Elephant, Palm Tree
A fast, physical circle game with strong dramatic elements and lots of laughter, where a trio races to build a named shape before the counter reaches five.
Group Size
10–40
Duration
5 to 20 minutes
Formation
Circle
Setting
Indoor
Energy Level
High
Activity Level
Somewhat Active
Physical Contact
Some — A few shapes involve briefly holding hands.
How to Lead It
Everyone stands in a circle with one person, the leader at first, in the middle as the It. The It points to someone in the circle and names a shape, for example "Elephant." That person is the central figure of a three-person shape, and their two neighbors complete it with them.
As soon as the It names the shape, they count out loud from one to five. If the It reaches five before all three players have formed the shape as it was taught, the It swaps places with whoever made the mistake, and that person becomes the new It. If the trio finishes the shape in time, the It moves on and points to a new central person.
Play continues, with new Its rotating in as mistakes happen, until the leader ends the game.
Variations
Shapes you can call:
- Elephant. The center person puts their right arm out straight, wraps their left arm under the right so the right elbow sits in the crook of the left arm, grabs their nose with their left hand, and makes their best elephant trumpet noise. The two side people form the ears by making large "C" shapes with their arms, pointing toward the center person.
- Palm Tree. The center person is the trunk, standing straight with both arms up above their head and wrists limp for the top fronds. Each side person chooses to be either a frond, waving their arms gently away from the center person, or a coconut, crouching down in a ball.
- Little Mermaid. The center person is the mermaid. The two side people each hold one of the mermaid's hands while the center person leans forward and sings "Part of Your World." The side people then release their hands so the center person moves forward, and all three say "Splash" as it happens.
- DJ. The center person is the DJ and the two side people are the turntables, leaning over in front of the DJ to form a table. The DJ scratches the record on the table.
- Improv. For very advanced groups, the It can call a shape with no established model. It is up to the trio to invent the shape and up to the It to decide whether it counts.
Leading Tips
The It has "total It power." If the It decides someone made a mistake, then that person made a mistake and is the new It.
Model counting slowly at first, then faster as people get the hang of it, or whenever the It wants to hand off being It.
If the group is high energy and confident and the game is going to run past about eight minutes, pick and add extra Its depending on group size. This gets chaotic fast, and with the right group it is a lot of fun.
Accessibility
Works best when most people are standing, but can be adapted for seated participants or those using wheelchairs. For some players, such as those with cognitive disabilities, the It can give extra time to form the shape.
Origin: Improv folk tradition
Leaders Who Teach This
Instructions and tips are ECRS's own descriptions. Any linked recordings or media belong to their original rights holders.