Animal Kingdom

Name and Purpose

• Animal Kingdom is a creative focus game where players invent their own animal, sound, and motion, then pass signals quickly around the circle.
• It builds concentration, creativity, memory, and a lot of laughter.

a.k.a.

• King of the Creatures, Animal Circle

Age / Group / Time / Space

• Ages 8-16 | 8-20 players | 10-20 minutes | Any indoor or outdoor seated or standing circle

Materials

• None required

Quick-Run Card

1. Each player creates an animal with a unique sound and motion.
2. Go around the circle so everyone introduces their animal.
3. One player sends their signal by doing their own animal, then another player’s animal.
4. That player responds by doing their own animal and sending to someone else.
5. If a player hesitates or mixes up their signal, they can swap to a cheering/coaching role or re-enter after one round.

Setup and Boundaries

• Players stand or sit in a circle close enough to see each other clearly
• Signal: raised hand by facilitator = pause and breathe
• No physical hazards for this seated activity

How to Play

1. Each player invents an animal with a unique sound and motion. Sillier is better. Encourage creativity.
2. Go around the circle once so every player introduces their animal to the group.
3. The facilitator starts. They do their own animal signal, then immediately do another player’s animal signal. This “sends” the action to that player.
4. That player responds by doing their own signal, then sending to a different player.
5. The chain continues. Players must stay alert and react quickly.
6. If a player hesitates too long, mixes up their signals, or does the wrong combination, they can choose to swap to the cheering role: they stand just outside the circle, call encouragement, and can re-enter after the next complete pass around.
7. Non-competitive version: no one steps out. The game continues until everyone has dissolved into laughter. Animals get stranger over time.

I-OPt Options

• Start: A (Active): Create a bold, loud animal and jump into the circle energy; S (Support): Sit near someone newer and quietly remind them of their animal if needed; Q (Quiet): Choose a low-movement animal (like a sleeping sloth) and participate at low intensity; O (Observer): Watch the first round and create an animal before joining
• Mid: A: Send signals fast and play at full speed; S: Slow down your sends to give others more time; Q: Participate at your own pace; O: Join the circle when a natural opening appears
• Late: A: Send to the newest player to build connection; S: Encourage the cheering-role players to re-enter; Q: Continue at your pace; O: Share your animal even if you have not joined the main circle
• End: A: Finish with a full-circle fast pass; S: Help everyone settle for the debrief; Q: Share one word; O: Describe what you noticed from the outside

Inclusion Adaptations

• Players with limited mobility can choose a seated, hand-only motion for their animal
• Players who are hard of hearing can use an exaggerated visual motion instead of a sound as their animal signal

Stewardship Moment

• No materials, nothing to clean up
• Reflection: “You all brought something unique to that circle. What happens to a group when everyone adds their own thing?”

Consent

• Pre-brief: “This game involves making sounds and movements in front of the group. For those not comfortable with a big sound or motion, a quiet animal (like a blinking owl or a slow worm) works perfectly.”
• Mid-game check: After one round, check in. “How is everyone feeling? Want to keep going at this speed or slow it down?”
• Opt-out/re-entry: Players can step to the cheering role at any time by raising a hand. They can re-enter by announcing their animal on the next full pass.

Risks and Mitigation

• A player feels embarrassed for making a mistake: frame mistakes as part of the game from the start. “Mess-ups are how we know you are trying.”
• Animals become too loud for the space: staff can call a “volume dial” reminder if indoors

Warm-Up Suggestions

• “Mirror animals”: pairs face each other and mirror each other’s movements, to warm up body awareness and playfulness
• “Animal parade”: everyone walks around as their animal for 30 seconds before the game starts, to loosen up

Debrief Questions

• What? “What animal did you choose and why? What happened when you had to remember everyone else’s?”
• So What? “What does it feel like to keep track of so many different people at once?”
• Now What? “Where in your life do you have to hold space for a lot of different people with different styles at the same time?”

Cleanup and Reset

• Nothing to collect
• Take a breath and shake out the energy before the next activity