Author: Hans Hartvickson

Electricity

Grade:

Middle

Directions: Split campers into two equal teams. Have them form a line with one person across from a person on the other team. Then have them hold hands. The AG should stand at the front of the line and hold the first two team members’ hands. At a random interval, the AG will squeeze the hands of the two campers near them. Once they feel the squeeze campers pass the electricity to the next person down the line until the last person feels it and taps the ground (or the second AG if you have one) AG is the referee. Have the last person in the line become the first person and repeat. Keep track of points and make this competitive to keep Middle Schoolers engaged but also deescalate if players get too into the game by reminding them that it is about having fun. Watch to make sure electricity doesn’t jump ahead without passing through everyone.

Video Example:

Duck, Duck, Goose

Grade:

Grades 1-3, Grades 3-5

Setup:

Circle game

Objective:

A group of players sit in a circle, facing inward, while another player, who is “it”, walks around tapping or pointing to each player in turn, calling each a “duck” until finally calling one a “goose“. The “goose” then rises and tries to tag “it”, while “it” tries to return to and sit where the “goose” had been sitting. If “it” succeeds, the “goose” becomes “it” and the process begins again. If the “goose” tags “it”, the “goose” may return to his or her previous spot and the original “it” restarts the process

*You can do variations based on your groups interest! Royal, Royal, Frog! Dog, Dog, Cat! Person, Person, Pokemon! Dragon, Dragon, Dinosaur! *

 

Dictionary Game

Grade:

Grades 3-5, Middle

Setup:

Teams of 2-4

Objective:

Break students off in to teams (have as many teams as you’d like). Have them look up a *difficult (appropriate)* word in the dictionary (they can use iPads). Each team will find a word they think the other teams won’t know and come up with two different, possibly definitions for that word, in addition to the actual definition. When everyone comes back to the group, each team reads aloud their word and reads the three definitions (in any order they want) and the other teams have to guess what the true definition is. If they guess right, they get a point. If they guess wrong, the team who read the definitions gets a point. Play to as many points as you want.

 

Darling If You Love Me…

Grade:

Middle

Setup:

Circle Game

Objective:

Seat the players in a circle all facing each other. One player who is chosen as “it” sits in the center of the circle. The “it” player in the middle of the circle goes to a player in the circle, maintains eye contact and without touching them uses their silliest voice and expressions says “Darling, if you love me won’t you please, please smile?” The player who was asked the question responds with “Darling, you know I love you, but I just can’t smile.” without smiling. If the player responds, but cannot do so without smiling they become the “it” player in the center of the circle.

If the player successfully replies without smiling the “it” player moves on to the next player in the circle and again asks “Darling, if you love me won’t you please, please smile?”. The “it” player should go in order around the circle. This prevents them from only selecting their friends or players that are naturally smiley. When a new player becomes “it” they should continue where the previous player left off. To succeed it is highly recommended that as the “it” player you use whatever antics you can during your approach to the player you are about to ask the question. Use of silly body movements and facial expressions may get the player smiling before the question is even asked.

(If some campers are wearing a mask, the goal could be to make them laugh or break eye contact, or you could do an honesty policy on smiling… be creative!)

 

Clapping Game

Grade:

Grades 3-5, Middle

Setup:

Circle Game

Objective:

Everyone stands in a circle. There are three claps students can do: one clap keeps the clapping going in the direction it started / two claps reverses the order of the clapping / and three claps skips a person in the direction it was going.  It’s important to keep pace. Students sit out if they make a mistake or are off beat.

Video:

Beans

Grade:

Grades 1-3, Grades 3-5

Setup:

Campers spread out 

Objective:

The Adventure Guide calls out the name of a bean and the campers respond appropriately. Possible beans might include:

  • Runner Beans – children run into spaces
  • Jumping Beans – children jump into spaces
  • Kidney Beans – children (kids) hop around holding onto a knee
  • Baked Beans – children lay flat on their backs as if they are baking in the sun
  • Broad Beans – children move around making broad shapes with their bodies
  • String Beans – children move around making skinny, string-like shapes with their bodies
  • Chilli Beans – children act as if they are chilly

The Adventure Guide may also like to call out ‘Freeze’ from time to time for which the children should freeze in the position that they are in.

 

Alan Sells Apples in Albania

Grade:

Grades 3-5, Middle

Setup:

Circle game

Objective:

Students stand in a circle, with a moderator in the middle. The moderator points to one student and gives them a letter from the alphabet. The student chosen has to quickly fill in the blank of the sentence ” _______ sells _______ in  _______” with a name, an item, and a place that all start with the letter they were given.

Examples: Barbara sells bananas in the Bahamas / Harry sells hammocks in Havana / Zane sells Zebras in Zimbabwe

If a student pauses too long or can’t think of items quickly, they are out.

Video:

Shipwreck

Grade:

All

Overview:

Nautical mayhem!

Setup

Before starting: Identify the playing boundaries, and make sure all the players understand all the commands. Have all the players line up on a clearly marked line in the middle of the playing area.

Commands:

  1. Roll call: the crew must line up at the midline of the playing area, feet together, toes on the line, salute and say “aye-aye captain!” The crew may not lower their salute until the captain salutes and says “at ease.”
  2. Crow’s nest: players act as if they’re climbing up a ladder to the crow’s nest, the top of the main mast, an area at the highest point of the ship to lookout.
  3. Swab the deck: players act like they’re mopping the deck.
  4. Shark attack: the captain becomes a shark and tries to tag the crew. Those tagged go to the “brig” to dance or perform an designated exercise.
  5. Break time: active crew members can run to the “brig” and tag as many people as possible. Those that are tagged can come back in and play again. Make sure everyone gets let out of the “brig” during break time.
  6. Sailor overboard: crew pairs up and decides which one gets on their hands and knees and which one stands a places a foot gently on the other’s back while acting like their using a spyglass to find the sailor in the water.
  7. Drop anchor: crew lies on their backs with legs up and acts like an anchor.
  8. Pirates: crew closes one eye, puts up a hook finger, hobbles around like they have a pegleg and say “Aaargh!”
  9. Row to Shore: crew gets in lines of 4; players act as if they are rowing to safety, while singing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”

How to play:

  1. The leader explains that s/he is the captain of the boat/ship and is going give commands to the players/crew to perform a specific movement or sound.
  2. Explain that the crew is sailing treacherous seas and need to work together and follow the captain’s commands to survive.
  3. If crew members does not follow the commands correctly or is the last to follow the command they must go to the “brig” or break-room.
  4. Explain the playing area and designate which end is the “bow” of the ship and which end is the “stern.” The goal is to be the last crew member standing.

Video:

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Poison Frog

Grade:

1-3

Overview:

Detective vs Poison Dart Frog

Setup

  1. Have players circle up.
  2. Choose a player to be the Detective, then have them leave the circle (still within sight and able to hear when you call to them to return but not close enough that information will be spoiled)
  3. Secretly pick a Poison Dart Frog without the Detective’s knowledge (Point to them but don’t say it aloud and kindly remind louder students that the Frog will not be someone who calls out)
  4. Bring the Detective back and have them stand inside the circle.
  5. The Poison Dart Frog will try to eliminate all the other players by sticking their tongue out at them without being seen by the Detective.
  6. When a player is eliminated, they say “OH! You got me!” and sit down.
  7. The Detective has 2 chances to guess who the Poison Dart Frog is.

Video:

Giants/Wizards/Elves (Full Body Rock Paper Scissors)

Grade:

All

Overview:

A team spin-off of ro-sham-bo

Instructions:

  1. Split players into two team, standing on opposite sides of a linear boundary.
  2. Before each round, each team will collectively decide whether they want to be giants, wizards, or elves. (wizards beat giants, giants beat elves, and elves beat wizards).
  3. During the round, each team will line up facing each other by the boundary, then all chant “giants, wizards, elves.”
  4. After chanting, each team will act as whichever character they chose (giants wave their hands in the air, wizards stick their arms out and get low to the ground like they are casting a spell, and elves squat and use their hands as elf ears).
  5. Whichever side has the character that is winning, chases the other team and tries to tag them before they cross the far boundary. Any member tagged has to join the other team, and the round starts over.

Video:

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