“Airdrop” Tag
The Hook: A high-speed version of tag that uses “tech terms” as safe zones. How to Play: Designate two people as “The Glitch” (The Taggers).… Read more
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… Read more
Big Wind Blows
The Goal: To find a new spot in the circle and learn “Intel” about your teammates. How to Play: Use Cones to mark spots in… Read more
Bob the Bunny
Grade: All Setup: Circle, large group (10+) Objective: An interractive guessting game Have campers circle up. Have one camper stand in the center and close… Read more
Bridge Ball
Grade: All Setup: Circle, large group (10+) Objective: A funny ball game Have all players circle up with their feet touching the feet of the… Read more
Categories
The Goal: Categories is a fast-paced, rhythmic game where participants sit/stand in a circle and quickly name items within a chosen category to a clapping… Read more
Changing your Stripes
Grade: All Setup: Groups of 2 Have campers break into groups of 2 Campers will study each other’s appearance for a short time Campers will… Read more
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… Read more
Crambo
Summary: A rhyming guessing game. Instructions: Divide players into groups of 4 or 5. That player must then say something like “i’m thinking of a… Read more
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… Read more
Detective
Grade: 2-5 Setup: Circle Game Instructions: Sit in a socially distant circle and pick one camper to be the Detective. That camper must leave the… Read more
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… Read more
Dragon Tail
The Hook: A fast-paced “snake” game that tests coordination and Squad loyalty. Equipment: 5 “Tails” (this can be a jump rope tucked into a pocket,… Read more
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”,… Read more
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.… Read more
Fishbowl Game
Grade: Grades 3-5, Middle Setup: Two teams sit in one circle, alternate team A and B Objective: Each student will get three slips of paper… Read more
Four Corners
The Hook: Combines sprinting with the “listicle” style of blogging. How to Play: Assign the four corners of your blacktop/grass area as 1, 2, 3,… Read more
Frog in the Pond
Grade: Grades 1-3, Grades 3-5 Setup: Circle game Objective: Students are all sitting on the knees in a circle. There are different movements depending on… Read more
Fruit Basket
Grade: 1-3 Overview: A fruity fun active game Instructions: Make a circle of chairs with 1 less chair than the number of players. Assign each… Read more
Giants/Wizards/Elves (Full Body Rock Paper Scissors)
Grade: All Overview: A team spin-off of ro-sham-bo Instructions: Split players into two team, standing on opposite sides of a linear boundary. Before each round,… Read more
Gibberish Interviews
Grade: 2-5 Setup: Groups of three or more Split the group into teams of 3 (you can have more than three, but not less) One… Read more
Go!
Grade: Grades 3-5, Middle Setup: Circle game Objective: Have the group stand in a circle and ask each player to say his or her name… Read more
Group Drawing
Grade: Grades 3-5, Middle Setup: Teams of 3 Objective: Divide your group of students into teams of three. Each person on the team has one… Read more
Heads Up, Heads Down
Grade: All Setup: Circle Game Objective: Rules: All students stand in a circle and put their heads down looking at the ground. When the moderator… Read more
Ho!
Grade: Grades 3-5 Setup: Circle Game Objective: Have the group stand in a circle. Ask a player to help you demonstrate what a jumping double… Read more
Human Knot
Playing as a squad, form a circle and hold hands with two players who are not standing beside you. Make sure that you have not… Read more
Human Ladders
Grade: All Setup: Two lines facing each other Objective: Assign each player a partner. Have campers sit in two long lines, partners facing each other,… Read more
I am a Tree
Grade: 3-5 Setup: No more than 5 people per group Instructions: One camper goes to the middle of a circle and says “I am a… Read more
Lemur Leader
Grade: all Setup: Cones to mark the playing field, all campers in a line on one side. One camper is “Lemur Leader” in the middle… Read more
Lemur Telephone
Grade: all Setup: line up campers evenly Line teams up by grade Counselors tell the first camper in each line a phrase. Campers then race… Read more
Mirror Image
Grade: 2-5 Setup: groups of three Divide players into groups of 3. Players 1 and 2 stand back to back, and Player 3is the observer.… Read more
Mirror. Mirror.
Directions: Campers pair up. One person is the “leader” and the other is the “mirror.” The leader makes slow and simple movements, and the mirror… Read more
Move Your Bum
Grade: Grades 1-3, Grades 3-5 Setup: Circle game Objective: Have the group sit or stand in a circle and have “It” stand in the middle.… Read more
Name Impulse
Grade: All Setup: Circle game Objective: Students sit or stand in a circle and you time how quickly everyone can say their name immediately after… Read more
Ninja
The Hook: A game of absolute focus and sudden, explosive movement. How to Play: Everyone stands in a tight circle, hands together. On the count… Read more
Obstacle Course
Set Up: Check with your Site Administrator and the Assistant Site Administrator to see what supplies (jump ropes, balls, frisbees) are available and where to… Read more
One Word Story
The group tells a cohesive (and funny) story one word at a time. Go around the circle twice. If someone says a word that makes… Read more
Pass the Name Game
Setup: circle Grade: all Everyone stands in a circle and the teacher will go first, saying their name and making eye contact with someone else… Read more
Poison Frog
Grade: 1-3 Overview: Detective vs Poison Dart Frog Setup Have players circle up. Choose a player to be the Detective, then have them leave the… Read more
Rabbit Tag
Setup: Open space with cones to mark hutches Grade: 2-5 Instructions: One player is designated as the “Hunter.” Everyone else is a “Rabbit” Set up… Read more
Race for the Truth
Grade: All Setup: Cones for start and finish line Objective: Have each person stand on starting line while a leader lists off general facts. (For… Read more
Rainbow Categories
Grade: Grades 3-5, Middle Setup: Pairs Objective: Put the students into two students stand up. Let the group pick a category (like animals) and a… Read more
Red Light, Green Light
Grade: Grades 1-3, Grades, 3-5 Setup: Campers form a line Directions: In this game, one person plays the “Stoplight” while the other players try to… Read more
Relay (Animal and Normal)
Animal Relay – Active Game Directions: Create at least two teams that are even (if not even then AG should play or an eager camper… Read more
Screaming Lemurs
Grade: all Setup: cones, line teams up by troop. Line the teams up by troop (small camps will only have two lines, the younger and… Read more
Sentence Stretching
Summary: Start with a single sentence, and add words until you can’t any longer. Instructions: Divide players into groups of 5 or 6 give each… Read more
Sitting, Lying, Standing
Summary: Perform a scene where one actor is always sitting, one is standing, and one is lying down Instructions: Divide players into groups of… Read more
Sleeping Spell
Overview: Detective vs hand-shake enchanter Setup Intro Story for the AG to tell the group: A great celebration is being held in the kingdom with… Read more
Sound Ball
Directions: The group stands in a circle. One person starts by making a sound and pretending to throw an imaginary ball to someone else. The… Read more
Splat!
The Hook: A reflex game that starts high-energy and gets more competitive as it goes. How to Play: Stand in a large circle with one… Read more
Story, Story, You’re Out
Grade: 4 – 5 Setup Everyone forms a line on “stage” Objective: Tell a story with a beginning, middle, & an end flawlessly Players form… Read more
Syllable Clap
Grade: All Setup: Campers spread out Objective: A good welcoming game! Have each member of the group clap out a beat corresponding to the number… Read more
Telephone Charades
The Hook: A silent, hilarious game that demonstrates how “stories” change as they are shared. How to Play: Squads stand in lines, all facing the… Read more
Ten Seconds to Make…
Grade: All Setup: Teams of 2-3 Objective: Students are in pairs or triples and the teacher or student leader gives them “10 seconds to make…_______”… Read more
The Adverb Game:
Directions: One person (The Detective) leaves. The group picks an adverb (e.g., “Suspiciously”). The Detective returns and tells the group to do things (e.g., “Eat… Read more
The Blob (Tag)
The Hook: A classic tag game that literally forces the group to work together. How to Play: Start with two people holding hands. They are… Read more
The Kangaroo Hop
Summary: A relay race Instructions: Create straight lanes with track markers. Line campers up in teams by grade. (even the odds when applicable) This is… Read more
The Oracle
Grade: 2-5 Setup: 4 or more players Instructions One player asks a question about the future Three other players stand in a line as “the… Read more
The Questions Game
The Goal: To have a conversation using only questions. How to Play: Two players stand in the center. Adventure Guide B gives a topic (e.g.,… Read more
Toilet Tag
Setup: Cones to mark the playing field Grade: All Instructions: The rules mirror freeze tag, only, instead of freezing when one is tagged they must… Read more
Two Truths and a Lie
Grade: All Setup: Small groups (4-6) or Whole Group Objective: Players in a group tell one another two truths and one lie about themselves. Other… Read more
Uncle Sam
Directions: This is a tag-game variation. Start by outlining the boundaries of the playing field with cones or visual cues. For the first round, you… Read more
WA!
WA! – GROUP Game Great for: Middle School Directions: Have the campers form a standing circle and hold their hands in front of their chest,… Read more
Wax Museum (a.k.a. Sneaky Statues)
Grade: 2-5 Setup: 1 Curator & the students acting out the scene Explain to the students that they are all statues in a wax museum.… Read more
What are you doing?
Setup: Partner all campers and if an odd number, partner with AG. Then give an example. Player 1 starts miming an activity. Player 2 approaches… Read more
What Time is It, Mr. Wolf?
Setup: Cones to mark the playing field, all campers in a line on one side Grade: all Choose one player to be Mr. Wolf. Have… Read more
Write the Phrase, Draw the Phrase
Grade: 4-5 Setup Players sit in circle. Each player has a stack of index cards. Stacks should have as many index cards as there are… Read more
Zip, Zap, Zop
Grade: All Setup: Everyone in a circle Everyone stands in a circle. Ask the group to repeat the words “Zip, Zap, Zop” three or four… Read more