Walking in Different Environments

Child development / Drama games / Different environments

Walking in Different Environments is a fun movement game that helps children use their bodies to explore different imaginary places.

Children practise physical storytelling by acting out how they might walk through tricky or unusual landscapes.

This game builds coordination, creativity and sensory awareness through playful movement and guided imagination.

How to play

1. Set the scene

Explain that you're going on a big adventure together. You're all explorers and you're going to walk through some very strange and tricky landscapes!

2. Lead by example

Start by walking through an imaginary environment and ask the children to guess where you are.

For example:

Trudging through thick mud
Tiptoeing across hot coals
Bouncing on a bouncy castle
Sliding on ice
Walking across crocodile heads

3. Add music

Play music to support their exploration and keep energy and rhythm going.

4. Call out the challenge

Keep changing the environment every 30 seconds or so to keep things fresh and surprising. Encourage the children to do big physical responses.

What it teaches

Physical expression - moving the body in creative and controlled ways
Sensory imagination - imagining textures, temperatures, and obstacles
Listening and focus - following instructions and responding to cues
Creative risk-taking - experimenting with movement in a safe setting

Variations to try

Guess the place: Let a child lead the walk and have others guess where they are
Soundscapes: Add sound effects or let the children make them as they move
Story adventure: Turn it into a journey with a beginning, middle, and end (e.g. going to find a treasure)

Principal's notes

This game is wonderful for igniting a child's physical imagination. They become explorers, inventors, storytellers, all with their feet! It's a staple for building confidence through movement.

Lucy Quick, Principal of Perform.