I cannot even imagine how many hundreds of times I have played the popular group game of Duck Duck Goose with groups of young children in school, kindergarten, preschool and even child care. It certainly is an Australian classic!
How to Play Duck Duck Goose
Number of players: 6+
Recommended Age: 4+ years
Equipment needed: None
To play:
Sit the children in a circle, facing inwards.
One child is chosen to be ‘It.’ It walks around the circle, gently tapping each other player in turn on the head or shoulder, naming each player as a ‘Duck.’ When ready, It chooses one player to be the ‘Goose’ – tapping that player on the head (or shoulder) and saying, ‘Goose.’
The player selected as Goose stands up and chases It around the circle, trying to tag her before she gets all the way around the circle to sit back in the spot where Goose was originally sitting.
If the Goose is not able to tag It, then Goose becomes It and the game continues as per the previous steps.
If the Goose does tag It, the tagged player sits in the centre of the circle and Goose becomes It for the next round. The player remains in the middle of the circle until the next time a Goose is tagged to replace them.
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Christie Burnett is an early childhood teacher, presenter, writer and the editor of Childhood 101. More importantly, she is a Mum who believes wholeheartedly in the value of children learning through play, the importance of quality early education, and the togetherness of family.
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