Deer Games to Play

Tracking Deer

• This simple game is ideal for a large group of children. Have the children stand in a circle holding hands. Tell them they represent trees in a forest. Designate one child to be the deer, moving through the "forest" by weaving under the clasped hands of the other children. The deer should tap one child on the shoulder. The tapped child becomes the deer tracker and must follow the deer by copying its exact movements. The deer must maneuver all the way around the circle before being caught by the tracker. If the tracker catches the deer first, the deer must tag another tracker. If the tracker fails to catch the deer, then he or she becomes the deer and chooses a new tracker.

The Trail of Deer Questions

• This is a good game for kids to learn about deer. Have kids put together a list of questions they should know about deer based on their studies. Create a simple pathway using shapes or dirt patterns created to resemble the pattern of deer hooves (see Resource 1).

  The questioner should stand at the end of the pathway and read questions. Each time a player gives a correct answer, she advances down the deer path. The first person to advance all the way to the end of the track wins.

Deer Communication Game

• This is a great game for a group of older children who are learning about animal communication. First, review some deer signals: foot stomp and head bobs--general warnings of possible danger; urgent tail wave and bolt--used by leader to tell an entire herd to flee; quick standing tail wave--used by leader to signal all is safe.

  In this game, kids will be a herd of deer, with one designated leader. Each leader should have a white cloth for signaling. Secretly designate one member of each group to be a wolf. No one is allowed to communicate verbally during the game. All herd members should act like grazing deer, with heads down, making eating motions. The wolf should behave differently, perhaps not munching, but just hanging head down. The herd leader will try to figure out which person is the wolf. Other herd members might use the foot stomp or head bob to communicate suspicions to the leader. Once the leader is certain he has identified the wolf, the leader should give the run signal. All deer will then try to get to a designated base before being tagged out by the wolf. Once all herd members have reached base or been tagged, the leader should wave the "all clear" signal to end the game.