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Captain's Calls Game
20 mins
Objective
Background
Preparation
Instructions
Captain's Calls
Captain's Calls Game
20 mins
Objective
Background
Preparation
Instructions
20 mins
Captain's Calls Game
This is a physically active game which provides an opportunity for students aged 5-8 to practice giving and following instructions that indicate direction.
It could be used as a warm up, a wiggle-buster / fitness activity, or to provide teachers with evidence of learning at the end of the lesson. This can also easily be used with older students.
Objective
Give and follow instructions which include the directions:
- Left / Right
- Forward / Back
- Clockwise / Anticlockwise
- Compass directions (North, South, West, East)
Background
Directions are really important when using computer graphics.
This game will look at two different types of directions:
- Directions based on the person - left (anti-closkwise), right (clockwise), forward, back
- Directions based on a fixed point - north, south, west, east
Preparation
You will need:
- A large flat area such as a court, field or hall which has four clearly defined boundaries, this is a fun pool game too.
- A print out the sheet of captain's calls.
- Optional - Hula hoops or chalk circles - these can be placed randomly around the play area for students to use as rowboats or whirlpool centres.
Instructions
Setup
- Students stand spread out inside area.
- Students must know which direction is the front of the pirate ship and north of the area. North does not have to be the front.
- The teacher (or a designated student) acts as the captain.
- The rest of the students are the crew.
- Practise each call.
It is a good idea to introduce a few calls initially, adding more as students' ability to follow each instruction improves. For example, the students may 'warm up' and become familiar with each boundary by walking quickly forward / backward / left and right to each boundary, in response to the caller's instructions.
Play
- The captain calls an order.
- The crew follow the instruction as quickly as possible, taking care not to bang into other students.
- The captain determines when to make the next call.
(This can be as all the students reach the boundary or engage in the activity, or it can be when most of the students have followed the instruction.)
- Optional - Crew that do not follow instructions are out.

Versions:
- Easy - Students follow a limited number of instructions (limiting directional instructions to left/right/forward/back) at a walking speed
- Medium - Students follow more of the instruction (including clockwise and anticlockwise), at a fast walk or slow jog.
- Hard
- Students follow all the instructions (*including compass directions) and
- move in different ways depending on the instruction. For example, walking backward to go 'back',
- 'side-stepping' to the 'left or right,
- 'pivoting' around one foot for clockwise or anticlockwise turns.
- could invent more calls and create corresponding actions to make a 'class version' of the game.
1. NAV BAR
13HRS
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