Great Teaching Tool – Duck Duck Goose
Make Learning Fun & Active by Teaching Kids Variations of Old Game
Aug 29, 2009
Many people have played Duck Duck Goose as children, and the traditional game has been passed to another generation of kids. The game is a great way to incorporate suspense and exercise into the day, but it can also be used to teach quite a few concepts, such as animals, sounds, shapes, colors, themes, languages, or challenging movements.
Traditional Duck Duck Goose
The traditional version of the game is played in the following manner:
- Children sit in a circle facing the inside of the circle.
- One player stands on the outside of the circle and begins to walk around the circle.
- That player taps each child on the head or shoulder and says “Duck.”
- The walking player decides to call someone “Goose!”
- The walking player begins to run around the circle in an attempt to get to the Goose’s spot.
- The Goose jumps up and attempts to tag the runner before he gets to the Goose’s spot.
- If the Goose is unable to tag the runner, the Goose begins to tap the children and continue as above while the runner sits in the Goose's spot.
- If the Goose is able to tag the runner before reaching his spot, then the runner begins the process again.
Avoiding Favorites With Duck Duck Goose
If one or two children are likely to be "It" the whole game, allow each Goose to be the next one to walk around the circle regardless of whether or not she is able to tag the runner. This will even the playing field, especially if some children are not very agile.
Some children may tend to pick the same kids over and over while other children may not be chosen. Favoritism can be avoided with a rule that anyone who has been chosen cannot be picked again until all others have had a chance. Some people may identify those who have been chosen or have them to sit outside the circle until one child is left, when the others join the circle again so that the last child has a circle full of kids again.
Duck Duck Goose With Other Animal Names or Sounds
Choose animals to replace the “duck” and the “goose” of the traditional game. They can be animals that look similar, like birds and bats or horses and zebras. Animals might be ones that are native to a particular area, such as a groundhog and opossum. Water animals might be a flounder and shark. Incorporate interest by playing Fly Fly Mosquito or Worm Worm Roach.
Children may get a laugh out of playing Quack Quack Honk, Meow Meow Roar, or Hoo Hoo Cock-a-Doodle-Doo while associating animal noises. Pick any two animals and check to see if the kids know what sounds both animals make before starting. Here are some public domain animal sounds.
These animals or sounds might be specifically picked to help children who are having difficulties pronouncing certain sounds or blends of sounds.
Duck Duck Goose to Teach Shapes, Colors, or Themes
Duck Duck Goose does not have to involve animals. Children who are learning shapes can try Oval Oval Circle or Square Square Trapezoid. Incorporate colors with Purple Purple Pink, Green Green Gray, or Amber Amber Magenta. Props of the different shapes or colors can enhance the learning process.
If children are learning about seasons, holidays, or books, this game can also be used to help the kids remember themes or concepts. Try Rain Rain Thunder, Pilgrim Pilgrim Indian, Mary Mary Martha, or even Cloudy Cloudy Meatballs.
Children who are learning how to count might pick a number from a basket and place it in the middle of the circle. The player then begins to count one number for each child, starting with the number one and counting up, while walking around the circle until the number in the middle is reached, at which point the race begins. This might also be used in counting by 2s, 5s, etc.
Duck Duck Goose May Help Children Learn Another Language
Kids may be more interested in learning another language if they have fun while applying the new words. Try the words “duck” and “goose” in Spanish, French, German Japanese, or another language. Several free websites can help with translations and pronunciations.
Other ideas incorporating foreign languages might be to choose “hello” and “goodbye” or “please” and “thank-you.” Any of the above might incorporate another language as well.
Duck Duck Goose With Different Movements
If the kids are ready for a physical challenge, have the chooser and goose to skip, hop on one foot, crawl, walk heel-to-toe, shuffle sideways, gallop, or turn around backwards when racing. This might also be a way to even the playing field if children of various ages are playing together. The adult might have the younger players to run in a regular fashion while having the older kids to move in a more challenging manner.
Duck Duck Goose With a Twist
Duck Duck Goose, a simple and fun children's game, can be tweaked to become an entertaining teaching tool for various ages and abilities. Teachers may wish to avoid favoritism by altering a few rules in Duck Duck Goose. Children who are learning shapes, numbers, colors, or seasons might find a game of Duck Duck Goose to be loads of fun with a twist. Duck Duck Goose can be even more physically challenging with a variety of movements, and adults may also find Duck Duck Goose to be especially challenging and educational by incorporating another language or culture.
Readers are welcome to post their own ideas in the comments section below.
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