National Museum of Wildlife Art games page, featuring fun, interactive educational games for all ages

Animal Athletes

The National Museum of Wildlife Art
Collection of Children's Games

No doubt about it, animals are athletes!

We often imitate the activities of animals in the form of games. Many games of skill, speed, stealth, or trickery are derived from the natural world. In celebration of the winter games, the NMWA presents the exhibition Animal Athletes. Illustrated with artwork from the NMWA's permanent collection, this web page offers a series of games for children young and old to accompany the Animal Athletes exhibition.

Jump the Stream Ages: 5 and up Location: Outside Playing the game:
	All the players are foxes and have wonderful leaping abilities. In this game, the foxes must jump over a stream that gets wider and wider.

Grab the Tail Ages: 6 and up Location: Outside Playing the game:
	This game works well with a minimum of 10 players, all of whom have a tail! (Tails can be created with a handkerchief, piece of cloth or ribbon tucked into the back of each player's pants.)

The Tracking Wolf Ages: 5 and up Location: Outside Playing the game:
	This game of chase takes place on a track of intersecting paths. In an area of undisturbed snow or sand, stomp out a series of trails that connect and criss-cross one another. This will serve as the track for the game and players will not be allowed off this track.

The Missing Praire Dog Hole Ages: 6 and up Location: Outside Playing the game:
	For this game, the players are prairie dogs that must find a safe 'hole' in which to hide when a hawk appears.

Fox and Rabbits Ages: 5 and up Location: Outside Playing the game:
	This game of chase is played around a central element such as a house or other structure. Boundaries are also needed outside the 'track' area. A 'base' must be determined.

Sharks and Dolphins Ages: 8 and up Location: Swimming Pool Playing the game:
	This is a swimming game resembling 'Red Rover' in which the shark tries to catch dolphins as they swim by. It is best played in a swimming pool.

Animal Circle Ages: 7 and up Location: Inside or Outside Playing the game:
	This game is as silly as charades, and it tests the players' knowledge about the animal world and their behavior. The players form a circle. One player stands in the center holding a ball or other soft object to throw.