Earth
MOUSE TRAP
• Equipment: None
• Age: 5 - 12 years
• Number of participants 10-30 (with 30 participants start with a bigger trap!)
4 children become the Mouse Trap. They stand in a circle, facing in, holding hands with their arms extended and up high. The other children are "mice" and they run in and out of the trap. One person facing away calls "Spring the Trap" and the girls of the trap bring down their arms catching (hopefully) some of the mice inside. The caught mice become part of the trap. The game continues until only a few "mice" haven't been caught. Then they become the trap and the game begins again.
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WIZARDS, GIANTS, AND ELVES
Divide the girls into two groups. Divide the playing area in half, with a safe zone at each end, as per British Bulldog, and a line in the middle. This game goes something like "Rock, Paper, Scissors". Each team decides to be one of the three things, by consensus. They then meet in the middle and on the count of three each team acts out their creature (wizards point their fingers and go "Zap" or some other spell related noise, giants stretch up tall and go "Grr" and elves crouch down low and stick out their tongues and make silly noises). Giants squish wizards, wizards zap elves, and elves tickle the giants on the ankles, so giants beat wizards, wizards beat elves, and elves beat giants. The team that is beaten has to race back to their safe zone, with the other team chasing them and trying to tag them. Anyone who is caught has to join the other team, and the game continues from there. The game is over when one team is no more. If both teams decide to be the same thing, nothing happens, and they go back to decide what to be again.
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FRUIT BASKET
We have played a game called "Fruit Basket" at a closing dinner - which included girls and parents. It was quite a wild time! I don't know how much room you have... but anyway ... everyone has a chair in a circle (or could have a circle within another circle - as long as chairs in the inside circle were not put too close to each other). You can just ask girls to pick (choose) a fruit (e.g. apples peaches pears or plums) or you can go around the circle and assign each one a fruit (but with 100 players this might take too much time). The fruit they pick is the fruit they are for the entire game. Then someone in the centre calls out one fruit name - all the girls that have chosen that fruit stand up and must change places (and NOT to the chair next to them). Oh yes, meanwhile the person in the centre tries to sit down on an unoccupied chair. So - you end up with one person left with no chair - they then are in the centre and call out another fruit. Once the game is clear - can call out more than one fruit at a time - or FRUIT BASKET - which means EVERYONE must stand up and run around to find another chair. (I've always told the girls they are JAM - if they just take the chair next to them - but actually they don't - they tend to run to the opposite side of the room squealing and it is bedlam!! but a lot of fun (advise - always stop a game sooner than the girls want to - that way they don't become bored and they look forward to doing it again) (In guides we adapted this game to use the 4 world centres instead of fruit)
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SHIPS AND ROCKS
Group divided - one half rocks, other ships (swap roles latter) Rocks sit in 2 or more rows holding hands eyes closed, and back to ships. Ships have to get through rocks. If rocks hear ships, lift arms. If 'catch' ship, the ship restarts
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STREETS AND ALLEYS
The girls line up in several rows with an equal number of girls" in each row (as close as possible) they stand just far enough apart that their hands touch when they hold their hands out straight and they do this to form "streets" that are between the lines. Pick one girl to be the "cat" (it) and one the "mouse". The cat chases the mouse through the streets trying to catch them. Meanwhile a leader calls out "alleys" and the girls in the lines do a quarter turn to make "alleys" that run at right angles to where the streets were before. The cat and mouse continue chasing but must change directions to follow the alleys, as they must not go through any of the girls’ arms. Call out "streets" to turn back. Continue chasing and switching streets/alleys until the mouse gets caught and then pick someone else to be the cat and mouse. (I hope this is clear it is kind of hard to describe).
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SQUASH THE KING
Put one playing card per person on floor, everyone picks up a card. If you pick up a King, sit on chair and yell what suit you have. Everyone who has that suit must sit on your lap. Last one to sit down is out.
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PIP, SQUEAK, AND CHARLIE
Divide your girls into teams of three. Arrange the teams into a circle, with the girls on each team standing in a line. The final formation looks like the spokes of a wheel. Girl #1 on each team is the girl nearest the centre of the circle, #2's are in the middle, and #3 is the girl nearest the outside of the circle. Name all #1's "Pip", #2's "Squeak", and #3's "Charlie". Place a ball, beanbag or bell in the centre of the circle. The leader then calls either Pip, Squeak, or Charlie. (In this example, Pip is called.) All the "Pip's" must run all the way around the outside of the circle and back to their own team. Meanwhile, the "Squeaks" and "Charlies" make a bridge with their arms. When each "Pip" reaches their own team, she runs under the bridge and dives for the ball/beanbag/bell in the centre of the circle. The team of the girl who gets the object first gets a point! Repeat the game a number of times, making sure to call each name.
One great variation I tried at a very HOT summer camp was to have a clean garbage can full of water in the middle of the circle, and everyone was holding a cup. So - you guessed it - once the girls reached the middle of the circle their objective was to get everyone else as wet as possible! This was a lot of fun.
My current Guide Unit taught me an almost identical game called "Pizza". Instead of naming the girls Pip, Squeak and Charlie, they were named Pepperoni, Cheese and Sauce. If the leader wanted everyone to be running at the same time, she called "Pizza"! Cool!
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PRINCESS IN THE TOWER
A game we play with Brownies sounds very similar to Jane's Puppy and Bone. We call it the Princess in the Tower. The "princess" has to be rescued from the "Giant". The Princess sits on a chair doing nothing, her "guardian" points to Brownies at random sitting in a semicircle who have to creep up to rescue the princess without being heard by the Giant who is blindfolded - actually our giants hide behind a convenient curtain in the hall and spring out when they hear anything. Our Brownies all love the game which I find quite extraordinary because they are normally very noisy, and sitting very still is quite out of character for most of them!!
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BUBBLE CAR
CATEGORY: Indoor/ Outdoor (on grass)
EQUIPMENT: None but 2 chairs per team if possible
NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: any number . The more teams the better. If teams are not even , one girl can take 2 names
HOW TO PLAY:
Each team stands in a straight line behind a chair. The second chair is placed some distance away. Guider gives each member of the teams the name of a car e.g. all the number ones are Toyota, all the number twos are Ford etc The last person on each team is always Bubble Car.
f the Guider calls the name of a car the team member who has that name runs from her place, around the far chair and back to her place. The first girl back to her place in the line wins a point for her team. The first person on each team could keep the score.
If the Guider calls Bubble car the last person on the team must crawl under the legs of all the members of her team before she runs to the far chair. The first girl back to her position at the end of the team wins the point.
The winning team is the one to get to a certain number of points first e.g. 15
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BEDLAM
This game requires four teams of equal size. Each team takes one corner of the room or playing field. The play area can be either square or rectangular. At a signal (whistle, etc.), each team attempts to move as quickly as possible to the corner directly across from them (diagonally), performing an announced activity as they go. The first team to get all its members into its new corner wins that particular round. The first round can be simply running to the opposite corner, but after that you can use any number of possibilities, such as walking backward, wheelbarrow racing (one person is the wheelbarrow), piggyback, rolling somersaults, hopping on one foot, skipping, and crab walking. There will be mass bedlam in the centre as all four teams criss-cross.
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FIND THE LEADER
The players sit in a circle, with one person 'it'. This person turns their back and covers their eyes while someone is chosen in the circle to be the leader. The leader starts a motion, such as clapping hands, and all follow by doing the same motion. 'IT' now turns around and tries to guess who the leader is. The leader changes the motion often. So as not to give away the secret, the other children watch the leader out of the corner of their eyes, to know what the new motion will be. 'IT' has three guesses to tell who is the leader. Then the leader becomes 'IT' and a new leader is chosen.
Other motions you can use include: tapping knees, shaking head, shrugging shoulders, snapping fingers, touching nose.
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THE 2p GAME
Equipment: 2p coin (or dollar, quarter, pfennig, or any other coin you have at hand).
Rules:
• The girls can only move by jumping with feet together
• "IT" moves by taking large paces
• Any player moving outside the boundary is out.
• Once a player has moved, she must stand still. She cannot move feet etc.
The girls scatter in the playing space - you need a defined space, that is not too large (or the game goes on for ever!), we use a tennis court size for about 20 The leader (or girl who is "IT") holds a coin & stands in the middle
• "IT" tosses the coin.
• If it is "heads" then the players move 2 jumps (see above) in any direction
• If it is "tails" then "IT" moves one pace in any direction.
The aim of the game is for "IT" to "tag" another player by touching any part of them with their hand. To "tag" another player, "IT" can reach out in any direction etc., but ONE foot must remain in its original place. Players can of course try to move their body out of reach, but BOTH feet must stay in their original place! (Resourceful older girls soon figure out that they should go for the feet when trying to tag as they cannot move & also how to make their reach longer by lying down etc.!)
This is great fun, requires a minimum of equipment (and we all have a coin of some sort don't we!) & can be done in virtually any space! (We have played it in a marquee at a wet camp, in a car park while waiting for a late bus, in the meeting room, even in a swimming pool! If space is limited, restrict or change the size of moves each person can make!)
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THE FIVE PENNIES
Get the girls to sit on the floor in 2 parallel lines with a reasonable space between each line. Number them 1 - ? along one line and then the same starting at the other end with the second line. (If you ask them to choose a partner first and then sit them diagonally opposite their partners i.e. the two number 1s being partners, etc., it is easier to make sure that they are equally matched.)
In the middle of the space between them, put 5 coins on a chair and an empty chair at each end of the space. As you call out a particular number both those girls dash up, pick up one penny and place it on the chair at the end. You will already have told them which chair belongs to each side! They do the same for the second penny while the first girl to pick up the third penny and get it to her chair gains a point for her side.
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THE SLAPPING GAME
• Good for ages 7-15.
• Equipment: none
• Number who can join: unlimited but it makes for a long game!
The children make a circle, lying down on the floor on their tummies with their hands on the floor in front of them palms down. (This can be done around a table too!)
Each child has her left arm linked through the right arm of the girl beside her. And her right arm linked through the left arm of the girl on the other side. So, each girl has two hands in front of her, the left hand of her right hand neighbour and the right hand of her neighbour to the left.
One person starts- she picks the direction of travel of the slap and then she slaps her hand on the table. One slap means the slap continues in that direction, and two slaps mean that the direction is reversed. In either case only the hand immediately adjacent to her hand in the appropriate direction of travel is to go next.
If someone misses their turn they are out and must remove that hand! (This gives each girl 2 chances at being 'out' which is more fun than messing up once and being removed from the game). The game continues in the opposite direction, with the next hand having the next turn.
This is a fast paced game, and can be played in large groups around a circle on the floor, or around tables in an auditorium.
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HAND CLAPPING
Everyone sits with hands on floor, and then each person moves left hand to be the other side of the person on their lefts right hand. Go around circle clapping floor, one hand at a time. Any hand that misses times is eliminated.
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WHO IS IT?
• Equipment: None
• Number of Children: lots
• Ages: 5-12
All the children sit in a circle. One is picked to do the guessing and she is sent out of the room where she can not see what is going on inside. One person is chosen as IT while she is outside, this is done QUIETLY by pointing! Everyone in the circle needs to be sure that they know who is IT.
The girl in the hall is called back in. The person who is IT starts an action and everyone in the circle copies it. Everyone must be cautioned not to be too obvious about watching the person who is IT. Every few seconds IT changes his actions and everyone follows. The person who has been out of the room has three guesses to catch IT! If she does, then IT goes out of the room. If she doesn't catch IT in her three guesses then, IT is revealed and someone else is chosen to leave the room.
I always let an adult pick the person who was IT in a younger group, because everyone gets excited and it doesn't do to make enough noise to let the guesser know who is it before they get back in the room!
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SKITTLES
Divided into two teams and numbered. 3 plastic bottles in the middle between two teams. Shoe/beanbag at each end. Number called, one from each team must try and throw from behind line to be first to hit 2 bottles over
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WATER CYCLE RELAY GAME
Divide the girls in teams of 5 in a line quite widely spaced. You will need a bucket of water at the start and a Veggie Zip lock bag (those are the large ones with holes in them!) for each team.
The girls within the line are also spread far apart.
•On 'go' the first girl takes and fills the ziploc (she is the Cloud) and twirls while advancing to the next girl. She passes on the bag.
•The second girl is the Mountain and she runs to the next girl and passes on the bag.
•The third girl is the Rain and she hops on one foot to the next girl.
•This fourth girl is the Stream/River and she winds her way - zigzagging to the next girl and passes on the bag.
•The fifth girl is the Ocean and she takes the bag and Waves all the way back down to the bucket (at the beginning of the line).
She fills up the bag and is now the Cloud....(the previous first girl is now the Mountain) get the picture? The girls have to listen to the directions as they will have to remember 'what' they are (or have become) and the action for it. They will get lots of encouragement and cheering from their team! The relay continues until the first girl or cloud is the ocean and waves her way down to the bucket.
You all get a bit wet...the Waves have a great time! (Actually EVERYBODY does!) It's an amusing hands on way to understand the water cycle. Have Fun!
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THE GREAT CANADIAN SNOWSHOE RACE
Age: I'd think any age but for sure Brownies (7+) and up
Equipment - one thing to go around for each team, newspaper sheets ripped into quarters (about 40cmx60cm?) (one pair for each team plus a few extras)
Its a relay game. Divide group into even teams (about 5 kids per team but its flexible). Give the first person on each team a set of snowshoes (2 pieces of paper). They put the snowshoes on the ground and stand on them. On "GO" they shuffle to the other end of the area, around the thing and back to the team. If a snowshoe is lost then they have to shuffle back to it and if it becomes ripped they have to go to the "store" - one leader has extra snowshoes and is standing relatively equal distance from each team,- and they must start their turn again. The winner is the team who finishes first with snowshoes in "good" shape (i.e. no rips or tears or only small ones). It should be noted that sock feet don't work very well with this game.
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KINGPIN
Materials : Six bowling pins, or other easily knocked over objects, four balls - large and soft are best(or more if you have lots of girls).
Number of players : as many as want to play.
Divide the girls into two even teams. Divide the playing space in half, with a clearly defined centre line. Set the pins up at opposite ends of the playing area in a triangle, with two pins forward and one pin back. Each team gets two balls. On the word "go" the teams try to knock down the opposing team's pins over, while protecting their own. They are not allowed to cross the centre line or stand directly in front of their own pins (although this tends to lead to them tripping over the pin, thus knocking it over). If they knock their own pin over, it counts. Game ends when one team's pins are all down.
This game ran remarkably smoothly for about twenty minutes, no arguments or problems, until a parent arrived and took away half the players. It does work best in a fairly large area, to avoid collisions.
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BEAST, BIRD OR FISH
Players sit in a circle, with one player in the centre. The player in the centre holds a soft ball or sponge which she throws as unexpectedly as possible at one of the circle players while simultaneously calling either "beast" or "bird" or "fish". Then she immediately counts to ten. The person holding the ball must yell out a type of animal in the category named, before the count is completed. no words can be duplicated. If the player cannot name an animal, she must change places with the player in the middle.
To make it easier for younger kids, you could play this game after an activity about animals, so they have more ideas. Also, decide beforehand what type of things fit in the categories -- you can include insects as beasts, and aquatic creatures (shellfish, etc.) as fish to give you a wider range from which to choose.
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PEBBLE COLLECTION RELAY
Divide into teams or patrols. Place at a certain distance a box containing as many pebbles or other small objects as there are players. The first Guide goes and gets the pebbles and gives them to her team an the right-hand side of the file; she then gathers them up on the left-hand side of the file, runs back, places them in the box and returns to her place. The second Guide then runs up etc.
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JUMP ROPE RELAY
Each file is lined up in two, with a space in the middle. The Guides run 2 by 2, each holding an end of a rope. They run up to the goal and come back passing on either side of the file and making all the Guides jump over the rope. They come back to the head of the file, through the space in the middle, and hand over the rope to the next two Guides.
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BALL RELAY
The Guides are in two files. Have them number by 2. The number two's take two steps aside: thus you get four files. Each team gets two balls. The balls criss-cross, going from the 1st Guide of one file to the second Guide on the other file, then to the third Guide of the first file etc. The first team to finish wins.
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BALL LOSE-ALL
The players are divided into two teams: scarves and no scarves or any other distinctive mark. There are no limitations to the ground to be covered. The object is for the players of each side to throw the ball to one another, without letting it fall to the ground, ten times in a row. The players count aloud. The opposite team tries to get the ball and, in turn, must throw it to one another ten times in a row. The ball may not be taken from the hands of an opposing player; it may only be intercepted in the air or picked up from the ground. The ball may not be thrown back to the same player who threw it, therefore you need at least three players on each team. A player may not run with the ball in her hands. At the start of the game the Guider throws the ball high up in the air, and it goes to whichever team catches it. Each time the "referee" blows her whistle to signal a mistake (ball thrown back to the person who threw it, running with the ball etc.), the ball goes to the opposite team.
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QUICK DRAW
Equipment: 2 water pistols, a plastic drink bottle with a wide mouth, and a tennis ball. (Or a nerf ball)
Age: 5 and up
Number of children: Can be done in two teams or individually, with two people playing at once and the rest of the kids cheering.
Category: Outdoor
Balance the ball on the top of the bottle. Have the first two contestants stand facing each other with the bottle in between (have the bottle on a stool, rock or fence to make it high enough for every one to stand up!), and about 5 paces away from the bottle.(This will depend on the pressure in your water pistol, and the weight of the ball and the mouth of the bottle, I recommend that you give this a try and set up your distances before hand!) I recommend those supersoaker water guns because each turn will take a little longer to do, as the kids can pump them up first, then fire. Some one counts, ready, aim, fire! and the two contestants shoot the ball off of the bottle.
Scoring: The team who shoots the ball off, wins a point. Highest points win the contest.
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WATER RELAY
Equipment: 2 buckets or basins per team, a baggie per team (a fork-optional)
Age: 5 and up
Number of kids: Teams of 4-6 girls
Category: Outdoor
One basin (each of them filled with the same amount of water) per team is placed at the back of the team and the other basin (empty and with a mark on it on the same spot in each one - if the basins are not all the same shape, then mark the level of four cups of water in each with a marker, or tape) is placed a certain distance away from the team (about 20 feet).
The girl at the back of the team has the teams baggie. She fills the baggie with water, and hands it over the top of the girl in front of her, who turns and hands it through her legs to the next person who hands it over the next person who hands it under to the next. (Make sense? I hope). The person at the other end of the team runs up to the empty basin and dumps the contents of her baggie in there. Then she runs to the back of her team and fills the baggie and the game continues.
The first team to each the mark, wins the relay. (Variations: Do this with only one hand, including emptying and filling the baggies! Make holes in all the baggies with the optional fork, and then everyone gets a little wet as the bag goes over and under, then do the holey baggie with one hand too.)
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SPONGE RELAY
Equipment: 2 basins per team, and a sponge per team
Number: teams of 4-6
Ages: 5 and up
Category: Outdoors
A full basin is placed in front of the team and the empty one is positioned 20 paces away. One at a time the girls soak their sponge in the full basin and run up to the empty one and squeeze it out. Then they run back and hand (toss) the sponge to the next person in line. You can do this until the water level in the far basin reaches a certain point, or until the closest basin is empty, or until everyone on the team has had a turn, and then measure the water in the far basins to see who has moved the most water over. (Variation: Do this one handed.)
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CINDERELLA
Divide players into relay teams. Within each team, the girl has a partner. One of the pair puts one of her shoes at the end of the room. On Go, Cinderella (the shoeless) sits on the end of a broom, and her partner, prince charming, pulls the broom to the end of the room, with her on it, and finds her shoe in the pile, puts it on her foot, and pulls her back. The next pair in the team then goes.
The girls get a kick out of this game!
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DON’T THROW YOUR GARBAGE IN YOUR NEIGHBOUR’S YARD
•Ages: 5-12 years
•Category: Noisy and a large space.
•Equipment: Hula hoops (or rope set out in circles on the ground) One for each team. And bean bags, 6 per hole hoop.
•Number: teams of 5 or 6 children.
•Source: The 4th Girl Guides of Wandering Hills District, Calgary Area taught me this one.
Put a hula hoop or loop of rope in each corner of your play area. Put equal numbers of bean bags in each hula hoop. Divide the kids into teams of 5 or 6, each team stands by 'their' hula hoop. This is their yard! Yell Go! Each group has to empty their hula hoop by carrying the bean bags one per trip to another team's yard. The bean bags have to be put into the other team's yard - tossing is acceptable if the bean bag lands in the hoop, if not they have to retrieve it and put it in. Watch out for the other team members so that you do not bump into each other. Count the number of bean bags in each hoop at the end of the game (10 minutes) and the team with the fewest bean bags (the least garbage) wins.
This is a super game and if you don't feel that throwing your garbage into another team's yard is politically correct, rename everything. I can't think of a different name at this point of typing, but that shouldn't be a problem. (As I was typing the rules I thought that perhaps ecology minded guiders shouldn't be encouraging this litter-bug behaviour! Perhaps just Get Rid of the Bean Bags would be better!)
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BALLOON RELAY GAME
We put 4 chairs at one end of the hall and 4 lines of parents and girls at other end of hall. One of the Guiders had brought balloons blown up. The first girl or parent had to run up get a balloon and sit on the balloon on the chair until it busted, then they ran back until the whole group finished. Another time we had them run up blow up the balloon, then sit on until they busted it. We had great time laughing. As at Guide ages and parents, we all come in all shapes and sizes and to see the balloon fly from behind a small girl every time she sat on it (of course we helped with the busting, she did not know it), then to see a large person sit on the balloon it bust right away. Great time, all in fun.
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BALL BETWEEN THE FEET
CATEGORY: Indoor / Outdoor
EQUIPMENT: 1 tennis ball per team
•2 chairs (or some other marker) per team
NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: Any number but even teams
HOW TO PLAY:
Each team lines up behind a chair. The other chair is placed some distance away. On a given signal the first member of each team takes the ball and places it between her feet. She jumps, with the ball between her feet, from the first chair, around the far chair and back to her team. Then the next person on the team does the same. BUT if the ball is dropped / lost between the first chair and the second chair the girl must return to the first chair and start again. If the ball is dropped between the second chair and the first chair i.e. on the way back, the girl must return to the second chair.
Winning team - first to finish
VARIATIONS: The same rules can be applied to the following games:
BOOK ON THE HEAD - use 1 book per team. All books should be the same or very similar.
BEANBAG ON THE FOOT - place beanbag on foot and keep it there while walking.
BALLOON BETWEEN THE KNEES - have some spare balloons, just in case!
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INTERNATIONAL SHOPPING
To play: The players are in patrols, grouped in various parts of the room. The game leader has a list of items that could be bought in a store. One person from each patrol, the "shopper" comes to the leader. All are given the same items (whisper so the rest can't hear). They return to their patrol, which is the “shop”, and act out what they want to buy, because the "shopkeepers" don't understand English. The first patrol to guess correctly wins, and new "shoppers" go to the game leader. Try these items: umbrella, pound of butter, jar of honey, wedding ring, bikini, ballet shoes, pencil sharpeners, bicycle pump, automobile tire, nosedrops.
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ALPHABETICAL NAME LINE-UP
Get yourselves into a line alphabetically by first name without speaking. For an extra challenge, if you know each other well: use middle names!
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ICE FLOE or SNOW SHOES (Canada)
The idea is to race across the floor without touching said floor. Each person (or team) is given 2 pieces of newspaper (or substitute -like the plastic placemats). You put one down, step on it, put the second one down, move to it, pick up the first one, move it up front, step onto it, move the second one in front of the first, step forward onto it, etc. thus progressing across the floor. If you are playing in teams, all of the team has to get onto one ice flow so that the other ice flow can be moved ahead.... Does this make sense? So you have to be on an ice flow at all times, but you have to progress, so you need to move the ice flows ahead, one step at a time. With newspapers, rambunctious players are apt to tear the papers, so speed isn't the only factor.
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BEADED CONVERSATIONS
Make sure everyone gets a package of beads ( different colour for each person). Give everyone a 6 inch piece of gimp with a Heart bead in middle.
Divide group into two rows and have them sit facing each other with feet touching. Then have each person carry on a conversation with the person facing you. Tell about yourself. Where you are from, birthdate, favourite colour etc. Then exchange bead with that person thread it onto you have traded all your colour beads (or have one left), and move down line to your right to next person and do the same thing until you have exchanged all your beads. Tie and wear your new bracelet
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BIRTHDAY LINE-UP
Ask the group to line up on order of birthdays, starting with January on one end and ending with December at the other. Again, do this without speaking.
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LABEL ACTIVITY
One game that we used to do in Pathfinders was the Label activity. Parents and girls are divided into small groups and given a topic to discuss. However, each person wears a label on their forehead (not knowing what it says) like: ignore me, praise me, treat me like I'm stupid, agree with me.....etc.
After a while, have people guess their labels and talk about labels in life. It works well with parents too!
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KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOR
This game helps the players learn each other's names and at the same time have some fun. It's a good 'ice-breaker' for the first night at camp.
One player is designated to be IT. He takes his place in the centre of the players, sitting in a circle in the dark. IT suddenly flashes his flashlight on one of the players and asks "Who are your next door neighbours?" And then he flashes the light on the nearby neighbours. If the player who was asked the question, can't name both neighbours correctly, he becomes IT. If he does name them correctly, IT asks him "How is So and So?", naming either of the players. If the reply is "OK", the players remain seated, but if the answer is "Not so good", all players must change seats. While everyone is shifting IT tries to get a seat. If he succeeds the one without a spot then becomes IT.
Note: Until everyone is sure of the names, IT must give them time to learn the names of their neighbours before they shift.
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THE NAME GAME
Come prepared with pennies in your pocket. Sit the girls in a ring. Ask them to keep count of how many names you get wrong. Each Guider gets a turn! Walk around the outside of the ring. Stop at each girl put your hand on her head and say something like: You are dressed in Brown....You have short blond hair.... Your name is????..... (Well, if you don't know use any name.) Ask the girl if you guess right.
If not girls count that as one wrong. Move on to next girl until you visit all the girls. Have the pennies at the end. Ask for how many you got wrong, and deposit same amount of pennies in to a sock hanging up somewhere. Tell the girls that In Feb. you will send all the pennies to the WFF. Don't forget each Guider gets a go.
For some reason there is lots of giggling and this game became our most request. Of course we got better at it each week and by Feb. we get all their names. The WFF was richer by $20.00. Interesting though the girls started by them selves to bring in pennies for our name game sock.
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SOCK NAME GAME
Equipment: sock pairs (at least one per person-fun if more!)
Ages: have to be able to throw catch
You form a circle and the leader throws one person a pair of socks (rolled up tight in a ball) That person (1) must ask the name of a person (2) she doesn't know then before she tosses the socks to person 2, must shout out person 2's name. Person 2 then has to ask the name of someone she doesn't know, call out that person 3's name, and toss the socks to her....etc. until everyone has caught the socks.
RULE: You must always toss the socks to the same person - but only after you shout out their name.
Now here's the game...
Meanwhile the leader tosses in more and more and more socks. Socks are flying everywhere names are being shouted all at once (sometimes a person may have 4-5 pair and then it's "Susan, Susan, Susan, Susan (pelt, pelt, pelt, pelt) Leaders were running after socks they missed catching...bedlam and laughter abound.
The leader then will start to remove pairs of socks one by one and it 'calms down a bit' and you again get to hear all the names as the last sock tosses around. It's crazy - but like I said - it worked for me!
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WORD GAME
Equipment: 3 and 4 letter words written on the back of old business cards (So they are easy to shuffle.)
Age: Guides and up
Number: Teams of 4 or 5 girls
Each team picks a word at random from the pile of cards. Then they attend to spell out the word, using their bodies for the letters and the other teams try to guess the word. The first team to guess correctly is the next one to pick a word.
This game teaches co-operation at the very least. You can also have the words related to some theme; camping, first aid, etc. It does not take very long, and the girls usually enjoy it.
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MADHATTER'S TEA PARTY
We did this as an icebreaker at Transition 97 this past winter. You need an odd number of people in each group. We used 7, but 5 would work as well. Three would really be too small.
Give each person in the group an open ended question like... "the best thing that happened to me this week was..." or "I really hate it when...", etc. Be creative and make sets of questions for each group so each group has the same 7 questions, but each person only has one question.
Now have them line up their chairs so there are 3 down one side facing 3 down the other side, and have one person at the top or "head" of the table, the Madhatter.
The Madhatter starts by reading her question out loud to the group. Then one side of the "table" starts, and the 3 people on that side make eye contact with their partner opposite them, and answer the question out loud. You need one timekeeper for the whole room, who times one minute. The room can get pretty noisy. The timekeeper yells switch, and the other "side" of the "table" gets a turn to answer the question. Believe me, they haven't had any time to think about their answer, because they've been too busy listening!! After one more minute, the timekeeper yells, "Teacups" and everyone moves one chair clockwise, which puts a new Madhatter at the head of the table, and she reads her question, etc., until all of the questions have been read and answered.
Lots of fun, very hectic, and VERY noisy.
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FAMOUS FOLKS
Good game, especially for people who don't know each other (trainings, etc.)
Make up a list of famous pairs (Laurel and Hardy, Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, Lord and Lady BP, etc.)
Make name tags for each name.
Pin a tag on the back of each person as they arrive (make sure everyone has a partner!)
They first guess who they are, then have to look for their partner.
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SLEEPING BEAUTY
In Sleeping Beauty, all the girls pretend to be sleeping Beauty (that is, they lie on the floor perfectly still and silent) when they have all stopped squirming, you choose one girl to be the fairy godmother. She goes around to the girls who are being the best "Sleeping Beauties" and wakes them up with a gentle tap. They then move quietly to line up, the next activity, make a circle, etc, etc...
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MATCH THE FACT
This is a good one to use with adults, for trainings or the first District meeting of the year. If you know the people, you can prepare the cards in advance. Otherwise, have people fill in a card about themselves as they arrive and then hand them out once everyone is there.
Make up a card for each guest/ participant highlighting an interesting or unusual fact about them. hand out a card to each guest upon arrival and have them try to match the fact on the card.
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CHAIR-SIT ICEBREAKER GAME
Everyone gets a chair and sits in a circle. The Guider has a list of items she reads out. If any of them apply to you, you move the appropriate number of seats clockwise.
Examples:
1.Anyone with one brother, move one seat clockwise. If you have two brothers, move two seats. 2.Anyone with black hair, move one seat clockwise. 3.Anyone who is a Spark, or has been a Spark, move two seats clockwise. 4.Anyone who lives in _____ Area move one seat clockwise. 5.Anyone over the age of 21, move one seat counterclockwise. 6.Everyone wearing brown shoes, move one seat. 7.Everyone in Guides, move one seat. etc.
The idea is to move all around the circle, and end up back where you started. It becomes fun because if you move, but your neighbour doesn't, you sit on her lap! Sometimes, you can have three people occupying the same chair!!
Make sure you have lots of categories so that everyone gets lots of chances to move, e.g. all Branches of Guiding, all hair colours (at different times, of course), and so on.
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GRAVE YARD
Equipment: None
Number of girls: More than 6
Ages: Bet Sparks could play this, certainly up to an including Guides.
Category: Quiet
Everyone lies down except for the Grave Master (I don't know what to call that person if you're calling this Sleeping Beauty - perhaps Prince Charming?). The Grave Master walks around among the 'bodies' and tries to catch them moving. (They can breathe and blink!)
When she catches someone moving they join her as Grave Masters and search for 'moving' bodies. The last one 'dead' wins. (Or the last one to move is the Beauty.)
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ARTIFACT GAME
Ice Breaker (good with people who know a bit about each other already)
Each person is told ahead of time to bring ten objects with some meaning to them to whatever event you are doing this at. When they arrive, give them a bag with a number on it and get them to carefully place their objects into it. Then make sure each person gets someone else’s bag. They have ten minutes to write down ideas about what the person who owns the objects is like, and to try to guess who they are. It is best if you don't do the guessing until after everyone has had their say. This would also work as an end of camp game, to see what people have learned about each other.
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GETTING ACQUAINTED BINGO
Fill out a grid of 5 x 5 squares with things that you know at least one of the girls could answer. Like, I have an older brother, I have 2 or more pets, I have brown hair, I have earned my Experienced Camper Badge (that's Canadian so it won't help you, but you see what I mean?) I have my 7 year service bar, or star, or whatever, I am more than 5 foot 3 inches tall. etc. They must go around and get the other girls (and leaders if you'd like) to sign one square. The first one done, can win a prize if you want.
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NAME BALL
Make a big circle. This works well for younger girls too. Have each girl say their name (and you can have them say one thing that they like too, if you'd like). After they have gone around the whole circle, you toss a ball to one of the girls, while saying their name. The girl whose name you call is the one who is supposed to catch the ball. Try to encourage them to call on people that they don't already know, especially if there are lots that aren't acquainted yet.
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NAME ACROSTICS
"As people arrive, hand them a pencil and card. Ask them to print their first name in capitals vertically at the left of the card. They move about, trying to find persons whose last names begin with those letters. For variation, use the monthly theme or other word along the left of the card."
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TOILET PAPER GAME
Have you ever tried the one where you hand out a roll of toilet paper and tell them to take as much as they will need. (This can be quite hysterical watching) After you welcome them to the meeting, You then ask the leaders and guests to tell one item about themselves per sheet. This could take a while. We once had a leader take 34 sheets. Some smart ones took one.
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SNAIL
You start with a large circle and everyone holding hands, facing into the circle with a leader and two people to make the bridge. Just like the name implies you walk around making smaller and smaller circles until you are in the centre of the room. The two girls then form an arch or bridge and the leader turns facing out of the circle and everyone follows around until you are all facing out from the circle in a big circle again. The you repeat the process so that you are again all facing in. Everyone seems to like this game. There is a song which goes along with it and you just keep repeating the song: "Snail, snail come out and be fed. First you feelers then your head. The your Momma and your Poppa will feed you fried muttons. (or muffins)."
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MY BONNIE
We have done a song with parents and girls that is quite fun. We sing, My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean. Every time we sing a word that starts with a B we either sit down, if we are standing, or stand up if we are sitting. We use chairs so as to avoid crippling the leaders, but if you are all really fit you can sit on the floor. It is a lot of breathless fun!
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EDELWEISS
The song is Edelweiss from the Sound of Music. The actions are usually messed up the first time doing this song as it takes some co-ordination but it is entertaining and the guides are quite impressed when they can do it with switching all the time.
Sitting cross-legged in a circle, each person places their left hand face up between their left knee and their neighbour's right knee about a foot off the ground. Everyone places their right hands, palm down, on their right neighbour's upturned left hand. To the music (so these actions fit half of one line of the song)---- with your right hand, first you hit your neighbour's left hand, then your right knee, your left knee, the bottom of your left hand and then the top of your left hand twice.
i.e. for the line: Edelweiss, edelweiss (you'd go through the actions twice) (I think its a clap per quarter note or eighth note - I'd have to check but its very even).
The really hard part is switching directions. Usually initially the switching starts at the word blossoms (from Blossoms of snow.....) - so your left hand is now doing the hitting and the right hand remains stationary. Once they and you feel comfortable with that you can switch every time (therefore you'd switch twice a line).
Its not as difficult as it sounds, honest :)
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THIS WAY VALERIE (Tune: Shortenin' Bread)
This game works best with a fairly large group. You will need to have the girls get a buddy and then form 2 lines of girls...the buddies facing each other. As soon as you have them in 2 straight lines they can start singing the song:
This way Valerie, That way Valerie,
This way Valerie all the way home.
(girls join hands with their buddy and sing this part while moving arms in a sawing motion - back and forth)
Strut Miss Lucy, strut Miss Lucy,
Strut Miss Lucy all the way home.
(head girl in one line passes between the 2 lines making up any movement she wishes and falls in at the foot of the opposite line)
Here comes another one just like the other one.
Here comes another one all the way home.
(buddy of the previous girl copies the movements just done by her buddy as she passes between the 2 lines and then joins the foot of the opposite line)
Both lines move up a wee bit and repeat the song over and over and over again until everyone has had a turn. The girls will eventually start getting quite creative in their actions if you play this many times.
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OLD KENTUCKY FAIR (Tune: Brownie Smile Song)
Girls form a circle, holding hands. One person is in the centre. The outside circle moves clockwise to start with and switches direction at the *. The inside circle (to start, it is just 1 person) moves the opposite direction from the outside.
I went to the old Kentucky,
The old Kentucky Fair* (whoo!)
I saw a senorita
With flowers in her hair. (whoo!)
Everyone drops hands at this point and stays in one spot while they "twist" and sing the next verse.
Shake 'em, shake 'em, shake 'em.
Shake 'em all you can.
Shake'em, shake 'em, shake 'em.
Shake 'em once again.
Outside circle then claps and stomps one foot while singing the next verse. The inside person closes her eyes and spins and points while the verse is being sung. If there is more than one person on the inside, only the last person on the inside spins. All others duck down to avoid getting hit by the person spinning and pointing.
Oh, Round and around and around she goes.
Where she stops nobody knows.
Point to the east, point to the west,
Point to the one that you like best.
Whomever the girl is pointing to at that point joins the inner circle and will be the next person to spin and point. The whole song starts over again.
This game can go on and on, just as long as the outside circle can stretch around the inner circle. When you simply cannot stretch any longer, then you can either quit the game or re-start with only the last person chosen in the centre.
All ages of girls love this game, and the nice part about it is that everyone gets to play it at all times.
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ZAP
Played after dark (usually without any flashlights) with boundaries!
(I actually didn't play this one...but I understand it's like Hide and Seek.) Two girls have flashlights (off) -they are "it". Other girls hide while "its" count to 50. "Its" then walk around in the dark to find girls. If they find someone they ZAP them (by flicking on their flashlight). Once ZAPPED the girl then takes the flashlight (now off) and she becomes "it" and continues to look for other girls. Meanwhile the girl that had been "it" has a chance to hide.
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SARDINES
Played after dark (usually without any flashlights) with boundaries!
After it is dark. One person goes to hide. Then the others go out looking for her. The idea is that if someone spots who ever is hiding they do NOT SHOUT but rather discreetly join them and not necessarily the instant she spots her because hopefully she should loose whoever might have been walking near or with her. One by one the girls join - become packed like sardines (thus the title name) and inevitably giggle or say shhhhh - which leads to others locating them. The last to find them - becomes the one to hide the next time!
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SEEKERS
Played after dark (usually without any flashlights) with boundaries!
Is another Hide and Seek night game - best to wear dark clothes! One person has a flashlight (on) and is at home base. She counts out loud to 25 while the others hide. She then goes out and searches. Meanwhile the others try to reach base without being seen. If "it" sees you and calls your name you're caught! I have seen girls 'switch' jackets...shoes etc. to 'fool' it.
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NIGHT LINES
Category: Outdoors At night. It must be dark!
Equipment needed: Each team must have a flashlight. The person leading the game must have made up before hand, 8 cards per team, with a design on the card in light reflecting tape. Maptack or laminate the cards in advance as well so as to be able to use the game again!
The designs could be three lines, 2 triangles, 4 rectangles, one circle, etc.
Ages: I'd say Guides and up.
Preparation: The cards must be hidden, in a certain area while no one else is watching.
The rules: Each team is assigned a kind of card that they are looking for. The boundaries of the game must be described to all the players. Each team sends out one member at a time, with the flashlight to find, and bring back One of their cards. (At that time they may find cards of the other teams, just leave them undisturbed.) When the first team member finds one card, they return and hand the flashlight over to the next member of their team, who hands the flashlight over to the next team member when they find one card etc. The first team to find all their cards wins.
This was a lot of fun. The Guider who set it up for us, had put all the cards at ground level on snow, so the white background of the card did not show up. Black cards would work quite well too. The cards were about 5x7, so recipe cards could be used, and I believe that you can buy the reflective tape at Canadian Tire.
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DARK - ISN’T IT?
"Tell the audience that this is a test of intelligence, co-ordination, and the ability to follow directions. Have each person raise his/her left hand and point left index finger to the right, parallel to the floor. Then have them raise the right hand and hold right index finger on a level with the left finger, pointing in the opposite direction. Then raise the left hand 2 inches and lower the right hand 2 inches. Now ask them to close their eyes. After a moment, remark innocently, "Dark, isn't it?"
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A WITCH, A WATCH!
Equipment: Two things to hand around. NOT related to witches or watches!! (I use two small pieces of sanded wood - they can't break and if I lose them they are easy to replace!)
Age: 9 and up
Number of participants: 10 and up.
Rules: Everyone sits in a circle. One person leads the game. That person has the two articles, and she starts one side at a time. First, she hands out one article to her left and says to the person who takes it, "This is a witch." That person takes the article and says, "A what?" The leader repeats, "A witch." That person nods, and then hands the article to her left and says, "This is a Witch." The person taking it says, "A what?" and she turns back to the person who gave it to her and repeats, "A what?" and the leader says "A witch!", she turns to the person who has it now, and says, "A witch."
So as the article goes around the words "A what?" goes back to the leader, one person at a time, and the answer, "A witch!" goes back person by person.
But that wouldn't be complicated enough, now would it? As the second or third person to the left is getting the witch, the leader turns to the person on her RIGHT and says, "This is a watch!" and that person says, "A what?" and she says, "A watch!"
Multi-tracking personalities are a help!!! The game usually goes to pieces at the place where the watch and witch cross. I usually stop it by then, everyone is confused and laughing, so they had fun, which is the point of most of the games they like. Oh, and I usually pass the Watch on the side that I where my watch on - that way, at least I don't completely mix myself up.
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NIGHT TREK
Lay a trail during the day use duck tape, it reflects light. Set a # of stations along the trail and have a person to man them during the trek. To make this truly a team event, arrange group by lining up by height sm. to lg. Then count off 1 through no of stations you have.
Rules:
• No flash lights to be turned on during trek….only in emergency.
• Walk only in single file (yes you will have to hang on to each other)
• You may use anything you have on you to help you complete your stations
Game:
Start by leading all groups around trail dropping off one group at each station. Game begins when a whistle is blown to start and change stations. Give enough time to complete each station and walk to next station.
1 - leader says "you are trying to escape from Alcatraz. The piece of newspaper on the ground is your boat. You have to keep part of your bodies on it at all times to escape. Newspaper is 1/2 sheet.
2 - three candles and one squirt (washing up liquid bottle) bottle of water. Task from behind the line put out the candles
3 - Tie this ribbon as high up around the trunk of the tree as you can.
4 - We arrived at this station to find no leader until we tripped over her on the ground and realised we had learnt emergency CPR earlier during the day so we went in to action
5 - The leader gave us 2- 2 X4’s (Econo studs) and some rope, showed us a deep ravine marked by duck tape on the ground. Our job was to get from one side to the other/ Only one could be on the 2 X 4 at one time. The 2 -2 X 4's were not long enough to cross the ravine so person had to move them stand on one and push the other out in front of you the hop on it then pick up the one behind and move it in the front.
6 - You can add more stations as your setting and participants allow.
After the game ends you can all come together for an evaluation. Some of the things we found out were some of us were natural leaders at some of the stations. Trust was a necessary part of working together as a team and lots more besides.
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TRACKING GAME
Category: Outdoors
Age: Guides and Up
Equipment: Baggies with information or verses of a poem copied onto cards, string to tie the bags onto bushes, trees and grass, and ribbon or reflective tape.
Number of girls: teams of 4-6
Preparation: Each baggie must be prepared in advance with parts of something that the girls must memorise. Number the parts of the things you want them to memorise. If it is a song or poem, then only put two lines or so per baggie. (If you have a theme, your parts could be related to that theme, for instance , Outdoor cooking #1. To prepare a fire pit for cooking, you must ...) Then, and you need two people to do this easily, you put your first baggie within visual sighting distance of your starting spot, and you mark that spot with a piece of ribbon or tape and tie the baggie down with the string so that it doesn't blow away. Then, one person stays there and the other person takes the baggies and the ribbon to the next spot. Ideally the second spot should not be visible from the starting spot. Work in a large loop (an irregularly shaped loop) so that the girls are near the starting point when they have reached the end.
The teams of girls are sent out at long enough intervals that they can't just follow each other. They are to find the baggies which are numbered from 1 to whatever (usually 10 or 12) and the girls must know in advance how many they are looking for. They are to memorise the contents of the baggies in order as they go, and must leave the baggies and the marking ribbon for the next team. (You will have to go and get the things you put out for next time, if the last team picks it up, they will have an unfair advantage - or you could send someone with the last team to follow and pick up the baggies and ribbons when they have passed.) The teams must find all the baggies, and recite all the instructions to you.
The game that I played, the thing in the baggies, were the instructions for cooking dinner, including how to find all the parts, and things not to forget. It was a blast!!
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WATER PISTOL STALKING GAME
Fill 5 - 6 film canisters with a varying number of small pebbles, beads, etc. Leave one empty. Blindfold a girl and have her sit on the ground with her legs apart and the film canisters in the V formed by her legs. Give her a water pistol. Send the other girls up one at a time or in groups to pick up a film canister and remove it without being heard by the girl with the water pistol. The blindfolded girl catches the other girls by squirting them. No arguments here: it's pretty clear when a girl has been caught! This is almost more fun to watch than to play. The antics of the squirter are hysterical. The girls learn good stalking skills and come to realise that quiet isn't always!
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STALKING GAMES 2
Rules: The players must approach a certain fowl without being seen; the observers are either the opposite team or the leader of the game.
Examples:
The games provide an opportunity of acquiring the following skills:
(1) HIDE: the players are in two groups. The first group is given five minutes in which to hide. After this, the opposite team tries to find the enemy. Points are counted and roles are reversed.
(2) CAMOFLAUGE: The players are in two groups. Each team goes to one end of the field, camouflages themselves without hiding, and then tries to locate the Guides of the other team.
(3) MOVE:
1.CAUTION: The leader of the game is in the thickets. Ties are hanging from branches. The players try to take the ties without being seen. The ones who have been seen may go to s set place and get a new "life". 2.SPEED: The leader of the game is in the midst of the players, who must all put one hand on her. The leader counts to ten aloud. During this time, the players run away and hide. The players who are still in sight after "10" are out. The game starts over again, with the leader counting to 9. Etc. 3.CAUTION AND SPEED: (Game called the "Blind Cow"). The players are lined up approximately 10 yards from the leader, who closes her eyes and counts to ten. During this time the players must get as close as possible to her. At ten the leader opens her eyes: All the players who are caught moving must go back to the starting line. 4.SILENCE: Players from a circle around the Guider, at approximately five yards. The Guider is blindfolded, and the players try to get near her without making any noise. When the Guider hears a noise, she points towards it. The player indicated in this manner must go back to her place.
(4) FREEZE: Who can stay the longest without moving in a given position?
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MAP SKILLS RELAY RACE
We also found a relay race game to help with map skills. Each team has a set of 16 cards. On one side of the card is a map symbol (e.g., highway, railroad track, school. . .). On the flip side of the card is a name (i.e., the word written out) of a _different_ symbol. Make the sets of cards different colours to keep them straight. The first girl on each team is given a card. She has to read the word on the flip side, run to where the rest of the cards are displayed symbol side up, and select the proper symbol. She then exchanges the card she had for the new card and runs back. She gives her card to the next girl in line who flips it over to read the word and repeats the process.
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KIM’S GAME
Equipment:
• a tray with 20 small articles (may be related by theme!)
• Pencil and Paper for each person
• A watch or timer.
Category: Indoor, quiet
Number who may play: any number
Age: guides and up.
Uncover the tray and hold each article up, while naming it so that they whole group sees each thing and hears its name separately. Cover the tray after 2 minutes and allow the group 5 minutes to write the names of as many of the 20 objects as they can remember. Scoring: One point for each correct article in their list.
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FLYING SAUCER KIM’S GAME
Have a bag instead of a tray, with your 20 objects in it. You need two Guiders for this. One person takes the article out of the bag and tosses it to the other Guider, who holds it up, names it and puts it in their bag (or throws it back to the bag holder, which ever works for you). After all the objects have done their flying saucer act the girls have 5 minutes to record as many of them as they can. Scoring as above.
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MIME KIM’S GAME
This is a camping game. In the bag have a list, which the girls can not see of 20 camping related articles. Reach into the bag, and one at a time mime the action of taking out and using 20 articles that you would have a camp, i.e. a flashlight, matches, etc. After you have done all 20 actions the children see how many they can remember. Scoring as above.
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HEARING KIM’S GAME
This version requires some preparation and a tape player. Make a cassette tape of 10 sounds that you would hear. This could be 10 nature sounds, or 10 city sounds, or a mixture of the two. Unlike the above versions, the girls record what they think they are hearing as they hear them. So, you play your first sound, and the girls are given 10 seconds to write down what they think it is, then you play the second sound, etc. Scoring as above.
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SMELLING KIM’S GAME
10 baggies with wet sponges that have been soaked in vinegar, maple syrup, coffee, orange pop, water, ketchup, mustard, etc., are lined up and numbered. The girls smell the contents of each bag and immediately mark down their conclusion. The bags need to be covered so that the girls do not get hints by colours, or textures.
This one can also be a tasting game, each girl tastes with a drop of the liquid put on her tongue with a tooth pick. For reasons of health, a tooth pick is only used once and never dipped into a bag a second time. Salted water and sugar water can also be used for the tasting version. Scoring is the same as above.
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FEELING KIM’S GAME
This is done much the same way, with textures being the thing guessed. Cooked spaghetti, a bag of elastics, macaroni noodles, peeled sectioned oranges, sand, raw diced carrots, etc. In between each feeling there may need to be a place to rinse your hands. Or you could use latex gloves for each person. Immediately after feeling something they could record their guess, someone could be taking dictation for this! Scoring as above.
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TIME LORDS' COMPASS PUZZLE
The Time Lord took compass readings of a star constellation during her travels - can you tell what constellation it is?
Your Patrol will need:
• String (80 feet in length)
• 37 wooden pegs
• Mallet
Instructions:
A peg is put into the ground as a starting point, with one end of the string tie a clove hitch round the peg. Stand behind the starting peg. Face North. Now you are ready to follow your list of bearings. Continue to tie a clove hitch round each peg, keeping your string tight.
Note - each unit of measure is the length of your foot.
List of Bearings
1W; 1NW; 1N; 6NE; 4N; 3SW; 1W; 1NW; 1N; 5NE; 1NW; 2N; 1NW; 1N; 1NE; 1E; 1SE; 2E; 1NE; 1E; 1SE; 2E; 1NE; 1E; 1SE; 1S; 1SW; 2S; 1SW; 5SE; 1S; 1SW; 1W; 3NW; 4S; 6SE; 1S; 1SW; 1W; 6NW; 6SW;
6SW should return you to the starting peg. Yes?
What has the Time Lord mapped?
Notes - we used spare wooden tent pegs but metal tent pegs could be used instead. The girls did this activity in groups of six and it took each group approximately 30 minutes.
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UN-NATURE HIKE
Ahead of time, leader/adult places items on the hiking path that DO NOT belong to nature. Items such as a small sponge, bottle of glue, coat hanger, plastic soda bottle, etc. ... that not only Do Not belong but are considered litter. Girls/Patrols then have one person with a piece of paper & pencil to keep track of the items. They then begin their hike searching for these items and keeping track of them again with a set time limit. You could also give them a rough idea as to how many items their searching for such as "There are at least 30 items that do not belong". Kids love this game!!
HINT: Challenge the girls a little by placing items that would make them "think" about what is part of nature and what isn't!
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NATURE QUEST
We used index cards with different foods on it. The girls were lined up single file, and they count off, until they reach 5 and start over, until everyone had a number.
The food was sprinkled over the ground. Each number was told what it was allowed to eat.
• 1 - could only eat bugs
• 2 - could only eat bugs & leaves
• 3 - could only eat bugs, leaves & flowers
• 4 - could only eat bugs, leaves, flowers and small animals
• 5 - could eat anything.
After the food is on the ground, the numbers are called out randomly for the girls to go and find their food. (I think we limited everyone to 3 cards each). Once they had their food cards they were to sit down. We also changed the numbers around so that everyone had the chance of being the "picky" eater or an animal who ate everything. The point of the game was to show one of the ways animals become extinct. Picky eaters (the ones) were limited by what they could eat. (Another point - don't be a picky eater).
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DEADLY LINKS
Materials:
• 30 pieces of 'food'/player (1/3 one colour (sprayed with pesticide), 2/3 another colour (no pesticide))
• (Suggested 'food'--pipe cleaners, 1inch paper squares, 6 inch yarn lengths)
• 1 paper bag per grasshopper
Procedure:
• 1. Tell players this is an activity about 'food chains'. If they are not familiar with the term, spend time establishing a definition.
• 2. Divide the players into 3 groups: grasshoppers, shrews and hawks. There are 3 shrews for every hawk and 3 grasshoppers for every shrew. Optionally you can label the different groups (different coloured armbands, bandannas, face paint, etc.). A group of 26 would have 2 hawks, 6 shrews and 18 grasshoppers.
• 3. Hand each 'grasshopper' a small paper bag (their 'stomach').
• 4. With players' eyes closed or not watching, you distribute the 'food' in a large open area (playing field, gymnasium, etc.)
• 5. Give players instructions -grasshoppers hunt for food first. Hawks and shrews watch quietly on sidelines (like good predators!). Grasshoppers have 30 seconds to collect food in their 'stomachs'. Grasshoppers stop collecting food after 30 seconds.
• 6. Shrews now hunt grasshoppers, while hawks watch. Depending upon the size of the hunting area, shrews hunt for 15-60 seconds. Grasshoppers continue to hunt for food. Each shrew should have time to catch (tag or touch) one or more grasshoppers. A 'caught' grasshopper gives its food bag to the shrew and then sits on the sidelines.
• 7. Hawks hunt shrews the next time period (15-60 seconds, again depending upon the size of the area). Shrews hunt grasshoppers. Grasshoppers hunt food. 'Caught' shrews and grasshoppers surrender their food bags and sit on the sidelines. At the end of this period, bring all players together with whatever food bags they have to a circle.
• 8. Ask the 'eaten' players what animal they are and what animal ate them. Next, ask the 'uneaten' players to sort and count the two food colours they've eaten. List each surviving grasshopper and the amount of food collected. Next list each surviving shrew and the amount of food collected. Finally, list the hawks and their food.
• 9. Tell the players that there is a 'pesticide' in the environment. The pesticide was sprayed in order to prevent crop damage by the grasshoppers. This particular pesticide is one that accumulates in food chains and stays in the environment a long time. Tell the players which colour food was sprayed by pesticide. All surviving grasshoppers (those not eaten by shrews) are now dead if they have eaten any food with pesticide. Any shrew with more than half of its food sprayed with pesticide is considered dead. The hawk with the most food with pesticide does not die; however, it has accumulated so much pesticide in its body that the eggshells produced during the next nesting season will be so thin that the eggs will not hatch successfully. The other hawks are not visibly affected at this time.
• 10. Ask players about what they experienced. Ask them for their observations about how the food chain seems to work & how toxic substances can enter the food chain, with a variety of results.
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COMMUTER
Give each girl a paper rolled up tightly so only a small portion of the name and headline can be seen, use enough different papers (different or same issues) for there to be about 5 from the same paper. The girls walk round with this under their arm. They have a few minutes to find everyone else with the same paper as they are carrying. As commuters, there should be no talking between them. The first group to find all the people on their "train" wins. Don’t use coloured papers like the ft unless you use all the same colour, it is best to use different issues, so the front pictures aren't too easy to match.
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DIVERSITY BRINGS US TOGETHER
Have all participants stand in a large circle -- at least arms' length apart. In turn around the circle, each person must tell one thing about themselves or their experiences that they think is unique. If no one else in the group shares the experience/ characteristic, the speaker takes one step forward; if someone else HAS had the same experience, the speaker remains where he/she is. Go around the circle several times until most people are close to the middle of the circle.
The pluralism value in the exercise is in the processing at the end. Many people come up with what they think -- and most of us would think -- were unique experiences, only to find that someone else has that in common with them. It shows not only how different we all are, and how our differences can enrich the group, but also that we have many things in common that we might not expect.
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FOUR CORNERS
Four people are chosen from the group. The group requires at least 16 people. Each of these 4 leaders is given a characteristic that will allow someone to join her group. (This is done in private) Something quite obvious i.e. glasses, jeans, tennis shoes, colour of hair, etc. Each leader goes to a corner. The remaining participants IN SILENCE, walk and pass each of the leaders extending their hands, as if to shake, each of the leaders shakes her head yes or no, as to whether or not they get to join her group. When you join the group you stand behind the leader so that she may see the person that is coming next in line. Hopefully, a few of the people will not be chosen. You let these people pass all 4 leaders at least once, so they are rejected by one or two of the leaders twice. You then call an end to the game. You then ask the leaders how they felt about having to reject people, how people felt about being accepted, and how those not chosen felt about not being chosen. Then ask each group if they can figure out why they were accepted to the group. (You have not told the group that it is a physical characteristic) Sometimes they can figure it out and sometimes not.
This is a game that can be used at the girl level also. And sometimes this is the first time some of these girls are rejected and have never had that feeling before. It is a game that can get people talking and does get them up and moving around the room.
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BANANA GOES TO CAMP
Pre-story prep: take a not-too-ripe banana, using a long darning needle, pierce the skin at the side and push the needle through the fruit of the banana all the way to the skin...yes, this is hard to describe! I'll tell you what you *want* to have happen... When you peel this banana you want it to fall into many slices. All the way down the banana, about every half inch, I push the needle through the peel, moving it from side to side in order to make a "slice". Try to keep the skin completely intact! Optional: I put a smiling face on using a black marker.
Story: (here follows *my* camp version of the story; you may have to modify it to use it in *your* circumstances)
I brought my friend Banana Scout with me to our campfire today. Doesn't he look nice? I really enjoy Banana Scout's company. Did you know he went to scout camp this year? Yes, but he didn't enjoy himself a lot. All the scouts at camp made fun of him. They said nasty, hurtful things to him. Can you imagine what they might have said? (Ask for suggestions of what was said) e.g. You have too many freckles!...You're not a nice yellow colour like me!.....You're too small!
Well, I can tell you that this did not make Banana scout very happy. Look at his face...doesn't he have a nice smile? He didn't let any of the scouts know that they were hurting him. Did you know words could hurt? Has anyone ever hurt you with words? Banana Scout just kept smiling and tried not to feel hurt but inside...well, he wants us to know how he felt inside. (Begin to peel the banana)
Sometimes when we say things that are not nice the people we say them to look just the same as they did before but inside they begin to feel like Banana Scout did...can you see what the mean words did to Banana Scout? (By the time you are half finished peeling, the banana will fall apart into many slices...help the children to reflect on what hurtful words can do and what we can do to prevent our friends/fellow campers from feeling hurt inside.)
Hope you enjoy this little story. It was very helpful in this situation as we had a girl who was "differently-abled" and many of the girls were snubbing her or even being mean to her. It made me very angry to see this and thus, the story at campfire time. The day after campfire we noticed several of the girls helping out and being nice to her! Sometimes we just need little reminders to help us *know* the feelings of others.
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RED LIGHT - GREEN LIGHT
Craft: You can have the Sparks/Brownies make their own signs by drawing a circle on red and green construction paper or you can make up a set to be used for future meeting and keep to be used for various topics. (NOTE) my sample is a 5-inch circle with a handle like the stop signs that the crossing guards use, make out of red and green Bristol board.
To Play: Distribute a red circle and a green circle to each Spark/Brownie then ask the girls questions. If the question is right or the girls feel they should say yes, they put up the Green circle. If the answer is no, or it is something they shouldn't do, they raise the Red Circle. Can be used for different topics.
Sample Questions: ROAD SAFETY QUESTIONS
1. When you walk to the corner you cross the street without stopping. NO
2. Stop, Look & Listen when you come to the corner. YES
3. Look both ways before you cross the street. YES
4. When your ball rolls out into the street you run after it. NO
5. Cross the street only at the corner. YES
6. Always walk beside your mother when you are in the grocery store parking lot. Do not run ahead of her. YES
7. When you want to cross the street you don't have to walk to the corner to cross. NO
8. You can cross the street anywhere you want. NO
9. Only cross when the light is green or you see the walk sign. YES
10. Run ahead of your mom when you are in the Mall parking lot. NO
11. When the sign says "DON'T WALK" you go anyway. NO
12. Stop at the corner and look both ways before you cross the street. YES
13. Always talk to someone you do not know when they speak to you. NO
14. Stop, Look and Run when you come to the corner. NO
15. Never talk to strangers. YES
16. Pet a strange animal. NO
17. Do not run out between two parked cars. YES
18. Keep your toys in the driveway. NO
19. Playing games in the road is very dangerous. YES
20. Run into the street after your cat. NO
21. If someone frightens you, go immediately to a Block Parent house. YES
CHALLENGE: Could I challenge you to come up with some other topics that you could use this same game for such as First Aid, Home Safety, My Body, etc.
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DEER
Category: Large space required! (Outdoors or a gym)
Equipment: One sheet of paper and a pen
Number of Participants: 24 and up!
Age: 7-16 years
Source: 30th Guide Company, Calgary - from Guider Jennifer
You divide the girls into two equal teams, and line them up facing each other about 25 feet apart. (I'm making an estimate in the distance, if this is too close together you'll know.)
One team is the deer, and the other team is the food, water, or shelter.
Each round the deer must decide whether they are hungry, thirsty or cold. If the deer are hungry they hold their stomachs, if they are thirsty they cup their hands and if they need shelter they hold their hands together over their heads (tented).
The other team of girls decides whether they are food, water or shelter and they make the same symbols. The deer turn back to the other girls, and on the count of three they turn around with their symbol showing and the food, water or shelter is making their symbol too (they decide as well what they'd like to be.)
The deer then run across the space and catch their food, water or shelter. Only one deer per person. If there are more deer that need water than there are ponds, then the deer die and stay on the side of the necessities. The deer that get what they need, reproduce and take their new deer with them back to the deer's team. After each round the number of deer is counted, and recorded.
Play the game about 10 times, so that the girls can see how the subsequent generations of deer are dependent on the numbers of the previous generation.
The Guides that I played this with were quite impressed with how the numbers went way up and then way down!
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RESPECTING OTHERS
Divide your group into two. Take one half aside and give them paper and a pencil. Tell them they are to have conversation, or interact with 10 people in the other group in an allotted time.
Everyone in the other half gets a sign (which I made from construction paper and with a yarn "necklace" to place it over the head.) No-one is able to read their own sign so they don't know what it says. Make up signs like "Tell me I look tired", "Ignore me", "Tell me I look great", "Call me stupid", "Treat me like your best friend" etc.
There should be a variety of positive and negative signs. ONLY the group with pencil and paper can initiate a conversation. The group with signs must wait for someone to talk to them.
It helps if they can slip the comment into the conversation. (i.e. A friend of mine was wearing the "Call me stupid" sign at the Multicultural workshop. Someone came up to her and asked her where she was from. When she said, Cardigan, they replied, "I hear there are a lot of stupid people living in Cardigan"!)
I have to admit, if I KNEW there was someone with shaky self esteem or very shy, I would tend to "plant" them with a positive sign. So I might ask someone who knew the group well, if I didn't.
After the group "interacts" it is important to debrief what happened, talking about how people treated them, how it made them feel, how they felt if they had a negative sign and why, who had the advantages and why.
It is also important with an exercise like this that everyone know the game ends when the game is over, and should not be used to joke over a weekend, etc.
I used the exercise in a discussion of stereotypes. We all have invisible signs which we wear and which affect the way people treat us. We need to examine our reactions to the way we are treated because they can also add to the way we are treated in future.
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JOSEPHINE DOLL
Create - from a large sheet of paper (or maybe a couple of sheets taped together)- a girl. The girl should be typical of the age group you are working with. "dress" her with markers and/or crayons and give her a name.
Take Josephine to the next meeting and sit her in a chair. Once the meeting begins, introduce "Josephine" to all the girls - and say something nice about "Jo" and something - not bad, but not so nice about "Jo". The introduction could go something like this, "girls, I want you to meet my friend Josephine. We really have a lot of fun together, except that sometimes she has REALLY bad breath. When you say this, rip off a piece of Jo - and don't make it a tiny piece. Then invite the rest of the girls to make negative comments about Jo. They can be about her hair, her appearance, her clothing or about her personality - it doesn't matter. Each girl as they make the negative comment (try to make sure they don't get too negative/nasty, they rip off a piece of "JO".
Once everyone has finished with their remarks- you can invite them to do several - you go on to the next part of the plan. You say, "okay girls, now that we've ripped Josephine apart - lets see if we can put "Josie" back together again." You need to point out to them that "Josie" will never be the same - that she now has scars that could last her a lifetime.
It really gives a powerful message to all who participate in it. It will show the girls how destructive their behaviour can be. And, it should also create a bond, (team building) amongst the girls. They should be able to see ( YOU MAY HAVE TO FACILITATE A DISCUSSION ABOUT IT) how their power - although in this case a negative power - can be pulled together, and that when channelled in a positive direction, they can accomplish anything.
I found this works in all age groups, I know of one group who put Josephine back together so we had to get across the fact that scars don't always show on the outside.
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HIDDEN AGENDA
Objectives: Similar to Roles and Labels, this is an activity to see how roles in a group play out.
Group size: 7-15
Materials: Note cards with roles on them
Directions: Give each person a note card and ask them to keep it to themselves. Have them think of ways they could play out their role in a group situation. Give the group a task, such as building something or brainstorming an idea for an activity. Allow the roles to play out. Stop the role-play.
Facilitate a discussion with the following questions:
What was your role?
How did it affect your participation?
Are there roles among our group?
How does it affect participation?
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BELIEFS AND VALUES GAME
Beliefs & Values game
Balloon Game
Theme: Values and Beliefs
Equipment: balloons and post-it notes and pencils
Game is best done with small group, 6-10 girls, Pathfinder age and up (a good thought provoker for adults). Give every girl a balloon and tell her to blow it up and tie it off. Then give out 10 small post-it notes each and ask them to write on each one, a value or belief that they have, either personal, family, country or worldly item. They may need a few minutes to think about this. They stick the post-its all over their balloons. They hold on to their balloon while a leader reads the following:
You are on a Hot Air Balloon Ride. Each value or belief is like a weight on the balloon weighing 2 Kilograms each. While on this trip, the radio advises you that high winds are ahead of you and you must rise up to fly over them by releasing one weight from your basket. The view from the higher altitude is breathtaking, but short lived. You release your helium slowly to lower you to a better height and you release one weight in error. You are now over a large body of water and you see very black clouds coming towards you. Quickly, release two weights now! You realise that you are in the centre of a storm! Severe rains are in view. You must make a decision as to how many more weights to drop. You decide three as this will allow you to hover above the troubled atmosphere. Release your three now. As all balloonists know, when running out of fuel, you must keep your height. Because you still need to travel to meet the opposite side of the body of water, you drop two more weights. You have travelled the globe and have survived the journey without harm.
You realise how hard it was for you to make decisions that needed quick responses or thoughtful consideration. You can see that you have one remaining weight with you on board. Was this particular weight chosen or did it remain by an undecided means. Only you know that answer.
Could it be the most important value or belief to you?
Would anyone like to comment on how they chose what to release and when?
Did you survive this journey?
What was your most troubled time and why?
Would anyone like to share what their final weight is?
Can we look at some of the weights that were dropped off. You might notice some that are familiar to you and others that you did not think about at all. How important is the last weight to you at this point after analysing the choices you made. Have you broadened your viewpoint on your life’s choices. Discussion time. Thegirls might be rather reluctant at first to contribute to the above questions, but with a little discussion, usually open up and start to think about beliefs and values.
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ROLES AND LABELS
Objectives: To observe how roles can play out in a group, examine roles people play and identify both the positive and negative aspects of roles.
Group size: 7-15
Materials: Post-it notes with labels or other "head band type labels, paper, tape, string and odds and ends.
Directions: Give each person a role to "wear" on their head. Ask them not to look at it, but put it on directly. Tell the group that their task is to build a "tower" using the materials given (paper, tape, etc.) Ask them to treat people according to their labels. Designate at least two observers, who will not participate in the task. Have them begin the role-play, let it go on as long as they need to bring out some of the roles. Stop the role-play.
Facilitate a discussion with the following questions:
What did you think your label said?
How did it affect your participation?
Are their labels among our group?
How does it affect participation?
Potential labels to work with: "ignore me", " act surprised", "laugh at everything I say", " none of my ideas are good", "hang on my every word", "I confuse you", "tell me to shut up", " treat me like a kid", etc.
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EL RELOJ (El Salvador) (Pronounced EHL-ray-LOH, meaning "clock")
Have twelve girls form a circle, with a thirteenth girl standing in the middle with a long skipping rope. Then as the central girl swings the rope around in a circle close to the ground, the other players call out the numbers on the clock face and jump over the rope as it passes. If they miss and get 'tagged' by the rope, they're out. The last girl remaining gets to be the next one in the centre of the circle!
We tried calling out numbers in both English and Spanish:
one - uno; two - dos; three - tres; four - cuatro; five - cinco; six - sies; seven - siete; eight - ocho; nine - nueve; ten - diez; eleven - once; twelve - doce.
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PROMISE AND LAW BRAID
Materials required:
navy leather, or blue foamie, of blue felt, or blue cardboard
trefoil shape for tracing
36 " each of three colours of wool, blue, white and yellow
scissors
leather punch/hole punch
Tell this story as you make the example or have each person do their braid as you demonstrate and tell them what each step means.
The trefoil represents our three fold promise, being true to ourselves, our God/Faith and Canada, helping others and accepting the Guiding Law.
The wool (yarn) is tied to the trefoil with an overhand knot which signifies your enrolment when you first made your commitment to your Promise.
Now begin braiding all the long ends together to signify that we try to think about our promise and Law as we go about our daily lives. Being honest when someone asks you a difficult question, never telling lies or making up stories, recycling, being proud of being a Guide/Pathfinder and respecting the wishes of others, doing things for others without being asked, using talents and abilities, using water conservation when brushing your teeth, face your fears and always do your best at whatever you try, be proud of being a Guide and tell others. (These are just examples) ask girls to give their examples)
The longer we stay in Guiding the more the Promise and Law becomes part of our every day lives - a part of who we are.
Tie another overhand knot which represents our MOTTO - BE PREPARED. When we take advantage of the opportunities which Guiding offers us, we will be well prepared to cope with whatever life brings to us.
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SPEAKING ARABIC (Egypt)
Materials: For each group, a copy of the following story as well as a copy of the ten words (in Arabic only):
An Egyptian Bazaar is an exciting place to be. It is like an open-air mall with lots of things for sale. You can buy yummy __________to eat, __________if you are thirsty, _______________to wear, _________________for your feet,_ ____________to use for making clothes, and _____________for your neck, hands and ears. There is lots of noise! _____________are yelling to attract customers,_ _________________argue about the cost of their purchases and_____________ and_____________________ are running all over the place.
WORDS: HILYA-T (jewellery), BAYYA' (shopkeepers), A'YILA-T (housewives), QAMAS (material). QUT (food), ALBISA-T (dresses), DAWWAB (animals), MARAKIB (shoes), MASRUBAT (drinks), ATFAL (children)
Each group chooses an Arabic word to fit into each blank in the story. They could try to read it out loud first. Then the leader gives the translation of each word and each group could then read aloud the story they actually wrote, filling in the English words they chose.
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SEEGA (Egypt)
Materials: Paper and pencil; three markers for each player
This is a simplified children's version of a traditional game which has been played in Egypt for more than 5000 years. It is played in pairs. Players draw the board and place their markers as shown. They take turns moving one of their markers either one or two squares in any direction. A marker may not pass over another. The winner is the first player to get three markers in any straight line across, down or diagonally, as long as it is not in the players original line. (The diagram is like an X & O game and to start the markers are in the three squares at the top and the three squares at the bottom.....middle line is clear.
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MORA (Italy) "Mora" means finger in Italian.
This is an old game which is very popular. Two players face each other and count in Italian, "Uno, duo, tre" and then shout out numbers between the two (this could be in English). At the same time they throw out any number of fingers on one hand. The player who accurately guesses the total number of fingers is the winner.
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SILENCE IS GOLDEN (Egypt)
Divide the girls into two teams and form two circles. Chose a queen (leader) for each team. The queen lightly tickles the player on her left who then tickles the next player, and so on around the circle. When the action is all around the circle, the queen starts a new action. This continues until someone on either team makes a sound. The team which keeps silent the longest is the winning team.
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CARTOUCHE NAME TAGS (Egypt)
MATERIALS: Salt clay (made from 2 cups flour, 1 cup salt, 2 tablespoons mineral oil and 2 cups boiling water), gold paint, toothpicks, pictures of hieroglyphics, string.
When archaeologists study hieroglyphics, they know that a cartouche, the symbol s with an oval frame around them, indicate the name of someone. Give each girl some salt clay to shape into a flat oval. Make a hole for hanging at one end. Paint with gold paint. When it is dry, use the toothpicks to scratch hieroglyphics into it. Use a piece of string through the hole to hang it around the neck.
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ITALIAN KIM'S GAME (Italy)
Give each small group a copy of the map of Italy. Play Kim's game using this map.
After letting the groups study the maps for a given length of time, have them turn the map over and then ask questions such as:-
Which body of water lies to the south of Italy?
What city is almost in the centre of Italy?
What mountains lie in the north of Italy?
What is the name of island which looks like it is a soccer ball being kicked by Italy?
What colour is the country to the east of Italy on this map? etc.
To check, have the groups look at the map again and then repeat the questions so they can see if they had the correct answers. The give each girl a piece of paper and a pencil and challenge her to draw the outline of Italy. While all of them probably know it is shaped like a boot, let them see how close they can come to the actual outline.
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BUILD THE LEANING TOWER (Italy)
Materials: Toothpicks and lots of miniature marshmallows
The Leaning Tower is one of the three parts which make up the Cathedral of Pisa. it was built over 700 years ago and today it leans over more than four meters.
Give each team a supply of toothpicks and marshmallows and challenge them to build the Leaning Tower of Pisa. See which group can build the tallest, skinniest and the one which leans over the most without actually falling over.
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BOOT THROWING CONTEST (Italy)
Materials: A map of Italy, rubber boots or boots cut out of construction paper.
Show a map of Italy and discuss the fact that it is shaped like a boot, then have a "Let's throw Italy" contest using a rubber boot or boots cut out of heavy paper. Who can throw Italy the farthest?
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PASTA NECKLACES (Italy)
Materials: Different kinds of pasta, string, rubbing alcohol and food colouring (optional)
Pasta is the Italian word for dough and Italians love it. There are more than 500 different types, each having its own shape. Some names are clever reminders of these shapes. Linguini (little tongues), farfalle (butterflies) agnolitti (little fat lambs); tortellini (little twists) and bucatini (little holes). String as many different kinds of pasts as possible and wear as a necklace. The pasta can be coloured by pouring one half teaspoon of rubbing alcohol into a plastic sandwich bag along with a few drops of food colouring. Add the pasta, sell the bag and shake until dry.
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PELELE (Spain)
Materials: For each team, a blanket and a pelele (teddy bear or stuffed doll)
This activity is used by Spanish children to usher in spring. Place a teddy bear on a blanket which is held around the edges by all members of the team. As the girls chant the following verse, Pelele is tossed up as high as possible into the air (one toss for each line of the poem).
Pelele, Pelele your mother loves you,
And your father too,
We all love you, so up with you!
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MOON AND MORNING STARS (Spain)
This game could be played out of doors where a tree casts a long shadow. It is played inside mark a designated area to take the place of the shadow. One player is chosen to be the moon of IT, while the others are morning stars. The morning stars can run anywhere but the moon must always keep at least one foot inside the shadow. The stars run close to tease the moon. When the moon tags on of the morning stars, that player becomes the next moon.
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HOOPS (Greece)
Materials: A hoop and a ball for each person.
Divide the players into two teams. Each person has a small ball. One girl from each team is chosen to roll the hoop in front of the opposite team and those players try to throw their ball through the hoop without touching the sides. One point is scored for each successful throw. Then the other team tries.
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OLYMPIC BALL (Greece)
Materials: A ball for each team. Divide the girls into teams. Each team makes two lines facing each other. Two teams play against each other. The ball is tossed back and forth between the two lines of the same team. If a player drops the ball, the other team scores five point. The first team to get 50 points wins.
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AESOP'S FABLES (Greece)
Materials: Book with Aesop's fables Read, tell or help the girls to dramatise some of Aesop's fables and discuss the morals. Some suitable fables include The Hare and the Tortoise (slow and steady wins the race), The Lion and the Mouse (Even the weak can be strong, or The Shepherd's Boy and the Wolf (people will not believe a liar, even when he tells the truth) Try charades with other well know proverbs; Honesty is the best policy, Kindness is better than cruelty, look before you leap, haste makes waste, etc.
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CHEF MANDA (The Chief Orders...) (Brazil)
This is the Brazilian form of "Simon Says". One Daisy is chosen to be the speaker. She stands in front of all the others and gives orders for her troop to follow. For example, she says, "The chief orders you to laugh" Everyone laughs. If she says instead, "(S)he orders you to laugh", none of the players should laugh. The consequences for following an order that the "chief" did not give are to drop out. Seem familiar?
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PAILITO VERDE (Green Stick) (Colombia)
The person who is "it' carries a green stick or some such object. The other players form a standing circle facing inward, with hands behind their back. The girl who is 'it' walks around the outside of the circle and randomly select someone as chaser by putting the 'stick' in the chosen girl's hand. If the chaser touches the girl who was it before she gets fully around the circle, then 'it' must be 'it' again. Otherwise the chaser becomes 'it'.
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MAH KHA DIEW (Thailand)
Mah Kha Diew (pronounced mah kah DEE-o) is a tag game using your feet. The name of the game actually means, "horse with one leg".
Number of players: 4 or more
What you'll need: chalk
How to play:
1.Draw a circle with chalk. Make it large enough for all the players to hop in and out of a diameter 3 to 6 feet (1 to 3 meters).
2.Choose somebody to be it.
3.It stands inside the circle.
4.Players move in and out of the circle by hopping.
5.Players inside the circle can be tagged by It. But It can only use her foot.
6.As It tries to tag the players, they can run inside the circle or hop to get out of it.
7.Once It tags a player, that player becomes It. Found in Games Around the World.
The Brownies and many Juniors seemed to enjoy the tag game. However, other Juniors and most Cadets preferred Thai jacks played with pebbles/stones that fit in your hand. Pick 5 stones and throw them on the ground. Now select another stone. Throw this in the air and pick up a stone. Do this for each stone, i.e., ones-y. When you get them all, take the stones in your hand. Flip your hand tossing them up in the air and catch the stones. The number of stones you catch is how many points you get. Do this for 2s, 3s,... Found in Jacks Around the World.
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HISTORY OF THE MOVEMENT RELAY
Give each circle, patrol, (whatever your group divides into) a name or names from the list below:
1.Robert Baden-Powell (8)
2.Agnes Baden-Powell (3)
3.Olave Baden-Powell (4)
4.Boy Scouts (4)
5.Girl Scouts (5)
6.Girl Guides (5)
7.Thinking Day (3) (everybody runs)
The (numbers) indicate how many times that person runs. On the word 'Thinking Day' the whole (patrol) join hands and run together. Read the story aloud, giving the girls time to run down the room, around a chair and back to their Patrol), before proceeding. This game can be scored if desired.
In 1907, ROBERT BADEN-POWELL, who had returned from the Boer War with ideas for the training of boys, ran an experimental camp on Brownsea Island. The following year, he published 'Scouting for Boys', and all over the country boys began meeting together and calling themselves BOY SCOUTS. In September, 1909, Scouts attended the Rally at Crystal Palace. At the march pass, ROBERT BADEN-POWELL noticed at the back a group of girls. "Who are you?" he asked. "We are GIRL SCOUTS", they replied. "But there aren't any GIRL SCOUTS", Robert said. "Yes there are, for we are they", the girls replied.
ROBERT BADEN-POWELL realised that something would have to be done for the girls, so he asked his sister, AGNES BADEN-POWELL to organise them as GIRL GUIDES; in 1910 the first companies were registered, the first being Miss AGNES BADEN-POWELL'S own.
In 1912, ROBERT BADEN-POWELL began an eight-month tour, visiting BOY SCOUTS in West Indies, Australia, and New Zealand. On board ship, he met Olave St. Clair Saomes, and by the end of the journey they were engaged. They married on October 30, 1912 and their wedding gift from the BOY SCOUTS was a motor car, for which each Scout gave one penny.
OLAVE BADEN-POWELL quickly became involved in her husband's Scouting Activities.
By this time the country was at war and ROBERT BADEN-POWELL had offered his services, although he was close to sixty years of age. The King told him that his work with the BOY SCOUTS was more important. In 1920 he was proclaimed Chief Scout of the World. OLAVE BADEN-POWELL had been acclaimed Chief Guide in 1918.
In 1926, a French Guider made a suggestion that, since ROBERT BADEN-POWELL and OLAVE BADEN-POWELL shared the same birthday, February 22nd, this day was a special day to all GIRL GUIDES and GIRL SCOUTS around the world. In 1927, THINKING DAY began to be celebrated.
Following an idea of a Belgian Guider in 1931, everyone was encouraged to give one penny on that day towards the THINKING DAY fund.
So - now you know that Guiding began in 1910, founded by ROBERT BADEN-POWELL and AGNES BADEN-POWELL, and that every year GIRL GUIDES and GIRL SCOUTS throughout the world celebrate the joint birthday of ROBERT BADEN-POWELL and his wife OLAVE BADEN POWELL on the 22nd of February, THINKING DAY.
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CROSS-CULTURAL EXPERIENCE FANTASY
Your family has decided that they can no longer live in Canada. There are no jobs and the prospect of finding jobs in very slim. Your family has discussed where to move to and because one of your neighbours moved to India last year and was able to find a job the decision has been made to move your family to India. They have chosen you to go ahead, find a job and someplace for them to stay and they will follow you in about 6 months. The day has arrived for you to leave and you have said your good-byes to your family and friends and are now seated on the aeroplane waiting for take off. The person sitting beside you says: "Is this your first trip to India? You reply, "Yes" and the person says, " what do you know about India?"
1. Write three things you say:
You have a very smooth flight to India, when you arrive at Customs; you hand your passport to the Customers Officer. He shakes his head, says something you do not understands, points over to another Officer and you have to haul all your stuff over there you do not understand anything they are saying to you.
2. What do you feel?
They finally appear to be satisfied with your passport and you are allowed out into the people filled airport. You look all around and cannot see anyone that even looks vaguely familiar. The family who moved here last year are suppose to be here to pick you up. You cannot find them.
3. What do you feel?
You have waited two hours and you no idea what you should do. You just sit and wait. You look around you at the people in their strange clothes, with their strange language that you cannot understand.
4. What do you feel as you look and listen?
People seem to be looking at you strangely and you begin to worry about what to do if these people do not come soon. As the people look at you...
5. What do you think they are thinking?
The family you have been waiting for finally arrive, full of explanations as to why they are late. They take you to their home, which is only a very small apartment and tell you that you are welcome to say there for a few days until you can find a job and a place to live.
6. What do you feel?
7. What do you want them to say?
They tell you that they know of a place that is hiring and that they will take you there the next day to see if you can get a job.
8. What kind of job do you expect to get?
The company says yes they will hire you and that you can start the next day. It is a shoe factory and you will be cutting out the leather for the tops of the shoes. You are to stand at a machine, which has very sharp blades, and if you do not move the blade very accurately you ruin the leather and the shoe cannot be made and you could possibly cut yourself very severely. You are not sure that you understand exactly what to do as the person who explained your job did not speak English very well and was very hard to understand. You worked in an office back home and have never had to stand all day to work.
9. Briefly list your impressions of your first day:
The other people in the factory are not very friendly and because you cannot speak their language you are finding it difficult to make any friends.
10. List your efforts:
You have been looking for a place to live, because there is not enough room for you at your friends. You have two choices. You can move in with a family who are from Canada or you can move in with an Indian family.
11. Which do you choose and why?
You are taking language classes at night and trying very hard to learn to speak their language but there are so many dialects that you find you cannot understand anything. You try very hard but feel you will never learn the new language. You get to work one morning and they tell you that they have made a rule that says you must speak their language and that you can no longer speak English at work.
12.a. What is your first thought?
12.b. When would you find yourself breaking the rule?
Christmas is fast approaching, Your family will not be with you for Christmas but the family you live with is very friendly and will help you get through Christmas.
13. List two other times when you would feel homesick?
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COMPASS GAME
Each girl brings a chair or sit-upon into the circle. Divide the circle into the 8 points of the compass. Leave a clearly defined space between each point. When each section is called, for instance, NORTH, they stand up, turn around and then sit down. Each section does the same thing when their compass point is mentioned. When the story teller says WORLD, each player moves (clockwise) over one chair. Each player should note which section they are now occupying.
THE STORY -- The Wedding
A big important wedding is being held this year. The daughter of King NORTH is being married to the son of King SOUTH. It is going to be a very grand affair with guests from all parts of the WORLD.
From the land of the rising sun, the Emperor of the EAST and his wife, the Empress, and from the other side of the WORLD, King and Queen WEST with the little Prince NORTHEAST and the Princess SOUTHWEST.
The bridegroom, son of King SOUTH, has invited his cousin SOUTHEAST to be the best man. The bride, daughter of King NORTH, has asked her best friend, NORTHEAST, who is also a cousin of SOUTHEAST, to be Maid of Honour.
The Queen of the NORTH was very busy trying to find places for the visitors from all over the WORLD to stay. The Emperor EAST and his wife the Empress EAST had brought so many servants to wait on them, that the little town was beginning to be very overcrowded. To add to the confusion, King and Queen WEST had brought so much luggage that it took 3 wagons to haul it to the NORTH palace. Queen NORTH looked quite worried; where in the WORLD was she to put it all?
In the last wagon, Prince NORTHWEST and Princess SOUTHWEST had put all their pets which they couldn't bear to leave behind. Four SOUTHWEST cats, four big dogs (which came from the other side of the WORLD), and a cow and a goat from the EAST. The cousins SOUTHEAST and NORTHEAST thought they were very odd things to bring halfway across the WORLD to a wedding.
At last the great day dawned, beautiful and sunny. The procession started to go to the NORTH Cathedral from NORTH Palace, and people from all over the WORLD cheered. After the ceremony in NORTH Cathedral, the procession returned to the NORTH Palace for the wedding breakfast.
First came King NORTH, with Queen SOUTH on his arm. Next came King SOUTH with Queen NORTH. Following then came King and Queen WEST, with Prince NORTHWEST and Princess SOUTHWEST. Looking very grand in their silk robes were the Emperor of the EAST and the Empress of the EAST. The guests from this part of the WORLD came next. Cousins SOUTHEAST and NORTHEAST then appeared. Then came the moment the whole WORLD had been waiting for. The beautiful bride, daughter of king NORTH, and the handsome bridegroom, son of King SOUTH, were standing in the doorway. Guests from all over the WORLD threw confetti and rice as they ran down the steps to the famous NORTH glass coach.
After the wedding breakfast at NORTH Palace, the bride and groom left on their honeymoon around the WORLD. Prince NORTHWEST had tied an old boot on the back of the car, and Princess SOUTHWEST had printed "Just Married" on the front.
The whole WORLD laughed and cheered and waved good-bye and good luck, along with Prince NORTHWEST, Princess SOUTHWEST, Cousins NORTHEAST and SOUTHEAST, Emperor and Empress EAST, King and Queen SOUTH, and finally King and Queen NORTH.
So ends a happy and exhausting day!
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PREDATOR/PREY
This is a complicated game but very worthwhile for teaching the girls the basics of ecology and the food chain. In the introduction to the game, you should talk about the relationship between herbivorous (plant eating), omnivorous (everything-eating) and carnivorous (meat-eating) animals. You should also talk about some possible strategies that the three different types of animals use to survive in nature. More will become clear as I describe the basic set-up below.
Materials:
• 30 "Herbivore" life-rings (described below)
• 10 "Omnivore" life-rings
• 5 "Carnivore" life-rings,
• 5 water stations
• 5 food stations
• 45 file cards
• A whistle
• A watergun
• brown, green and red face paint
(These instructions are for a game with 50 players... if you have a different number of players try to keep the ratios of the different types of animals the same.)
The Set-up: The life rings basically show each player how many lives they have left. Herbivores get 10 lives each, omnivores 5 lives, and carnivores 2. What we found worked best for the life rings were to take coloured pieces of Bristol board, punch a hole in them, and thread them on to a pipe cleaner. Herbivores got 10 green cards, omnivores got 5 brown cards, and carnivores got 2 red cards. If you wish to use this game a number of times, I recommend waterproofing the cards with Mac-Tac. This also makes them more durable. On each life-ring there should also be attached one white file card.
The food and water stations are easily made out of a bright piece of construction paper or Bristol board, with the word "food" or "water" written on them. Attached to the station sign is a crayon on a string. Make sure that each station has a different colour crayon attached. When the players visit the food and water stations, they mark their file card with the crayon to prove they found it.
The play area should be as large as possible. Scatter the food and water stations throughout the play area, and try to make at least two of them very difficult to find. Use the face paint to mark each player and identify them as either herbivore (green paint), omnivore (brown paint) or carnivore (red paint).
The Rules: This is a survival game. Therefore, the only way to "win" is to still be alive at the end of the game. Each type of animal (herbivore, omnivore and carnivore) has different needs, which must be met in order to survive. Send the Herbivores out into the play area first, and give them at least a 10-minute head start on the others. The herbivores must find all the food and water stations in order to survive. Next, send out the omnivores. They must find all the water stations and at least two food stations. They must also catch at least four herbivores in order to survive. Herbivores are caught by being tagged, at which point the omnivore (or carnivore) takes one card from their life-ring. Carnivores are sent out next. They must find all the water stations and must catch at least ten other animals (can be either herbivores or omnivores).
At this point you should have 5 players left, unmarked. Send four of them out as Fire, Flood, Famine and Cold. These girls can tag any animal and take one life-card at a time. Their goal is to kill as many animals as possible. The last girl is given the water gun. She is Man. Man can hunt any animal and doesn't have to tag them to catch them: if she can hit them with water from the gun the animal is considered caught and must give Man as many life-cards as Man requests. Man can take all of the life-cards of any animal she catches except for the very last one. When an animal runs out of lives, she is out of the game and should return to the start point.
Let the game run for at least an hour, and longer if possible. At the end, call all the girls back with the whistle. You should also have a group discussion about the different strategies used by the players to survive. It is always interesting to find out what strategies the survivors of the game used, and to try and apply them to real life. For example: one time I ran the game we had a Carnivore whose strategy was to hide by one of the water stations, wait for other animals to come by, and ambush them. Lions, crocodiles and other top predators often use this strategy in nature! Neato!
Variations: You can also have one player circulate as Rabies or Disease. This girl should be equipped with a number of yellow Bristol board cards. When she tags a player, she takes one of their life cards and replaces it with a yellow card. When the infected player tags another animal, she can take two life-cards, and passes on her rabies card. Conversely, if the infected player is tagged by another animal, she can take one of her attacker's life-cards and passes on the rabies card. When the game is over, include in your discussion the effects of diseases on animals.
If you want to make the game really complicated, name all your animals! For example: in the Herbivores you can have Deer, Rabbit, Squirrel, etc., in the Omnivores you can have Racoon, Skunk, Bear, etc., and in Carnivores you can use Wolf, Owl, etc. As part of the survival game the players must find the mate of their species and trade some sort of "reproduction card". In your discussion afterwards, talk about the risks and dangers animals must face in the wild as they try to find a mate and reproduce.
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