Balancing Animals

Balancing Animals is a simple, playful balance game made up of six abstract, stackable figures.
Each figure is inspired by an animal and has been given a name, but the shapes are intentionally geometric and open-ended, allowing children (and adults) to imagine their own animals, characters, or stories.

The figures are designed to look stable at first glance, while hiding tricky balance points that reward careful placement and punish inattention.

How to Play

The game uses six figures and a standard six-sided die.

Setup

• Place all animals within reach.

• Players take turns clockwise.

Round 1 – The Foundation

• Each player begins by placing one animal of their choice.

• The animal must:

  • Touch the table

  • Touch at least one other animal

This round creates a shared base structure.

Following Rounds – The Balance Game

• On a player’s turn:

  1. Roll the die

  2. The number rolled determines which animal must be placed

• That animal must be stacked on the existing structure

• From this point on, animals may no longer touch the table

If the structure collapses, the player who caused the collapse loses the round, or agree on your own house rules.