can pass their turn and return to it later. No pressure to speak if it does not feel right.

Risks and Mitigation

• A player feeling their role is being mocked or dismissed: remind the group before play that every role is valuable; redirect dismissive comments with “what would the community lose without this person?”
• Scenario feeling heavy or stressful: keep the framing hopeful, “This community is strong. Everyone here has something to offer.”
• Uneven speaking time: use a talking object (a stone or a card) to signal whose turn it is

Warm-Up Suggestions

• “Two Truths About My Job”: each player names a real or imagined job and gives two true things about it
• “Job Mime”: players mime their daily routine for 15 seconds and others guess the role

Debrief Questions

• What? “What was it like to speak from your role? What felt easy? What felt harder?”
• So What? “Which role surprised you most? Why do you think that is?”
• Now What? “Who in your real life does a job you have never thought much about? How might you show them you notice what they do?”

Cleanup and Reset

• Collect all role cards and store in an envelope for next time
• Return chairs or seating to original positions
• No waste to dispose of