Riddles/Word Games
Black Magic
Group size: Any
Supplies: None
Instruction: You need 2 instructors that know the game in order to play (or you can bring in 1 trustworthy camper to help out). Frame it however you want, but ultimately it’s a ‘mind reading’ game. Instructor 1 will step away from the group, and everyone will pick an object that this instructor will need to pick out of a list as the ‘chosen object’. When instructor 1 returns, instructor 2 will point out different objects near or around the group one at a time, asking if it is the ‘chosen object’. Instructor 1 will answer ‘no’ to each object until Instructor 2 points to the ‘chosen object’. The trick to black magic is that instructor 2 will point out a BLACK object before pointing to the ‘chosen object’. When instructor 2 points to a BLACK object, Instructor 1 will know that the next object that Instructor 2 points to will be the ‘chosen object’ that the group decided on. When Instructor 1 answers ‘yes’ to the ‘chosen object’ (remember: it's the object pointed to after the black object), it will give the illusion that Instructor 1 used “black magic” to know which object was the ‘chosen object’.
Tracker
Group size: Any (larger groups are harder/more fun)
Supplies: an object like a water bottle or bandana
Instruction: You need 2 instructors that know the game in order to play. Frame this game so that one instructor has an extremely sensitive sense of smell. That instructor will leave the group so they can’t see or hear anything. While they are gone, everyone in the group will rub their scent on the object of choice by touching it, creating ‘layers of scent’. Choose one camper to touch the water bottle LAST. When the tracker returns, they will smell the water bottle, then meander around to ‘sniff out’ the campers and be able to determine by the layered scents which camper it was that touched the water bottle last. The trick to Tracker is that the instructor that stays behind to monitor and facilitate the group is sitting EXACTLY the same way as the last camper to touch the bottle. When that camper switches positions, they do too. Everyone sits just differently enough that the last camper to touch the bottle can be singled out.
Pro-Tips: Come up with a ‘tell’ to your co-instructor so that when the tracker knows who it is, the instructor that stayed behind no longer has to sit the same way as the individual who last touched the water bottle.
Ancient Numbers
Group size: Any
Supplies: An assortment of small objects like sticks, markers, rocks
Instruction: The instructor will carefully arrange the objects in front of them, making it look like they are intentionally creating something with the objects (they can arrange them any way they’d like). When they are satisfied with their arrangement, they will tell the campers that in an ancient language, this was their numbering system, so what number is this? Keep playing (make new designs, new numbers, etc.) until someone figures it out! The trick is that after the instructor arranges the objects, they are putting their hands down on their knees/on the ground/on the table showing a number of fingers, which is the number. For example, if you want them to guess three, after arranging the sticks, rest your hands on the ground with 3 fingers out on 1 hand and the rest tucked into your fist. Instructors should make their hand placement look natural so as to not be obvious and give away the game too quickly. Tell the campers to not shout it out if they figure it out. If some campers figure it out, have them try it on some of their camper friends.
Four Is The Magic Number
Group size: Any
Supplies: None
Instruction: You tell campers that four is the magic number. They can tell you any whole number between one and one hundred and you will tell them how that number is really four. For example, let’s do sixty-seven. Sixty-seven is actually ten, ten is actually three, three is five, five is four, and four is the magic number. Another example: twenty is actually six, six is three, three is five, five is four, and four is the magic number. The trick is that you are counting the letters that spell out that number, and four is the magic number because the word four is spelled with four letters, so you can eventually get there no matter what word you start with.
The Blue Moon
Group size: Any
Supplies: a stick or pen
Instruction: Tell campers that drawing the blue moon is not something that everyone can do, so you want to see if they can do it! Ask someone to hand you a stick, and say thank you. Then say ‘this is the blue moon’ while you draw an imaginary thing in the air. Challenge campers to try. The way they draw ‘the blue moon’ is by saying ‘thank you’ to the person who handed them the pen/stick.
The Stick Game
Group size: Any
Supplies: 2 sticks
Instruction: Start the game in a seated circle. Ask someone to hand you two sticks, and say ‘thank you’. You will then proceed to play the stick game by saying ‘I can play the stick game, stick game, stick game, I can play the stick game, how ‘bout you?’ while waving the sticks around, crossing them, etc. Then hand the sticks off to someone who wants to try. The way that you play the stick game correctly is by saying ‘thank you’ the person who hands you the sticks. You can do whatever crazy motions you want with the sticks!
Green Glass Door
Group size: Any
Supplies: None
Instruction: Describe to the group that there are only certain items that can go through the green glass door, and you have to come up with as many things as possible that can go through the green glass door. The trick to the green glass door is only words that have double letters in them can go through the green glass door. So puppies can go through the green glass door, but dogs can’t. A green ball can, but a purple cube can’t. Slippers but not flip flops. Give the kids a few examples of things that can and can’t go through the green glass door, and then see if they can come up with some things on their own! You can stretch this game out all day or even all week.
Bust a Rhyme
Group size: Any
Supplies: None
Instruction: Players form a big circle. The leader (instructors’ choice) is the rhyme master. The rhyme master says a word, and the person to their right is going to say a word that rhymes with it. The rhyme will pass around the circle until it gets back to the leader. If the group is successful, then the person to the leader's right becomes the new rhyme master. If someone makes a mistake or uses a word that is not in the dictionary, provide some punishment for the whole group. (Ex: 10 jumping jacks, everyone does a headstand, etc.). In this instance, the player who made the mistake will become the new rhyme master.
Storyteller
Group size: Any
Supplies: None
Instruction: Have players form a circle. All players are storytellers! They will be creating a story together as a group. Select a story leader. The leader will start by saying one word, and the person to their right will then add another word that connects to it like a story. This pattern will continue throughout the game. Reinforce that the goal is to create a cohesive story. Players should choose words that link together, not trip each other up. See how silly, ridiculous AND cohesive a story you can come up with! This is a great game to play while having lunch, riding in the van, or any other restful period.
Magical Umbrella
Group size: Any
Supplies: None
Instruction: Start by saying the riddle “um. I have a magical umbrella. It’s *insert color or pattern here* and when I spin it around it turns *insert different color or pattern here* What color does it turn next?” The key is to say
ummmmm before saying the riddle (magical UMMbrella) Have campers guess, and tell them if they are right
or wrong. Then let them try ‘holding the umbrella.’ Play around with crazy patterns like purple with green
dinosaurs on it, orange polka dots, etc.
The Rose
Group size: Any
Supplies: None
Instruction: This game can be played many ways with different objects. Say “If I have a rose and I give it to Courtney and she gives it to Samantha and she gives it to Emma, who has the rose?” The person who has the rose is the first
person to speak after you finish saying the question. So if you ask the question, and Courtney says “it’s
_____,” then you could say “no it’s you Courtney.” This one can be a little slow at first until a few people pick
up on it, but then it’s super fun!
Pay Attention
Group size: Any
Supplies: None
Instruction:Say “Pay attention. If those (point to them) are shoes, and those are shoes, and those are shoes, are these shoes?” Point to a few pairs of shoes, and then for the last object, you can either point at shoes or anything
else. The key is to say the phrase ‘pay attention’ before you speak. If you do, then the answer is yes, if not, the
answer is no. So if you finish by pointing at a real pair of shoes, but you don’t say ‘pay attention’, then they are
not shoes. But if you point at a tree at the end and say, ‘pay attention’, then the tree is shoes.
Right Party
Group size: Any
Supplies: None
Instruction: Say “I’m throwing a party, but it’s not just any party, it’s the right party at the right place at the right time with the right people and the right snacks and the right clothes.” Then explain what you will be wearing to the party.
Have campers try and tell them if they can wear it to your party or not. The clothes allowed to the party are
whatever the person to your right is wearing.
Water Jug Game
Group size: Any
Supplies: A water bottle
Instruction: Hold a water bottle in your hand and tell the group that they must try and say exactly what you say. Clear your throat (this is the important part) then say, while pointing at the parts of the bottle (or any object) “this is the top of the water bottle, the side of the water bottle, the bottom of the water bottle”. It does not matter what order you say it in or what you are pointing to, the point is that they must clear their throat, before speaking. This will teach them to be aware of more than just the obvious.