Labels
Supplies: Nametags
It’s important that you play this game once you know the group well, and leave lots of time for debrief and reflection. Prepare nametags in advance with both good and bad labels (examples: teacher’s pet, homeless, popular, good at math, wears glasses, athlete, gossip, rich, bully, etc.)
Begin by talking about the different labels people carry with them, and the positive and/or negative message these labels can send. Then give each person a label by sticking a nametag to his or her back. Once everyone has a nametag, the group should mingle, trying to figure out what label they have been given. People should act as if they are first meeting each other, and treat each other according to the labels on their backs. You might want to remind players that the way they are being treated in the game is not personal, everyone is playing a role. Give the group a couple minutes to mingle before gathering them in a circle to talk about the game. Thank players for participating and ask them to guess what their label was. When everyone has had a chance to guess, have them take their labels off and see if they were correct.
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Two Truths and a Lie
Give everyone a small piece of paper and tell them they will have a couple minutes to write three statements about themselves. Two of the statements should be true, and the other one should be “stretching the truth,” meaning that it should be believable, but not true. When everyone has finished, each person should get a turn to read his or her three statements out loud. When each person is done reading their statements, ask the rest of the group to raise their hands to guess which statement wasn't true. If possible, have a facilitator share their statements first to model the activity.
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Captain's Corner
Explain to participants that you will be the captain, and they are all sailing on a ship at sea. The game begins by having all participants run around the available space at random, scrambling themselves. At any time, the captain must call out an order, and the participants must follow that order (see below). If a participant fails to do the correct order or is not part of a group when a particular order is called, he/she is considered to be “overboard” and must stand to the side of the playing area. Depending on the age group, feel free to pick and choose which/how many commands will be used, or ask students to come up with their own commands!
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Commands:
- Captain’s Waltz – participants must find a partner and pretend to waltz around the room. Anyone not in a group is considered “overboard.”
- Row Boat – participants must form groups of three, stand in a line and pretend to be rowing a boat while singing “row, row, row your boat.” Anyone not in a group is considered “overboard.”
- Captain’s Table – participants must form groups of four and pretend to be sitting around a table eating dinner. Anyone not in a group is considered “overboard.”
- Starfish – participants must form groups of five, put their arms together in the center of the circle and spin around, creating the five arms of a starfish. Anyone not in a group is considered “overboard.”
- Beached Whale – participants must lie down on their backs and put their arms and legs in the air. The last participant to do so is “overboard.”
- Port – all participants must run to the left hand side of the room. Participants who move in the wrong direction are considered “overboard.”
- Starboard - all participants must run to the right hand side of the room. Participants who move in the wrong direction are considered “overboard.”
- Bow - all participants must run to the front of the room. Participants who move in the wrong direction are considered “overboard.”
- Stern - all participants must run to the back of the room. Participants who move in the wrong direction are considered “overboard.”
- Attention! – All participants must face the captain and stand at attention. Once this command is called no one may move or perform other commands until the captain says “at ease.”
Categories
This game can be used to split a large group into smaller groups, to learn something new about people in the group, or just as a fun and active game.
Make sure there is enough room to move around freely. Explain that people are going to separate into groups as quickly as possible. Keep the questions moving quickly (i.e. give just enough time for people to introduce themselves or look around their group before asking the next question). Alternate between 50/50 questions and multiple-choice questions.
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Possible questions:
- Which leg do you put in your pants first when getting dressed?
- When you clap, is your left hand or right hand on top?
- Using your index finger, draw an imaginary circle in the air. Does your finger travel clockwise or counterclockwise?
- Which eye do you use to give a spontaneous wink?
- Can you roll your tongue?
- When eating ice cream cones, which way do you rotate the cone?
- What month were you born in?
- Fold your arms; is your right or left arm on top?
- How many siblings are in your family, including you?
Commonalities
This is a great game to get people moving and find new things that people have in common while thinking creatively.
Begin by telling people to get into groups of three. Tell them they have two minutes to find five things that they all have in common. (You could make it harder by ruling out obvious things like clothing, gender, skin color, etc.). After a couple minutes have passed, have each group find a new group to combine with. Have each original group share their commonalities before giving the newly combined group two more minutes to find three things that everyone has in common. (These new commonalities must be things that neither group shared from the first round). After the two minutes are over, repeat this until the entire group has merged together. As a whole group, everyone should search for at least one thing that they all have in common.
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As part of the debrief, have people share some of the things they learned about each other.
Dude...
This game begins with everyone standing in a circle. The facilitator should explain that when the game begins, everyone should look down at the floor and pick a pair of shoes to look at. The facilitator will then count to five, and after counting, everyone should follow the shoes up to look at the person’s face. If two people are staring at each other, they both say “Dude” and switch places in the circle.
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Variation:
Word Association Dude: (Age: 10+) The game remains the same but instead of both people saying “dude,” one person will say the first word that comes to mind, and their partner replies by saying the first word they think of when they hear their partner’s word. (Example: the first person could say “peanut butter!” and their partner might reply with “jelly!”)
Everybody's It
Explain that in this game everyone is “it”. Before the game begins all players should spread out. When play begins, anyone can tag anyone and they may be tagged by anyone. Whenever someone is tagged, they must sit down, but they can still tag people that run by. The game ends when everyone is sitting.
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Five Clues
Supplies: Paper, Pens
Give each person a blank piece of paper and have them write five facts or clues about them on the piece of paper. Have each person write their name on the bottom of the paper and collect the papers. Have the group try to figure out who the person is by reading the clues. Continue until all of the cards have been identified.
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Gatekeeper
There is a set area of play, and a facilitator who stands on the centerline of that area. The facilitator will say a color, and if a child is wearing that color, they are free to cross the field. If a player is not wearing that color, they must run to cross the area of play. The first player to be tagged by the facilitator is the next ‘gatekeeper’ (the facilitator).
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Variation: Substitute colors for something else (ex: If you have two siblings, cross the field, etc.)
Group Juggle
Supplies: Soft Balls
The group should stand in a circle. One of the participants starts with a ball and tosses it underhand to someone else in the circle. As they toss the ball they should say “Here you go, .” When the ball is caught the person receiving it should say “Thanks, ___.” After someone catches the ball they should put their arms behind their back so that everyone gets a turn. After everyone has had a turn you can repeat the game starting with the same person and going in the same order, adding more balls to increase the frequency and difficulty of the games.
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Helium Stick
Supplies: A light-weight object, such as a hula hoop or long stick
Have the group put their pointer finger underneath the object. Explain to the group that the task is to lower the object slowly to the ground, but the object must stay in contact with everyone’s finger or the challenge starts over.
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Huh?!
Everyone stands in a circle. You may not laugh. You must motion properly. The motion is having your hands flattened together and pointing either up above your head, or to another player, depending on what part of the game you are in.
One player begins by motioning up above his/her head and saying "huh." The two people on either side of him must then simultaneously motion to this person and say "huh." This person then must then motion to someone else in the circle and say "huh."
This begins the process over, and the new person must motion upward and say "huh" as the two on either side of him motion toward him and say "huh", and so on.
You are out if you laugh, or if you don't say "huh" or do not motion fast enough.
When two people are left, they must take turns pointing upward and at each other and must get faster and faster until one messes up. The last one standing is the winner.
Tips:
- If the last two players are just not laughing or messing up, have the game facilitator yell out a vegetable. The final two players act out that vegetable, and the rest of the group votes on the best actor.
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Hula-Hoop Game
Supplies: One hula-hoop per group of 5
Before splitting the group up into smaller groups of 5, ask for volunteers to help demonstrate. Explain that the object of the game is for team members to work together to lower their hula-hoop to the ground. Ask the volunteers to stand in a tight circle. Than ask the volunteers to kindly raise their hands to shoulder level and pretend like they are pointing at something directly in front of them. Make sure that their fingers are level, and then place the hula-hoop on top of their fingertips. Make sure that all the group members understand they must always have both fingers touching the hula-hoop. Have monitors walking around and ensuring that everyone’s fingers are always in contact with the hula-hoops. If someone does not have both fingers on the hula-hoop, have their group start again. After each group has completed the task once, have the groups try a second time without speaking.
Human Bingo
Supplies: Human bingo boards, Writing utensils
Start by giving everyone a Bingo Sheet. In each box is a characteristic or description of something such as “has a brother” or “can speak another language.” Once everyone has a sheet, people can walk around the room trying to fill their sheets with as many signatures as possible. Remind people that one person cannot sign another sheet more than once. As people finish, they can return to their seats. End the game as most people seem to be finishing.
Variation: Use another Bingo sheet, instead of characteristics, each box will have a sentence stem that another person can complete, such as “If I won the lottery, I would...” Have players mingle around the room, and after having a short conversation about one of the sentence stems, they can sign each other’s sheets and fill in the blank. The game ends when everyone has filled in their sheets, or when time runs out.
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Human Knot
Have the group stand in a tight circle. Tell everyone put their right hand into in the middle of the circle and grab the hand of someone else, making sure that it is not the person standing on their immediate left or right. Next, tell everyone put their left hand into the middle of the circle and grab someone else’s left hand, again making sure that it is not the person on their immediate left or right (and also making sure that they are holding the hands of two different people). To make sure that everyone is connected,have the groups quickly “pass a pulse” around the circle. When the group is well-tangled, explain that their job is to untangle themselves without letting go. Walk around the group and observe the strategies that players are using and the way different people are displaying leadership. Also, make sure that people are physically safe and mindful of each other.
Variation: Challenge the group to untangle the knot without talking.
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Human Overhand
Supplies: Rope
Divide participants into groups of four or six. Group members move as if they would hold hands, but instead they hold pieces of rope between them. The goal of the exercise is to tie a not in the piece of rope between the middle two classmates. Participants must hold onto the rope at all times, but move in a way such that they make a knot.
Confused? Watch one of the many possible solutions here
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Impulse Chicken
Supplies: A coin, an object to grab
Begin by dividing players into two teams. Have teams stand in two straight lines facing each other. Stand at one end of the lines and place a ball or a soft object, spaced evenly between the players, at the opposite end. Tell teams to hold hands and explain that the object of the game is to pass a pulse down the line. Practice this one time by having the players closest to the facilitator lightly squeeze the hand of the person next to them until the “pulse” reaches the end of the line; make sure that players do not squeeze hands until they have received the pulse. When the person at the end of the line receives a pulse, they must reach out and grab the object. The winning team then rotates players, so that the person at the end (closest to the object) moves to the beginning and everyone shifts down one space.
Explain that during the game everyone will have their eyes closed, except for the two people at the beginning of the line. They must have their eyes open to see the coin flip. Hold out a quarter or other coin and show the “heads” and “tails” side of the coin. Explain that the facilitator will flip the coin and that players should send a pulse only if the coin comes up heads. If a team sends a pulse when the coin comes up tails, then they must rotate backwards, meaning that the person at the beginning must go back to the end and everyone shifts one space. Ask if there are any questions, and then play a couple of practice rounds. When players are ready, begin playing. The game ends when one team has rotated completely through its line.
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Variation: Have both teams rotate after each round and play to a certain number of points. Give one point to a team for grabbing the object first and take one away for sending a pulse when the coin lands on tails.
Kid Zoo
Each child in the group is assigned an animal (gorilla, snake, crab, elephant, etc.). The children will then form their groups by acting as their animal – i.e., all of the snakes slither to their group’s location, while the elephants wave their trunks to find each other.
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Kujichagulia (Koo-jee-cha-goo-lee-ah)
Supplies: index cards/name tags/ small pieces of paper, pens/markers, tape
Give each player a marker and an index card and ask them to write down five characteristics that describe them best. Examples are race, ethnicity, gender, religion, likes, dislikes, talents, hobbies, goals, achievements, and values. For younger children you can offer a prompt such as favorite food, holiday, color or something they’re good at. After everyone finishes creating their label, give them tape and have them tape their cards to their shirts and walk around the room. Tell them to look at other people’s cards and talk about what they’ve written. They can ask questions about the different things people have chosen to represent themselves or talk about the similarities and differences between them.
The idea is to give participants the chance to have conversations about their identity based on the qualities they value the most about themselves and direct people’s attention toward these aspects of their identity. After about ten minutes, bring the group back to debrief.
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Mrs. Mumbles
Target Themes: Safe space, Creativity, Self-control
Begin the game by having the group sit in a circle so everyone can see each other. The facilitator should then tell a story that should include the following:
When I was younger, I had a babysitter. Her name was Mrs. Jones.
Mrs. Jones wore dentures, but she thought it was funny when she took them out because it meant that she talked “like this.” (cover teeth with lips when saying “like this”)
When she would do this, we would all laugh together. She would call it playing “Mrs. Mumbles.”
One day, “Mrs. Mumbles” was running late for babysitting, so I went to look for her
Then explain that each person in the group will have a chance to ask the person next to them if they’ve seen Mrs. Mumbles. However they may not show their teeth when they are asking or being asked a question. If they do show their teeth or start laughing then they will sit out of the rest of the round and watch. NOTE: you can make a few players who are already out the “teeth police.”
Encourage people to exaggerate their questions, include details about Mrs. Mumbles that might help identify her (she’s about his tall, she’s wearing glasses, she was wearing a pink shirt etc.), and keep the conversation going. Encourage people being asked about her to probe their questioners with more questions. Give each exchange about 15-30 seconds before having the person being questioned turn to the next person and ask the same question. Make sure everyone gets a turn. The game should go on until there are only a few people left, or time runs out.
Museum
Target Themes: self awareness, embracing potential,
Supplies: none
NOTE: We only play the Museum version of this game, not the hunting version.
Have all of the students (except for one or two “hunters”) lie down on the floor in sleeping positions. Once they are settled, they are not allowed to move. The two hunters walk through the room and try to make the sleeping lions move by making them laugh, telling them jokes, and so on. However, the hunters are not allowed to touch the lions. Once any lion moves they are tapped and get up and join the hunters The last child on the floor wins!
NOTE: Many kids also refer to this game as “museum.” In this version of the game, children pose as statues in a museum and 1-2 “night guards” walk around trying to catch those who move.
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Name Associations
Target Themes: Introductions, Creativity, Observation
Have players sit in a circle. Tell them they are going to play a name game to help them get to know each other. Each person will say their name and they are going to a cookout/picnic/whatever. They should then say they are bringing something that starts with the same letter as their first name. For example, the first player says, “My name is Tom and I am going to a cookout. When I go, I am going to bring tamales.” Each successive person in the circle should introduce everyone who came before them in order before saying their name and their item.
Nominations
Parachute Bounce
Supplies: Parachute, small ball or stuffed animal
Organize kids evenly around the parachute so each is standing up and holding onto their own color section. Each color constitutes a team. The game facilitator throws a stuffed animal or light ball onto the parachute and, when he or she says go, all the kids shake the parachute, trying to get the object onto their team's color. The game facilitator will yell "Drop it!" randomly and everybody has to drop the parachute. Whichever color block the object lands on wins a point for that team! You can keep going for as many rounds as you want!
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Pesek
Supplies: Paper or another token. Be Creative!
Pesek is similar to Duck Duck Goose. The kids sit in a circle with their eyes open and one will walk around the circle carrying something like a piece of paper. As they go around they'll sing a song and drop the paper behind someone's back, they'll continue going around like nothing happened and the person who has the paper behind them has to realize they're it. They then grab the paper behind them and chase the person who was it before, like Duck, Duck, Goose. This deals a lot with nonverbal communication and how one person's choices can affect another.
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Variation: use this space if necessary to include any useful variations (how to make it adapted to another theme, age group, energy level, etc.)
People to People
For People to People you need a large open space to move around in. Ask participants to find a partner and stand together. Tell them that you are going to call out instructions like “hand to hand” or “foot to foot:” and that they will then have to match up their hands, feet etc. with their partners. Tell them that when you say “people to people” they must find a new partner. Try to give only three or four commands with each set of partners so the participants get to interact with more people in the group.
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Variations:
Everyone for themselves
Acting instead of matching
Ex: People on a picnic
Debrief Pointers:
-Comfort Zone
-Humility
-Trust
-Lack of communication—issues?
Amoeba
Supplies: A ball of standard sports size
Players should begin by holding hands or linking arms in a large circle. In the center of the circle, place the ball or have someone throw it in. Players are not allowed to touch the ball with their feet, but are allowed to make contact with it with other body parts. If the ball touches a player’s foot, that player is eliminated. The goal of the game is to remain in the circle until there is one player left by launching the ball at others or pulling and pushing the entire circle.
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Animal Tag
One or more children may be “it.” When they tag another child, that child will act like an animal (elephant, lion, walrus, sloth, etc.). The game continues until all of the children have turned into animals, at which point they can reflect on their new jungle, or zoo. After that, a new child may be chosen to be “it.”
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Variation: Children can become ‘untagged’ if they meet another child acting as the same animal, and they hi-five.
Change Three Things
The facilitator should begin the game by asking for a volunteer. Once a volunteer has been chosen, this individual should come to the front of the room. Tell the participants that they are to observe this volunteers appearance (jewelry, clothing, hair style, etc.) Give the group enough time to observe the volunteer.
After about 3-5 minutes have gone by, have the volunteer go into the hallway and change 3 things about their appearance. When the volunteer comes back in, have them call on participants who think they know what was changed. Once every change has been guessed (or the group has been stumped) pick another volunteer. If the group seems to be getting the hang of the game, have them split up into pairs. Have the pairs take turns being the guesser or the changer. Have all of the changers leave the room and re-enter the room at the same time, and see which guesser can guess all three things first.
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Charades
Volunteers choose a category and the student must act out something in that category without using any words. For example, if the category is “profession” then the student can choose to act out any job such as a teacher or fireman. The other students in the classroom must work together to guess what the student is trying to act out.
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Clam Free
Begin by explaining that there will be no actual running in this game, instead players will have to walk “heel to toe” meaning that with every step the heel of one foot must touch the toe of the other. Ask players if they know what this looks like and ask someone to demonstrate. If no one can or is willing to, facilitators should demonstrate for the group.
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Explain that the playing area is the ocean and that all the players are clams (and that clams are very slow walkers). The game is played like regular tag with one person (or two if the group is large) being “it” and trying to tag the rest of the group. When a player is tagged they are “stuck in the mud” and must wave their arms in the air and squeal, “Heeeelp me!” over and over again. Two other players can free this person by standing on either side of the stuck person, linking hands, and shouting “Claaaam Free!”. When players are freeing someone, they cannot be tagged. Ask if there are any questions, choose someone to be “it” and give the group a few seconds to spread out (already walking heel-to-toe) and begin the game.
Freeze
Have the group sit in a semi-circle around the “stage.” Ask for three volunteers, two to be the actors and one to be the director. Have the director silently pose the two actors in any way they choose. When the actors are positioned, have the director call “Action!” and then rejoin the audience. Both actors must then begin an improvised scene – with or without talking – based on how they were posed. (For example, if one actor was positioned on one knee and the other seated nearby, they could act out a marriage proposal, a lost contact lens, or a dog begging for morsels from the dinner table).
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Explain that the audience is an audience of actors and that any person in the audience may, at any time, yell “Freeze!” and stop the scene. When this happens, they must tag one of the actors in the scene, assume their exact pose, and then call “Action” to restart a new scene. The objective is less to develop complete scenes than to get players thinking quickly and creatively, which means that the action must be constantly frozen and restarted. Continue playing as long as people are having fun or until time runs out.
Golden Nugget Game
Supplies: Several bowls, Candy
From the start announce to the group that there will be no talking during this activity. You also want to mention that there is no physical contact with other members, so if someone gets a piece of candy before another they CANNOT attempt to take it away from them. Also, let the groups know that they can’t eat the candy until the activity is over. Groups of 3 to 5 should be created.
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Each group should be given a bowl with twice as many pieces of candy as there are people (i.e if there are 3 people the group starts with 6 pieces of candy). The object of the game is for each player to get the most candy for his or herself. The game works in rounds, to start a round the facilitator simply says “Go” and the participants have the choice of taking either at least one piece of candy or as many pieces as they’d like. Before you start the first round let everyone know that at the end of each round (which is determined by the facilitator) the amount of candy left in the bowls is doubled (with a maximum of the original amount in the bowl). Once a group has no candy left in their bowl they can no longer participate. The game goes until all of the groups have no candy left or the facilitator calls the game
Group Sit and Stand
The object of group sit and stand is for groups to sit and stand together without unlinking arms. Begin the game by separating the group into pairs. Make sure to pair people according to size. Have the pairs stand back to back and link arms. After all the pairs are in the correct position have them attempt to sit down without unlinking their arms or crashing to the floor. Once pairs have managed to sit have them attempt to stand back up. As pairs complete the task, have them join together and try again in groups of four. Tell participants that in groups of 3 or bigger they may stand facing inside the circle. Continue to combine the groups until eventually all the participants are sitting and standing in one large circle.
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Discuss what made this activity easy or difficult. Vary the activity by having the participants attempt to sit and stand without talking or while standing on one foot.
Guess the Human
Supplies: Notecards, Markers
This game may better later in the year when players know one another pretty well.
In this game, students write down three interesting facts about themselves (characteristics, accomplishments, cool events, etc) on a notecard, and the group tries to identify whom the facts describe.
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Explain the nature of the game and remind everyone that they are not to explicitly identify themselves on the cards. Then give everyone a note card, and have everyone write down three interesting facts about themselves. Then randomly choose card by card and have the group guess whose card it is based on the facts.
Variation: Instead of having people write their own cards, assign a person to each person to describe in 3 positive facts. Then have the group guess whom the facts describe. Reveal who wrote the facts as well.
Hand Tap
Have the group sit around a large table or kneel in a circle on the floor and begin by placing their hands out in front of them, palms down on the floor or the table. Next, have each person raise their right hand and place it over the left hand of the person on their right. This way, each person’s left and right hand are separated by the right hand of the person on their left and the left hand of the person on their right. The object is to tap hands in the order that hands are placed on the table or floor. For example, if Rachel began by tapping her left hand, it would be followed by Justin’s right, Emily’s left, then Rachel’s right. Practice it once or twice. When everyone feels relatively comfortable with it, introduce a new element to the game. Explain that anyone may reverse the order of the taps by double-tapping. In other words, if Rachel taps her left hand, then Justin taps his right, Emily can send the order back to Justin by tapping her left hand twice. If this happens and Rachel raises her right hand by mistake, her right hand is out. (She must take it off the table or put it behind her back). This continues until all but two players have been eliminated or until time runs out.
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Hands Off
Supplies: An orange, softball or similar sized object
Have the group stand in a circle with their hands behind their backs. Choose an object, like an orange, and tell them that it must be passed all the way around the circle; however no one may use their hands. Before you begin, have the group brainstorm ways to do this and pick one that everyone agrees on to try. Examples are holding it under their chin, between their head and shoulder, and using their feet. Once everyone agrees on a method, pick a person to start and begin the relay. Play a few rounds and try to beat your time or try a new method of passing the object around.
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Hypnotist
Begin by having participants pair up. Explain that there is going to be a leader and a follower but that these roles will be switched frequently. Ask for one person from each pair to volunteer to be the leader first. Have the leader place their hand one foot away from their partners face. Explain that the followers’ goal is to maintain this distance while the leader slowly moves their hand up, down, sideways, and walks around the room. After about a minute or so, explain that there are going to be two “commands.” If the facilitator claps one time the players are to switch roles, if the facilitator claps two times they are to quickly switch partners. Make sure to continuously give commands so that the game stays interesting, and play for as long as everyone is having fun.
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Variations:
- One way to switch up “Hypnotist” is to have both players lead. Have the players choose one spot on their body (fingertips of their left hand, nose, elbow, etc.) Have players walk around the room while trying to maintain three feet of distance between their partners chosen body part and their own face.
- Another way to switch up “Hypnotist” is to have one person lead the entire group. The leader would have all of the followers attempt to keep their faces three feet away from the leaders hand while the leader slowly and deliberately moves their hand.
Imaginary Train
Have the group stand in a circle an arm’s length apart. Explain that you are going to be the conductor and that as you chug around the circle people should jump on your train! Once everyone is on the train move around the room, inventing obstacles that your train has to bypass. Maybe the train has to slow down as it is moving up a hill, or speed up as it is coming down the other side. Maybe the train has to crouch down to go under a tunnel, or stand on tip-toe while going over a bridge. Maybe the train as to hop up and down as it hits a particularly bumpy part of the track. Use your imagination! Facilitators can be obstacles as well (leg tunnel, toll booth, etc.). Once the group gets used to working as a train, pick a different conductor. Play for as long as everyone is having fun or until the time runs out. Play this game often enough so that different people get the chance to be the leader.
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Variation: Split the group up into two or three different trains to give more participants a chance to be the leader.
Jigsaw Puzzle People
Split the group up into groups of 6 people and explain that they are going to work together to make a jigsaw person. Inform the groups that each jigsaw person will be made up of a head, a torso, two arms, and two legs. Tell the groups it will be up to them to decide who will be which body part, and to arrange themselves on the floor so that they make up a jigsaw person.
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Variation:
- Assign each member of each group to a body part. Explain that they will be limited by their body part assignment, and may only use that part of their own body while attempting to form the jigsaw person. The person who has been assigned the head may think and talk, but may not point or move unless directed. The people who have been assigned the arms may point and wave, but may not move unless directed. The people who have been assigned the legs may walk and nudge people into position, but may not talk or point. The person who has been assigned the torso may not talk or move unless directed.
- An additional variation is to have the groups form giant animals, and to act out how that animal would behave.
Maestro (Mystery Clap)
Have the group sit on the floor and form a large circle. Explain that there will be a leader and a guesser. The guesser will leave the room while the group selects a leader. The leader will begin a rhythm using their body ex: clapping, slapping thighs, snapping, etc. The rest of the group must follow the leader’s pattern. When a pattern has been established the guesser will rejoin the group and attempt to guess who the leader is and will have two or three guesses depending on the size of the group. The leader can change the pattern at any time.
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Mirrors
Put people in pairs and have them spread out around the room. Have the groups choose someone to be the leader and someone to be the follower. Explain that the leader should move slowly and deliberately while the follower mimics their every move, thus creating a mirror image effect. Players shouldn’t talk, but should focus on each other’s movements. Leaders should make sure that they are moving at a speed the follower can keep up with. After a minute or so, have the pairs switch positions. Once pairs demonstrate enough skill to successfully mirror one another, have the pair try again without a designated leader/follower.
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Momentum
Supplies: Enough scraps of paper for each group member to get two
To set up the game, the facilitator must first identify how many group members are going to be involved. If the group has 20 members, the facilitator must make two sets of twenty slips of paper numbered 1-20. The facilitator should then have the group form a circle and should go around distributing the first set of labeled numbers. Group members should be told to place this number face up at their feet and ignore it. The facilitator should now distribute the second set of numbers. Group members should be told that this number signifies which member of the group they will be watching. The object of this game is to stay as still as possible while observing the designated person. Group members should also be told that if the person they are observing moves, they should mimic their movement in a slightly more exaggerated way. Once this game begins it can move quickly, so the facilitator must be prepared to set up a couple rounds!
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One-Team Volleyball
- Use different types of balls and balloons to adjust the level of challenge
- If there is no access to a volleyball net, have the two tallest volunteers hold a bed sheet or blanket as a net
Pass the Pulse
Have the group stand or sit in a circle and everyone hold hands. The object of the game is to pass a squeeze (a pulse of energy) around the circle without talking. Designate one person to start the squeeze by gently squeezing the hand of the person next to them. When someone feels their hand being squeezed, they should squeeze the hand of the person next to them. This continues until the squeeze makes it around the entire circle. Some people may get excited and squeeze too early, so you could have everyone close their eyes or face outward so they can’t see the squeeze being passed. To add an extra element of excitement, challenge the group to pass the squeeze as quickly as possible. Time the group and then try to pass it faster and faster.
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Peace Balance
Explain all of the directions before playing and give people the option not to participate. Have participants stand in a circle and count off by twos. There must be an even number. After everyone has a number, have the group hold hands and then take a few steps backward so that their arms are extended (but not too tightly). On the count of three, tell everyone to keep their feet planted and then have all of the ones slowly lean forward while the twos slowly lean backward until everyone is at a 20 to 30 degree angle, completely balanced in both directions. Hold this for 10 seconds and then tell people to ease back to a standing position. Take a moment to appreciate the teamwork and balance that was required for the activity, and then debrief it with the group. If the exercise was not successful, talk about why and invite people to try it again.
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Play Doh Pictionary
Supplies: One jar of Play-Doh per team, Play-Doh Pictionary Cards
This game is just like the classic game Pictionary, in which players to guess an object being drawn by one of their teammates, except that instead of using paper and pencils, players shape objects out of Play-Doh. Begin by dividing the group into teams of 5-7 people and explain the rules:
- There is absolutely no running. Everyone must walk.
- Play-Doh sculptors may not talk
- Play-Doh Sculptors may not use symbols, letters, words, and/or charades to help their team guess
Give each group one container of Play-Doh and place them at tables or on the floor approximately equidistant from the facilitator. Tell each team to choose a sculptor for the first round and send that person to the facilitator. The facilitator will reveal a Play-Doh Pictionary card (with the name of an object), and sculptors must walk back to their team. Using the Play-Doh, sculptors try to get their team to guess the object. After a team member guesses correctly, the next person in line walks to the facilitator for the next card. This continues until every person on the team has had a chance to be the sculptor. Play as many rounds as time allows.
Variation: Instead of having people walk back and forth to the facilitator, set up cards at each team’s station. Each player takes one card and the team keeps playing until they go through either all players or all the cards.
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Big Wind Blows
This is a great game to play with a big group of people who may not know each other well and a great way to find commonalities among group members.
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Begin by getting the group to stand forming one big circle, with the facilitator in the middle. The facilitator should explain that he/she will say a statement beginning with “The Big Wind Blows for people who….” and then complete the sentence with a statement that applies to them. For example, the facilitator could say, “The Big Wind Blows for people who have a younger sister” or “…people who live on campus”. Once the facilitator has finished the statement, anyone in the circle whom that statement applies to should leave their place in the circle and find a new spot (this cannot be the spot on either side of the person). The person in the middle will also try to take a spot in the circle. The remaining person who is left without a place in the circle must come up with the next statement.
Compliment Relay
Tell players they are going to be playing a game in which they will be complimenting each other. If you are playing with young children, ask if they know what a compliment is. If they already know, have them share some examples. If not, then explain the concept to them and give a few examples of compliments. Have the players sit in a circle and tell them that they are going to be passing compliments around the circle. One person will give a compliment to the person next to them, who will then say “thank you” and give a compliment to the next person and so on around the circle. Remind them that the compliments need to be sincere and start the relay. If you would like to play a second round, give players 10 seconds to find a new seat in the circle (they can’t sit next to the same person) and challenge them to say something different from the last round.
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Concentric Circles
Have the group count off by twos. Have the ones form a circle facing outward with their backs toward one another. Have the twos form a circle around the ones facing inward so that everyone is paired with someone in the other circle. Explain that you will ask them a series of questions. Each pair has two minutes to discuss the questions (one minute for each person).
After two minutes are up have one of the circles rotate either right or left one spot or any number you choose. Then have the new pairs talk for two minutes. Write down some discussion ideas that relate to your activity in advance.
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Continuums
Supplies: A prepared list of topics or statements, tape and signs (optional)
Before you begin, make sure you have a large space that is clear of obstructions so people can move around the room easily. Make a line out of tape on the floor down the middle of the room. Label the length of tape with the following: strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree, in a continuum (i.e. strongly agree and strongly disagree at opposite ends). Have the group stand in the middle of the room or in front of the line and explain that you will read a series of statements and each person must place themselves on the line according to their level of agreement/disagreement with the statement. They should move without talking. Ask if there are any questions and then begin by reading the first statement. When everyone has found their place on the continuum give participants a chance to share their opinions, making sure to hear from different places along the line. Make sure to remind participants that they may not judge other people’s ideas. After a few minutes, move on to the next statement. Continue until all the statements have been read.
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Debriefing Tips: Talk about the range of opinions heard, using specific examples if possible, and what it was like to move along the continuum.
Variations: Instead of using a line, label the four corners of the room with strongly agree, agree, disagree, and strongly disagree and have participants go the corner that represents their opinion.
Or: Have participants break into only two groups, agree or disagree, and have the groups engage in short discussions about why they chose to agree or disagree. Then share with the larger group. In debriefing, talk about how it feels to have to make a black and white decision with no shades of gray.
Sample Statements:
- Young men have been systematically conditioned to be violent
- Women are less violent than men.
- I share the same race or ethnicity as many of my teachers
- Poverty is a form of violence
- Guns symbolize power and control
- Guns are a way for young people to have power
- Adults in my life are good models of conflict resolution
- Oppression only havens to non-white people
- Violence is a learned behavior
- Conflict can be a positive thing
- Adults understand what it is like to be a young peons today
- Society discriminates against people of different religions
- It is hard to be an immigrant in this country
- People of African descent are represented on TV as bright, capable, and resourceful, people
- It is difficult to sit in the room and be the only person who is… (white/black/short/gay/in a wheelchair etc.)
- I believe that my vote matters
- The quality of education depends on a person’s income
- I can walk down the street holding the hand of the person I love without a negative reaction from other people.
Inception Charades
Supplies: None
One chosen student, the actor must act out anything he or she desires. All other students in the classroom have their back turned to the person acting so that they cannot see what he or she is doing. One student, the translator, can see what is happening. He or she must try to describe to the students who cannot see what the actor is doing without mimicking the actor’s actions. The other students in the classroom must work together to guess what the actor is trying to act out.
If the group is larger, the class can split into teams of four—where one person is the translator and the other three can’t see the actor. Facilitators can choose to set a one-minute timer to limit how long the teams can guess. The team that guesses in time earns a point and at the end of one round, the actor switches with whichever students wants to act next.
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My Way or the Highway
3rd grade & up – Medium group (10+)
Empowerment, Observation, Nonverbal communication, Patience
Similar to Blizzard/Silent Lineup
Have students find their path in a game which combines mazes with teamwork.
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Banana Tag
Choose a few people to be “it.” The game begins as normal freeze tag, but when someone is tagged, they must stand where they were tagged and hold their hands above their head simulating a banana. In order to “free” the person who was tagged, two different people must come “peel the banana” by pulling down each arm. After a couple minutes of playing, you can switch the people who are “it.”
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Blizzard
Supplies: Blindfold (optional)
In this game, four to six players will be human obstacles, while the rest of the group will be split into pairs. Explain that the space will be transformed into an obstacle course that people will need to negotiate. Ask for volunteers to be the “obstacles,” then place them strategically around the room and help them to create the course. This may include stepping over a volunteer (or frozen log), crawling under a table or stepping through a hoop of some sort (ice cave), walking between two people who are standing close together (crevasse), being held in mid-air (climbing in and out of the survival tent), avoiding a person pacing back and forth (snow plow), or stopping at a station to complete a task (like singing “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”). Have the remaining participants pair up, so that everyone has a buddy. Explain that there has been a terrible blizzard in the room. Some players can still see (one person in each pair), but others have become snow blind (the other person in the pair who must close their eyes or use a blindfold). Give the pairs a minute to decide which person will play each role. Have each pair line up at the beginning of the course. The game begins when the pairs navigate their way through “the blizzard.” The players who can see must lead the blinded players through both the blizzard and obstacles safely. (Depending on the group, allow the guides to lead their partners by touching them lightly on the shoulders or instruct them to use only words). Send pairs through at staggered intervals so players do not bump into each other. Remind guides to watch not only their partner but other groups, as well. The game ends when each pair has successfully completed the course.
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Variation: Have the group direct people through the blizzard. Choose a volunteer to be blindfolded and help them to the starting line. Have another player/volunteer to be their “spotter” and follow them, making sure that they are safe at all times, but explain that the spotter may not give directions.Directions and help may only come from the group, who are standing at the perimeter. Begin by letting anyone give directions. When this becomes too chaotic, freeze the game and have the blindfolded player explain what was easy or hard and what she or he needs to be successful.
Reviews
For younger kids (K, 1, 2), we had the guide hold one end of a scarf and the blindfolded child hold the other end. This way, they were still dependent on one another but it was less dangerous due to the age factorBlob Tag
Set the game up by telling some kind of story about people-eating blobs invading Earth. Explain that one of these blobs has landed on their playing field and choose a person to be “it.” If “it” tags anyone, they become part of “the blob.” The game begins as a normal game of tag, but when someone is tagged, they must join hands with the tagger. Play continues and whenever someone is tagged, they must join hands with someone in the blob as the blob continues to chase people. The game ends when everyone becomes part of the blob.
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Building Bridges
Supplies: a ball (or rolled up tape); for each group: 6 pieces of newspaper, 4 paper plates, 4 paper or plastic cups, ruler, scissors, roll of tape, 4 toothpicks (optional)
Divide participants into groups and have them sit around their building materials. Tell them they are not allowed to touch their materials at this point. Explain that each group is going to build a bridge using only the materials in front of them. The bridge must be able to support a small ball rolling from one side to the other and must meet the following criteria:
- It must be at least 2 feet tall
- It must be at least 3 feet wide
- It cannot be anchored to the table or floor
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Explain that for the next 10 minutes the groups can talk and plan how they will build their bridges, but that they still cannot touch the materials. After these 10 minutes are up, give them another 10 minutes to build their bridges, however they may not talk once the building time has begun. When time runs out the facilitator will measure each bridge to make sure they are at least 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide, and then each group will test their bridge with the ball.
Ask if they have any questions before the activity begins. Be sure to walk around to each group during both the planning and building phases to monitor their progress and make sure they are sticking to the rules.
Variations:
-Randomly assign a leader to each group but do not give them any specific responsibilities.
-To do this activity with slightly younger children, allow them to talk throughout the building phase.
Cup and String
Supplies: Six paper or plastic cups per team, rubber bands, string or twine
This game is played in small groups and is good for encouraging players to work together as a team. The variation can be used to examine the role of the leaders.
Before you play the game, make rubber band tools for each group. There should be four people per group. Make the rubber band tools by tying four pieces of string to a rubber band so each person on the team can hold a string and partially control the opening and closing of the rubber band.
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It will probably be easiest to explain this game by demonstration. Have all the players gather around one group of four people. Six cups should be laid out in the middle of the four players. The players should then stack the cups into a tower by only using the rubber band tool. After they have made a tower, they can be given additional challenges.
Variations:
- Have the groups try to stack the cups or make some other kind of structure without talking.
- Designate one member of each group as the leader. The other members of the group must close their eyes. The leader will guide the other members of the group in stacking or making a structure.
Human Machine
The object of this game is for people to work cooperatively in small groups to imitate a machine using only their bodies. Divide the groups into teams of approximately 3-6 people. Explain that they will have five minutes to choose a machine and to plan how the team will present it to the rest of the group.
Some guidelines:
- The machine must be an actual machine. (Examples have included everything from televisions to tractors to espresso machines)
- The only materials available to use are the people in the group.
- Every person on the team must be included.
After five minutes, bring the teams back together and have each team present their machine for the whole group. After a team has presented, have participants raise their hands if they think they can identify the machine. Give the group three chances to guess the machine.
Variation: Have the whole group (or teams) create a new machine – either functional or fictional. Begin with one or two players performing a motion, possibly accompanied by a sound. One by one, have additional players add a complementary motion and sound until the machine is complete. This can get quite loud so make sure the group is in a place where they can make noise without disturbing others. If the group is mature or has had some practice, tell them that their new machine must accomplish some task, such as cooking, cleaning, building, making music, farming, or something else.
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Island Challenge
Supplies: Pieces of paper
Islands are laid out in a designated area of play. Groups must travel from point A to point B by only stepping on the islands. This may be presented as a competition between two teams, a race against the clock, or both!
There can be many variations with this game. Islands can be laid out in an easy/difficult pattern, be smaller/larger, etc. The children may not be able to verbally communicate, or they must have to hold hands in a line through the entire journey. A rule could be made where the first person cannot step off of the last island until the last person is on the first island, etc. Additionally, if someone steps into the water, an island may be removed from his or her team, making the challenge more difficult.
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Juggling Life
Supplies: Balloons, markers
Prepare about 10-15 balloons of different sizes and varying colors. Write common tasks or important aspects of a student’s life on the balloons (one task per balloon). The larger balloons should represent things that are most important in life (ex. the balloon with “eating” on it would be significantly larger than the “Facebook” balloon) and the smaller ones should represent the non-essentials. Gather students in a large circle. The game starts with the facilitator introducing a balloon or two at a time (starting with the most important). The point of the game is for all of the students in the circle to work together to keep the balloons off of the ground. Once a balloon hits the ground, it is out of play. The game is over once the most important balloon hits the ground or time is called.
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Kisses
Supplies: Hershey’s Kisses or other small candy (2 per player)
GET PERMISSION BEFORE GIVING YOUR STUDENTS CANDY.
Have the group sit in a circle and give each person two pieces of candy. Tell them not to eat them yet. Explain that one piece represents something that they appreciate about the group or thought the group did well and the other is something that they appreciate about themselves or something they did well. Give players a minute to think about what each of their kisses will be for and then go around the circle and have people share their kisses. Encourage everyone to share at least one of their kisses but if someone is really uncomfortable give them the option to pass. Once everyone has had a turn to share, participants may eat their kisses.
Variation: Instead of having one of the kisses be something they appreciate about the group or themselves, make it something they appreciate about another player in the circle. Have the person give their kiss to whomever they are recognizing, making sure that everyone gets one.
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Marshmallow Towers
Supplies: Marshmallows, toothpicks
Split the group into two or more teams. Each team should have about 3-6 people. The goal of this game is to see which group builds the highest tower using only the items provided. The towers must be stable. What’s the catch? Explain to the groups that each person in their group with have different skills taken away from them. The roles are listed below.
Person A – eyes open, can talk, cannot build
Person B - eyes open, cannot talk, can only build using pointer and middle fingers
Person C – eyes closed, can talk, can build
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Reviews
We tried playing this game with a 4th grade class (ages 9-10). We had eight kids so one of our volunteers participated in one group as Person A, and that group happened to do a lot better than the other two groups, who either cheated or gave up mid-game. If you have a low kid to volunteer ratio (approximately 2:1), try having a volunteer in each group so that the groups can stay on track and it's easier to keep them under control. -JEMoose Elephant Walrus
Have the group stand in a circle. Explain that in this game, people will be asked to create one of three animals: a moose, an elephant, or a walrus. In order to create these animals, they must rely on the people to their left and their right. Choose three volunteers, or facilitators to demonstrate how to make the animals.
- Moose – the person in the middle places the thumbs of their open hands to their temples, creating moose antler. However the moose has very large antlers so the people on either side hold up their hands (with fingers spread out) adjacent to the middle antlers.
- Elephant - the person in the middle sticks one arm straight out in front of them to create the trunk. The people on either side use both of their arms to create the elephant’s ears.
- Walrus – the person in the middle tucks their fists up under their neck, letting their elbows jut out to form the tusks and their fingers point down to form whiskers. The people on either side lean in and then clap their hands to the outside to create flippers.
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Variations:
Add new animals or objects to the game. Have fun with it! Invite players to create their own or try one of the following:
- Rabbit. The person in the middle holds their hands curled in front of them and bounces up and down, while the people on either side hold both of their hands straight up next to the middle person’s head, forming long ears.
- Elevator. The person in the middle stands still and pretends to be pushing a button for their floor. The people on either side hold out their hands, enclosing the middle person, and move slowly to the floor, giving the impression that the elevator is moving up.
Lemonade
Try to find a playing space that has a clearly marked dividing line long enough for each team to line up along. Divide players into two teams and have each side choose a “home base” like a wall or play structure. Once a player reaches his or her home base, they are safe and cannot be tagged. Explain that in each round, one team (Team 2) will stand a few feet back from the center line while the other team (Team 1) will huddle up and choose an occupation to act out without talking and a home city/state/country. After they have decided, have them start walking toward the centerline and begin the following script:
- Team 1: “Here we come”
- Team 2: “Where from?”
- Team 1: “_” (the city/state/country)
- Team 2:” What’s your trade?”
- Team 1: “Lemonade”
- Team 2: “Well show us some if you’re not afraid”
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Duck, Duck, Thing
A group of players sit in a circle, facing inward, while another player (the picker) walks around gently tapping or pointing to each player in turn, calling each a "duck" until finally picking one to be a “something." The picker gets to choose what animal/machine/thing will be acted out.
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The chosen person then rises, chases and tries to tag the "picker,” while the picker tries to return to and sit where the chaser had been sitting. If the picker succeeds, the chaser is now the new picker and the process begins again. If the chaser succeeds in tagging the picker, the chaser may return to sit in the previous spot and the picker resumes the process.
Cooperative Musical Chairs
Supplies: Chairs, CD player, music (or a radio)
Begin the game by having each participant grab a chair and place the chairs in a circle, facing outward. (If there isn’t enough room for a circle put the chairs back to back in two straight lines.) Explain that everyone is going to walk around the circle, and when the music stops everyone must find a seat. The first round should be a practice round, but after the first round a chair must be removed each round. Explain that each time a chair is removed it means one more player without a seat! Explain that it is the group’s job to make room for all of the players without a chair. Room can be made by squeezing multiple people onto one chair, or having people sit on each other’s knees. The game continues until the players can no longer fit everyone on the remaining chairs.
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