Core Routines: Animal Forms, Mind’s Eye Imagining
Skills Practiced: Running, chasing, quick reaction, agility, animal mimicry
Ecological Indicators: Mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians
Qualities Fostered: Aliveness, Agility
Directions (Shields): East (Inspire), Southeast (Activate), Southwest (Take a Break)
Suggested Age Range: 6+ (easy to adapt for mixed ages; older youth enjoy deeper strategy)
Timing & Energy Level: High energy game—best played mid-morning or after a period of stillness (Southeast or South)
Set-Up & Materials:
- Large open area (field, woodland clearing)
- No materials needed
- Optionally use cones, logs, or sticks to mark safe zones or field edges
Description:
Each player secretly chooses one of three local animal species. One person is “The Fire” and stands in the center of a rectangular field. The Fire calls out the name of one animal group, and only those players run from one end to the other. The Fire tries to tag them. Tagged players become “trees on fire” and root where they were tagged—able to pivot but not move their feet. Periodically, the Fire calls out “Fire in the Forest!”—prompting all animals to run at once. The game becomes progressively harder as more trees appear. Play continues until all players are tagged or everyone has run multiple times.
Coyote Mentoring Tips:
- Start by telling a short story about fire sweeping through a forest and animals fleeing.
- Invite players to pick real local animals—rabbit, fox, turkey, etc.—and move like them.
- Keep rules minimal: let the group discover its own rhythm.
- Pause halfway and ask, “What’s changing in the forest?”
Variations:
- Use local ecosystem groupings (e.g., canopy, understory, ground dwellers)
- Add a rule: Trees can call out an animal name and freeze one runner
- For younger kids: don’t require secret animal identities—let them choose each round
Debrief Prompts:
- “What kind of animal were you today?”
- “What happened when all the animals ran at once?”
- “Did you notice a pattern in how the Fire moved?”
Story Seeds:
- Stories of forest fire renewal and regeneration
- Animal migration tales or seasonal shift myths
- Trickster stories involving escape or chase