Ankle Passing Chair Game / Cooperative
Have 12 to 14 chairs back to back to start this unique game. Chairs should be side-by-side and back to back – 6 or 7 per team. Fill the chairs with players. One side is one team challenging the other side for points. No hands can be used in this game – only feet! The hands should be holding on to the sides of their chairs for support. A ball is placed to the side of the 1st player on each team. On the signal to begin, the 1st player turns in the chair and takes the ball between their ankles. The ball is then passed to the next players extended legs or ankles. The ball is passed until the last player receives the ball. The end player stands with the ball between their ankles and hops in front of the other team and back to the start of their team line. Each player will slide down a chair as the player is hopping around. Play continues until a team is back in their original positions. A Captain should be appointed for each team. This player moves with the ball and if the ball is dropped, he will put it back in play with the player that dropped it.
B
and B Challenge /
Posted 5-2-10
Give each group 3 to 5 inflated balloons. Groups should
be from 6 to 10 members each. This is a unique
challenge and has only been tried a few times. Each
group has an inflated beach ball as well. On the signal
to begin, the group starts bopping the balloons in the
air and starts to volley the beach ball. How long can
the group keep all the items in the air? If this is too
easy for a group, give each of the players a balloon and
play the same activity once again.
Beach Ball Team Travel /
Spiller Original
/ Posted 1-5-2010
Make a team of 6 to 8
players and have them stand in a circle facing in.
Place a regulation beach ball between each player and
have them press the ball onto their neighbor’s hand. No
one should be holding the ball. It should stay in place
with pressure only. Once this is done, there are many
ways to challenge the group. One simple challenge might
be to sit-down and then stand back up again without
losing any of the balls. Perhaps, the goal is to make a
complete circle for time without dropping a ball.
Maybe, the group would need to move through a given
course for time without losing a ball. You see what I
mean when I say there is no end to the challenges
available. Make-up a few and let me know what you did
and how it went. Variation: Use swim
noodles (cut in half) for this activity.
Birdie on the Perch /
Circle Game / Just For Fun / Cooperative
Have your start this
activity in a double circle with each player facing
another. This is their partner. During this game,
there is much action with people moving quickly and in
close quarters. Make sure all the players understand
that there is no running, but quick walking is okay.
Remind them to keep their hands raised in front of their
chest to avoid collision. The players on the inner
circle are the “Birds” and the players on the outside
are the “Perch.” Have the circles moving in opposite
directions and each couple should keep their eyes on
each other. On the sound of the whistle, all the birds
move quickly to their awaiting perch. On that same
whistle, the perch will stop and stay where he or she is
and kneel down to make a place for the bird to land
(sit). All birds are flyin’ and the skies are full of
flight. The object of this activity is to not be the
last couple to get together. If you are the last to sit
on the perch, you and your partner have to come to the
center, sing and act-out the Barney Song or do a 5 sec.
Chicken Dance or whatever the group has decided on.
Play additional rounds with the players shifting over 1
place and taking on a new partner.
Body Add-On Memory Game /
Posted 7-30-2010
One player makes a motion, e.g. stomp a foot, clap, jump
up, twirl around, snap fingers. The next player does
what the first did and adds another motion. The next
player does the first two and adds their own, etc. Play
until someone can’t remember all the movements; then
start over with the child who couldn’t remember.
Body Letters and Numbers / Cooperative
Make sure that
this activity is played on a carpeted or grassy area.
Divide your group in half and see which team can form a
number or letter first. Every team member needs to be
involved to form the number or letter. Kids can lie down
and connect hands and ankles – anything to form what’s
asked. Try a few letters and numbers. For example,
have the kids form A, O, and K. Then say to them, “You
kids are really aokay!” As a final formation, have the
whole group for a one (1). When they are finished
forming the one (1) they need to shout in unison, “We’re
number one!”
DUD / Cooperative Activity /
Posted 5-2-0 - Spiller Original
Equipment: one ball or Frisbee per team and one
stop-watch
This challenge came to me when I was driving from
Lincoln, Neb. to Peoria, IL. I had a lot of time on my
hands as I drove through Iowa. I wasn’t sure that it
would work so we tried it during the workshop with the
teachers of the Peoria area. It worked well and we came
up with several variations. They suggested the name,
”If It Works in Peoria?” By the way, DUD stands for
“down, up, down.” Give each player a poly spot. Have
the team spread out all over the play area. There
should be at least ten feet between each player. Give
one of the players a ball or Frisbee to toss. On the
signal to go, the first player will toss the item to one
of his teammates and then kneel down. The second player
will toss to the third and kneel as well. This
continues until the last player standing receives the
ball and then kneels. The last player to kneel will
throw the ball to any player and then stand up. This
continues with each kneeling player tossing to another
kneeling player and then standing up. When the last
player receives the ball and stands, the group will
repeat the first part of the game. This is a timed
event so when the last player receives the ball and
kneels, the time is stopped. Have other teams of equal
number challenge each other for the best time.
Variation: If you have a large open area, let several
teams compete at the same time. The first team to
finish the down, up, down series wins the challenge
Estes’ Swiss Challenge / Cooperative /
Spiller Original
This is a group
challenge that I learned in Zurich, Switzerland from a
friend of mine that teaches High School PE classes. Make
a
circle of
players with 5 to 10 in each circle. Give each player
the same type of throw able (safe) item (perhaps a
tennis ball)
and give one of
the players (the leader) a second item that is different
from the others (perhaps a small stuffed animal).
The object of this unique challenge is to get the
stuffed animal around the circle with no drops of the
tennis balls or stuffed animal. This is how it
works. Have the group number-off from 1 to 5 or 10. Each
number should be on the opposite side of the circle.
Number 1 should be able to toss straight across
to 2 and 2 then passes across to 3, etc. Player number 1
(the leader) has a tennis ball and the stuffed animal.
The leader will
toss his/her tennis ball high in the air, call “#2!”
toss the stuffed animal to #2 and then catch the tennis
ball. This is where it gets tough. Number 2 has to toss
his/her tennis ball in the air as the stuffed animal is
coming to them, catch the stuffed animal, Call “#3!”
toss the stuffed animal to #3, and then catch his/her
tennis ball before it bounces on the ground. This cycle
continues until the group has been able
to complete the circle and the stuffed animal is back to
the leader. This is a very difficult challenge so let
the groups have plenty of time to put together their
plan and perhaps set their own group goal.
Variation: As we sat at the dinner table in Zurich,
another friend named Jan (Yan) said that he worked with
younger students and this is how he did the activity.
Give each player a balloon to toss as opposed to the
tennis ball. This will allow them a little more time to
catch, call the next number, toss and then catch. You
might want to start in groups of three and then add
players as they become more efficient.
Find the Ball Team /
Posted 7-30-2010
Equipment: 1 blindfold per group, 1 ball per group
The group divides into teams of about ten each. The
teams stand in lines, at least 6 feet apart one behind
the other at one end of the playing space. The first
person in the team is blindfolded and given the ball.
He or she throws it forwards (mark a line over which it
must go). The team has to guide the blindfolded player
to the ball. He or she picks up the ball and, again
guided by the rest of the team, has to throw it back to
be caught by the second player who is unable to move his
or her feet. If the ball misses or is missed by the
second player, the blindfolded player is guided back to
it and tries again. This may require several attempts!
The blindfolded player is then guided back to the team,
gives the blindfold to the second team member (who
throws the ball away again) and then joins the back of
the line.
Note: This game may need to be walked through first.
The leader should keep an eye on the blindfolded players
so that they are not guided into any hazards. It may
take time for teams to work out the best way of guiding
their searchers.
Half Fast Track /
Tic-Tac-Toe / Circle Cooperative Game /
Spiller Original
About 20 years ago there was a simple game called "Fast
Track." Simply, how fast could you send a word or
action around a large circle of players. I took
this idea and added my variation to it and it has been
very popular with all the groups I have taught.
Make a circle of the players and split them in half.
Each group leader is given a ball. On the signal to
begin, the leader passes the ball to the next player and
so on down the line. When the last player gets the
ball, they spin around one time and send the ball back
down the line again to the leader. The first team to
get the ball back to the leader wins the round. Play
the best 3 out of 5.
Variations: Make a Tic-tac-toe poster or Connect Four
poster and put it in the center of the circle. When a
side wins a round, the captain, at that time, (change
captains and end players each round) comes to the center
of the group and makes a play on the poster. Make sure
you change the game a bit each 2 rounds. For example,
1st - regular pass with a spin by the end player, 2nd -
place ball on a cone, play as normal with the round
going to the captain that balances the ball on the cone
first, 3rd - each player must pass the ball around their
waist before passing to next player, etc... This keeps
the game fresh! If you don't have a poster and
marker handy, play the game with the less fortunate side
having to do 10 Jumping Jacks or run to a point and back
after each round. There are no limits to the
variations for this neat, high-energy game.
Heads and Hands /
Cooperative /
Spiller Original
This is a great activity that I saw while working in a
high school in France. The object of the game is to
get as many points as your team can get in a 1 to 2
minute time period. Points are only awarded for
“Headers” (balls hit with head). In this activity, one
of the players needs to be the “Counter.” On the signal
to begin, the beach ball is hit into the air by hand.
From that point on, the group tries to keep the ball in
the air by using hands or heads. A point is scored and
counted for each head-hit. If the ball hits the floor
A) pick it up and hit it with hand to start the action
again or B) take a point away for each floor hit. Have
each group announce their totals and ask them to try
again to better their previous score. Team Play -
Have several group start play at the same time. If
a group allows the ball to hit the floor, they are out
and will sit down. Play continues until there is
only one team left bopping the beach ball around.
Remind each group to count the "Headers." A team,
even though seated, could win the challenge with a
greater number of Headers. Give it a try - they
will love it!
High – Low Noodle
Passing Contest /
Posted 5-11-2010
Make a big circle of
players. For this contest the circle should have an
even number of players. Number the players off 1, 2, 1,
2, etc… You now have 2 teams. The number one team will
remain standing during the contest and the number two
team will squat, kneel or sit (their decision) during
the challenge. Each team will have a ½ swim noodle to
pass around the circle. All the players on team 1 will
pass the noodle clockwise and the number 2 team will
pass it counter-clockwise. Each team is trying to get
the noodle around the circle and back to the original
starting spot as quickly as possible. Play the next
round with the teams switching positions – team 1 squats
and team 2 stands for this round. I like to play best
out of 5 for this interesting challenge. The noodle
must go from person to person around the circle. Each
player needs to receive the noodle and then pass it on
to the player next to them.
Human Obstacle Course / Large Group Games and Activities
/
Posted 5-13-2010
Split your group in half and send each to their side of
the gym or playing area. The objective is for each
group to create several different fitness obstacles for
the other team to do. I usually have each team make
smaller groups of about 5 for this event. Each group of
5 will come-up with an idea that will challenge the
other players. In this event, the small groups will be
the obstacle and will be a part of the action as well.
For example, one group might sit face to face with legs
raised and touching the player across from them to make
a pyramid shape. Four players do this and the 5th
player stands at the end of the pyramid line in a
straddle position. When a player comes to them, they
give him instructions of what to do at their station.
One player would say, “Crawl on your tummy, Army-style,
through the pyramids and under “Straddle Man!” The
players would then go to another obstacle and continue
until they have been through all the groups on the
opposing side. After this, the sides reverse rolls and
the other team will go through the obstacles made by the
other team. You’d be surprised as to what the campers
will create. Note: always check each group to see it
their obstacle is safe for others to do
Kick-Zerk / Small Group /
Cooperative / Posted 5-4-10
Make a group of about 5
players and give each player a tennis ball, Whiffle
ball, football, or any item that rolls fairly well.
This is a timed group initiative so have your stop-watch
handy. The leader needs to have about 6 other
balls ready to roll in during the challenge. On
the signal to begin, all the players begin to kick their
ball around - keeping it moving at all times.
Every 10 seconds, the leader will roll another ball into
the group. Now the group must keep all the balls
rolling at one time. If a ball stop dead in it's
tracks, the challenge is over and the time documented.
Have other groups try to beat the new record set by the
first group. This is a good one for Campers VS.
Counselors at the end of the camp day.
Kubic Kids / Group Cooperative /
Posted 5-2-10
Divide into teams of equal size. Each team tries to see
how many kids they can get inside a hula hoop. If a
genuine hula hoop is not available, then any strong hoop
or a thick rope tied into a circle also will work. If
your kids enjoy this quickie mixer, try packing them
into other things like tractor tires or any other safe
object.
Poison Ball
/ Posted 3-25-10
I have been playing
this game for 20 plus years now and it is always a
wonderful and enjoyable activity. Divide your
group into four equal teams and have them form a giant
square. A
line should be drawn or a rope stretched out in front of
each team to establish a boundary line that can’t be
stepped over at any point during the game. Provide
about 10 soft throwable items to each team and place a
slightly deflated beach ball in the center of the
square. Explain
that on the signal to begin, each team will be trying to
knock the deflated beach ball across any one of the
other team’s lines. In
this game, you don’t want to accumulate points, and a
point is given to a team if: 1) the beach ball crosses
their team line, 2) a player steps over their boundary
line while throwing at the deflated beach ball, or 3) a
safety violation occurs. A
safety violation is anything that creates a safety issue
for participants (for example – throwing items at other
participants instead of the deflated beach ball, or
going inside the square to retrieve an item [remember a
player's feet cannot cross their team line] ). Play for
a predetermined length of time and the team with the
fewest number of points scored against them is that
games “Poison Ball” champion! This
is a game I guarantee your kids will eat up and never
get sick of!!!
Stack 5 or 10 Challenge
/
Posted 5-2-10
Groups of five or so
sit around a table or on the floor facing each other.
The leader will ask them a True / False Question. The
teams make a decision if they think the question is true
or it is false. If they think it is true, they will
make a “T” sigh with both hands exactly like a coach
would call time-out. If they think it is false, no sigh
is necessary. The teacher will give the correct answer
and if a team is correct, one player will place a closed
fist in the center of the table or floor. Play
continues and if the team answers correctly once again,
they put another fist on top of the first one. First
team to stack five fists wins. Regroup your teams and
play again. Remember the questions should be age group
appropriate.
Swap
Knots / Cooperative / England /
Spiller Original
Twenty or so years ago, while teaching in a British
school, I was shown this great activity. I have
used it for years with great success. In Great
Britain they have a game called Dr. Tangle that the kids
love to play on the playground. The game of Knots has
been around along time and is a favorite among ROPES
facilitators. This game is a combination of both of
these fun games and I think you will see the value to
it. Make groups of 8, 10, or 12 members each. Give a
bandana or three foot piece of rope to ½ the group. The
players with the rope put them on the floor so they
cross each other in an asterisk like shape. Once this
is done, invite the other players in the group to take
hold of the other ends of the ropes. This is where the
Dr. Tangle comes in. Allow each group two to three
minutes to tangle the ropes as much as possible without
letting go of the ends. At the end of the time, ask the
teams to carefully place the tangled ropes on the floor
so the ends of the ropes can be seen. Once this is
done, ask the groups to move to another team’s tangle.
Each player will grab the end of one of the ropes and
the group will try to untangle the ropes until they are
standing in pairs. The first group to untangle is
awarded 10 points, second will get 7 points and third
will get 4 points. After each group has become free,
ask them to repeat the process and play again. Play to
25 points or play for a set amount of time. You’ll like
this one.
Switch, Change, Rotate
I
have been playing this game / Initiative for over 20
years now and it never fails to entertain and educated
participants. This activity really makes a group
of three players think, communicate, and work together.
Have participants get into groups of 3’s and ask the
groups to space themselves out about the area. Once
spaced, instruct each team to stand in line (one person
behind the other) with all participants facing in the
same direction. Using a volunteer group, explain and
demonstrate the following three commands that will be
used in this activity:
Switch - means that the lead
player and the back player exchange places.
Change - means that the entire group simply turns and
faces the opposite direction.
Rotate - means the lead player goes to the back and the
center player becomes the
new leader. To begin the activity, have all groups
face you and explain that you will call out commands and
it is the job of the group to try to execute each of the
commands. Start calling out commands slowly, but pick up
the pace as you see groups being successful. To
challenge the groups further, have them walk (anywhere
in the area) while trying to complete your commands.
Next, try having groups power walk while following the
commands. Advanced groups might even be able to jog
while following your called out commands. This activity
is a favorite of ours and lends itself beautifully to
some wonderful processing.
Team Noodle Flipping
Initiative /
Posted 5-11-2010
This is a team
initiative that requires a lot of directional
communication. Several teams will compete at one time
or 1 team can race for its best time. Stand one player
on the start line with a blindfold and a bean bag in
his/her hand. This player is the Team Tosser. A long
swim noodle is placed on the floor about 10 feet away.
The noodle is in line with the Team Tosser and the end
of the gym. The Tosser can look at the noodle initially
and then put the blindfold on. At this point the Tosser
will attempt to toss the bean bag so that it lands
somewhere between the 2 ends of the noodle. If it is a
good toss, the noodle is flipped one time to advance it
and the bean bag is given (handed) back to the blind
Team Tosser. If the toss landed before or beyond the
noodle, the team would retrieve the bag, give it to the
Team Tosser and give instructions for the next toss
attempt. They might say, “It was short about a foot.”
This gives the Team Tosser an idea how to toss it the
next time. The object is to advance the noodle beyond a
point some 30 feet away. Fist team to flip the noodle
over the finish line wins the initiative. This is a
super communication game.
Two – Can Race / Relay /
Posted 5-11-2010
This is a Race or relay
for pairs or relay teams in pairs. Each pair will have
their inside ankle tided (loosely) together. Each team
is given a Gator ball or a Nerf ball to kick. A plastic
bowling pin or plastic 2-liter bottle is placed some 30
to 40 feet in front of each team. The objective is for
the pairs to work together and kick the ball until it
knocks the pin down. They can only kick with their
inside legs as they hobble along. Once a pin is knocked
down, they set it back up, pick up the ball and return
to their team as quickly as possible. The 2nd
pair places the ball on the ground and takes a turn.
Play continues for a period of time. When the leader
sees that all the pairs have had a chance to go, the
game is stopped. The leader can then ask, "How many
pairs went for your team?" This activity can be played
with 4 players tied together and kicking the ball with
tied legs only.
Wordle Reversal /
Posted 12-8-09
We all know what "Wordles" are. Sometimes the
activity is called "What's the Meaning." It's the
little box with a mixed up set of letters or words in it
and we try to figure out what it means - right?
For example, if the box had the word "Sand" in it - the
answer would be "Sandbox." If the box had the word
"America" written in the center of the box - it would be
"Central America. So, this is a new idea using
this activity. Give your groups a paper with empty
boxes and another with the word or statement you want
them to diagram in the empty boxes. For example,
each group might have 6 empty boxes in front of
them and are given six different terms or words to
create their own wordles with. Each group makes
their wordles and then the groups exchange the new
wordles and they try to see how many they can solve from
the other group/s. For example, my group received
the movie "Top Gun." My group might draw a pistol
in the top of the box and that would do it. If you
give the groups 4 X 4 cards to create the new "Wordles,"
you could laminate them and use them in a number of ways
later on. Here is an example of some "Wordles" I
have used for this Holiday Season.
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