Parent tip
Start before you overthink it. No-prep activities work best when you begin while the moment is still recoverable.
Follow the Leader
Take turns leading with silly walks and movements.
Activity details
Instructions
Tiny Steps
- Explain: 'I'll do a movement and you copy me!'
- Start with simple: clapping, stomping, spinning
- Move around the room with toddler following
- Add silly: walking backwards, crawling, hopping
- Switch: 'Now YOU'RE the leader!'
- Copy whatever they do enthusiastically
- Make it verbal: leader calls out the movement
- Add challenges: 'Walk like a robot!' or 'Tiptoe like a mouse!'
What success looks like
Flushed cheeks, big smiles, and a calmer child afterwards. If they want to do it again, you’ve found a winner.
A reciprocal game that teaches imitation, turn-taking, and movement exploration. When your toddler copies your movements, they build body awareness and motor planning skills. When they take the lead, they practise creativity and decision-making while experiencing the confidence boost of having a grown-up enthusiastically follow their direction.
Why it helps
WHO recommends that toddlers spend 180 minutes a day in 'a variety of types of physical activities at any intensity', and Follow the Leader is the embodiment of that variety — every round can be a different movement. Copying builds body awareness and motor planning, while taking the lead practises decision-making and the confidence boost of having a grown-up follow them.
Variations
- Add sound effects — the leader makes a noise and everyone copies.
- Play outside and include movements like running, skipping, and jumping over sticks.
- Use a 'follow the leader' format for transitions: walk like a robot to the bath, tiptoe like a mouse to bed.
Safety tips
- Ensure the path is clear of obstacles and hazards.
- Avoid movements near stairs or raised surfaces.
- Keep movements age-appropriate — avoid anything too physically demanding for younger toddlers.
