Character Races

The Basic Idea

The best way to understand a character is to walk – or run – a mile in their shoes! Use your bodies to explore how the different characters from the story might move, sneak and run!

Over To You, Wee One

Wonder aloud how the different characters move – expect lots of flat out running at first! Use your own body to show examples and ask “Is this how the fox would move?” and let the wee ones be the experts – they may show you their own version or have fun giving you advice.

Cheeky Bonuses

• Fun, physical way to explore stories
• Moving our bodies give us new ways to communicate and tune into each other
• Thinking about characters and moving like them is a great way to start building empathy

Variations

• Use “Funny Face Remote” to make characters go faster, slower, and explore different feelings
• Turn the races into a game of Grandmother’s Footsteps and see who has the best character poses when they stop!

And Remember...

Often, wee ones need to work their way through lots of high energy moves before they feel able to slow down a little and think about more subtle movements – there’s no wrong way to move, it’s all exploration.