Walk & Stop

Active listening exercise for attention & cognitive flexibility.

Walk & Stop

Active listening exercise for attention & cognitive flexibility.

Active Listening Exercise

This fun, interactive energiser is a great way to get your group moving and thinking on their feet. It boosts energy levels, sharpens focus, and enhances group dynamics, making it the perfect warm-up before any meeting or session. Walk & Stop is an active listening exercise that encourages quick thinking and adaptability, and is ideal if you’re looking to lift the energy of your group instantly (without props.)

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Step-by-Step Instructions

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Invite your group to spread throughout a large open space.
Instruct your group to walk when you say “WALK” and to stop walking when you say “STOP.”
Issue a series of these two commands, in any order, for 20 to 30 seconds to help your group practice responding.
When ready, announce that you will now swap the meaning of these commands, so “WALK” means stop walking and “STOP” means to walk.
Challenge your group and each individual to continue to be as accurate and as fast as possible responding to each command.
When ready, announce two new commands :
– “NAME” invites everyone to say their own name out loud; and
– “CLAP” invites your group to perform one simultaneous clap.
Practice these two new commands together with “WALK” and ”STOP.”
Finally, announce you will swap the meaning of the last two commands, eg when you call “NAME” everyone claps and vice versa.
Continue playing for several minutes, and/or try a variation.

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