GAME IDEA: Make a Zoo!

This game can easily be incorporated into almost any arena setup that may already be laid out from a previous lesson.

SETUP:

1. Put animal cards around the arena.
2. Putting several cards at each station gives you a chance to offer the student a choice of what critter they want to add to their zoo.
3. Determine how the student will collect/”house” the animals (a bag, handing it to their volunteer, holding the cards between their thigh and the saddle, etc.)

HOW TO PLAY:

1. The students ride to each station and gather animal(s) to add to their own zoo.
2. Once they choose an animal you can further engage them with one of the variations below
3. Have them put their animal(s) in their “zoo”. This is a good time to have them reach and stretch towards something if they are using a bag or box as a zoo (make sure provide appropriate support, watch that legs don’t accidentally dig into the horse, and make sure they are rebalanced and reset their riding position after the reach).
4. Use this activity as a fun way to get in multiple reps of practicing cues for transitions, keeping good riding position during transitions, rein management, etc.

VARIATIONS (selected based on the needs and ability of the student)

• Ask them to name the animal on the card without seeing the name.
• Ask them to read or sound out the name of the animal, spell the name from memory, identify the first letter from the name, identify vowels, etc.(whatever that student is currently working on in school!)
• Ask the student to identify if the critter on their card is prey/predator, omnivore/herbivore/carnivore, diurnal/nocturnal, mammal/invertebrate/reptile/fish, has scales/fur/feathers, etc.
• Send them on a mission to find and collect all the creatures that have feathers, are predators, etc.

BONUS:

• Once they have built their zoo….say of 10 animals….you can ask them to then alphabetize the cards, put them in order from smallest size to largest, put them in categories of what they eat, etc. They could do this after they dismount so they can lay their cards out on the dirt (in a safe space!)

TIP: make sure you know what animals are in the pack before you start asking students to classify….there were a couple answers we had to research together during the lesson

Where did I get the cards? I’m fairly certain I found these at the dollar store or the dollar section in Target or Walmart. Similar card packs can also be found on Amazon

Want to learn more about topics mentioned in this post? Check out the Intuitive Instructor Content below:

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