An activity you can start today

Walk This Way

Call out a silly situation and everyone walks like it: sneaking past a dragon, crossing hot sand, wading through jelly.

👶 Ages 3–10 ⏱ 10 min 🏠 Nothing needed 👪 Play together
A dad and three kids walk down a garden path in silly ways, tiptoeing and stomping

Know before you start

At a glance

Setup
0 min
Cleanup
0 min
Mess
low
Energy
active
Adult help
nearby

Before you start

  • Clear a path: a hallway, a loop around the couch, or a strip of grass.
  • Have five or six prompts ready so the game keeps moving without long pauses.
  • Agree on a freeze word, like 'statues', for when it gets too wild.

Step by step

Let’s play

  1. Pick a path. Choose a hallway, a loop through the living room, or a stretch of yard.
  2. Call a situation. “Walk as if you’re sneaking up on someone!”
  3. Everyone walks it. Give each prompt 10 to 20 seconds, then call the next one.
  4. Switch speeds. Alternate fast and slow, heavy and light: hot sand, then tiptoes past a sleeping baby.
  5. Pass the job. Let each child take a turn calling out the prompts.
  6. Finish slow. End with a calm prompt, like walking on clouds, to settle everyone down.

See it in action

Watch this activity

Video: “21 EASY Games for CLASSROOMS ( NO SUPPLIES REQUIRED )” by ShawnMHowell on YouTube — cued to the moment this activity is shown.

The child’s-eye view

Why kids love it

Every prompt is a tiny story they get to act out with their whole body. Watching grown-ups try to 'walk like a penguin on ice' is half the fun, and there is no way to get it wrong.

Built into the fun

What they’re learning

Motor planning

Children translate an idea such as 'tiptoeing past a sleeping bear' into a specific way of moving, then adjust speed, size and balance.

Listening and imagination

Each prompt has to be heard, understood and imagined before the body can respond, which works language and pretend play together.

Body awareness

Switching between heavy, light, fast and slow movement helps children notice and control how their body moves through space.

Make it fit your child

Ways to change the game

Kids give the prompts

Let children take turns inventing the situation. Older kids love coming up with ones like 'walk like your shoes are full of spaghetti'.

Feelings walk

Walk as if you're excited, tired, scared, proud or grumpy. It's a gentle way to talk about how emotions show up in the body.

Animal and weather mix

Combine two ideas: a cat in the rain, an elephant on a windy day. Great for 6 to 10-year-olds who need more challenge.

Real-life fixes

If it’s not going to plan

It turns into running and crashing

Call the freeze word, then give a slow prompt such as 'walk on a tightrope' or 'walk like a robot with low batteries'.

A shy child won't join

Let them be the prompt-caller first. Most children join in once they see adults looking a bit silly.

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

What are good prompts for Walk This Way?

Try sneaking up on someone, walking on hot sand, through deep snow, on the moon, carrying a giant cake, like a bear stepped on your foot, or like you just woke up.

Can you play Walk This Way with a big group?

Yes. It works for a class or a birthday party because everyone moves at once and nobody is out. Use a big space and a clear freeze word.

Kidtivity Lab activity guide · Last updated

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