Leaders

Games

Crime and Punishment

Design a system for secretly identifying the "criminal" and the "cop"--you might use a deck of cards. You only need enough cards so each player may have one card. One card needs to be a jack--the criminal, and one needs to be an ace--the cop. All of the other cards should be below ten in rank. Let each person draw and keep a card, without showing it to anyone. The criminal needs to recruit other criminals by winking at them, but without getting caught by the cop. Any person who sees a wink is to wait a few seconds, so as not to be obvious, and then say, "I committed a crime." That person then turns in his card and is out of the game. Play continues until the criminal recruits all players without being caught by the cop, or the cop identifies the criminal. If the cop misidentifies the criminal, he loses the game.

Animal Sounds

This is great for troops with a large space or an outdoor area. You will need to make cards with animal names (or pictures for younger girls) on them. You will need equal amounts of each animal, e.g. 5 dogs, 5 cats, etc. Start the game by telling participants to read the card they are given and to not reveal the identity of the animal they receive. Identify the animals on the cards and what noise they make (e.g., dog=bark, frog=ribbit). The object of the game is for all the animals to find all the members of their group.

All participants must close their eyes, get on all fours, and crawl around making their animal sound. As they hear other members of their animal group - they should find them and stay with them until all members are found. The game ends when all the animal groups have found all their members.

Human Tacos

As each girl arrives, stick a lable on the back of her shirt. Then they mingle around asking "Yes/No" questions to determine which taco ingredient they are. Once everyone has ascertained whether they're a Taco Shell, Meat, Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato or Salsa, the action begins! Explain the "proper" order in assembling a taco, as described below. On the "I'm Hungry! Let's Eat!" command, the Taco Shells begin searching for the next logical ingredient: the Meat. When a Taco Shell locates a Meat, she grabs his hand, and the two go darting off to locate a Cheese. Then the three race around to find a Lettuce, then Tomato, then Salsa, in that order.

Pass the Pretzel

You will need cotton swabs and pretzel twists (not sticks). Divide the players into two teams and line them up. Give each girl a cotton swab and tell her to put one end of the swab in her month. Then ask them to put their hands behind their backs. Give the first player in each line a pretzel by inserting it onto the swab. On the count of three, have the first two players pass the pretzels to the next players in line, using only cotton swab. If the pretzel falls, the player who dropped it must give it back to the player before her and repeat the play. The first team to pass the pretzel down the line wins! To increase the difficulty, use Cheerios and toothpicks.

Pass that Roll

You will need two rolls of toilet paper. Divide the girls into two teams. Have them stand in single file lines, standing an arm's length away from the person in front of them. The first person in line starts with a roll of toilet paper. They place their thumbs between the carboard roll and puts their hands above their heads. When the leaders says "GO" the next person in line grabs the paper slowly without ripping it. This goes on all the way down the line until the paper rips and then it starts at the beginning again. The first team to get the toilet paper all the way to the last person without ripping it wins.

Back-to-Back Relay

You will need two volleyballs for this game. Divide the girls into two teams. Within each group, pair up with a partner. The first pair of partners for each group should stand back-to-back and a volleyball should be placed just above the belt line. The pairs must hold their arms folded in front of them and not use their elbows to carry the ball. The object of the relay is to run a designated distance and back without dropping the ball. If the ball is dropped, they must start over. When the pair successfully completes their round trip, the next pair places the ball between their backs and does the same thing. Variation: instead of standing back-to-back, try side-to-side, with your hands above your head.

Lean and Leave

Players choose partners. The object of the game is for players to look as if they're leaning, but actually to be able to stand without support. One partner leans on the shoulder of the other. The leaning player then shifts weight slightly so that she is actually standing alone. When leaning players can lean unsupported, they say "OK" to their partners, who move away, leaving them looking as if they were leaning on thin air. As the girls become proficient, divide players into groups of three with two players leaning on a middle players. When the middle players moves, the two others should remain leaning unsupported.

Alphabet Game

Divide the group into teams of at least four participants. When in groups, the leader will call out a letter or word. The groups will then form the word or letter by spelling it out with their bodies.

Walk My Walk

Have players stand in a circle with plenty of space in the middle. Discuss the many ways people walk. For example, a spy might creep along on tiptoes while a fashion model walks with a studied, erect posture. Players select a role with a specific kind of walk. Some ideas are: tightrope walker, astronaut on the moon, window washer on a ledge, infant learning to walk, old person, body builder, marching soldier, circus clown, explorer at the North Pole. Each player walks across the circle several times as the group tries to guess her identity. When someone guesses correctly, the entire group imitates the walk, then forms into a circle again to watch another walk.

Laugh Lines

Divide into two teams. Have the teams stand in two lines facing each other, about 3 feet apart. Select one team to go first. Explain to this team that they have 30 seconds to make someone on the other team laugh or smile. If they are successful, the guilty laughers come across the line and become part of the other team. After the first team has completed 30 secods, the other team gets a chance to make someone on the opposing team laugh. Continue for several rounds and see how many people each team is able to get and keep through laughter.

Tag Variations

Ankle Biters Tag

The game starts with the students spreading out across the gym. Each student is given a foam ball. On "go" signal students must bounce their ball and then try to hit anyone they see. If a student is hit, they must sit down. A student may only get up if they can tag other students in the leg and yell "Ankle Biters!" The tagged player must sit down then, until they can tag someone. A player may arise if a loose ball rolls to them.

Caterpillar Tag

Divide the group into partners, with partners holding hands. Designate which partners will be the taggers. On the go signal, the taggers chase and try to tag the other partners. When tagged, they must freeze. To become unfrozen, another set of partners must join hands with this pair. This group must now stay together and try to avoid being tagged. There is no limit to the size of the group or groups that form from joining with the frozen players. Play for a designated time period or until all of the players are frozen.

Everyone's "It" Tag

The game starts with the leader picking a student to be IT. All other students are scattered around the playing area. On the signal "Go", IT begins chasing the students around the designated area. When a player is tagged, they help IT by tagging players also. The game continues until EVERYONE"S IT! Sometimes called "The world's fastest game".

Hansel & Gretel Tag

Designate 10 players to be trees. They face partners and hold hands, scattered about the playing area. Select two witches to be "it." Select one player to be a Good Fairy. Select one player to be a woodchopper. The rest of the class becomes Hansels & Gretels.

A Hansel or Gretel who is being chased by a witch can seek safety in a tree by ducking under the branches (arms) of the two players. If a witch captures a player, the player goes to a designated place called the oven. Players in the oven can be freed by the Good Fairy sprinkling fairy dust on them. (Spray glitter on a duster works great for a prop).

The woodchopper moves through the playing area chopping down trees by putting palms together and making 10 hacking motions towards the tree. The Good Fairy can paralyze the woodchopper by dropping fairy dust on him, so he flees the Good Fairy also. If he completes 10 chops, the tree falls to the ground until the Good Fairy can use the fairy dust to magically and instantly re-grow the tree.

King and Queen of Hearts Tag

Pick a 2 players to be the King and Queen, and give them the cards to put on. Have the rest of the players scatter about the playing area. On the start signal, the King and Queen begin chasing the rest of the players, trying to tag them. If tagged, they have to stand still until another player comes and hugs them and sets them free again. Continue for a short time, then change players who are it.

Magic Hands Tag

Game starts with leader picking a student to have the magic hands. All other students are IT. Students spread out and on starting signal try to tag all other students. When tagged, students sit down and stay in one spot. Sitting students have two way to stand up again:

1. Tag another standing students who runs too close to them or
2. The magic hands students touches them on the head, then student can stand up again.

Play continues until leader decides to end the game or until one student is left standing.

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