One Duck
One Duck is a rhythmic counting exercise in which the group recites a structured chant that accumulates complexity with each round. The chant follows a fixed verbal pattern that grows longer and more demanding as the count increases, training group rhythm, sustained focus, and the ability to maintain a shared vocal pattern under increasing cognitive load.
Structure
Setup
The group sits or stands together. The facilitator teaches the chant pattern before starting. The base pattern is: "One duck. Couple of geese. Three brown bears. Four running hares. Five fat females sitting, sipping scotch. Six simple Simons sitting on a stump. Seven Sinbad sailors sailing the seven seas..." Each level adds a new line while retaining all previous lines.
Progression
The group recites the chant together, starting from "One duck" and building through each level. Some versions assign each line to a different participant around the circle; others have the full group recite in unison. The challenge increases as the chant grows longer and the alliterative phrases become harder to remember and pronounce at speed.
The facilitator sets a steady rhythm that the group must maintain regardless of the tongue-twisting difficulty. When someone stumbles, the group may restart from "One duck" or continue from where they left off, depending on the facilitator's preference.
Conclusion
The exercise ends when the group successfully completes the full sequence or when the facilitator calls time after sufficient attempts. The collective struggle and eventual success create a strong sense of shared accomplishment.
How to Teach It
Objectives
One Duck trains group rhythm, vocal precision, working memory, and the ability to maintain a shared verbal pattern as complexity increases. It is an effective energy-builder and focus exercise that also functions as a group bonding activity.
How to Explain It
"We are going to learn a chant. It starts with one duck and gets longer with each level. The trick is to keep the rhythm steady as the words pile up. If someone stumbles, we all go back to the beginning."
Scaffolding
Teach the chant one level at a time, drilling each new line before adding the next. With new groups, start with just the first three levels and build from there across sessions. For groups already familiar with the pattern, start at speed or add physical actions paired to each level.
Common Pitfalls
The group's rhythm often collapses as the chant lengthens, with participants rushing through the easy early lines and slowing on the new ones. Coach a steady, even tempo throughout. A second pitfall is participants laughing and dropping out when the tongue-twisting lines hit; the exercise requires the group to push through the difficulty together.
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One Two Three Four is a rhythmic counting exercise in which pairs of participants count to four between them in an alternating pattern, then progressively replace numbers with physical actions. The exercise layers increasing cognitive complexity onto a simple rhythm, training split attention, physical commitment, and the ability to maintain a pattern while simultaneously transforming it.
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Ducks and Cows
Ducks and Cows is a trust and listening exercise in which blindfolded players are secretly assigned to be either a duck or a cow. Without guidance from the facilitator, they must navigate a shared space and find their group using only the sound of their assigned animal. The exercise builds listening acuity, trust in a chaotic environment, and comfort with physical vulnerability when vision is removed.
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Bunny is a high-energy circle exercise in which players pass a rhythmic pattern around the group through a combination of chanted sounds and synchronized gestures. The player designated as the bunny performs a central action, typically holding both hands beside the head like ears while chanting "bunny bunny," while the two players on either side perform complementary supporting gestures. The bunny then passes to another player across the circle, and the pattern repeats with increasing speed. The exercise builds group rhythm, peripheral awareness, and comfort with looking foolish. It is widely used as a warm-up in both theatrical and corporate training contexts, valued for its ability to lower inhibitions, demand focus, and generate collective energy through structured silliness.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). One Duck. Retrieved September 28, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/exercises/one-duck
The Improv Archive. "One Duck." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/exercises/one-duck.
The Improv Archive. "One Duck." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/exercises/one-duck. Accessed September 28, 2026.
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