Alaskan Baseball

1. Supplies: A Ball

2. Teams: 2

3. Rules:

• One camper is given a throwable object.

• Their team then forms a circle around them and that person throws the object.

• After he/she has thrown the object then he/she goes around the circle saying everyone's name in order of the circle.

• Every time he makes it around the circle it counts as a run.

• Meanwhile the other team is chasing the object.

• Everyone forms a line behind the first person that has gotten the object.

• They then pass the object between their legs until it reaches the last person, where it is then passed overhead back to the first person in line.

• When the first person gets the object the team yells out, and the other team stops counting runs.

• The first person in line that retrieved the object now has a circle formed around him and he throws the object and the process reverses.

Alaskan Kickball

1. Supplies: Multiple Balls

2. Teams: 2

3. Rules, Version 1:

• Teams start on the field.

• One team starts with a variety of balls at "home base" and the other starts in the "outfield."

• The first “batter” throws every ball in every which way – when they have thrown the last ball, they start running the bases while the other team tries to get all of the balls to home base as fast as possible.

• The batter keeps running bases until all of the balls are on home base the other team yells STOP – the number of bases they run is their number of points.

• Switch fields and tally up points.

4. Rules, Version 2:

• Two teams each have one ball.

• The batter is pitched/kicks the ball.

• The other team has to get to the ball and form a line – they have to pass it over-under until they get to the end of the line, then yell STOP.

• The batting team gets a point for every base their batter was able to run in the meantime.

Backboard/Jedi Dodgeball/Secret Agent

1. Supplies: Dodgeballs, Cones, Pool Noodle

2. Teams: 2

3. Rules:

• The goal of the game is to get the other team out.

• If you get hit by someone on the other team, you are out.

• You cannot cross the middle line.

• Both teams start at the wall before the whistle is blown to start the game.

• Backboard Dodgeball:

  1. 1. 1. Someone gets back in when a member of the team hits the backboard on the other team’s side – If they make a basket, EVERYONE on that team who is out gets back in.

• Jedi/Secret Agent Dodgeball: 

  1. 1. 1. One person is chosen to be the Jedi or Secret Agent.

        2. The Agent/Jedi can tag their teammates back in when they get out.

        3. In Secret Agent, the team tries to hide who the Agent is from the other team.

        4. In Jedi, the Jedi gets a pool noodle for extra reach in tagging teammates back in.

        5. Only the secret agent or the jedi gets back in when their teammate hits the opposite team's backboard.

• In secret agent and jedi, someone is chosen to be the person who can tag their teammates back in when they get out – in secret agent, the team tries to hide who it is from the other team, in jedi, the player gets a pool noodle for extra reach.

4. Setup:

• Square with line of dodgeballs down middle to split up for two teams.

Barnyard Hunt

1. Supplies: Multiple Objects to hide

2. Teams: ~4

3. Rules:

• Hide 4 different sets of different objects in a play area. Items can vary from change to balls and cones to clothing items.

• Make four teams and assign a team leader to each team.

• Each team is given a barnyard animal and must make that sound (pig, chicken, duck, cow, etc.).

• Each group is then assigned one object (Ducks get the cones, etc.).

• Start the game by sending the teams out into the play area to find their object. The players can spread out and look independently, but only the LEADER can pick up the object.

• When someone from the team finds their object, they begin to make their team's sound, until the leader comes over to collect the object. It is usually helpful for players from the same team to make their sound together to ensure that the leader hears them over the other teams

• The team with the most collected objects at the end of a designated time period wins!

Bucket Ball

1. Supplies: Dodgeballs, Cones, Throwable Objects

2. Teams: 2

3. Rules:

• The goal is to have placed the most items in the other team's bucket when the time is called.

• Guards have to be arm’s length away from the buckets.

• You must throw the designated objects into the other team's bucket without being hit by a dodgeball.

• If you are hit, you must take your object all the way back across the midline and start over.

• There are no outs.

4. Setup:

• Square with line of cones to split the room into halves.

Blind Obstacle Course

1. Materials: One blindfold per team (use a towel or shirt), Cones/Buckets, Object for retrieval

2. Setup:

   • The area should have objects scattered around to create an obstacle course. Can be done on the field if available or in the huddle room.

3. Rules:

• Split the group into two teams.

• Select one camper to be blindfolded per team.

• Put the blindfolded camper at the start line.

• The rest of the team may be staggered around the course.

• Once they begin, their teammates must guide them through the obstacle course to retrieve the object.

• They may then race back to the start line with the object.

• Repeat as time allows.

Capture the Flag

1. Materials: Two flags (or another object for retrieval)

2. Set Up:

   • Divide players into two teams.

   • Designate a "flag" or other object for each team and a "jail" area for each team.

   • Mark the boundaries of both teams and the dividing line.

   • Place the flag at the center of the back of each team's area (their "base").

3. Rules

   • Each team tries to capture the other team's flag and return it to their base.

   • Players can only tag once the opponent has crossed into their territory.

   • All tagged players go to jail and have to wait for a teammate to tag them free.

   • If someone is tagged free from jail, both them and the person who tagged them free get a free walk back to their base.

     1. • Neither player may make a run for the flag.

   • The flag cannot be passed once retrieved - the person who grabbed it must run it the whole way back.

   • Players must return the opponent's flag to their side to win.

Clean Your Room

1. Supplies: Dodgeballs, Cones, Throwable Objects

2. Teams: 2

3. Rules:

• The goal is to have none of the objects left on your side when the time is called.

• During the time allotted, throw all of the balls, jerseys, objects etc. onto the other team's side.

4. Setup:

• Square with line of cones to split the room into halves.

Color Dodgeball

1. Supplies: Dodgeballs; Cones

2. Teams: 3-5 teams

3. Rules:

• The goal is to get everyone on the other teams out.

• Divide everyone into the number of teams that matches an even division of dodgeballs by color (likely that not everyone on a team will get a dodgeball).

• You are ONLY allowed to touch YOUR colored dodgeballs – if you get hit by someone else’s dodgeball, you are out (normal dodgeball rules).

• If you get out, you have to go out of bounds and help throw the balls back into bounds. Players who are still in cannot go out of bounds even to retrieve a ball.

• Last team to have players standing wins!

4. Setup:

• Separate equal amounts of dodgeballs by color in different areas of the gym (one per team).

Color-Bucket Toss

1. Supplies: Buckets, Dodgeballs, Cones/Markers

2. Teams: Individual or number to match colors of dodgeballs

3. Rules:

• In set time frame, see how many of the dodgeballs campers can toss into their bucket.

• If they miss, they can go and get the dodgeball, by they have to go back to the distance marker to throw again.

• At the end of the round, see how many each camper was able to get in.

• For additional rounds, move bucket further back and/or shorten time frame.

4. Set-Up:

• Buckets in a row with distance markers for campers to line up behind (one per camper).

• Single color of dodgeball (make numbers of each match) at each cone/distance marker.

Counselor’s Revenge

1. Supplies: Dodgeballs, Cones

2. Teams: 2

3. Rules:

• The goal is to get everyone out

• There is a team of ‘counselors’ who are the only ones allowed to get people out and touch the dodgeballs.

• If anyone who is not the ‘counselors’ touches a dodgeball, they are out.

• In this version, tagging is allowed.

• You get back in by having someone on your team tag you back in.

• Play in timed rounds – if everyone is out, the ‘counselors’ win, if there are still people in, the non-counselors win.

• Can play as zombies v humans, cops v robbers, etc.

• Rotate who are the ‘taggers’ (boys v girls, campers v counselors, birthdays in January – June v July – December, etc.).

4. Setup:

• Square of cones

Crab Soccer

1. Supplies: Beach Balls

2. Teams: 2

3. Rules:

• The goal is to score the most goals with the beach balls.

• The game can be played by everyone at the same time or by assigning numbers and having individual people or groups play against one another.

• Regular soccer rules, except everyone has to walk like a crab.

• No goalies

4. Set up

• Soccer field or set up mats/cones to make goals in the gym.

“Don’t Wake the Dragon” Cross the Ocean

1. Rules: 

   • The kids pretend that they are all residents of a village captured by a dragon that is now asleep. The dragon is a counselor who has their back turned and is laying down, pretending to sleep.

   • They need to cross the village in a set order (height, birthday, etc.). 

   • They have to arrange themselves according to the order without talking to each other and waking the dragon. The dragon (counselor) should stir more and more depending on the volume of the campers.

   • Once they have it, they yell BOO to wake up the dragon who then checks their order.

   • If it is correct, they can cross in safety (between set up cones) – if not, they get EATEN by the dragon.

     1. • Getting "eaten" can mean campers must still cross the area and can now get tagged OR it can mean the round must start over entirely.

Four Country Capture the Flag

1. Supplies: 8 Dodgeballs (minimum), 4 Hula Hoops, Cones

2. Teams: 4

3. Rules:

• The goal is to have ALL the dodgeballs OR be the first team to get one of each country's dodgeball.

• Campers run into other countries’ territory to steal their dodgeballs.

• If you get tagged, you have to cross into another territory – can be any other territory, as long as it is not the one you are currently in.

• Can play with jail rules:

  1. 1. • Those who are tagged must go to a designated area of "jail" and can only exit when one of their teammates runs over and tags them free.

• You can only steal one dodgeball at a time and you cannot throw any dodgeballs to another teammate.

• You must be arm’s length from the hula hoop you are defending.

4. Set up:

•  Four hula hoops in each corner of the gym with two dodgeballs in them, cones dividing the gym into four quadrants.

Grinches v. Whos

1. Supplies: Dodgeballs, Cones

2. Teams: 2

3. Rules: 

• The goal is to have the most “presents” (dodgeballs) on your side by the end of the round.

• Play in 5-10 minute rounds.

• If you get tagged while trying to get a present, you have to cross back over to your side before you can try again OR you can play jail rules.

• Guards must be an arm’s length from the dodgeballs.

• No tossing dodgeballs to other teammates; you must run the dodgeballs across on your own.

• Special Roles:

• Grinches can take two dodgeballs at a time.

• Who can demand three presents, once per round.

  1. 1. 1. 1. They cannot do this if there are 3 or fewer dodgeballs

           2. Grinches must give the presents without delay

4. Set up:

• Rectangle with line of cones down the middle.

• Line of 10-14 cones on each side, each team starts with 5-7 dodgeballs on their side.

Il Presidente

1. Supplies: Cones, Hula Hoops, Dodgeballs, 2 Jerseys 

2. Teams: 2-4

3. Rules:

• The goal is to collect your “State Secrets” (dodgeballs) and save your “President” (hostage).

• Campers run from their side to either steal back their dodgeballs or rescue their President.

• Campers can take one dodgeball at a time OR they can try to tag their President out.

• Once a President has been tagged, the President can make a break for the other side - if they get tagged, they have to go back to their jail.

• If a runner gets tagged, they have to cross back to their side before they can run again - if they had a dodgeball, they have to hand it back to the other team.

• One team wins once they have all the dodgeballs and their President back on their side.

4. Set-Up:

   • 10-14 Dodgeballs setup on either side of a midline.

   • One hula hoop on either side to serve as the President's jail.

Keeper of the Castle

1. Supplies: 4 Hula-Hoops or 4 circles made with Cones; ‘Treasure’

2. Teams: 5 

3. Rules:

• The goal is to get the treasure from the ‘castle.’ 

• There are four teams of ‘thieves’ and one team of 'keepers' who are trying to defend the castle.

• Players from the four teams will run to the castle and try to steal treasure and bring it back to their base.

• If a player gets tagged while trying to steal the treasure, they have to go back to their base before they can begin playing again.

4. Setup:

• 5 hula hoops around the gym with "treasure."

Lava-Walk

1. Supplies: Cone outlined section of field, filled with polydots

2. Teams: n/a

3. Rules:

• The goal is to get everyone to cross the lava field without stepping on the lava! 

• If a team member steps on the lava (the ground), then everyone has to go back to the beginning and start over.

• Everyone holds hands and has to walk across the polydots to get to the other side.

• Only one person on a polydot at a time.

• The game ends when everyone has cross successfully.

Musical Hoops

1. Supplies: Hula Hoops, Bluetooth Speaker, Phone, Cones

2. Set-Up:

• Hula hoops (one hoop per camper minus 1) set out around field in a circle (or at least within circle of cones)

3. Rules:

• Same as musical chairs.

• Campers walk around the circle of cones.

• They cannot cross the line of cones until the music stops.

• When the music stops, they have to get inside a hoop; only one camper is allowed inside a hoop at a time.

• The camper who doesn’t make it is eliminated and one hula hoop is removed.

• More rounds are completed until there is one winner.

Nature Scavenger Hunt

1. Supplies: Nature Card Deck

2. Rules:

   • Play will happen on the old Low Ropes course.

   • One counselor needs to be stationed at the start of the trail, one in the middle, and one at the end to supervise.

     1. • You can also move along the trail while supervising. Whichever method works best to keep eyes on all kids at the same time is fine.

   • Each camper is given an initial card and they have to go find something that matches the card.

     1. • I would suggest giving a stack of cards to all of the staff present to keep the congestion low.

   • Once they find the item, they need to bring it back to you in order to get their next card. If it's too big to lift, they need to bring a staff member to it.

   • Play until the cards run out.

   • If you want to make it a contest, have them keep track of how many cards they have gotten through. Highest number wins.

Sheep and Shepherd

1. Supplies: Blindfolds, Cones

2. Teams: 2-5/pairs

3. Rules:

• In smaller teams, blindfolded members must be guided into a “pen” by the shepherd giving them verbal commands. 

• The team that pens the most amount of sheep in the quickest time wins.

Snowball Fight

1. Supplies: Dodgeballs, Hula Hoops, cones, Bowling Pins

2. Teams: 2

3. Rules, Version 1:

• The goal is to knock over the other team’s bowling pins before they knock over yours!

• You cannot crossover to the other side, you have to throw from your side.

• This is not a dodgeball game, so there are no outs – you can block those dodgeballs however you want!

• Everyone has to be at least arm’s length from the hula hoops around the pins.

• Once a pin is knocked over, it cannot be re-set, even if it was knocked over by someone on your own team.

• Once there is only one pin left on a team there is no more guarding; you have to be at least 3 GIANT steps from the pin.

4. Rules, Version 2:

• Split campers into two equal teams and establish a square playing boundary with equal sides.

• Teams strategically place pins in their playing area and spread themselves out as well.

• On "go", the campers try and knock down the cones or pins from the other teams side. They can only ROLL the ball to the other side. 

• Once a cone from the other side is knocked down, the player who knocked it down raises his/her hand and retrieves the pin and brings it to their side. 

• The side with all the pins, wins!

• Optional: If the ball hits a camper from knees to feet, that player goes to the other side to play for that team.

5. Setup:

• 3 hula hoops with a bowling pin inside.

• Gym split in half with cones.

Snowball-Bucket-Ball

1. Supplies: 2-4 Buckets, 4-6 Pins, Cones, Dodgeballs, other Bouncy Balls, Hula Hoops

2. Teams: 2 (can level up to a four team game)

3. Rules:

• Play exactly like Snowball Fight except the added goal is to get as many of the balls as possible in the buckets.

Star Wars

1. Supplies: Pool Noodles, Cones, Mats/Buckets, Dodgeballs, Hula Hoops

2. Teams: 3

3. Rules:

• The goal is to destroy the other team’s base, steal the other team’s secret plans, and free your hostage.

• The Rebels are trying to blow up the death star by throwing all of their blue dodgeballs in it and the Empire is trying to destroy the rebel base by throwing all their red dodgeballs into it.

• You can only use your team’s dodgeballs to destroy the other teams' base.

• To steal the other team’s secret plans (green/orange dodgeballs), throw in your ‘bombs,’ or free your hostage -  You have to cross over to the other side without getting tagged.

• If you get tagged, you have to cross back over to your side before you can try again.

• If a hostage gets tagged by their teammate, they have to crossover to their side without being taken hostage again (aka getting tagged).

• Certain people serve as Jedis and use pool noodles to tag people.

• Everyone has to be arm’s length from the hostages and dodgeballs they are guarding.

• Depending on time/numbers, you can also institute jail rules.

4. Setup:

Team Building Challenges

1. Choose as many of the following to fill the time:

   • Human Knot: Teams form a circle, grab random hands across the circle, and then try to untangle themselves without letting go of their hands.

   • Silent Line-Up: Without speaking, kids line up by birthday, height, age, or shoe size.

   • Pass the Hula Hoop: Campers hold hands in a circle with a hula hoop resting on two people’s arms. Without letting go of hands, they must pass the hoop all the way around.

   • Build-a-Story: Campers must sit in a circle. One person starts a story with one sentence. Each camper adds one sentence. You can add a rule like “must use a silly animal” to make it fun.

   • Group Spell: Counselors choose a word for campers to spell with their bodies. Make sure that it is long enough so everyone can participate. They can stand up or lie down to create the word.

   • Two Truths and a Lie: One person shares three statements about themselves. The other campers must listen and try to determine which statement is a lie. They can make their guess by voting for choice 1, 2, or 3 via raising their hands. After the vote, the person reveals which statement is false.

Veggie Tales Ball Retrieval

1. Supplies: Dodgeballs

2. Teams: 3-4 (shoot for an even number of dodgeballs per member of a team)

3. Rules:

• Campers have to race and retrieve the dodgeball at the end of the lane and bring it back to their group…without using their hands or arms.

• They can use their feet and legs but they CANNOT kick the dodgeball.

• Once they have made it back to their team, the next person can go.

• The team to have all their dodgeballs back on their side and every team member sitting, wins.

Word Hoops

1. Supplies: Hoops, Cones

2. Teams: n/a

3. Rules: 

• Campers are given a Code-Word (can be anything).

• When the counselor says start, they begin walking around the circle of cones - they can’t cross into the hula hoops until they hear the Code Word.

• While they are walking, the counselor says other words (can be in same category, ex: other foods, but should make some really close to Code Word).

• When the campers hear the Code Word, they can cross the cones and try to get in a hula hoop - one camper per hula hoop.

• Last camper in is eliminated and new round begins.

4. Set-up:

• Circle of cones outside of the hula hoops.

Amoeba Tag

1. Rules:

• Two people are it. They hold hands and chase people.

• Any person they catch joins the chain by linking hands.

• When another person is caught they can stay together or spilt 2 and 2, but they must split even numbers and can link together at will.

• This game is played until nobody is left.

Back to Back Tag

1. Rules:

• Two people hold hands start off as being "it.”

• They can try to tag any other player but they can only use their free hands.

• When they tag someone, that person joins onto them by holding hands.

• Other players can only be tagged with one of the two free hands.

• Players are safe from being tagged if they find another player and stand back to back with them.

• They can stand back to back and be safe for only 10 seconds before they can be tagged.

Butterfly-Bee Tag

1. Supplies: Dodgeballs, Pool Noodle

2. Teams: 2

3. Rules:

• Give 2 people the pool noodle “stingers” and designate them as the bees.

• All the other people are the butterflies.

• The bees must go around stinging the butterflies with the pool noodles.

• A butterfly that has been stung must stop where it is and freeze.

• For a butterfly to heal, 2 untagged butterflies must link arms around the injured butterfly and escort them to a designated area in the middle where the bees cannot go. The injured butterfly will count out loud to 5 and then can get back into the game. 

• The game ends when all the butterflies are stung.

• Butterflies that are escorting another butterfly cannot be tagged.

• No butterfly can hide out in the safe area.

Crows and Cranes Tag

1. Teams: 2

2. Rules:

• Have teams face each other across an imaginary line – can use cones or soccer line.

• Assign one side to be "Crows" and the other to be "Cranes.”

• The leader stands at the end of the group in the center so all players can see and hear him/her. 

• The leader calls out either "Crows" or "Cranes."

• If "Crows" are called, the Cranes must turn and run a short distance to their "base" before the Crows tag them.

• If any Cranes are tagged, they become Crows, and head to the other side for another round - The same applies when "Cranes" are called.

Dragon, Princess, Knight Tag

1. Teams: 2

2. Rules

• Campers form two lines at opposite ends of the playing area, and march towards each other saying “We're going to war! We're going to win!” until they reach the center of the field.

• The counselor in charge tells them to “HALT!” Each player should be facing a player on the other team. 

• On the count of three, the campers perform one of three motions (the whole team doing the SAME motion):

• DRAGON (arms raised above head, growling)

• PRINCESS (arms low at side like you're twirling a skirt, saying “oOOOOooOOO” in a girly voice)

• KNIGHT (arms held in front like you are gripping a sword)

• Dragons beat princesses; Knights beat Dragons; Princesses beat Knights.

• The team that wins chases the losing team back to their starting position. If a losing team member is tagged, they join the other team and the whole process starts all over

Giants, Wizards, Elves

1. Supplies: Cones

2. Teams: 2

3. Rules

• Each team gets in a huddle and picks what they want to be as a team: Giant, Wizard or Elf.

• Giants put their hands up over their heads, wizards put their hands our straight in front of them wiggling their fingers, and elves make pointy ears on their head with their pointer fingers.

• Once the teams have decided their character they want to be, they come up to the center spot and line up face to face.

• On the count of 3, everyone does whatever action their team picked.

• Giants beat elves, elves beat wizards and wizards beat giants.

• The team that wins the battle chases the other and tries to tag as many members on the other team as possible before they reach the safety zone.

• The members from the team that get tagged become a part of the other team.

• Set up: Line of cones, 2 designated safety zones.

Go Fish Tag

1. Supplies: Cones

2. Teams: 3-4

3. Rules

• Campers give their group a name and select a leader.

• The leaders pull cards that have ocean objects written or drawn on them. The cards are handed out to each team member.

• Each team takes turns deciding what object to call for, and from what team.

• The first team yells out, "Team __ do you have any__" If there are any members of that team with that card they must run to a base (wall or spot on the floor) before being tagged by any member of the calling team.

• If there are no members of that team with the object called for, team members yell, "Go fish!" and all team members from non-calling teams run for the base.

• If you get tagged you go to the other team. The game continues until one team has all members.

Container Ball

5. Supplies: Mats (4); Cones; Dodgeballs

6. Teams: 2 teams

7. Rules:

• The goal is to get the most dodgeballs into the other team’s ‘container’ by the end of the game.

• Players can throw dodgeballs into the container on the other team’s side from EITHER their own side OR they can cross over to the other team’s side and try to throw it from there.

• Teams are safe on their OWN side but NOT safe on the other team’s side.

• If a player crosses over into the other team’s territory, then they can be tagged – if they get tagged, then they have to go to the jail that is on that side.

• To get out of jail, they have to catch a dodgeball thrown to them from their teammate from their side – it can’t bounce or roll, they have to catch it out of the air.

• Once out of jail, a player has to first get off the mat and then they can:

  1. 1. 1. Try to get back to their side and to safety

        2. Try to throw the dodgeball into the container or into the basketball hoop on the enemy side.

• If that player gets it into the hoop, their team can take any balls that the other team has thrown into their container and use them for their own.

8. Setup:

Indiana Jones

1. Supplies: 5-10 pieces of "Treasure", Gym Mats that can be stood up as obstacles, Hula Hoop, Dodgeballs

2. Teams: 2

3. Rules:

• Build an obstacle course using large gym mats, positioned so that players can hide behind them. Mark off a starting line at one end.

• At the other end place a hula hoop to contain the "Treasure.”

• One team lines up at the starting line, while the second team lines up on the outside perimeter of the obstacle course with dodgeballs.

• On the word "GO!" from a counselor, the first team will send their first person to race to the end where the treasure awaits. 

• They may only bring back one piece of treasure at a time. 

• If they are hit by a dodgeball, they have "died" and can now only cheer the rest of their team on. If they are hit while returning with a piece of treasure, the treasure stays where they were hit.

• The object of the game is to see which team can retrieve the most treasure before all their players are knocked out. 

• If both teams retrieve all the treasure the winner is declared based on which team has fewer casualties.

• The team who is throwing the dodgeballs are allowed to move up and down the perimeter of the course.

Pacman/Line-Tag

1. Supplies: Pinnies

2. Teams: 3

3. Rules:

• The goal of a freezer is to get everyone out. The goal of an unfreezer or anyone tagged out is to remain unfrozen.

• Designate freezers (who get pinnies) and unfreezers.

• Everyone (including the freezers) has to stay on the lines and walk to avoid the freezers.

• You cannot line jump, you must be able to step onto the next line.

• You cannot go around frozen people if that means stepping off the lines.

• Unfreezers don’t have to stay on the lines, but can still get tagged if they get too close to freezers.

• Play in timed rounds. If there are still people unfrozen, the freezers lose. If everyone is frozen, the freezers win!

Scuba Diver

1. Supplies: Bowling Pins, Cones, Pinnies, Dodgeballs

2. Teams: 2 teams

3. Rules:

• The goal is to knock down all the pins on the other team’s side.

• Split the group into two teams.

• The gym will be split long ways down the middle.

• The pins are lined up on the ‘volleyball’ lines.

• The teams have to throw from behind their own pins.

• Only the ‘scuba’ diver (in a pinny) from each team can block the dodgeballs from the middle section.

• No blocking when there is just one pin left.

• After each round, you can increase the number of scuba divers to increase difficulty.

Yoshi

1. Supplies: Pinnies; 2 Mats or Cone Squares; Cones

2. Teams: 2 teams

3. Rules:

• The goal is to get everyone from your team to the mat on the opposite side.

• If you get tagged on the opposite team’s side, you sit down and are stuck.

• To get unstuck, someone from your team has to get to you without getting tagged and tag you back in.

• If tagged back in, both you and your teammate get a free walk back to your side.

• Players can come off of the mat to tag their teammate back in if they are stuck, but then they both have to walk back to their side.

• When YOSHI is yelled by a counselor, anyone who is sitting can get back up and everyone can run as fast as they can to the mat; The first team to have everyone on the mat wins.

4. Setup:

• Cones splitting gym in half, mat or cone squares underneath basketball hoops on each side.

Icebreakers are a great way for campers to get to know each other and begin building friendships. You will have time for these during each Morning Meeting but they can also be done throughout the day during any down time.

• Introductions - Have everyone sit in a circle. Starting with a counselor and going around the room, have everyone say their name and then an adjective that describes them starting with the first letter of their name.

  • • Ex. My name is Sam and I am very Smart!

• Never Have I Ever - A counselor starts by saying "never have I ever..." and fills in the sentence with a true statement. Anyone who HAS done that thing stands up. The counselor picks a standing camper and they continue with their "never have I ever" as time allows.

• Would You Rather? - Present various choices and have campers vote on what they would rather do. If there are only a few who vote for one choice, get their answer as to why they'd rather do that thing.

• Telephone -  Sit in a large circle, and have a counselor hink up a sentence or phrase. Then, the phrase needs to be whispered person-to-person around the entire circle until you reach the counselor again. Compare what the actual sentence was with what’s emerged from the game. It’s typically worlds away from the original!

• Like or Dislike -  Designate the left side as "like" and the right side as "dislike." All campers start by standing in the middle of the room. Then, you’ll ask a question that will be easy to decide on - for example, “Do you like pizza?”. The campers will then have to run to either the “like” or “dislike” areas.  

• A Great Wind Blows - Have everyone standing next to each other in one long line, horizontally. Call out “A great wind blows…”. An example could be “A great wind blows for everyone with an older sister”. Anyone who has an older sister will be “windswept” backward one step. Keep continuing this game, until everyone is at the back of the room, and back in one line together. 

• Happy Laughy - One person will stand at the front of the room, and they will do all they can to make everyone else laugh. Jokes, silly faces - anything! But everyone has to try not to laugh.

1-2-3 Look

1. Rules:

• Everyone closes their eyes and lowers their heads.

• The leader calls out 1-2-3-Look! As the leader calls "look," the campers look up at one specific person.

• Campers cannot change who they are looking at during each round.

• If that person is looking back at him/her, both players are out. 

• If that person is looking at a different person, the campers put their heads back down and wait for the next call of "1-2-3 Look.”

• Continue the game rapidly to close the circle and eventually you'll be left with two people who are the winners.

Assassin/Mafia

1. Rules:

• Sit all of the children in a circle, with legs crossed.

• Have all children put their heads down.

• Counselor walks around the circle and tap one child on the head - this person was the assassin.

• The child eliminates all other players by winking at them.

• If you are winked at, silently count to 10, then put your feet in the middle of the circle and ‘die.’

• If the assassin eliminates everyone, then they win.

• They can be "witnessed" as well.

• If a player thinks they know who the killer is, before they get winked at, they can say they have a suspect.

• If their accusation is incorrect, the accuser is eliminated.

Back to Back Drawing

1. Rules: 

   • Split the group into pairs and have each pair sit back to back. 

   • One person gets a picture of a shape/simple image and the other gets a piece of paper and pen. 

   • The person holding the picture gives verbal instructions to their partner on how to draw the shape/image they’ve been given (without simply telling them what the shape/image).

   • After a set amount of time, have each set of partners compare their images and see which team drew the most accurate replica. 

   • Reverse/Repeat as time allows/is desired.

Bingo

1. Rules:

   • Each participant gets a dry-erase bingo card and a marker.

   • A staff member uses the bingo wheel and number board to call out numbers as players mark on their boards if they have the corresponsing letter-number combination.

   • You can play traditional bingo where the first to 5 in a row wins OR blackout bingo if time allows - the first person to black out a designated section or all of the board wins.

Birds Have Feathers

1. Rules:

• Similar to Simon Says.

• One player is the leader.

• Leader and all the others flap their arms like birds. Leader calls out names of something with feathers.

• If a player flaps his wings on a calling that doesn't have feathers, he's out.

• The leader flaps his wings on almost all things to confuse the group and calls as rapidly as possible. "Birds have feathers, bats have feathers, babies have feathers, etc."

Catchphrase

1. Rules:

   • Divide the group into two teams. Have them sit in a circle with team 1 and team 2 alternating seats.

   • Using the Catchphrase device, a player will start the timer and give clues to their team; they can use gestures and verbal clues but no rhyming words, the first letter, or any part of the word.

   • If a teammate guesses correctly, the player holding the device presses correct and passes it to the next team (the player on their right).

   • The player can pass as many times as they would like until they can get their teammates to guess.

   • The team that DOES NOT have the device when the timer beeps scores 1 point. The first team to 7 points wins.

   • Things to note:

     1. 1. If both clue-givers have their hands on the device when the timer beeps, the receiving team (the one that hasn't described yet) gets the point.

Charades

1. Rules:

   • Act out the word/phrase on the card for your team to guess.

   • Split into two teams.

   • Shuffle premade cards, and select a timekeeper.

   • Player draws a card and acts it out (no speaking, no props).

   • Team guesses the word/phrase.

   • If guessed correctly, earn a point.

   • Switch teams after each round.

   • The team with the most points wins!

Concentration 64

1. Rules:

   • Everyone starts by sitting in a circle. Whoever is leading the game will be in position #1 of the circle.

   • Everyone will put their hands out to the side and put their left hand on top of the person's hand to the left and their right hand on bottom of the person's hand to the right.

   • When the game starts everyone claps their hands with the people beside them (see link below) and says the following:

     1. 1. Concentration (clap clap clap), 64 (clap clap clap), No Repeats (clap clap clap), Or Hesitations (clap clap clap)

        2. In rhythm the counselor in the #1 position ONLY says "I'll go first" (clap clap clap)

        3. Then the person to their left ONLY says "And I'll go second"

        4. The counselor then says "Category is" and chooses a category that students would know about (Animals, Colors, Sports, Disney Princesses, Fruits, etc.)

        5. Everyone around the circle will give their answer as the clapping rhythm continues; like the rules say, no repeats or hesitations or you are out and the game starts over with a new category

        6. Click here to watch the rhythm in action.

Evolution

1. Rules:

• Everyone starts out as a baby by squatting down low and waddling like a baby.

• "Babies" find another baby and play a game of rock-paper-scissors; the winners turn into a toddler.

• Toddlers move on to find other toddlers, and babies continue to play against other babies.

• Each time a player wins a r-p-s bout, they evolve into the next stage.

  1. 1. 1. Baby - Toddler - Child - Teen - Adult - Old Person

• Inevitably, one person will be left as the lone player in each stage of evolution until the end of the game as the winner of the final pair in each stage wins and moves on.

• The game ends when all but the lone person in each stage evolve to the final stage.

• The "evolutions" and actions are TBD – can be Pokémon themed, Star Wars themed, etc.

Fishbowl

1. Rules

• Guess as many items from pre-printed cards as possible within the time limit.

• Split into two teams and sit in a team 1/team 2/team 1/team 2... order.

• Shuffle pre-printed cards and place them in a bowl.

• Rounds: Play in 3 rounds:

  • Round 1 (Description): One player describes the card, no gestures or sounds, and their team guesses.

  • Round 2 (One Word): Same cards, but now only one word can be used for the clue.

  • Round 3 (Charades): Act out the card without speaking or using props.

• Each team has 1-2 minutes per round.

• Earn a point for each correct guess.

• The team with the most points after all 3 rounds wins!

Group Juggle

1. Rules: 

   • Divide the group into two groups or play as a whole. 

   • Give everyone in the group a number and then introduce a dodgeball that they have to pass in that order. 

   • Slowly add in more dodgeballs to increase the difficulty. 

   • The goal is to keep the order intact and not drop any of the dodgeballs

Ghost

1. Rules:

• Three or four players are chosen to be the ghosts. The rest of the group needs to scatter across the playing space and choose a spot to stand in. 

• All players need to close their eyes

• The ghosts will roam about the playing space. They will try to eliminate the others by standing close behind the players for 10 seconds without them knowing. 

• If this happens, the ghost will tap them on their head and they will sit down quietly

• If a person suspects a person behind them, they would ask, "Is there a ghost behind me?"

• If they are right then they become a ghost. If they are wrong they are out and should sit down. 

• This is a great game to quiet down a group.

Hound and Hunter

1. Teams: Pairs

2. Rules:

• Prior to the game, secretly place a bunch of objects (wrapped candy is good) around the room or the field.

•  Have everyone pair up with a partner. One is the Hound, and one is the Hunter. 

• The Hound shares its bark with the Hunter, give everyone 30 seconds for this.

• When the person who dispersed the objects yells, “Release the Hounds,” or blows a trumpet, the Hounds run around trying to find these objects, while the Hunters stay where they are.

• Once a hound finds one, they cannot touch the object and must bark as loudly as possible. 

• Only when the Hunter hears their Hound barking can they go to that spot to pick up the object. 

• Other Hounds can bark at the same object as well, therefore making a race between the Hunters.

• This game can have several goals, like you must collect 4 pieces first, etc.

Jeopardy

Setup:

1. Divide the group into 2-3 teams. Let them pick a team name.

2. Distribute one buzzer to each team. 

3. Designate one counselor to keep score and one to run the game on the computer.

4. Week 2 Jeopardy Game: https://jeopardylabs.com/play/week-2-jeopardy-171 (Password: Coble0928!).

5. Week 4 Jeopardy Game: https://jeopardylabs.com/play/movie-jeopardy-706 (Password: Coble0928!).

Rules:

1. The first team will choose a category and a number value. Click on the question and read it aloud.

2. Only once you have stopped reading can the teams buzz in.

   1. • The team who buzzes first gets to answer.

3. If they get the answer right, they get the point value AND they get to choose the next category and number value.

   1. • If they get it wrong, they lose that amount of points and the category/point value choice goes to the next team.

4. Keep going until you run out of questions on the board. The team with the most points wins.

5. We don't play Double Jeopardy or Final Jeopardy.

Telestrations

1. Rules:

   • Draw a picture based on a word or phrase you receive.

   • Pass your drawing to the next player, who guesses what it is.

   • The guess is then passed to the next player, who draws it out based on the guess.

   • Continue passing until everyone has had a turn.

   • At the end, compare the final drawings with the original words/phrases.

   • Points are earned based on how closely the final guesses match the original word.

   • The player with the most correct matches wins!