Fun & Games Page We have tried to include the following types of games: Cultural Games, Name Games/Mixers, Nature Games, Outdoor Games, Team Building Games, and just plain Fun Games. Have Fun and Enjoy! People to People Level : Brownie/Junior Participants : 6-20 Equipment : None Time : 5-10 minutes Players are paired at random plus a “caller”. The person who is the “caller” gives commands which others follow. Example: back to back, knee to knee, etc. Players match body parts (knee to knee) with their partner until the “caller” calls “people to people”. Then everyone, including the “caller” tries to find a new partner. Whoever is left without a partner is now the “caller”. Kangaroo Tag Time: 5 - 10 minutes Country: Australia All players must hop and hold their hand up in front like kangaroos. Two people are it (they hop too). Regular tag rules apply. Turtle Tag "It" chases free players. Free players are "safe" only when they lie on their backs with feet and hands in the air. Freeze Tag "It" tags free players who then must freeze in their places. Frozen players may be unfrozen if a free player touches them. WOLF! WOLF! - from Egypt This game is a tag game. Everyone forms a large circle around the person who is "IT." (If there are a lot of children they may hold hands). This person who is "IT" is the "WOLF." The children then chant, "Wolf! Wolf! What are you doing?" and then wait for the WOLF to say a response. The WOLF responds by saying only once an action sentence such as, "brushing my teeth," or "washing my hands," or "combing my hair," and so forth. However, if the WOLF replies with "chasing you!" The kids scatter so that they cannot be tagged by the WOLF. The first person tagged becomes the new wolf. All on One Side Your whole team starts on one side of a volleyball net with no one on the other side. The object is to get your team to the other side of the net and back as many times as possible. Using a balloon for a ball, each player volleys the balloon to another player and then scoots under the net to the other side. The last player to touch the balloon taps it over the net and scoots under. The receiving players try to keep the balloon in play and repeat the process. Back to Back Players stand about by pairs, except one player who is it. When it calls, "Back to back!" the players must back up to a partner. When it calls "Face to Face!" these partners must face each other and shake hands. On the next call "Back to back!" and each time here after, all players must change partners. It tries to get a partner during the change. The player left out becomes it. Dancing Bear Tie a rope about 3 or 4 meters long around a post or tree in a play area. Have one child hold the end of the rope while the others run around teasing the bear but trying not to get caught. The Bear must keep hold of the rope as he/she tries to catch the children. As the children are tagged, they join hands with the Bear and extend the reach to continue tagging the remaining participants. Blindman's Bluff Equipment: blindfold Blindfold one player and spin them around 3 times. The blindfolded player tries to tag one of the other players, who may crouch low, sneak up behind the "blindman" and yell "Boo", or stand still and keep very quiet. Eventually though, someone will get careless and be tagged. That player is then blindfolded for the next game. Catching the Dragon's Tail A dragon is formed by grouping the players into a long line each with their hands on the shoulders of the one in front of him. The first in the row is the dragon's head. The last in the row is the dragon's tail, eager to lash to the right and left in order to escape the head. Until the signal GO is given, the dragon must be a straight line. Someone in the group counts "One, two, three, go!" On the signal GO the head runs around toward the tail and tries to catch it. The whole body must move with the head and remain unbroken. If the head succeeds in touching the tail, they may continue to be the head. If the body breaks before he catches the tail the head becomes the tail and the next in line is the head and so on until each has a chance to be the head and the tail. Red Light Players stand in a straight line about 50 ft. from IT. IT turns his back and says "green light", counts to ten, and says "red light" and then turns around. Meanwhile the players have moved as far forward as possible. Whomever he sees moving must return to the starting place. The first person to pass IT wins. Bean Bag Game You can make a line on the floor with masking tape, about 6 feet away from the players. Whoever throws the bean bag closest to the line without going over it gets to go first the next time. Peg Board Game Another was get peg board. Put tootsie pops in the holes. Have a few of the ends of the tootsie pops painted for bigger prizes. Even if the child does not win a bigger prize he/she gets to keep the tootsie pop. Fishing Game One was a fishing game where a prize is hooked onto the end of a fishing pole with a clothes pin hooked on the end and tossed over a barrier. Letters and Number Time: 5-20 minutes Safety: Make sure the area is clear Give the girls a letter or number to make using only members of the group. Everyone must be included in the solution. Have the group make several shapes, or letters. Lap Sit Level: D/BR/JR Participants: 8-12 Equipment: None Time: 10-15 minutes Stand shoulder to shoulder in a circle. Turn to the right and take a step toward the center of the circle. Put your hands on the shoulders of the person in front of you. Count to three and sit gently on the knees of the person behind you. The group should support itself without falling over. Korean Twirl Level: D/BR Participants: 2-16 Time: 3 - 6 minutes Country: Korea Safety: Play in a big open field Have the players stand about eight feet apart. Players hold their right ear with the left hand and the left ear with the right hand. Now everyone twirls clockwise. If you fall down or let go of your ears, stop and sit. The last one spinning wins. Rule the Roost Level: D/BR Participants: 6-14 Equipment: Cards with color names on them, tape Time: 10-15 minutes Country: Mexico Have the girls stand in a circle facing each other. Tape the cards on their backs. By moving any way they can, players try to see the color on another player's back without their color being spotted. If your color is spotted, you must sit down. Bird/Beast/Fish Level : Brownie/Junior Participants : 5-35 Equipment : None Time : 10-15 minutes Form a circle with one player in the middle of the circle closes their eyes. They then turn and point at someone in the circle and say “bird”, “beast”, or “fish”. They player pointed to must name an animal in that category in five seconds. If they do not, they become “it”. If they do the game continues. Name Tag - a get acquainted game Level : Daisy/Brownie Participants : 10-20 Equipment : None Time : 5-10 minutes Source : Rock Eagle Give boundaries. Let one to three people be “it”. Every time they tag someone they must say the person’s name. If the person who is “it” gets the name right, the person who is tagged becomes “it” also. This game moves quickly and can be played a number of times until everyone knows each other’s name. Sequence Ball Level : Daisy/Brownie Participants : 10-15 Equipment : A ball Time : 10-15 minutes Have a group form a circle. Explain that everyone is going to get to know each other by forming a pattern with the ball. Go around the circle and let everyone say their name. Throw the ball to a person and say their name. They should then say a different person’s name and throw the ball to them, etc. This should continue until everyone has had the ball thrown to them. Tow that a sequence has been established, have the scouts see how fast they can throw the ball and say their person’s name in the same order. Start a second ball after the group has established rhythm in the pattern. Keep Talking This is a knockout competition, it is played in two's. Each person has to keep talking at the other person. It doesn't matter what they are talking about, but there must be no repetition or pauses. You will need a referee to decide the winner of each pair. We have played this several times and it has proved very popular. Each time we have played it we have been surprised at the eventual winner. Often the younger scouts have walked all over the older scouts in this game. A few ground rules though. Pauses had to last at least 2 seconds, 'common strings', like letters, numbers, months, etc. could only be a maximum of 12 in a row, you could not touch your competitor, and ONLY the (adult) judge could call someone out for repetition. This is a great 'I need it in a hurry' game! Honey, If You Love Me Smile - a silly giggle game Level : Daisy/Brownie/Junior Participants : 5-35 Equipment : None Time : 15 minutes While seated in a circle, the person who is "it" asks another player "Honey if you love me smile." The correct response, without smiling, "Honey I love you, but I just can't smile." If the approached player smiles they become it. If they do not, "it" stays "it". You man change the phrase to fit your group. The Frogs Go Whee! Cast: Little frogs, a frog leader. A frog leader is directing a frog chorus. They can be singing any song you all know -- just sing it in "ribbits." One by one the little frogs come up and tug on the frog leader saying, "I wanna go WEE! I wanna go WEE!" The frog leader whispers, "Not NOW!" and sends each back to its place in the chorus. Repeat this until each little frog has asked to go "wee" and the leader is at wits' end trying to hold the chorus together. At last the leader gives up. "ALL RIGHT. You can all go wee now!" As the leader turns away, the little frogs all jump into the air together and yell "WHEEEEEE!" Prui Level : Brownie/Junior/Cadette Participants : 15-30 Equipment : None Time : 5-10 minutes Safety : Spotters Prui is a gentle creature. Everyone wants to be part of Prui. To do this, everyone closes their eyes and Prui is picked. Everyone keeps their eyes closed and walks with their hands out. When the run into someone they ask "are you Prui?" If the answer is the same question back they have not found Prui. If the answer is silence, they player has found Prui. They open their eyes and become a part of Prui by holding hands. Everyone should eventually become a part of Prui. The Original Prui is stationary and has their eyes open during the game. In the end a long line of "Pruis" are formed. Fire on the Mountain Level : Junior Participants : 15-50 Equipment : None Time : 15-50 minutes Form two circles, one inside the other, with an equal number of player in each. A player stands in the middle of both circles and is “it”. “It”. and the inner circle clap hands in a beat and stands still. The outer circle moves to the beat until “it” shouts “fire on the mountain”. Then all of the people in the outer circle try to stand in front of a person in the inner circle. “It” also tries to get a partner in the inner circle. They player without a partner becomes it. Knots Level: JR/CAD Participants: 6-12 Equipment: None Time: 10-30 minutes Safety: Make sure girls do not squeeze hands to hard, or lock arms Source: Games Books, 1981 The group forms a circle. Everyone puts one hand into the circle and holds the hand of someone across from them. Then place the remaining hands into different peoples hands. Without breaking hands, the group should try to untangle into a circle. Zip Zap Level : Junior/Cadette Participants : 8-30 Equipment : None Time : 15 minutes Everyone stand or sit in a circle with one person in the middle. The middle person is “it”. “It” points to a person and says either zip or zap. If zip is said, the person in the circle must give the name of the player on their right. If zap is said, they must say the name of the person on their left. If the wrong name is given, “it” trades places with the person they pointed to. If “it” is the correct name “it” must pick again. After three correct tries switch the person who is “it”. Sponge Relay (For hot weather only). Girls form a "bucket brigade". Girl at one end has several large sponges (car wash size) and a bucket of water. The girl at the other end has an empty bucket. At the whistle, the girl saturates the sponge and tosses it to the girl at the other end who must catch it, wring the water out into the bucket, and pass it back down the line. A whistle blows when time is up, and whichever team has the most water is the winner. Steal the Prize Level : Junior/Cadette Participants : 10-24 Equipment : A prize - Any soft object Time : 15-50 Divide the girls into two teams with equal players. Have the teams make two lines and number them. There will be two number ones, etc. A caller stands apart from the two teams. Place the prize between the two groups. The caller will call out a number. As soon as the players who have that number hear the call they race to the prize. The first one to get the prize runs with it back to their team. The person who did not get the prize, chases them. If the player with the prize reaches her team before they are tagged, that team gets a point. If they are tagged no point is given. Bag Skits Level : Junior/Cadette Participants : 15-50 Equipment : Several objects, 6 paper bags Time : 30-60 minutes Throw several different objects into the paper bags. Divide the girls into three to six groups (depending on player number). Give them five minutes to come up with a skit using everything in the bag. Have all the groups present their skits. Guess Who? Level : Brownie/Junior/Cadette Participants : 6-18 Equipment : Note cards, pens Time : 15-20 minutes Safety : Have everyone write down two of their goals for the future. Do not let anyone else see them. Collect all of the goal cards. Shuffle them and pass then out to different people. Have each player read their new card out to the group. After a card is read out, have people guess whose goals they are. If nobody has guessed after three tries, ask for the owner of the goals to reveal identity. Truth Level : Junior/Cadette Equipment : Note cards, pens Time : 15-20 minutes Have everyone write down one thing that is true about themselves that no one knows about in the room. Then have them write two things that are not true but could be true about themselves. Have everyone take a turn reading their card. The group must guess the truth. Freeze Level : Junior/Cadette Participants : 10-20 Equipment : None Time : 15-45 minutes Source : Slippery Rock Univ. Creative Dramatics Class, 1987 Have two girls start the game by acting out some action. Example: rowing a boat. The rest of the group takes turns calling out freeze. When freeze is called, the actors must stop mid-action. The person who called freeze first, then taps on of the frozen players on their shoulders to leave and then takes their exact position. The new player starts in with a totally different scene until freeze is called again. What's In It? You will need to fill a large tub with water. Then you gather 2 - 4 volunteers and blindfold them. Then while they are blindfolded you put all kinds of "safe" and "appropriate" articles in it (nothing sharp!) Then one by one they must take each item out and guess what it is by feeling it and identifying it. They leave their blindfolds on until the end of the game. They must pass the item along to the next person until someone can guess what it is. If you want to make a gross joke, throw in a peeled bananas smeared with peanut butter. Paper Bag Guess Label paper bags with each letter of the birthday child's name ( or whatever name/word) and put objects that start with the corresponding letter in the bag. For instance, for AMY you could have a bag labeled "A" with an apple in it, a bag labeled "M" with a mug in it, and a bag labeled "Y" with a Yo Yo in it. Players guess what's in each bag by feeling the outside of the bag. Goody Guessing This is a good party game that guests can play as they are arriving. Fill 4 or 5 jars with candy, nuts, raisins - anything edible counting the pieces as you put them in. Then let the children guess how many are in each jar. Whoever guesses closest wins the jar. Down, Down, Down This game comes to us from Australia. You start off with a tennis ball and throw the ball continuously back and forth until somebody drops the ball when someone drops the ball you say "Down on one knee" then say the same person drops it a second time then you say "Down on two knees" then if the same person drops the ball again you say "Down on one elbow" and again you say "down on two elbows" and then chin and then you're out but remember you have to stay in the position you're in to catch the ball and throw the ball. Guess Who 2 Equipment: pieces of paper with names on them, tape Each player needs a name taped to their back. The object of the game is to figure out who you are. Everyone goes around and asks the other players questions. The players can only answer yes or no. This game is great when a theme is incorporated. (ex. cartoon characters, book characters ) Bubble Fun Dawn dish soap Baby pool box or crate water hula hoop Bubbles are a lot of fun, but glycerin in the eyes STINGS! The best recipe of all is just DAWN dishwashing liquid and water! They make the absolute best bubbles! For lots of bubble fun...get a baby pool and fill it with bubble solution. Place a box or a crate in the middle that kids can stand on...get a hula hoop and place it over the box/crate and into the bubble mixture, then have a child stand on the box/crate. An adult can pull up the hula hoop and it makes a bubble as big as the kids and they are actually INSIDE the bubble! Kids love it! Take pictures! Family Reunion Recipe/Memory Book In the invitation request each family to bring a favorite recipe with an antidote. Use them to create a family cookbook, with photos and family anecdotes. Decorate it with clip art, too, and take it to a print shop for professional binding. Your family can add to it every year. Spoon Walk Put an egg (can also use a marshmallow) on a spoon and walking across an area; make an obstacle course if you like. Can also play where you have to pass it to a partner to go back to the beginning is fun. If the egg is dropped, you have to start over. Grown ups have to put the spoon in their mouths. You can also play hide and seek: all of the people who are hiding must balance an object on a spoon as they dash for a hiding spot. If it falls, that's where they have to hide. Mom Calling Contest In this contest, blindfolded mothers (or fathers) race to find their children, who are calling to them from across a designated distance. Just imagine the roar of fifty kids bellowing for their mothers. Line up the mothers side by side. After they've been blindfolded, the children also line up side by side across an open expanse, with siblings grouped together. At the signal, the kids start calling for their mothers; the mothers can move but the kids must remain stationary. Whoever touches her own children first is the winner. Relays Animal Relay The players form two lines with equal numbers on each team. The first animal on each team is an animal, the second a different animal. On the word" go", the first person acts like the animal they represent, run, hop or crawl to a given place and back. The next person then acts like their animals and so on until one team is finished and sitting down. Use animals such as kangaroos, bunnies, dogs, cats etc... Bean Bag Relays Walk/run/hop with bag on head/between knees/between feet. Leap Frog Well...... You know. Stunt Relay In stunt relays, the runners advance to the turning point, stop, perform a stunt and return to tag the next runner on their team. There is hardly and end to the number of stunts which can be performed. Tunnel Relay All members in the team stand astride. Runners must first crawl under the legs of all players in the team, run forward to the turning point and return to tag the next man of the team who does the same. Wiggle Worm Relay Form relay lines. Everyone in each line puts their left hand between their legs and the person behind, then signals to grab them from behind with their right hand. Then they run at a given signal to the other end of the playing area and back. The first team to return 'intact' wins! Kangaroo Race Players line up at a starting line and put a balloon between their knees. At the signal, the players must hop to the goal line and back. Optional: When the players reach the start line again, they have to sit on their balloons and pop them. Duck races Players line up on a start line. At the signal, they must all bend over and grasp their ankles. The first one to waddle to the finish line without letting go of their ankles, wins.