How to Use Games for Movement Confidence

Written By Gillian Erskine

When we play, we stop worrying about doing it “right” and start exploring what our bodies can do. That shift from performance to discovery is where confidence grows.

This week we ran a webinar (link below to replay) on how to design games for promoting movement confidence, and below is a simple framework we shared. You can use this with older adults, mixed-ability groups, families, or cautious beginners.

The Big Idea: Task before technique

Start with meaningful tasks that show up in everyday life. Let technique emerge as people solve the task.

Core tasks to design around:

  • Getting down and up

  • Getting from A to B

  • Getting over, under, around, out of the way

  • Reaching, picking up, moving, putting away

  • Throwing and catching

  • Carrying and balancing objects

A Planning Framework: ECOGI (using this until we come up with something snappier!)

Use this five-step flow to turn any task into a session:

  • Elicit – Pick the task to bring out, such as balance or carrying.

  • Closed – Begin with a simple, low-stress version. One variable at a time.

  • Open – Add real-world variables: partners, objects, uneven ground, choices.

  • Group/Game – Finish with a playful, energetic game with a clear goal and time limit.

  • Iterate – Adjust rules, space, equipment, or teams so everyone can take part.

💡 Tip: Work backwards. Imagine the fun group game you want at the end, then strip it down to the simplest starting point for your warm-up.

Make It Inclusive: Quick Levers

Use any of these to adjust difficulty on the fly:

  • Space – shorter distances are easier; wider lanes reduce traffic; grass is kinder than concrete.

  • Task/Rules – add or remove time limits, scoring, or “lives.”

  • Equipment – larger, lighter, slower objects are easier; narrower beams or smaller targets are harder.

  • People – tweak team sizes, give assists or “superpowers” to reduce gaps in ability.

You might know these as STEP, TREE, or Change It. The principle is the same: change the constraint, change the experience.

What Makes a Game “Work”? (Thanks Sean Longhurst for this)

  • Simple – the goal can be explained in ten seconds.

  • Immersive – there is a reason to care right now.

  • Social – people need one another to succeed.

  • Accessible – multiple ways to win, multiple ways to join.

  • Delight – surprise, humour, and small wins that make faces light up.

What This Looks Like in Practice: Dragon Egg Snatchers

Builds: balance, problem solving, agility, confidence under gentle time pressure.

Set-up: Lay “islands” across a lane (boards, mats, hoops, flat stones, lines of chalk). Place beanbags (“dragon eggs”) around the place. Two teams start at opposite ends.

Goal: Collect as many eggs as possible without touching the ground between islands.

How to play: Players move along islands, pick up one egg at a time, and return it to base. Optional tag rule on islands only. Most eggs wins.

  • Scale down: wider islands, walking pace, allow one “ground touch” per crossing.

  • Scale up: narrower islands, two eggs per trip, add “traffic” moving the other way, or a 90-second timer.

  • Safety: test the surfaces for wobbles or slips, no pushing (!). Encourage stepping off to reset if wobbly.

Coaching language that helps:

  • “Try it and tell me what you notice.”

  • “What made that easier? What would you change?”

  • “Pick a version that feels playful, not scary.”

  • “You can always step out and rejoin on the next round.”

Common pitfalls (and fixes):

  • Too tricky too soon → simplify one variable.

  • Rules swamp the fun → keep the core rule and one scoring rule.

  • Only one way to win → add roles for different strengths, or a cooperative target.

Watch & Explore More

Gillian Erskine
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