Animal Parade Chain

A movement-sequencing game where the child watches a chain of animal walks demonstrated once, then performs the whole sequence from memory. Exercises sequencing praxis — holding a multi-step motor plan in mind and executing it in order.

  1. Pick 3–5 animal walks the child knows or can quickly learn:

    • Bear walk — hands and feet on floor, hips high, walk forward
    • Crab walk — sit, lift bottom on hands and feet, walk backward
    • Frog jump — squat low, hands on floor, two-foot jump forward
    • Snake slither — lying flat, push and pull along the floor
    • Flamingo stand — stand on one foot, arms out, hold 3 seconds
    • Kangaroo hop — two-foot hops forward
    • Penguin waddle — heels together, arms stiff, tiny waddle steps

  2. Stand at one end of a clear path (about 5 m). Say “Watch carefully — here’s our animal parade!” Demonstrate the full chain once: e.g., bear walk 2 m → frog jump 2 m → flamingo stand 3 sec.

  3. Reset to the start. “Now you do the parade.” No reminders mid-chain — that’s the point. If they pause, give one prompt: “What was next?”

  4. Once they’re back, give a thumbs-up regardless of accuracy. Then either repeat the same parade or invent a new one.

Variation: use picture cards showing the animals in order — the child reads the sequence from the cards (visual memory rather than verbal). Or let the child invent the parade and teach it to you, which loads ideation as well as sequencing.

Requirements

  • Space: ~5 m of clear floor; living room, hallway, garden, or gym
  • Surface: Carpet, rug, mat, or soft grass — bear and snake moves are floor-based
  • Materials: None required; optional picture cards showing each animal walk
  • Participants: 1 adult + 1 child; 2–4 children take turns leading
  • Supervision: Light — demo each animal once before chaining for safety

Rationale & Objective

Sequencing praxis — performing multiple motor actions in a remembered order — is its own SIPT subtest and a key Ayres SI indicator. It loads three systems at once: working memory (holding the chain), motor planning (each animal walk is a different motor program), and execution (transitioning between programs). Animal walks are particularly useful because each requires a distinct posture and locomotor pattern, forcing the brain to switch motor plans rather than repeat one. Smith Roley et al. cite animal walks as a foundational praxis intervention. The sequencing demand also overlaps with executive function development (Diamond, 2013).

Progress Indicators

  • Early: remembers and performs only the first animal; reverts to running between transitions; needs the adult to call each animal as they go
  • Developing: performs 2–3 animals in correct order; transitions are slow and need verbal prompting; one or two animals are recognisable but rough
  • Proficient: performs a 4-animal chain in order from one demo; transitions are smooth; each animal walk is clearly distinct
  • Advanced: performs 5+ animal chains; can repeat the chain backwards; invents and teaches new chains; can perform a chain with rhythm or to music

Safety Notes

  • Floor moves (bear, snake) need a clean, splinter-free surface — check before starting
  • Demonstrate each animal individually before chaining if any are unfamiliar — children copying unknown postures can strain joints
  • Crab walks load the wrists and shoulders; keep that segment short (1–2 m) for under-6s
  • Watch for over-extended elbows in bear and crab walks; cue “soft elbows” if locked
  • Skip flamingo holds on hard floors during long sessions — repeated single-leg landing on tile or concrete stresses the ankle

Hints

  • Playfulness: narrate the parade — “the bears are coming! Now the frogs leap across the river!” Costumes (a tail, ears, a striped shirt) take engagement to another level
  • Sustain interest: invent a theme parade every few days — jungle, farm, ocean, dinosaur, mythical creatures (unicorn-prance, dragon-stomp). Build a scrapbook of parades the child has invented
  • Common mistake: demonstrating too quickly or with too many animals at once. For first attempts use 3 animals and demo them slowly. Working memory at 5 reliably holds 3–4 items
  • Limited space: do animal walks in place (3 frog jumps in place, 3 bear steps in a circle). A hallway works for short chains. No equipment needed
  • Cross-domain: name each animal’s habitat (science); count steps of each (numeracy); add animal sounds (oral motor + auditory); spell the animal name as you walk (literacy bridge)
  • Progression: 2-animal chain demo’d just before → 3-animal chain → 4-animal chain → 5-animal chain → child invents a chain → chain backwards → chain to a beat or song

Sources

  • Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests (SIPT) — Sequencing Praxis subtest
  • Ayres, A.J. (1972/2005). Sensory Integration and the Child. Western Psychological Services
  • Bundy, A.C. & Lane, S.J. (2020). Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice (3rd ed.). F.A. Davis
  • Smith Roley, S., Blanche, E.I. & Schaaf, R.C. (Eds.) (2007). Understanding the Nature of Sensory Integration with Diverse Populations. Therapy Skill Builders
  • Diamond, A. (2013). “Executive functions.” Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 135–168
  • SHAPE America Active Start guidelines — fundamental locomotor variations
  • Head Start ELOF — gross motor and approaches-to-learning indicators