Speed Rabbit

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Re-energize a group and practice immediate three-person coordination under light time pressure.

Use it when: Use during an afternoon slump, after seated presentations, or to transition between intensive working sessions.

Skip it when: Skip when participants have mobility or sensory limitations that make rapid physical coordination stressful, or when the group prefers focused, calm work.

Group arrangement: Whole group stands in a single circle facing inward, with one person in the center.

Timing: UWT suggested 10 minutes based on source time band of 5 to 15 minutes.

Materials and tools

• No physical materials required. A dry-erase board or chart paper is optional to display animal pose reminders.

Before participants arrive

1. Clear enough open floor space for all participants to stand comfortably in an unobstructed circle with elbow room.

Say this to open

We are going to play Speed Rabbit. One person in the middle will point to someone in the circle, call out an animal, and count aloud from one to ten. That person and the two neighbors on their left and right must immediately form the three-person animal pose and make its sound before the count reaches ten.

How to run it

1. Teach the animal poses 3 minutes

   Demonstrate the three basic three-person shapes with volunteers. Elephant: center person holds both arms forward like a trunk and trumpets; left and right neighbors curve their arms outward beside the center person's head to make big ears. Cow: center person interlocks fingers, points thumbs down like udders, and moos; neighbors reach out and gently pretend to milk a thumb. Kangaroo: center person forms a rounded pouch with their arms in front; neighbors bounce gently on their outside foot while facing center. Practice each pose once as a whole room.

2. Run initial rounds with facilitator calling 3 minutes

   Take the center spot. Point directly at one person, call out an animal (Elephant, Cow, or Kangaroo), and count rapidly aloud: '1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10!' The pointed person and their two neighbors must assume their assigned positions and make the sound before you say '10'. Repeat 4 to 6 times to establish the rhythm.

3. Rotate callers and increase pace 3 minutes

   When a triad hesitates, makes the wrong animal part, or misses the count of ten, invite one person from that triad into the center to become the new caller. The previous caller steps into their empty spot in the circle. Continue rapid play for 3 minutes, rotating callers after each error or after 3 successful attempts.

4. Wrap up and debrief 1 minutes

   Call time. Bring everyone to a stop and ask two quick reflection questions to the whole room, taking 2 or 3 brief popcorn replies.

Debrief questions

• What helped you notice quickly whether you were the center or a side part?
• How did your neighbors coordinate when someone started doing the wrong animal?

Finished output: Completion of multiple rapid rounds where triads coordinate poses within a ten-count.

Remote

This exact physical game requires physical spatial adjacency. For a fully remote group, use a screen-based alternative: the caller names an animal and calls one participant. That participant and the next two people in an agreed-upon visual order (such as alphabetical order or pinned gallery order) must quickly perform solo gestures into their webcams before the caller counts to five.

Hybrid

Hybrid delivery is not recommended because physical neighbor coordination cannot bridge in-person and remote participants fairly. Run an in-person circle for those in the room, while remote participants run an independent breakout using the remote gallery order variant.

Access and participation choices

• Participants may sit in the circle and perform upper-body gestures without standing or bouncing.
• Physical contact is optional; neighbors may mimic the cow or kangaroo poses without touching the center person.
• Anyone may opt out of active play to serve as the scorekeeper, timekeeper, or judge.

If the session gets stuck

Participants grab or lean heavily on each other during the cow or kangaroo poses.

Remind the group before starting that all gestures can be mimed in the air without physical touch.

One person stays stuck in the middle because they feel self-conscious calling out.

Step in as co-caller to count along with them, or swap out after three turns regardless of errors.

Terms used here

• Triad: The group of three people made up of the person pointed to and their immediate left and right neighbors.