1. Drills
  2. Water Polo
  3. Swimming

Animal Parade

Move like animals: bear walk, frog hops, crab walk, bunny hops. Animal moves build strength, balance and coordination through play.

By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026

Set up

Call out an animal and do it together for about 20 seconds.

Ages
4 to 6
Time
3 min
Players
Just you
Space
Yard or field
Bring
Nothing to bring
Level · skill
Beginner · Swimming

The steps

How it works

  1. Call out an animal and do it together for about 20 seconds.
  2. Bear walk on hands and feet, frog hops, crab walk, bunny hops.
  3. Let your child pick the next animal too.
  4. Finish with a slow sleepy-sloth walk.

Coaching point

Praise the try: “What a strong bear!”

Safety: Play on grass or a soft, flat, clear space with nothing to trip on. Stop for a drink and a rest whenever they want one.

Make it fun

Play it, don't drill it

Game version

Make “Animal Parade” a team game: you and a grown-up are on the same team and cheer for each other.

Story

You and a grown-up are explorers, and “Animal Parade” is the map to the treasure.

Practice makes progress

Print it now, or save it free

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