Fun & Games...

[Vermilion]

OK... I need suggestions for games that can be played with young people (teenagers) - they must require very little (if any) equipment, be non-violent and maybe encourage some positive character development (Leadership, teamwork, giving clear directions etc)

Would appreciate any help you can give me
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[Gizzmotick]

OK... I need suggestions for games that can be played with young people (teenagers) - they must require very little (if any) equipment, be non-violent and maybe encourage some positive character development (Leadership, teamwork, giving clear directions etc)

Would appreciate any help you can give me
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Depends on how much space you have and how many kids you have to work with.

With a smaller crowd (5-10) you could do a fun excercise in teamwork. All you would need are two bed-sheets and either a couple of water balloons or eggs. (best to use water ballons if you really care about the sheets). Have 2-4 kids hold onto the corners of each sheet (sheet stretched between them) ... Have the two groups anywhere from 5-10 yards apart. You (as the impartial adult) set the waterballoon in the middle on the sheet in the middle of one group. Then the goal is for each team to "toss" the waterballoon to the other group by only tugging on the corners of the sheet... It is far more difficult than it sounds. And depending on how into it the kids get, it can be a whole lot of fun.

Another game you can play is capture the flag. Good teamwork involved, can focus some leadership skills... but needs a whole lot of space to work well and at least 20 to 50 kids. Best played in a park with lots of trees.

 

[NoJo]

"Spin the bottle" can be character-building

 

[Vermilion]

OK... I'm the adult in charge - games have to be family-friendly!

That bedsheet game sounds brilliant and we'll have about 12 or 14 kids, so that would suit...

Ages from 12-17.

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[Gizzmotick]

OK... I'm the adult in charge - games have to be family-friendly!

That bedsheet game sounds brilliant and we'll have about 12 or 14 kids, so that would suit...

Ages from 12-17.

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If that is the case, you can have three or four groups trying to pass to each other... that makes it even more interesting. If you do that... make sure you fill those waterballoons up well... it's amazing how much pressure a sheet can have if it is stretched too tight or too loose.

 

[Vermilion]

If that is the case, you can have three or four groups trying to pass to each other... that makes it even more interesting. If you do that... make sure you fill those waterballoons up well... it's amazing how much pressure a sheet can have if it is stretched too tight or too loose.

Noted

Nice camera by the way - what is it?
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V - a camera whore (and I don;t mean webcams either. I worship the DSLR)

 

[Weird Harold]

OK... I'm the adult in charge - games have to be family-friendly!

That bedsheet game sounds brilliant and we'll have about 12 or 14 kids, so that would suit...

Ages from 12-17.

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A simpler version of that game is to divide the kids into two-person teams for a traditional "egg-toss" which can be played with water balloons to save on smelly messes.

Some old-fashioned team-work is involved in relay races of various sorts, a "three-legged race" (two partners with their near legs tied together) or a "wheel-barrow" race (one partner holds the other's feet while they walk on their hands down the race course.)

Gizzmotick, Capture the Flag is no fun without at least water-pistols but is much better with paint-ball guns (although catsup and mustard in squeeze-dispensers will do in a pinch.)

 

[Nirvanadragones]

I have the perfect books for you, Mils. When do you need it by?

 

[Vermilion]

I have the perfect books for you, Mils. When do you need it by?

May 14th
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[Nirvanadragones]

May 14th
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Will post on Saturday!

 

[buxxxom]

Another fun game, one that my kids play at sleepovers, is called Piggly Wiggly. Take the bedsheets you already have for the tossing, and have each child hide completely under one, leaving one child out. The one not hiding goes into another room, while the others hide, and comes back in, walking around, poking at each "kid lump." The poked one says in a foreign voice something like "Piggly Wiggly" and the one not hiding tries to figure it out. If guessed correctly, that person is uncovered, if not, they go on to guess someone else. Their turn ends when all are uncovered. The last uncovered is the next "it."

 

[Vermilion]

Another fun game, one that my kids play at sleepovers, is called Piggly Wiggly. Take the bedsheets you already have for the tossing, and have each child hide completely under one, leaving one child out. The one not hiding goes into another room, while the others hide, and comes back in, walking around, poking at each "kid lump." The poked one says in a foreign voice something like "Piggly Wiggly" and the one not hiding tries to figure it out. If guessed correctly, that person is uncovered, if not, they go on to guess someone else. Their turn ends when all are uncovered. The last uncovered is the next "it."

This would be grand except that the games are for when we're on camping expeditions, which means they're to be played outdoors!
I might keep that game in mind for when I'm babysitting though!
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[Gizzmotick]

Noted

Nice camera by the way - what is it?
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V - a camera whore (and I don;t mean webcams either. I worship the DSLR)

The camera in my AV is a Nikon D200 - shown with the 70-300mm Sigma Lens.

In my signature line (not sure who has them visible) is a link to some of my better photos on a site called DeviantArt. Please feel free to check them out.

 

[Katyusha]

Gizzmotick, Capture the Flag is no fun without at least water-pistols but is much better with paint-ball guns (although catsup and mustard in squeeze-dispensers will do in a pinch.)

Water balloons work too...that's what we always used.

 

[Weird Harold]

This would be grand except that the games are for when we're on camping expeditions, which means they're to be played outdoors!

Outdoor games for camping trips requiring very little equipment -- Dare I hope that there will be an old fashioned compass or two along on the camping trip?

If you have three or four compasses and a little time to scout before-hand you can make up some "treasure maps" and send groups of three to five kid teams out with just a compass and list of directions for a combination orienteering course and scavenger hunt.

(this has the advantage of being educational AND time-consuming so you won't need as many games to keep them entertained.)

 

[curiositykitten]

LOTS of great activities - a few to start & maybe more later: PM me if you're interested in some good websites.

*A mummy relay. FUN! Need a few rolls of toilet paper for each team. Each team has to choose a person to wrap up as a mummy (leaving mouth open) and then carry the mummy as a team for a distance to cross the finish line, unwrap the mummy and the first to finish wins.

*Javelin throw contest with wet water noodles

*Have a number of small rugs/woodplanks/carpet pieces as "planks" for each team, one less plank than the number of team members. Mark a distance from the start line to the finish line, but it must be twice as long as what the planks would reach if spaced a couple feet apart. Begin with all the planks piled on the start side, tell everyone that the space between start and finish is a deep river full of alligators. They have to figure out a way to get their whole team across the "river" using the planks without ever stepping in water. No one can be left behind and if anyone steps in the "water", they have to return to the beginning and the team loses a plank. Only one person can be on a plank at a time. Only one plank can be carried by a person at any time. The first group to get across wins.
-The idea is that they will work as a team to figure out how to throw planks out in a distance they can all step, a team member steps out on the plank and tosses the next one down, then they all step forward, passing planks as they go and creating a pathway across the river. It takes some group thought to accomplish.

* Another fun game is to have everyone in a tight close circle (up to about 20 people) and reach into the center and grab a hand with someone without looking. Then all reach in and grab another hand with their remaining hand. Choose 2 people to let go of one pair of hands being held so that you have two ends. Then work as a team to "unravel" without ever dropping hands. It really works, but people have to crawl over and under and through others to get detangled.

*Last one for now: Body parts game. Take a pair of dice (big fuzzy dice or wooden blocks work well) and mark different body parts on them with stickers or labels- for youth use things like: elbow, knee, foot, head, hand, back and use the same labels on both dice. Throw the dice and yell out what they say and the kids have to all immediately connect to a partner in that way. In other words if foot and elbow appear, everyone needs to be somehow touching another persons foot with their elbow & elbow with their foot. They hold the position until the next roll of the dice. The last person to connect to someone is out & anyone who moves out of the position is out. You keep going until you have two champions.
NAUGHTY NOTE FOR ADULTS: This is a fun game to use one of the dice for special private or ticklish body parts and the second one for various actions like kissing, licking, nibbling, etc. Roll the dice and have a great time together!
Have fun! IM if you want more!
CK

 

[Vermilion]

Outdoor games for camping trips requiring very little equipment -- Dare I hope that there will be an old fashioned compass or two along on the camping trip?

If you have three or four compasses and a little time to scout before-hand you can make up some "treasure maps" and send groups of three to five kid teams out with just a compass and list of directions for a combination orienteering course and scavenger hunt.

(this has the advantage of being educational AND time-consuming so you won't need as many games to keep them entertained.)

This is a possibility, but the whole point of the camping trip is the Duke of edinburgh award - a scheme which dumps a bunch of teens in the middle of nowhere and makes them navigate their own way to the campsite! More compass work might make them groan! lol - worth considering for that point alone!
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[Vermilion]

Thanks kitten - I remember that plank game, it's great one. Thanks for reminding me. I'll have to have a go with that body parts game, too, though it may pay to split them into boys and girls, just for my protection!

The human knot game I mentioned is much the same as the game you described. In mine, the kids stand in a circle holding hands all except one person - the 'doctor' - he turns his back whilst the others get themselves in the most complicated knot possible. The doctor then has to give clear, precise instructions to get them untangled - great fun!

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[tickledkitty]

I have one that I learned in an education class in college. It's a relay race, I guess.

You'll need to cut the legs off several old pairs of panty hose right at the crotch. You'll also need several grapefruits and oranges.

Divide the kids into teams. The first person up drops an orange into one of the panty hose legs and ties the open end around his waist so that the bit with the fruit in it is hanging down in front a couple inches off of the floor. This person must then try to roll a grapefruit down the floor just by hitting it with his panty-hose-thingy without using hands or feet. The best method is to get it swinging between your legs.

We did it by having the person roll it down to a certain point and back, then passing off the panty-hose-thingy to the next person, who does the same thing. The first team to have every person roll it down and back wins.

This was great fun. Everyone ends up laughing so hard, it's difficult to keep it going.

I hope I explained this adequately.

 

[Salvor-Hardon]

One of my favorite camp games was "Blob tag"

You start with two people as "it" Holding hands, they have to hold hands at all times. Once you tag someone they hold hands with the original two. As you get a fourth, now the blob can split and two teams of two can chase more people, again, adding and then dividing so long as all Blob IT are holding hands.

When you get to a significant number you yel "BLOB UNITE" and all teh BLob it teams surround the non its and then envelop them, and the last two remainign are the new blob starter cell.

 

[curiositykitten]

Thanks kitten - I remember that plank game, it's great one. Thanks for reminding me. I'll have to have a go with that body parts game, too, though it may pay to split them into boys and girls, just for my protection!
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Glad to oblige, Vermilion! Dividing by gender may depend on your group. We had a guest youth group with ours and did it all together, but it was faith-based and we didn't use "personal" or "private" body parts and they all found it great fun. But if your group doesn't know each other well or may have some inappropriate conduct, it could be better to divide them. Just be warned: once they play, they love it and keep asking for more! Have a great, successful and safe trip!

CK