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Follow the Leader

One person leads a movement path - tiptoeing around furniture, jumping over a cushion, crawling under a table - and the other follows exactly. Switch leader every few minutes.

Cartoon illustration of a parent and child at home doing Follow the Leader.
  • Age2 to 7 years
  • Time5 to 15 minutes
  • EnergyActive
  • CostFree
  • WhereIndoors or out
  • PrepNone

One person leads a movement path through the room: tiptoe here, jump over that, crawl under the table. The other follows, copying every move exactly. Switch who leads every few minutes. Works anywhere and needs no materials. This is a physically active, moderately loud game with sudden changes in movement direction: stomping, jumping, and fast transitions are typical. For children who are sensitive to noise or unexpected movement, a slow-motion or "quiet explorer" version (whisper movements, no jumping) keeps the structure while lowering stimulation.

How to do it

  1. Decide who leads first. Younger children enjoy leading; parents leading first shows them what's possible.
  2. The leader moves through the available space in any way they choose: tiptoeing, stomping, hopping, spinning, crawling, jumping. The follower copies every move.
  3. Keep the pace comfortable so the follower can actually keep up. Pause briefly at each obstacle or movement to let them catch up.
  4. After 2-3 minutes, call "switch!" The follower becomes the leader.
  5. Agree on the round count before starting: e.g., "We'll each have two turns as leader, then we're done." Count down rounds aloud: "This is your last turn as leader!" End naturally after the agreed rounds rather than trailing off.

Signs it is working

Your child copies movements rather than doing their own thing. They choose creative and varied actions when they lead. They look back to check that you're following when it's their turn to lead

If it is not quite clicking

Your child as follower loses track and stops following: Pause and wait for them to catch up rather than leaving them behind: the connection of following the same path is the point. They struggle to invent movements as leader: Prompt them: "What should we do next? Jump over something? Find something to crawl under?" The space is very small: Limit to 3-4 movement types per round and focus on variety of body movement rather than travel

Make it yours

Younger (2-3y): Parent leads throughout and focuses on 3-4 distinct easy movements: stomp, tiptoe, jump: repeated clearly. Older (5-7y): Add a rule that the leader must use each body part at least once in their route (hands, knees, feet, elbows), or set a timer and see how many different movements they can fit in. Siblings: The older sibling leads; all younger children follow; rotate leadership by age so everyone gets a turn. Stopping signal: Before starting, agree on a clear end cue: e.g., "When I clap three times slowly, the game is over." Use it consistently so children can anticipate the end and transition without surprise.

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