Little Conductor

Topic
- Movement & sports
- Music
Learning skills
- Attention & concentration
- Memory
- Body awareness
- Coordination & flexibility
Activity type
- Board game
- Circle group game
Materials
- Basic
- Self-made
Age
- 0 - 5 years
- 6 - 11 years
- 12 - 14 years
5 - 15 minutes
+5 players
Easy
Medium
Small (office, pavement)

Contributors

Mobile School

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Everything you need to play this game

Large piece of cardboard or poster board
Colored markers or paint
Colored paper circles or paint (Red, Yellow, Pink, Green, Blue)
Illustrations/icons for each action (clap, stomp, shout, pat, knock, high five)
Number cards (1–6)
Two dice
Recyclable materials for DIY instruments
Tape or glue

Make it yourself

Step 1

Prepare the cardboard base

Choose a large, sturdy piece of cardboard and lay it horizontally or vertically.

Step 2

Draw the music path

Draw five parallel lines across the board to resemble a musical staff.

Make it whimsical and colorful to attract attention.

Step 3

Add rhythm circles

Draw or glue six large colored circles spaced along the staff:

🔴 Red = Clap hands (1)
🟡 Yellow = Stomp feet (2)
🩷 Pink = Shout (3)
🟢 Green = Pat knees (4)
🔵 Blue = Knock with fist (5)
🟡 Yellow with two characters = High-five each other (6)

Number each circle 1 to 6 and include a simple icon or image of the movement.

Step 4

Make it durable

Laminate the board if possible or use transparent plastic wrap to protect it.
You can also draw it on a rollable canvas or large sheet for easy transport.

Step 5

Create number cards

Cut out small cards numbered 1–6.
These are used for the variation where only the player with the matching number performs the action.

Step 6

Set up instrument corner (optional)

Set out materials like cups, rubber bands, stones, sticks, etc.
Let children build their instruments and try them out with the conductor’s cues.

Good job!

A step-by-step guide to play the game

Lay out the big cardboard with the colorful rhythm path (music staff with symbols).

Choose one child to be the Little Conductor.

The conductor points to one of the colored rhythm circles (e.g. red = clap hands, yellow = stomp feet).

The rest of the group copies the action or sound that matches the circle.

The conductor can speed up, mix up movements, or surprise the group with sudden changes.

If a player makes a mistake, they leave the game.

The last player remaining wins and can become the next conductor.

Extra game information

This game concept was developed during an Open StreetwiZe leadership expedition in a refugee center in Pelt, Belgium.

Variations

Variation 1 – Secret numbers

Each player receives a small card with a number (1–6).
When the conductor points to a circle, only the player with that number performs the action.
Great for attention and self-control training!

Variation 2 – Rhythm Sequences

Create a rhythm sequence by choosing several colors/numbers in a row.
The group practices the full sequence (e.g. clap, stomp, shout).
For added fun, roll one die to decide the sequence (e.g. 3 – 5 – 1), and a second die to determine how many times to repeat it.
The group tries to perform the sequence together in rhythm.

Variation 3 – Homemade instruments jam

Provide materials for the players to create simple instruments (e.g. paper cup shakers, bottle cap castanets).
Replace or combine the body percussion with these instruments.
Let the conductor guide a musical performance using a mix of body and handmade sounds!

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