Games
Natural Leaders: read General Instructions below, then watch/read instructions for the specific game(s) you plan to lead in class.
General instructions for leading games (for NLP students)
Everyone loves playing games!
As the Master of Games, you will (generally) lead the morning game and then work with the coordinator to implement additional games throughout the day, like Camouflage, Firekeeper, and/or other games as time allows.
Be sure to take weather into account: cold, rain, heat and wind can all influence which games make sense to play, and at what place and time of day.
Games are organized alphabetically below.
Leading the morning game
You should arrive knowing how to set-up and explain the morning game. You are assigned a game, usually one that has not been played yet. Alternately, or in addition, you are also welcome to introduce a new game that you happen to know, or discover through research.
Carefully review the directions for the game you will lead, watch the video, and make sure you understand everything. If you have any questions, email your instructor well in advance of the class.
You can mentally rehearse by imagining how you will set up the game, and repeating the script out loud to yourself. You can also practice explaining the game to friends or relatives so you get comfortable and confidant -- they can provide feedback on how clear your explanation is.
Setting-up
1. When you arrive in the morning, look around and find a good place to play the game. On a cold day you might want a sunny place, and vice versa on a hot day. If the game requires boundaries, you might be able to take advantage of an area that already is bounded by roads, bushes, etc. but you can also have students define boundaries by placing backpacks.
2. Loudly and enthusiastically, call everyone over to play a game. If needed, tell individual students how to help you set-up. Otherwise, begin to explain the game.
3. After explaining, ask if there are any questions.
4. Begin the game!
Ending the Game
Pay attention to the group’s energy level; when you notice that some people are losing interest/energy, it’s likely the time to wrap up the game.
As the Master of Games, you will (generally) lead the morning game and then work with the coordinator to implement additional games throughout the day, like Camouflage, Firekeeper, and/or other games as time allows.
Be sure to take weather into account: cold, rain, heat and wind can all influence which games make sense to play, and at what place and time of day.
Games are organized alphabetically below.
Leading the morning game
You should arrive knowing how to set-up and explain the morning game. You are assigned a game, usually one that has not been played yet. Alternately, or in addition, you are also welcome to introduce a new game that you happen to know, or discover through research.
Carefully review the directions for the game you will lead, watch the video, and make sure you understand everything. If you have any questions, email your instructor well in advance of the class.
You can mentally rehearse by imagining how you will set up the game, and repeating the script out loud to yourself. You can also practice explaining the game to friends or relatives so you get comfortable and confidant -- they can provide feedback on how clear your explanation is.
Setting-up
1. When you arrive in the morning, look around and find a good place to play the game. On a cold day you might want a sunny place, and vice versa on a hot day. If the game requires boundaries, you might be able to take advantage of an area that already is bounded by roads, bushes, etc. but you can also have students define boundaries by placing backpacks.
2. Loudly and enthusiastically, call everyone over to play a game. If needed, tell individual students how to help you set-up. Otherwise, begin to explain the game.
3. After explaining, ask if there are any questions.
4. Begin the game!
Ending the Game
Pay attention to the group’s energy level; when you notice that some people are losing interest/energy, it’s likely the time to wrap up the game.
Bat - Moth / Shadow Ninja
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This game is like Marco Polo, but the blind-folded one calls "Bat," and the prey calls "Moth."
The people on the edges say "tree" if the bat gets too close. You can try having multiple moths if the circle is big enough, but you should only have ONE moth. Social Distancing Version: Everyone makes two circles with their backpacks, an inner circle and an outer circle. The “Bat” is blindfolded and put in the inner ring and armed with a water gun with a limited supply of water. The other person (Moth) is in the outer ring, and has to dodge random spray attacks while staying in their circle. If the Bat runs out of water, they lose, and depending on how dry the target is, they win. |
Camouflage
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This is a game we play most days.
The game director calls "Camouflage," and counts to 30 with his or her eyes closed. Sometimes other students will want to also count, rather than hide. After counting, the game director looks carefully all around, but cannot move from the place he or she counted. He or she calls out anyone visible. It's good to be specific about what gave the person away: e.g. a movement; part of the shoe was visible, etc. |
Cat and Mouse
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In this game players stand in a circle, a few feet apart from each other.
A cat and a mouse are chosen; the cat chases the mouse, and every time the mouse or the cat goes in between two players those two players must join hands, sealing off that passageway. The object is for the mouse to seal itself, or the cat, inside the circle of players, without getting tagged by the cat. |
(Ultimate) Double Ball
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This is a team sport, similar to lacrosse.
The double ball is typically made with a long sock and two tennis balls – such that you have two balls contained by and connected with a short section of sock. Each player has a stick they use to pick up, catch and toss the double ball. We generally play Ultimate Double Ball, where you must pass the ball from player to player. To score the ball must touch the goal post (usually a pole 6’ – 8’ tall). If the ball hits the ground, the player to place his or her stick on it first and declare the team name, gets to have it. Players are encouraged to have good sportsmanship, and to be honest witnesses in cases of dispute. But sometimes we just do a throw off. It can help to have an attentive referree or two. |
Dr. Quack Quack
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Students join hands in a circle, while Dr. Quack Quack goes off and looks away.
The students tangle themselves up, then call the Dr. who must try to untangle them. Team version: If there are enough students for multiple teams, each team has a representative who tries to untangle an opposing team, and it can be a race. |
Fire in the Forest
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This game is like the pool game Sharks and Minnows. One person is the "Fire" and everyone else chooses an animal. The Fire asks questions about the animals like: do you eat meat? Do you live in the water? If your animal eats meat, or lives in the water, you must run through the corridor to the other side. If tagged, you must remain in place as a "burning tree", and try to tag other animals.
The Fire can also call "Fire in the Forest" in which case all must run across. You may want to limit the number of times this is used. If the corridor is crowded with lots of people, you can also tell the burning trees to close their eyes. This is a very popular game! Social Distancing Version: Everyone uses their backpacks to form a long corridor-like boundary with backpacks. The “fires” are armed with toy balls. They stay outside the rectangular boundary while the other players line up and select an animal. The fires take turns naming attributes of the animal, and if the attribute of someone’s is named, they have to run across while dodging the balls thrown by the fires. If a player is hit by a ball, they are given balls and take on the roles of fires, trying to hit the remaining players from six feet behind the original fires. This is repeated until there is one person left standing. |
Flinch Master
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The flinch master is in the middle, and has a soft ball or other suitable item that he or she either tosses, or fake tosses to the others, one at a time.
If you drop (fail to catch) the item when it is properly thrown to you, then you are out. If you react in any way (i.e. flinch) when the flinch master fake throws the item to you, then you are out. The last remaining person is the new flinch master. |
Fortress Capture
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Fortress Capture – teams of 2 or 3 defend sticks stashed in forts, and raid others’ forts.
Social Distancing Version: Each player gets a stick to guard that they will keep at their base (usually a tree). Each player is also given (a) squirt gun/balls/water balloons. The players try to steal the other players’ sticks and take them back to their bases. If they are hit by a squirt gun/ball/balloon, they need to surrender the stick to the person who hit them, and a player can only be tagged if they are holding another team’s stick. If a player loses all of their sticks, they join the team who took their last stick, but stay at their tree, and take back their stick. The game ends when everyone is on one team and the team leader is the winner. |
Infection
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Establish boundaries and someone to be 'it.'
Anyone who is tagged becomes 'it' too. The last survivor wins. Social Distancing Version: Play normally, but rather than tagging people, use water guns, balls, or water balloons, whichever is most easily accessible. |
Keep Ball
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Keep ball/keep stick – two teams; each team must keep passing the ball, or light stick back and forth like in hot potato, while the other team tries to intercept it (or gets it on a fumble).
Whoever has the ball when time runs out is victor. Social Distancing Version: Two teams; each team must keep passing the ball, or light stick back and forth like in hot potato, while the other team tries to intercept it (or gets it on a fumble). Whoever has the ball when time runs out is victor. No tackling allowed. |
Locomotion Relay race
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Two equal teams race each other.
It begins with the first runner, then the next runner grabs on to the waist or shoulders. Social Distancing Version: Two teams line up single-file, each with a goal in front of them. The first people of each line runs forward, touches the goal, and runs back, touching another, smaller object (backpack, small tree, etc) off to the side which is a signal for the next person to go. Continue until one team is out of people or a team dead from running on a Summer day seriously come on Summer why. |
The Log Game
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A fun simple game.
Make sure there are no impalement or ankle-twisting hazards like upright branches and rocks respectively. Variations are possible. For example: Blindfolded. Over water - if deep enough, without submerged hazards, and careful risk management for water safety. Using padded staffs or swords. |
Mosquito Tag: Duel & Team Capture
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I’d love to know the origins and real name of this game. A former colleague dubbed it Mosquito Tag because it reminds him of slapping mosquitos.
You can play a big group game – all against all -- where if you get tagged you must kneel until you are able to tag a passerby. Or, divide into teams:each team has a tree as a jail on opposite sides of a field. Each team tries to tag all the other players. Tagged players go to jail, but can be freed by a teammate tagging them out, as in Capture the Flag. |
Red Rover
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In this video, the students play a Russian version of Red Rover, using my daughter's translation of the rhyme she'd learned.
In this game both teams face off in lines with hands joined. On it’s turn, a team decides on an opposing team to call over, then chants “red rover, red rover, send [chosen opponent’s name] right over,” at which point the chosen person runs at the line, and tries to break through two joined hands. This game should not be played over a hard surface, as students often fall down as in this video... |
Scout Tag
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This game is pretty simple.
Everyone spreads out over an area - then everyone puts on a blindfold, and tries to tag others, without getting tagged. If you get tagged, you remove your blinfold and help serve as a ref. It's important that people wear blindfolds correctly and do not peak. Refs can help see if people are cheating, and also judge who tagged who first. |
Shadow Ninja aka Blind Man's Buff
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If, as in this video, the shadow ninja is having a hard time tagging people, just make the boundary smaller as needed.
Social Distancing Version: Everyone makes two circles with their backpacks, an inner circle and an outer circle. The “Ninja” is blindfolded and put in the inner ring and armed with a water gun with a limited supply of water. The other person is in the outer ring, and has to dodge random spray attacks while staying in their circle. If the Ninja runs out of water, they lose, and depending on how dry the target is, they win. |
Tail Tag
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In this version of tag, everyone starts out with a tail.
Students try to take each other's tails. If tail-less, you must drop down until you can steal back a tail, or somebody gives you one. When you gain a tail, either place it alongside your other tail(s), or give it to someone who is down so they can get back in the game. Social Distancing Version: Everyone starts out with a tail, 7 feet long. Students try to take each other's tails. If tail-less, you must drop down until you can steal back a tail, or somebody gives you one. When you gain a tail, either place it alongside your other tail(s), or give it to someone who is down so they can get back in the game. |
Tank
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Summary: This is a game of elimination where partner teams throw soft projectiles at other teams.
One partner is the tank; the tank must crawl on all fours blind-folded, following the driver's tactile commands. The tank has one or two cloth balls he or she can throw at others - the driver cannot handle this ammunition during the game. The driver leads the tank with tactile commands that the partners agree upon before the game begins; for example, a tap on the right shoulder can mean "turn right", a tap on the back can mean "go forward"; a triple tap can mean "throw a ball straight ahead"; and etc. The objective of the game is to hit other tanks, without getting hit. If a tank gets hit, the team is out. You can play that if the driver gets hit, the tank can keep playing undirected, relying on touch and hearing. MATERIALS NEEDED: 2 soft cloth balls per team. It is possible to use sock; blindfolds, tails or bandannas can be tied into balls too. Unless otherwise specified, the instructor will provide materials. |
Towhee, towhee
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This game is like Red Light, Green Light. While the Towhee closes it's eyes and sings "Towhee, Towhee, drink your tea" the hungry weasels advance. After singing, the Towhee looks about, and if it observes movement, the weasel must return to the start.
The weasels must get the egg from the towhee's open hand, and bring it back to their den. If the egg is missing, the towhee has one guess each round as to who has it. In the video, you will see that the game has become a little bit rowdy and chaotic. Often the Towhee will sing too quickly, or be overly strict about movement. So the game can require a bit of management and discipline for it to work well. Social Distancing Version: Everybody starts out at their own little “base,” (a stump, log, certain tree, etc) and a base that they are aiming to get to. Their goal is to make it from base one to base two and back to base one without being caught moving by the towhee. If they are caught they have to start over again. The first one to make it back to base one wins. |
Trout, Bear Mosquito (TBM) + Ostrakinda
TBM and Ostrakinda are both games where two teams face off, and prepare to chase or be chased.
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Above: Ostrakinda
Below: Trout, Bear, Mosquito |
In Ostrakinda, an ancient Greek game, the two teams are Day and Night. A student or instructor flips a coin and announces "Night" or "Day." The team that is called chases after the others, and anyone tagged is out.
TBM is like a group version of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Trout beats Mosquito beats Bear beats Trout. Each team huddles to decide on which creature to be, then the two teams face off. When the caller says "go" all the member of each team must display their identity as follows: All the Mosquitos hold elbows against body, with arms sticking out to the sides like wings. The Bears raise hands high over head. The Trout put hands and elbows together, pointing straight in front of them. When anyone is tagged in TBM, they join the team that tagged him or her. Social Distancing Version: TBM and Ostrakinda are both games where two teams face off, and prepare to chase or be chased. They should all be spread out. Every player is given a ball/water balloon. In Ostrakinda, an ancient Greek game, the two teams are Day and Night. A student or instructor flips a coin and announces "Night" or "Day." The team that is called chases after the others, and anyone hit is out. TBM is like a group version of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Trout beats Mosquito beats Bear beats Trout. Each team huddles to decide on which creature to be, then the two teams face off. When the caller says "go" all the member of each team must display their identity as follows: All the Mosquitos hold elbows against body, with arms sticking out to the sides like wings. The Bears raise hands high over head. The Trout put hands and elbows together, pointing straight in front of them. |
Wax Museum
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One person is the museum guard, and turns away while others assume still poses.
Then the guard wanders about, and can also change the poses of the statues. If the guard sees somebody moving, that person is out. A statue that tags the guard undetected, or that is the last one standing, wins and becomes the next guard. Social Distancing Version: Everybody starts out at their own little “base,” (a stump, log, certain tree, etc) and a base that they are aiming to get to. Their goal is to make it from base one to base two and back to base one without being caught moving by the Guard (who needs to be moving the whole time, they cannot stop moving). The Guard wins if he/she catches everyone moving at least once, and the statue with the most points at the end (You gain a point every time you get back to base one, and lose one every time you are caught by the guard) is the statue winner. |
Wolves and White Tails aka Wolves & Caribou
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Instructions script:
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MORE GAMES!
We don't have videos up yet for these games, but if the descriptions here are not sufficient, try searching online for more detailed explanations. Or, ask your instructor for help.
Fire Keeper: The referee with red hat stands behind the seated fire keeper (with red blindfold), as other players sneak up.
Fire keeper (daytime version) – The Fire Keeper sits blindfolded, with a referee immediately behind him or her, and a number of distinctive objects immediately in front of him or her (e.g. rocks, sticks, or acorns). The other players spread out, standing and facing the fire-keeper at a distance of about 30 feet away.
The referee tells the players when they can begin, and then they start to sneak up on the fire keeper. Each player tries to take one of the designated objects back to where he or she started without the fire keeper hearing the player.
When the fire keeper hears a footstep or other sound, he or she points at the sound for a few seconds, and if they are pointing more or less at a player who did make a sound, then that player must go back to the starting place.
- If the group is large, the referee can have only a few people sneaking up at a time.
- You can have people be permanently out if they get out 3 times.
- No running is allowed.
- No clearing debris to make quiet trails.
- Shoes can be removed for better stealth.
Flash flood – the Master of Games loudly calls out “Flash Flood” and everyone must climb at least 3’ off the ground before the MoG counts to 10.
Ghost in the graveyard – one person is selected as the ghost, and hides while the others count to 50 at the base. Then everyone searches for the ghost. If a seeker finds him or her, the seeker shouts “ghost in the graveyard” to alert the other seekers. The successful seeker is safe, but the other seekers run back to base before the ghost can tag them, or they become the next ghost.
Kick the Can – In this game one person is it, and stands by the base the “Can” and counts to 30 with eyes closed while others hide. Then it IT tries to find and tag players, sending them to the jail, usually in view of the Can. Players that are still free can release teammates by kicking the can, or jumping over it (as decided in advance). There are many variations described here on Wikipedia, so read up and choose one you like.
Otter steals fish – one heron guards a fish that others try to steal without getting tagged
Rock, rock - This is a circle game. All sit cross-legged, with left hand cupped and palm up on left knee, and right hand positioned as if picking up an object from the neighbor's palm. A small rock is passed around the circle from cupped hand to cupped hand as everyone chants, continuously:
Rock, rock, rock, rock
How I wonder, how you wander
From one hand into another
The tracker sits in the middle, and tries to guess who has the rock.
Samurai sword – Everyone circles up a set distance from the samurai, who swings a long stick slowly and carefully around so that players must duck under it or jump over it. The samurai can also point it straight at people, or swing down from above.
Steal the Leopard’s Meat – in this version of CTF, the instructor, an older student, or a few students are leopards guarding a flag that is hidden in a tree. Others try to steal the flag and return it to base without being tagged.
Tag variations:
- Hand tag: Play this in a relatively small bounded area. Everyone has one hand (palm facing out) behind his or her back. Everyone tries to tag others on the hand they have behind them. If you are tagged, you must drop a knee to the ground, and remain down until the person who tagged you is tagged, or until you tag somebody who passed by you.
- Tunnel tag: This is like freeze tag, but to free a teammate you must go under their spread legs. If tagged under somebody, you are both frozen!
Tracker and chief: The tracker goes aside, while the group circle up and designates a chief. The chief initiates a movement that everyone else mimics. The tracker comes over and tries to guess who the chief is; the chief must regularly change the movement.
Zombie attack – this is a game that is best played when the group is moving together on a trail, perhaps in a hurry to get back, or reach some other destination. The MoG or instructor (in the back of the group) calls out “Zombie Attack” and becomes the zombie, chasing everyone. Anyone who gets tagged becomes a zombie too. End the game in time to avoid the group becoming too spread out, fast runners may zoom ahead, while others tire and fall behind.
Zoogle, ultimate zoogle – zoogle is when you play catch with a stick. In most cases it should be a light wood like paw paw, carved to be smooth, and with a distinct handle to catch it by. More involved variations include keep away, or ultimate zoogle (just like ultimate frizbee).
Blind-fold Exercises
Blind-fold games and exercises are a great way to sharpen senses, improve balance and get us living more in the moment.
These games also help prepare us for moving about more confidently at night, and help us become more proficient at skills where we are used to relying on sight.
When possible, the experience is most powerful if done barefoot, and with relatively less clothing (e.g. in swimwear), so that students activate more of their non-visual senses.
But in practice, we need to weigh the time available, the convenience, the group's level, and the risk of encountering a hazard like a wasp nest or snake.
Always consider these varying factors and adapt the activity accordingly to the situation.
These games also help prepare us for moving about more confidently at night, and help us become more proficient at skills where we are used to relying on sight.
When possible, the experience is most powerful if done barefoot, and with relatively less clothing (e.g. in swimwear), so that students activate more of their non-visual senses.
But in practice, we need to weigh the time available, the convenience, the group's level, and the risk of encountering a hazard like a wasp nest or snake.
Always consider these varying factors and adapt the activity accordingly to the situation.
Meet a Tree - This is a great beginner game, that also involves building and earning trust.
Everyone needs a partner - one will be the guide, the other blind. The guide should take the blind partner on a confusing, curvy route to a tree. Then the blind partner takes a few minutes to get to know the tree using touch. The guide then brings the partner back to the original destination, following a disorienting, curvy route again. Then the blindfold is removed and the formerly blind partner looks around and tries to spot the tree he or she encountered blind. If the blind partner is really struggling to find his or her tree, the partner can indicate the general area, or offer a multiple choice of trees. Then the partners switch roles.
Advise the guides to lead the partner carefully, just as they would like to be led.
Everyone needs a partner - one will be the guide, the other blind. The guide should take the blind partner on a confusing, curvy route to a tree. Then the blind partner takes a few minutes to get to know the tree using touch. The guide then brings the partner back to the original destination, following a disorienting, curvy route again. Then the blindfold is removed and the formerly blind partner looks around and tries to spot the tree he or she encountered blind. If the blind partner is really struggling to find his or her tree, the partner can indicate the general area, or offer a multiple choice of trees. Then the partners switch roles.
Advise the guides to lead the partner carefully, just as they would like to be led.
Blind-string walk - A facilitator sets up a string course. You will need ideally about 200' or so of mason line, kite string or something similar. Wrap it around trees, bushes etc and try to create an interesting course with a variety of terrain types, different smells, textures, etc. Some of the time it is good to have the string at or near ground level so participants must crawl.
Be sure to check the course carefully to avoid hazards like wasp nests and poison ivy!
Students then wear blindfolds and follow the course. Release the students onto the course several seconds apart, so they do not crowd each other too much. If some are doing it in shoes, others barefoot, have the barefoot students go after the others.
Students should be advised to move in silence.
If the ground seems to be free of hazards, students can also have a richer experience if they do this barefoot.
Blind-trail walk - For this exercise, follow the instructions above, but instead of a string, you have blindfold students follow a trail, feeling it with their feet. You want to use a section of trail that is fairly distinct but not usually paved, winds around a bit, and has no side-trails coming off.
If there are students unwilling to walk the course, you might have them serve as quiet guides that help keep students from wandering off the trail and getting lost. Or, have students pair up, with each student having a guide follow them from behind.
Blind snake walk - For this exercise everyone is blindfolded except for one leader (usually a facilitator). The students gather in a snake formation, that is to say in a long line, with each person holding on, or at least touching, the back or backpack of the person in front of him.
It is important to move slowly, and potentially helpful to have a secondary leader in back to make sure nobody gets left behind. Especially if the group is relatively large or diverse in age/ability.
If wasps are considered a possibility, the lead guide must be on high alert to avoid them - consider having one or two people walking several feet in front of the guide, so the guide can better detect any wasp activity.
Blind drum stalk - In this exercise blind-folded participants start a considerable distance (usually, 200' to 1000' feet away from the drummer, then use the sounds of intermittent drumming (or other similar sound) to find their way to the drummer.
Make sure the route does not have drop offs or other major hazards.
Make sure to have people serving as guides to make sure nobody gets lost or left behind. Some people have a hard time walking toward the sound and can get really disoriented.
Be sure to check the course carefully to avoid hazards like wasp nests and poison ivy!
Students then wear blindfolds and follow the course. Release the students onto the course several seconds apart, so they do not crowd each other too much. If some are doing it in shoes, others barefoot, have the barefoot students go after the others.
Students should be advised to move in silence.
If the ground seems to be free of hazards, students can also have a richer experience if they do this barefoot.
Blind-trail walk - For this exercise, follow the instructions above, but instead of a string, you have blindfold students follow a trail, feeling it with their feet. You want to use a section of trail that is fairly distinct but not usually paved, winds around a bit, and has no side-trails coming off.
If there are students unwilling to walk the course, you might have them serve as quiet guides that help keep students from wandering off the trail and getting lost. Or, have students pair up, with each student having a guide follow them from behind.
Blind snake walk - For this exercise everyone is blindfolded except for one leader (usually a facilitator). The students gather in a snake formation, that is to say in a long line, with each person holding on, or at least touching, the back or backpack of the person in front of him.
It is important to move slowly, and potentially helpful to have a secondary leader in back to make sure nobody gets left behind. Especially if the group is relatively large or diverse in age/ability.
If wasps are considered a possibility, the lead guide must be on high alert to avoid them - consider having one or two people walking several feet in front of the guide, so the guide can better detect any wasp activity.
Blind drum stalk - In this exercise blind-folded participants start a considerable distance (usually, 200' to 1000' feet away from the drummer, then use the sounds of intermittent drumming (or other similar sound) to find their way to the drummer.
Make sure the route does not have drop offs or other major hazards.
Make sure to have people serving as guides to make sure nobody gets lost or left behind. Some people have a hard time walking toward the sound and can get really disoriented.
Blind fire challenge - For a student that has developed proficiency with 1-match fire, challenge him or her to do it blindfold. Have them pick a spot where they will put on the blindfold, then they can begin collecting materials and building a fire-structure. When they are ready, give them a match. Once the match is lit, remove the blindfold. This simulates, somewhat, building a fire on a dark night.
Other blind challenges - When you have an advanced student that has been around for a while, keep in mind the possibility of having them wear a blindfold when working on a skill they have done before, especially if they seem a bit bored or disengaged.
Other blind challenges - When you have an advanced student that has been around for a while, keep in mind the possibility of having them wear a blindfold when working on a skill they have done before, especially if they seem a bit bored or disengaged.
Snow Games
Snowball-fight team-capture:
There are two teams, each team has a jail. When the game begins the teams start a snowball fight. If someone gets hit, they go to the jail. Each team also has a designated tree trunk. If the opposing team is able to hit this tree trunk with a snowball, everyone in jail goes free. Play continues until one team is captured completely.
Snowball freeze-tag:
Everyone against everyone - kind of like hand tag. But, you can only tag or be tagged by a snowball. And if you are tagged (hit) by a snowball, then you need to sit or squat until the person who hit you gets hit, or until you can hit someone running from where you are frozen. Be sure to designate small enough borders for this game that it doesn't get to spread out.
Snowball infection:
Start with one person who is IT and can throw snowballs. Anyone who gets hit becomes IT too, until everyone has been hit. The last one hit is IT at the beginning of the next round. Be sure to designate small enough borders for this game that it doesn't get to spread out.
Snow fugitives and trackers:
Divide into two groups. One group (the fugitives) gets 5 minutes or so to run away together and then hide in ambush (with snow balls on hand, of course :-). The other group then tries to track them down. This game works best if there is substantial, but not complete snow cover - you want it to be possible for the trackers to follow the fugitives, but not so easy it's boring. So the fugitives should be instructed to ensure they leave some sort of trail. Also, if they come to a road or trail without snow on it, they are allowed to cross it, but not to go up or down it. If they cross a large area of snow-less leaves or grass, they should drag feet enough that there is some kind of visible trail.
Hound and Hare - Partner Tracking Game:
Students divide into pairs that consist of a Hound and a Hare. The Hare creates a trail that winds away from the Hound, and places a large snowball (i.e.Snow Hare) somewhere along the trail, then returns to the Hound by a different route. The Hound tries to follow the Hare's trail to the Snow Hare, with the Hare walking close behind the Hound, helping him or her to stay on course as needed. The partners can take turns in each role, and make the trails progressively harder to follow.
Snowball Scout Tag:
Everyone is blindfolded as in scout tag and players try to get each other out by hitting other players with snowballs.
There are two teams, each team has a jail. When the game begins the teams start a snowball fight. If someone gets hit, they go to the jail. Each team also has a designated tree trunk. If the opposing team is able to hit this tree trunk with a snowball, everyone in jail goes free. Play continues until one team is captured completely.
Snowball freeze-tag:
Everyone against everyone - kind of like hand tag. But, you can only tag or be tagged by a snowball. And if you are tagged (hit) by a snowball, then you need to sit or squat until the person who hit you gets hit, or until you can hit someone running from where you are frozen. Be sure to designate small enough borders for this game that it doesn't get to spread out.
Snowball infection:
Start with one person who is IT and can throw snowballs. Anyone who gets hit becomes IT too, until everyone has been hit. The last one hit is IT at the beginning of the next round. Be sure to designate small enough borders for this game that it doesn't get to spread out.
Snow fugitives and trackers:
Divide into two groups. One group (the fugitives) gets 5 minutes or so to run away together and then hide in ambush (with snow balls on hand, of course :-). The other group then tries to track them down. This game works best if there is substantial, but not complete snow cover - you want it to be possible for the trackers to follow the fugitives, but not so easy it's boring. So the fugitives should be instructed to ensure they leave some sort of trail. Also, if they come to a road or trail without snow on it, they are allowed to cross it, but not to go up or down it. If they cross a large area of snow-less leaves or grass, they should drag feet enough that there is some kind of visible trail.
Hound and Hare - Partner Tracking Game:
Students divide into pairs that consist of a Hound and a Hare. The Hare creates a trail that winds away from the Hound, and places a large snowball (i.e.Snow Hare) somewhere along the trail, then returns to the Hound by a different route. The Hound tries to follow the Hare's trail to the Snow Hare, with the Hare walking close behind the Hound, helping him or her to stay on course as needed. The partners can take turns in each role, and make the trails progressively harder to follow.
Snowball Scout Tag:
Everyone is blindfolded as in scout tag and players try to get each other out by hitting other players with snowballs.
Online games for playing in remote classes
- Charades/pictionary version with animals and plants.
- Name one, with relevant topics.
- Kim’s game (memory)
- 20 questions
- Last Letter
- Never have I ever
- True or False
- Only rhyme
- Movie Lines
- I went to the zoo and I saw (any subject)
- Eckman’s cat
- Tell a story
- Yes, and...
- Two truths and a lie
- Would you rather?
