No.303
Stop: How Many Steps Away?
Japanese name: ストップ（何歩で届く？）
Materials
- Ground chalk or floor tape
How to play
- Divide a large circle into one sector per player and draw a small “Stop” circle at its centre. Everyone chooses a different label, such as a fruit name, and stands in their sector.
- The first caller calls one label. That player steps into the centre and says “Stop!” Everyone else walks away from the circle, stopping as soon as they hear the call.
- The centre player chooses someone who has stopped and announces how many ordinary steps they think will reach them. Agree not to use giant strides or tiny shuffling steps.
- Walk exactly the announced number of steps to test the estimate. It succeeds if you finish within one of your own foot-lengths of the other player’s feet.
- Everyone returns to their sector. The current centre player calls the next label. Continue until everyone has been called at least once, then reflect on successful estimates.
Ways to adapt
Preschool: walk with an adult and estimate distances of three to five steps. Older primary: compare estimates for the same distance from two people with different stride lengths.