Wiggle Waddle

This project is a response to the “Too Cool Too Lose, Too Warm to Wait” campaign by the Wild Things magazine. The campaign aims to bring attention to climate change and the effects it has on Aotearoa’s unique flora and fauna. With the biodiversity of this country at risk, we wanted to utilise play and connection with nature to inspire young people to protect the future of our planet. Our theme is exploring the declining species of Kororā, Little Blue Penguins. Inspiration for this theme came from the personal understanding of this local issue in Wellington’s South Coast. The decline of this species is due to global warming, pests, cats and dogs, urban development in coastal areas and ocean pollution. Understanding the relationship between pests and native species in Aotearoa is valuable knowledge for kids to gain, as it is a prevailing issue that is affecting all native species.

Players divide themselves into two teams, Ferrets vs Penguins, and put on their relevant costume. These costumes were designed to limit and influence their movement to resemble the characteristics of their animal. Team Penguins have elastic bands around their ankles, attached to their apron, to limit their walking and make them waddle. Team Ferrets wear one mitten for both hands to carry their egg; the mitten also has a plastic disc sewn in to limit their ability to grab. 

Each team has two sets of hurdles to set up. The ferrets have a higher hurdle that they must crawl under, penguins have a lower hurdle they must jump over. There’s a total of 6 eggs; the first team to get 4 in their nest wins. 

The rules of the game are…

• If you drop the egg, you have to leave the egg and go back to your nest.
• Dropped eggs can be stolen by another team
• Ferrets have to move on their knees and elbows and carry the egg in their paws.
• Penguins have to waddle with their eggs in their pouch
• Penguins must jump over the hurdles
• Ferrets must crawl under hurdles
• Ferrets have to carry their egg in their paws.