A
Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (passive)Group sits in a circle and chants Ali Baba and the 40 thieves, while doing an action. The group leader on the next beat changes the action and then on the next beat the person beside him/her does that action. The action follows its way around the circle and the whole time the group is repeating the phrase. The group leader must change the action after every beat, so that every person in the circle eventually ends up doing a different action. (This may be compared to singing a song in a round).
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All on One Side (cooperative)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.
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The Ambush Game (coop)The group splits up into two sub-groups which we will call A and B. Group A leaves 5 to 10 minutes before group B and must leave clues behind ( footprints, marks, arrows, codes, pieces of paper, etc....). They must then camouflage and set up an ambush for group B. Group B leaves and follows the footprints and clues left by group A and tries to discover the ambush site. During the ambush the groups face each other in mock combat (stealing of scarves, Indian wrestling, etc...). The meeting of the two groups could also result in the yelling of, "AMBUSH" and a race back to home base again.
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Auto Trip (circle/passive)Players sit in a circle and are assigned the names of auto parts. (i.e. hood, wheel, door, etc.) The storyteller tells a story of an auto trip. As the player tells the story, the parts mentioned get up and follow him/her. When the storyteller yells "Blowout" each player scramblers for a seat. The one left out becomes the next storyteller.
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A What? (passive/circle)Equipment: 2 objects
The leader of the game starts by passing the first object to the person on their right and saying, "This is a whit." The reply is, "A What?" The leader would then clarify, "A whit." This question sequence continues around the circle but the question "A what?" is passed all the way back to the beginning and back again. This game can be confused by adding an additional object called a Watt in the opposite direction.
VARIATION:
In this version, you have a circle of however many people, and the same number of monosyllabic items. One person, the leader, starts by choosing one object, let's say it is a spoon. He/she hands this object to the person on his right, and says: This is a spoon. The person replies:
"A What?"
Leader: "A Spoon."
Person: "Oh, A spoon!"The person then takes the spoon and hands it to the person on their right, now becoming the leader. At the same time, the original leader has picked up a new object, and has passed it on. The second person now must carry on two conversations at the same time, looking from one to the other. I have included a diagram of what I mean:
Leader: Person #1 Person#2 Person #3
This is a spoon.
<A What?
A Spoon
<A What?
A Spoon
<Oh! A Spoon
This is a knife This is a spoon
<A What? <A What?
A knife! A Spoon
<A What? <A What?
A Knife! A Spoon!
<Oh, a knife! <Oh, a spoon!
This is a Fork This is a knife This is a spoon
<A What? <A What? <A What?
A Fork! A Knife A spoon!
<A What? <A What? <A What?
A Fork! A knife! A spoon!
<Oh, a fork! <Oh, a knife! <Oh, a spoon!This game is really fun, and it tends to get louder and louder as the more people play the game. We did this with a group of about 35 once, and it is so much fun. It can be really frustrating to learn, but it really is a blast!
Contributed by Mark Stephens
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B
Back to Back (active/back pocket game)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.
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Backlash (cooperative/active)Equipment: 4 round balloons
Divide the group into two teams, then divide each team into pairs. This is a relay race, and the racecourse can extend across a large field or around a building. Mark a start and finish line. Teams of pairs space themselves equally from one end of the racecourse to the other. Pairs stand back to back with elbows linked. Blow up 4 large balloons and give two each to the first pair from each team. One balloon is held in each hand of each player. When the leader says "Go", the first two pairs make their way to the next pair of linked players. The first pair transfers its balloons to the next pair. The first team to cross the finish line wins.
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Balloon Battle (active)Equipment: Balloons, string
Inflated balloons and string for each team member. Have two teams - tie balloons to ankle and teams try to burst the others first. Team with the last balloon wins. As your balloon is burst you withdraw from the game.
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Balloon Buns (circle/passive)Equipment: balloon with message inside
The players sits in a circle. A balloon is passed around the circle. Each player has to sit on the balloon with all his or her weight for 3 seconds. If someone breaks the balloon, they must do what it says on the message. (Ex, sing a song, bark like a dog, dance)
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Banana (circle/passive)Equipment: A rag or sock or a real banana
Form a circle with all players sitting on the floor. It is important for the players to sit close together with their knees up and their hands tucked under their legs. The person in the middle has to figure out where the banana is as the people in the circle are passing the "banana" under their legs secretly.
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Bandit (circle/passive)"It" stands in the middle of the circle. When he points at one of the players in the circle and says "Bandit!" That person must put both hands over his ears. The person to the bandit's right must put the hand nearest to the bandit over his own left ear, while the person on the bandit's left puts his nearest hand over his own right ear. If any one of the three make a mistake by covering the wrong ear, or by using two hands when only one is to be used, or failing to react at all before the person who is "IT" counts to ten, he becomes "IT".
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Bang Bang (circle / passive)Get the campers in a circle. The leader shoots (not really - pretend) the campers around the circle. They then ask "who did I shoot?" The first person that talks is the one that was shot.
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Barnyard (cooperative/active)Each child is given the name of an animal with three children having the same name. No one is allowed to tell another which animal he is. At the signal each child makes the noise of the animal that he has been given. The first group of three animals to find each other and sit down are the winners.
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Baseball (petrified) (active)Divide into two teams. The rules are similar to regular baseball except that the fielding team may not move their feet. The hitting team hits a volleyball with their hand, and crawls around the bases. To score a point, the batter must crawl all around the bases back to home before the fielding team gets the ball to the catcher at home. If the fielding team gets the ball ahead of the batter, he is out. After three people are out, the teams trade places.
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Basket-Soccer Ball (active/cooperative)Equipment: soccer ball
Two teams are needed. The object of the game is to get both teams up and down the court as many times as possible in 15 minutes. Ex. Team 'A' and Team 'B' when at one end of the court, work together to pass the ball around pylons, then kick or lift the ball up into the hands of one of the team members, who then shoots at the basket. If the ball goes in, they can then go to the other end of the court and shoot for that hoop. Note: Only Team "A" can shoot at "A" basket and "B" shoots at "B" basket.
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Beat the Bunny (circle/passive)Equipment: Two balls of different size.
The bunny (small ball) is started first and is passed from child to child around the circle. When the bunny is about half way around, the farmer (large ball) is started in the same direction. Note: The farmer can change directions to try and catch the bunny, but the bunny can only go one way.
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Big Wind Blows (circle/passive)The group forms a large circle sitting at an arm's length apart. One person is chosen to be the "wind", and stands in the center of the circle. The game begins when the person in the middle acts like the wind (by turning in a circle and waving their arms) and says "THE BIG WIND BLOWS" At this point they must specifically state what the wind blows, a statement which must be true about themselves. I.e. "The Big Wind Blows everyone who has blue eyes." All of the kids who have blue eyes including the wind must stand up and run through the circle to a position that is now empty on the other side. Upon reaching this spot, they sit down. One person will be left over, they are now the wind and the game continues. There is no winner or loser, just a lot of fun.
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Birds Have Feathers (moderate)One player is leader. He and all the others flap their arms like birds. He calls out names of something with feathers. If a player flaps his wings on a calling that doesn't have feathers he's out. The leader flaps his wings on almost all things to confuse the group and calls as rapidly as possible. "Birds have feathers, bats have feathers, babies have feathers, etc."
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Black Magic (circle / passive)The leader needs a helper who understands how the trick works. The helper leaves the circle. While they are gone, the group decides on an object. The helper then comes back to the group, their task is to guess what the object is. The leader asks questions like, "Is it the swings?" or "Is it the bench". The helper replies no. The trick is that the object will be the first one after a black object.
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Blanket Stand (cooperative)Equipment: Blanket
Spread out blanket; whole group must get on it so that no appendages are touching the ground off the blanket. If the group completes the stand, have them get off and fold blanket in half. Repeat the above process for as long as possible.
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Blanket Toss (active/cooperative)Equipment: Blanket and waterballoons
All players should be standing around the blanket holding an edge. The leader of the game will launch (by catapult or throwing) waterballoons into the air. The object of the game is to catch the waterballoons in the blanket.
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Blind Beach Volley-ball (active)Equipment: Blanket and beach ball
A blanket should be draped over a volley-ball net. The game goes as usual except you can not see when the ball is coming. Scary!!
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Blind Cow (circle)Equipment: bell and blindfolds
All players sit in a circle facing the center. One person is blindfolded and is the "Blind Cow." The "blind cow" should be spun around and then brought to the center of the circle. The bell should then be passed around the circle and rung. The "blind cow" will then follow the sound of the bell. The game leader points at the person who should stop the bell. The "blind cow" now has to guess who is holding the bell (by pointing). If the person is right, the chosen person becomes the cow in the next round. If they are wrong, he/she has to go again (until he guesses right).
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Blindman's Bluff (active)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.
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Body Surfing (cooperative)
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Boiler Burst (active)The goal is a line thirty feet long. The players form a semi-circle forty feet from the goal with their backs to it and facing in. IT stands at the center of the circle and begins to tell a story, either making it up or an old familiar one. At any point he/she chooses, the storyteller says "and the boiler burst" upon which all the players run for the goal. IT runs after them attempting to touch one. The runners are safe when they reach the goal; the first player tagged before reaching safety is IT.
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Bola (active)To make a Bola, stuff a rubber softball into a long sock and tie a knot in the sock just above the ball. Now tie a rope to the sock. Lie down on your back and start spinning the Bola, slowly letting out the rope. When you've got it rotating at a full radius, everyone can begin jumping into the circle. You may increase the speed, or have two people join hands, and jump in partners. If you're nicked by the Bola, you may continue or sit out.
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Bombardment Pins (active)At either end of the playing space, set up in a row as many tenpins, or popbottles as there are players. Make a dividing line across the center of the playing space. Divide players into two teams. Each team takes one side of the field and must not step over into the other side. One team starts the game by throwing a volleyball or play ball, trying to knock down the pins on the other side. The opponents protect their pins by catching or blocking the ball with their hands and bodies. If the ball hits outside the field and knocks a pin down on the rebound it still counts. Play for fifteen minutes with the ball shooting back and forth rapidly. With a large number two balls can be used. The winner is the team that knocks down all the other teams pins.
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Bop Bop (active/circle)The players start sitting in a circle. The leader stands up and "bops" or dances around the inside of the circle. The players can help out by making their own music. The leader then taps selected people on the head and says; "start bopping right now." These tapped people will join the leader in the middle. These boppers keep dancing and tapping until they hear, "Bop Bop Over!" The players will then stop dancing and run back to their spots. The last one there is the new leader.
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Box the Leader (active)The group should be split into 4 groups. Each group should form one side of the box that should be surrounding the game leader. Each side has a name. These are: - NORTH ("North is Aaaaa Oooookay!!!) - SOUTH ("South, Wooh!) - EAST ("East is the beast to beat") - WEST ("West is the best") The object of the game is to be the first team to be in the appropriate order in a straight line in the right relation to the leader. Once your whole team has arrived, you should yell your team's chant (they are listed above)
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British Bulldog (active)The players are at the ends of the field, with 3 bulldogs standing in the middle. Whenever they are ready they will call: "British Bulldog". The players must then run to the opposite side of the field without being touched.
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Bubble GumYou had to have at least three people to play but an unlimited number could join in. Everyone would gather in a tight circle and make a fist with both hands and hold their fists out in the center of the circle. I can't remember exactly how we chose who would be the counter (I think it was whoever was the bossiest at the moment!) But anyway, the counter would take one of his/her fists and tap everyone's fists (including his/her own) as he/she said this rhyme:
Bubble gum, Bubble gum, in a dish. How many pieces do you wish?
Who ever she taps last would give a number between 1 and 20. Then the counter would again tap everyone's fists as he/she counted to the specified number. Who ever he/she landed on had to take that fist out of the circle and place their hand behind their back. Then the counter would start all over again with the Bubble gum, Bubble gum....and repeat the process. Once both of your fists were tapped, you were out. And this went on until it narrowed it down to one-the winner. Now, a lot of times we used this to help us decide on certain issues - kinda like a fair way of voting on who would be leader for the day or something silly like that. Other times we just played it over and over again to see who won the most and was declared the champion of the day. It was fun and very simple to learn.
Contributed by Glenda Honeycutt
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BurpeeTeams can be of 1 or more players. Each team has a pitcher and possibly one or more fielders. The playing field is composed of a wall and the area in front of it. A strike zone based on a baseball/softball strike zone is drawn on a wall. The pitcher pitches a tennis ball from a set distance depending on the age of the players. If the batter swings and misses it is a strike. If the ball hits the wall within the box, it is a strike. Three strikes is an out; four balls is a walk. A fair or foul area is defined at the beginning of the game. A ball must travel a minimum distance in the air to be declared a fair ball. Increasing distances of carry in the air are used to decide whether a hit is a single, double, triple or home run. The team with the most runs at the end of the game wins.
Contributed by Keith Savoline
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Bump and Scoot (active/cooperative)Equipment: Volleyball net, ball
Using a volleyball net, have the girls on one side and the boys on the other. Whenever a boy or girl hits the ball over the net, they "scoot" to the other side. The idea of the game is to completely switch the teams to the other side, but they all must work to together to succeed.
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Bumpety Bump Bump (circle/active)All players stand in a circle with someone in the center. The person in the center will choose someone in the circle to point at and will say, "Right, Bumpety Bump Bump Bump" or "Left, Bumptey Bump Bump Bump." The person who is pointed at has to say the name of the person to their right or left (depending upon what is asked by the person in the center) before the phrase is finished. If they fail to do this, they are out. The center person is trying to eliminate all players.
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Buzz (circle/passive/backpocket)The players start counting substituting buzz for the number seven and multiples of seven. If a player makes a mistake he must drop out or the whole group must start again.
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C
Cat and Mouse (active/circle)The players should stand in a circle. Two people are chosen, one to be the cat and the other to be the mouse. The object of the game is for the mouse to catch the cat on the inside of the circle. This can achieved because when the mouse runs in between two people, they will join hands and the cat can not pass through. This game can be repeated with a new cat and mouse.
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Catching the Dragon's Tail (active/cooperative)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.
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Capture the Flag (active)See "Stealing Sticks"
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Car GamesThe ABC Game - Object to complete the alphabet first. As you see the letters on billboards & licensee plates you shout out your letter and point. Once a letter has been claimed other players cannot use the same letter. Make it harder by limiting to only licensee plates or billboard signs.
The Theme Song Game - Just silly & fun. One person hums the tune to a favorite TV show (here you can tell I grew up in the 70's) ex: Hawaii Five-0, Gilligans Island, Flipper, Brady Bunch, etc... the one who guesses does the next song.
Guess what I am - One person states they are either a person, place or thing and the others then ask questions (are you blue, can you speak, do you bark, can you be eaten, etc) until they guess what the person is, then they are next. Contributed by Vicki Shaw
Alphabet Signs - [A variation of the ABC game above] One person chose the right side of the road and the other person had the left. The object of the game was to cite all of the letters of the alphabet ,in order, from a to z. You could only use a sign for one letter. The person on the left side usually had to sit sideways and read signs as they receded. The first person to z wins.
Animals/Cities/Geography - We also played a game we took turns naming animals (for example). Each person would have to name another animal (no repeating) that started with the last letter of the last animal named. This game could be played with cities (as we got older) or geographical regions (as we got older still). We even have an 'expert' version where all the geographical regions must start and end with an 'a'. (AsiA, Aegean SeA, AmericA, AtlantA, etc.) Contributed by Brian Litteral
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Catch Don't Catch (circle/active)This is similar to "flinch". The players should be standing in a circle with their arms crossed. The person in the center will throw the ball to someone in the circle. They will either say, "Catch" or "Don't Catch". If they say "Catch", the player should not catch the ball and cannot flinch (move their arms). If they say "Don't Catch" , the player should catch the ball. If a player does the wrong thing or misses the ball, they are out.
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Caterpillar (active)The players must lie face down, side by side and very close to each other. Alternate small players and older players. Player at one end must get to the other end by rolling on this corduroy road. When this player reaches the other end, the rest player starts rolling on the carpet.
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Chicken Picks (passive)Equipment: rubber chicken
Players sit in a circle and one player goes into the middle. A topic is chosen and the rubber chicken starts at one person and is passed around the circle. The person in the middle must list as many things as they can from the topic, but they only have however long that the chicken makes it around the circle once. When the chicken gets back to the starting point, the person must stop talking. A designated counter should be in the group to count how many objects they are able to list. The person that is able to list the most objects is the winner. Topic example: Chocolate Bars (ie) Hershey, crispy crunch, aero, etc.
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Circle Run (circle/active)The players should start sitting in a circle numbered 1-4 (this can be adjusted depending upon the size of the group). The game leader will call out a number and all players with that number will stand up and run clockwise around the circle. After one warm-up lap, the race begins. A runner is out if another runner passes them on the outside. The run continues until one person is left. The leader then continues to call numbers. A winners round might be a good way to end the game.
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Circle Stride Ball (circle/moderate)Equipment: Volleyball
A circle is formed, feet apart and touching neighbors. The player inside the circle with the ball tries to throw the ball out the circle between the player's legs. Players try to stop it by using their hands. If the ball goes through, then that person goes in the center.
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Collective-Score Blanket/Towel Ball (cooperative)Equipment: Ball, blanket or towels or both
This game is basically groups juggling with blankets and towels.
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Colored EggsOne player is chosen to be the Fox. One player is chosen to be the Hen. All the rest of the players are the colored eggs. The fox must stand far enough away from the hen and her eggs that he can't hear them. The hen assigns a color to each egg by whispering the color in their ear. The eggs line up facing the hen. The fox comes up behind the hen and acts like he is knocking on a door. The hen responds, "Who is it?" The fox replies, "It's the fox." The hen says, "What do you want?" The fox says, "Colored eggs." The hen says, "I haven't got any." At this point all the players who are eggs laugh loudly. The fox says, "I hear them laughing." "O.K." says the hen. "What color do you want." The fox begins to guess colors. When he guesses a color that is assigned to an egg the egg begins to run. If the fox catches the egg a new fox and a new hen are picked. If the fox doesn't catch the egg before it gets back to the hen he must guess another color and try to catch the next egg. However, before the fox can make his/her guess the fox must knock on the door each time and the conversation between fox and hen must be repeated each time.
Contributed by Bizzie Vunderink
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Colors (back pocket)Chose a color. You must stop someone and touch part of their clothing, which is of the chosen color.
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Crab Grab (active)The players are split into 2 teams and the classic crab position is assumed. This position is maintained supported by at least 3 extremities, while each player tries to make the team members of the opposite team touch their rear to the ground, at which point they win.
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Crab Walk Soccer (active)Two teams sit on lines a short distance apart. Team members are numbered. Soccer ball sits in the center. Official calls number. The member of that number from each team crab walk and attempts to get the ball over the opponent's goal line. When a point is scored, the ball is returned to the center and another number is called. Team members may help but not score.
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Crack the WhipThe kids usually played this at recess and should be prepared to get dirty. You need at least probably 6 people for the game to be effective but the more the better. You all hold hands like you would for Red Rover. Someone is picked to be the leader and someone as the caboose. The leader just starts running around like crazy and everyone else follows, being sure not to let go of hands. Eventually after everyone has been running with full speed and making sharp turns the caboose and/or people next to him get sent flying because of the force of everyone running and turning. This is a lot of fun but be prepared to get dirty if you're on the end. Also the leader and caboose can use two hands to hold on to the one person they are connected to. The caboose tries as hard as she/he can not to let go. (Holding on and flying around was usually funnier then letting go and rolling to a stop :) Contributed by Julianne Brewer
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Crows and Cranes (active)Divide the children into two equal teams. Name one of the team's crows and the other cranes. Line the two teams up four or five feet apart facing each other. Flip a coin, and if it comes up heads call crows. Upon calling crows, the crows must turn in flight with the cranes after them. If any of the cranes makes it to the safety zone he is free. If he is touched he switches teams.
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