Summer Camp Games and activities

FUN and GAMES

MY NAME IS…

Goal: Learn names

Materials: None

Time: 10 – 15 min.

Age: All

Participants: All

Preparation: None

Everybody sits in a circle and the first person starts by saying his name and an animal with the

same first letter – and doing a gesture: Example: "Hi, I am Mike the mouse" Then everybody

says: "Hi Mike the mouse" and do the gesture. Then the next person continues and so on.

There are many variations to this game…let the imagination tell you what to do.

INTRODUCTIONS WITH STYLE

Goal: Learn names

Materials: None

Time: 10 min

Age: All

Participants: 10 – 30 participants

Preparation: None

Everybody stands in a circle. A first person walks in the middle and says his/her name in an

aggressive way and moves back to the circle. Now everybody has to walk towards the middle at the

same time and say his/her name as s/he did – even the body language. The next person walks into the

middle and says his/her name softly or sings it, and all have to copy the style.

Then the next person does the same and everybody repeats. This goes on until everybody have

said their name twice.

BALLOONS

Goal: Learn names

Materials: Balloons, pens, music

Time: 15 min (not counting preparation!)

Age: All

Participants: All

Preparation: Blow up as many balloons as there are participants and write each name on the balloons.

Activity:

The music starts and everybody walks around, hitting the balloons. When the music stops, each

participants must grab a balloon without popping it, read the name and find that person.

CAT AND MOUSE

Goal: Have fun

Materials: Big space

Time: 30 min

Age: All

Participants: All

Preparation: None

All stand in couples, with one arm around your partner’s arm. 2 participants are chosen to be a

cat and a mouse. The cat has to catch the mouse and they run around the other participants. If the

mouse gets a hold of an arm from one of the other couples, then the cat turns into a mouse and the

person standing next to the person who was just grabbed, becomes the cat and has to catch the

new mouse. If the cat catches the mouse, they swap positions.

AMOEBA

Goal: Have fun

Materials: None

Time: 10 min

Age: 9 +

Participants: All

Preparation: None. Explain the status symbols below, and the paper/stone/scissors game.

Human Being = acting normal

Monkey = jumping around and sounds like a monkey

Rabbit = the hands acts as ears, going up and down

Snake = Puts 2 fingers in front of mouth and sounds like a snake

Amoeba = "Swims" around

In the beginning, all are amoebas. The participants goes to another one of its kind and

makes "Paper, scissors, stone". The winner goes one step up the ladder – the looser goes one step

down. When half of the people have ‘become humans’, the game stops.

HOSPITAL GAME

Goal: Have fun and work together

Materials: Big space

Time: 30 min

Age: All

Participants: All

Preparation: None

Use a big space and make 2 of the side areas hospitals. Those are virus-free zones. Select 4 – 5 participants to be viruses. The rest must run from one free-zone to the other. If they are

touched by the ‘viruses’, they have to lie down on the ground.

The only way they can be cured, is if 4 people carry them to one of the hospitals. Whenever 4

participants are able to get together to carry a person, they cannot be touched by the viruses.

CATCH THE HAT

Goal: Have fun

Materials: A piece of cloth

Time: 30 min +

Age: All

Participants: All

Preparation: None

2 teams standing on a line 20 meters from each other, facing each other. In team 1, each

participant gets a letter, in team 2 they get a number. The cloth is lying right between the 2

teams. The leader shouts a letter and a number, and the 2 participants has to run and get the cloth and

return to their team. The person not catching the cloth, has to dash the other person before he/she

reaches the team. When everybody has tried, the game stops and the winning team is found.

HODADADADADADA….

Goal: Have fun

Materials: Big space

Time: 10 min

Age: All

Participants: 20 +

Preparation: None

The participants are divided into 2 teams and stand on both sides of a line. A person from team 1

runs into the field of team 2, while shouting: "Hodadadadada…." – in one breath!

S/He has to touch as many people as possible and return to his/her own team. If s/he loses breath before returning, then s/he a member of the other team.

Team 2 has to try to stop him from returning, by making a "human wall". They can stand in his/her

way, but their arms have to hang down and they can not reach out and grab him/her.

If s/he returns safely, all the people who were touched move to team 1. Then it is team 2's turn.

HUGS

Goal: Have fun

Materials: None

Time: 20 min

Age: All

Participants: 20 +

Preparation: None

One person is "it" and chases the others. Whoever gets touched, must stand still with arms to

their side. To come alive again, another person has to give you a big hug to the count of 3.

LAST PAIR - GO!

Goal: Exercise, have fun

Materials: Big space

Time: 30 min

Age: All

Participants: 10 +

Preparation: None

The participants are divided into pairs and stand in line behind each other. One person is "it"

and stands in front of them, facing the same direction. S/He shouts: "Last couple, go!", and the last

couple then have to run on each side of the group, pass the person, who now tries to catch one of

them. If they can manage to hold hands again, without getting touched, s/he is "it" again and they

stand in front of the group and s/he shouts again. If s/he manages to touch one of them, the one caught becomes “it” while the partner and the previous "it" form the new couple at the front of the line.

CAPTURE THE FLAG

Goal: Have fun and work together

Materials: 2 flags (pieces of cloth), big area

Time: 45 min

Age: All

Participants: 40 +

Preparation: None

Divide the participants into 2 teams, red and blue and give each team the half of the field.

Each team gets a ‘flag’. They have to hide it somewhere on their half – but a part of the flag should be visible. They also designate a prison, where captured people from the other people must stand.

The object of the game, is to run into the other team’s half, get the flag and return safely to your

own half.

Rules:

• You can only be touched and captured on the other team’s territory.
• The prisoners can form a line, holding hands. If a team member touches one of the people,

they can all run home - but can also be recaptured on their way.

• If the flag is stolen by a team, but lost on the way home, the flag has to stay there – it can not

be hidden again.

STREETS AND AVENUES

Goal: Have fun

Materials: None

Time: 30 min

Age: All

Participants: All

Preparation: None

 Organise the players into a rectangular grid, or maze, spaced so that they stand two arms lengths

away from any other in all 4 directions. If you have an awkward number of players you may

leave out up to 2 players - they will be given roles later in the game.

Before the game starts it is best to rehearse changing the maze:

Start with all the players facing in the same direction with their arms spread out sideways to create a number of rows. On the command 'Turn' everyone should turn round 90° - don't be too worried which way just as long as it is a quarter turn. This changes the maze from rows to columns.

Two players a 'cat' and a 'mouse' will run around the maze, the cat trying to catch and tag the

mouse. They may run around the maze and along the lines of arms but must not pass or stretch

across them. The leader can shout 'Turn' at any point during the game to change the maze. Thus

you may suddenly prevent the mouse getting caught or put the mouse very close to the cat. When

the mouse is caught start again with another pair or start with a new mouse and allow the old

mouse to be promoted to be a cat.

 HEAVEN - HELL

Goal: Have fun

Materials: A long cord/line

Time: 10 min

Age: All

Participants: All

Preparation: None

Place the cord on the ground and tell people to stand on one side of it facing the leader. That is heaven If they jump over the cord with both legs together, they land into hell.

The leader gives the order – Heaven or Hell. They must follow the right command.

The leader can call either place. The participants must only jump, when s/he shouts: H or H

For example, if s/he says: "Heaven" or "Hell" and then "Hell" again, if they jump, they

are out of the game.

 CAPTURE THE FORT

Goal: Have fun, work together

Materials: 1 soccer ball

Time: 20 min

Age: All

Participants: Groups of 20 people

Preparation: None

Divide the participants into groups of 20 people.

Divide each group into 2 teams: Attackers and Defenders.

Defenders form a circle, holding hands and facing outward, with their captain in the centre.

Attackers surround the fort at about eight or ten paces distant. They try to kick a soccer ball into

the fort; it may go through the legs of the defenders or over their heads. If it goes over

their heads, the captain may catch it and throw it back out. But if it touches the ground inside the

circle, the fort is captured and the players change sides.

SHOE GAME

Goal: Create group feeling, find a solution without speaking

Materials: Shoes.

Time: 20 min

Age: All

Participants: All

Preparation: None

Everybody has to have a pair of shoes. Put them all in a big pile and tell people to get a right and

a left. They shouldn't be their own and they should be different. Wear the best way they can.

Now they have to form a line with the shoes – this is done without talking. A match is when a

person has a left shoe and the person on the left has the same right shoe. This means, that people

will stand with the legs crossed together with partners on both sides.

 MATCH THE PUZZLE

Goal: To create spontaneous groups

Materials: Pictures from magazines

Time: 15 min

Age: All

Participants: Groups of 6-8

Preparation: Yes

Preparation: Find pictures in a magazine as there are groups. Cut them into pieces to create puzzles.

Activity:

Give each person a piece of the puzzle. Now they have to walk around and match their piece, to complete the puzzle. This must be done without speaking. As they complete their picture, they shout “finished” and are given a number or name…

HIGHWAY CROSSING

Goal: Cooperation, trust, non-verbal communication

Materials: Blindfolds, chairs as obstructions, paper

Time: 1 hour

Age: All

Participants: into Pairs

Preparation: Yes

Preparation: Write words or draw on paper.

Activity: The pairs consist of one mute and one blind person. Their task is to cross a road with heavy

traffic. At the other side of the road they must locate a box in which the blind person will find a

card with a drawing or a word on and bring it back to the other side of the road.

Back on the safe side of the road, the mute person must explain to the blind what the card reads.

This must be done non-verbally.

When crossing the road, locating the box of cards and getting back to the safe side, the two

members of the pair are not allowed to touch. The mute person will give directions by using nonverbal sound such as clapping, clicking of the tongue, etc. (The pairs should agree on a

"language" before starting the exercise. They will at least need signals for "STOP", "GO",

"LEFT" and "RIGHT".)

Back on the safe side of the road, when explaining the contents of the card, the mute may touch

the blind. When the blind understands what's on the card, he will call the "POLICE" (which is a

leader) and tell him/her what the card says. If the answer is correct, the roles in the pair are

reversed, so that everybody can try both roles.

Some leaders should be "cars", moving back and forth. If a pair is hit by a "car" they have to go

back to the starting point. Any cards being carried at the moment will be lost.

To complicate, put out some chairs etc. to act as roadwork sites. If the blind walks into a

"roadwork" site he will get lost and has to be guided back to the starting point. Any cards being

carried at the moment will be lost.

Discussion:

• What did you think of the activity?
• How did it feel to communicate this way?
• Was it difficult? • Etc.

 GET TO KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOUR

Goal: Communication without talking

Materials: Pens and paper

Time: 30 – 40 min.

Age: All

Participants: 5 – 20 participants

Preparation: None

Everybody sits in a circle with pens and a piece of paper each. Now they have to draw their

favourite "something"…animal, food, car etc. After this, they pass their drawing to the person

sitting to the right of them and now this person has to act what is on the drawing, so that the

others can guess it.

FOOD, WATER & SHELTER (OH DEER)

Goal: Learn about nature

Materials: None

Time: 15 min +

Age: All

Participants: 10 +

Preparation: None

 STEREOTYPES:

Goal: Show stereotypes and prejudice. Know more about countries

Material: Big papers, pens, colours

Time: 2-3 hours

Age: All

Participants: All – not too many but coming from different places/nationalities

Preparation: Yes:

Preparation: Draw the borders of each country represented/or write the name of a town/province on 2 different sheets of paper. Place them one on the floor. Put on some soft music.

Activity:

1: Everybody walks around and writes onto the papers, what they know (or think) about this

country – except on their own.

2: Each delegation writes on the other paper, what they know about their own country onto the second sheet referring to their own country/province/town.

3: In turn when completed, each delegation presents the 2 papers and compare – what was the same and what wasn't. They also share about the things they wrote themselves.

The leaders may need to translate if the participants use their home language.

 HANDICAP - DAY

Goal: Experience how handicapped people are living

Materials: Different things

Time: One activity or a full day

Age: 11 +

Participants: All

Preparation: None

Different handicaps are allotted during mealtime. Blindness, armless, one leg, deafness, etc.

During the meal and part of the day, during normal activities, participants must imagine and act as if they have that disability, and all must be aware of the disability of each and help each other.

People might fall or get angry, and leaders have to be on the look-out. Each participant has to play the role well.

Discussion:

• How did people feel?
• Was it difficult?
• What about handicapped people in society? Etc.

BOATS OF FEELINGS

Goal: Talk about qualities, different people

Materials: None

Time: 1 hour

Age: 11 +

Participants: All

Preparation: None

 The participants are divided into groups of 4. They are sitting in a boat, which is sinking. Each

boat possesses a specific feeling: Love, friendship, respect and trust.

I each boat, there are 4 feelings:   Love Friendship Respect Trust

The participants have to decide which of these feelings, that is the most important and throw out

the 3 others, before the boat sinks (Set a time-limit).

Each participant adopts one of the feelings and therefore has the chance to make points to why not that feeling should be thrown out of the boat. ANSWERS ARE neither RIGHT nor WRONG!!!

It may be useful to talk about the feelings before and after. Different cultures have different

meanings of these words.

 BUILD A CITY

Goal: Experience different regimes

Materials: Newspapers, clay, tape etc.

Time: 1 – 2 hours

Age: 11 +

Participants: All

Preparation: None

The participants are divided into 4 groups, with a leader in each group. They are told, that each

group had to build a city, using the materials present. Each group have different ways of making

decisions, for example:

Group 1: The majority decides what to do and how to do it.

Group 2: One person decides everything.

Group 3: Everybody has to agree on the decisions made.

Group 4: No one is in charge, people can do what they each feel like doing.

The participants are not told what kind of regimes exist in the other group, only their own. They

are not told about the discussion afterwards, only that they have to build a city.

Discussion:

• What was the main purpose of the game?
• Did the groups succeed?
• What is success in this game?
• Was it a good way to make decisions?
• Etc.

DRAW THE WORLD

Goal: Experience, that the world is "big"

Materials: Large paper or blackboard or white board, colours, pens etc.

Time: 1 hour

Age: All

Participants: All

Preparation: None

Divide the participants into delegations. Now they have to draw a map of the world – At least all

the countries participating in the activity. Leaders should not participate. When all have

finished, each delegation shows their map to the others. "Hopefully" the delegations will draw their own country in the centre of the drawing and it is often the biggest country.

Discussion:

• Did you get all the countries?
• Why / why not?
• Which part of the map is biggest? Why? Etc.

Afterwards, the leaders should have a real map of the world and show everybody where the

countries are.

PROBLEMS IN MY COUNTRY

Goal: Experience problems in other countries + find solutions

Materials: None

Time: 2 hours

Age: 11 +

Participants: All

Preparation: None

Divide into groups. The leader is there to help, but not to participate. Each delegation agrees

on a problem in their own country and prepares a small drama act, where the problem is

explained clearly. Perhaps non-verbal, but the leader can explain afterwards.

When all the drama is over, the delegations swap problems and talk about it, and prepares a

small act with the solution. In debriefing-time, people can talk about what they have learned.

THE KEYS OF POWER

Goal: Experience the feeling of feeling used

Materials: Keys

Time: 1 – 2 hours

Age: 11 +

Participants: All

Preparation: None

Everybody sits in a circle, quietly. The leader walks to the middle, looking very serious. The

leader has a set of keys and shows them to the group. The leader says: "Whoever has these keys in hand, has all the power in the world and you all have to obey that participant’s wishes". Then the leader walks towards a person and give a task (An easy one: Bring me a cup of water, or give me a hug etc.) The leader continues to give different participants tasks for a while, when he suddenly puts the key on the floor and sits down in the circle. Hopefully someone else will rush in and grab the key

and now anything can happen (Revenge is bittersweet!!!). Continue until things go out of hand or

until no one grabs the keys.

Discussion:

• How did it feel to have the power?
• How did it feel to be a "victim" of power?
• Is revenge that important? – Is that what you want?
• Who tried to get the keys? – Why?
• Who did not try to get the keys? – Why not? Etc.

LIFEBOAT

Goal: Make people think about qualities and values

Materials: None

Time: 1 hour

Age: 13 +

Participants: All

Preparation: None

Suggestions for characters:

Doctor, Pregnant woman, Prostitute, Thief, Professor in Chemistry (Age 67), HIV-positive,

police-officer, model (age 20), actor (age 30), taxi-driver, priest etc.

Divide the participants in smaller groups with 6 – 8 participants in each group.

Give each participant a character and tell them to be serious.

These participants are sitting in boat in the middle of the ocean. There is a hole in the boat and water

is coming in. To survive, one person has to leave the boat. Each group get 10 min. to agree

which person should leave. Everybody has to act and defend their character and tell the others

why they should stay in the boat. 5 min, later, more water is pouring in and another person has to leave the boat…this goes onnuntil only one person is left.

Discussion:

• Who was the first to leave and why?
• How was the discussion on the boat?
• How was the atmosphere?
• How did it feel to leave the boat?
• How did it feel to stay in the boat?
• What kind of arguments did you use?
• Is the person leaving the boat a "lesser" person than the others? Etc.

Eventually elaborate about the characters with further positive and negative qualities:

• The doctor is HIV-positive
• The priest, who was a drunk in early life… Etc.

They can even be family or friends etc.

 PUZZLES IN PAIR

Goal: Cooperation, understanding handicaps

Materials: Pictures, blindfolds

Time: 20 min

Age: All

Participants: All

Preparation: Yes

Preparation:

Find different pictures in magazines and cut them into puzzles of 5-7 pieces and place into envelope.

Activity: Divide the participants into pairs. Blindfold one and tie the arms on the back of the other.

Now they have to complete the puzzle. The blind moves the pieces and the one with no arms

tells him what to do.

Discussion:

• How did it feel not to be able to move?
• Were the instructions of your partner ok? Etc

FOOTBALL

Goal: Experience handicaps

Materials: 2 goals, a field and a football

Time: 30 min.

Age: 11 +

Participants: 10 +

Preparation: None

Divide the participants in 2 teams. Each team splits into pairs and they have to hold hands, hold

arms etc. and the game starts. To make it difficult, you can tie their feet together.

To make it even more difficult, but perhaps more fun, the pairs have to stand back to back

while playing.

 THE TOWER

Goal: Experience what communication can do

Materials: Wooden blocks in various sizes

Time: 15 – 45 min.

Age: 11 +

Participants: 5 +

Preparation: None

Divide the participants into groups of 5 people. Give each participant 5 wooden blocks and tell

them to stand in line. Now they have to build a tower – without talking at all. They place one block on the tower in turn, until they are finished. Any block that falls down is removed by the

leader. Finally, the tower is measured. Round 2: They get the blocks again and now they can plan a strategy, before building. But once they start building, they have to maintain silence. Measure the towers again. They get the blocks again and now they can talk before and during the building. Measure again.

Discussion:

• Did you cooperate?
• Was it difficult not to talk?
• Was it frustrating not to talk? Etc.

 THE COURT

Goal: Have people think about justice and difficult decisions

Materials: None (maybe costumes)

Time: 2 hours

Age: 13 +

Participants: All

Preparation: None

This activity works like a drama. It takes place in a court, with attorneys, witnesses, a judge, an

audience, a jury etc.

The Case = Two 13-year-old children are accused of robbing 2 apples from a shop.

Give the participants the different roles and give them some time to prepare themselves.

Don't say anything to the jury about rules… they need be impartial. The groups might need some help during the preparation but let them use their own suggestions. When the court settles, each "role" has to play its part. Finally, the jury will give its verdict and this should be discussed in the entire group. You can add different relevant situations regarding the cases.

• The children have a sister who is sick and hungry and they had no money
• The owner of the shop is very rich
• The owner throws old apples out anyway. Etc.

 FIRE IN THE FOREST

Goal: Work together – loosen up

Materials: None

Time: 10 – 20 min

Age: All

Participants: All

Preparation: None

Everybody runs around, dancing and singing: "Fire in the forest, run, run, run". A leader shouts

for example: "Gather in groups of 3! Of 5!". The leader shouts different numbers in each round.

 FEED ME!

Goal: Work together, experience of disability

Materials: Food

Time: During a meal

Age: All

Participants: All

Preparation: None

Everybody sits in front of their own plate. But they can not feed themselves. They can only feed

the person sitting to the right of them, using their knives/forks/spoons. Each is fed by the left neighbour and feeds the neighbour on the right.

LINE UP

Goal: Complete tasks together

Materials: None

Time: 10 min

Age: All

Participants: All

Preparation: None

Participants have to make a line, standing in order, according to various criteria.

It could be by age, birthdates, height, hair-length etc.

Do it in silence, and second round without even looking, etc.

FANTASY ISLAND

Goal: Experience different cultures

Materials: Paper, pens, colours, music etc.

Time: 2 hours

Age: All

Participants: Groups of 6 – 8 people

Preparation: None

Give these tasks to the groups:

• Create a new country and create the following:
• Name of the country • Language of the country     • Flag               • Map
• National song • Dance                                   • Money          • National costume
• Way to say "Hello" Etc…. Then each group presents their country to each other.

THE HUMAN KNOT

Goal: Complete tasks together

Materials: None

Time: 10 min

Age: All

Participants: 10 – 20

Preparation: None

Everybody stand in a circle and hold their arms out in front of them. Close the eyes and grab 2

hands. Open the eyes and make sure, that the hands does not belong to a person standing next to

you. Now you all have to help each other out in a circle again.

 THE FAX Communication game

Goal: Work together

Materials: Paper and pens

Time: 30 min

Age: All

Participants: All

Preparation: Yes

Preparation:

Draw 10 – 20 different things on small notes.

Activity: The participants are divided into groups of 10 people and sits on the floor, so that the person in front of you have the back against you. The leader shows the first drawing to the "last" person

and now he has to draw on the back of the next person and so on…without speaking. The "first"

person tells what was drawn on his back and it is compared with the original drawing.

MUSICAL CHAIRS

Goal: Complete a task together

Materials: Chairs, CD player, music

Time: 15 min

Age: All

Participants: 10 +

Preparation: None

Place as many chairs back to back, as there are participants in the game. Everybody walks around

the chairs, while the music is playing. The leader stops the music and now everybody has to

stand on the chairs – NO FEET on the ground. When this is done, a chair is removed and the

music starts playing again. Etc.

 DRIVE THE CAR

Goal: Work together

Materials: Blindfolds

Time: 30 min

Age: All

Participants: All

Preparation: None

Divide the participants into pairs. One is blindfolded (the car) and the other can see (the

driver).

Make a big square, in which the cars are standing. The driver has to stand outside the square. One of the pairs is designated as police who have to catch the others.

Cars are driven, by the ‘driver’ giving commands to the ‘car’ (left, right, stop, speed up etc).

After a while, they swap positions.

 FALLING CIRCLE

Goal: Experience trust and show trust

Materials: None

Time: 20 min

Age: 11 +

Participants: Groups of 6 – 7 people

Preparation: None

5 – 6 people stand in a circle, one person is in the middle with closed eyes. S/He stands

stiff and leans over. The others do not let him/her fall all the way. They catch him/her and gently push him in another direction. The one in the middle must try not move his/her feet. When s/he does so another takes the middle place.

LEADING THE BLIND

Goal: Experience and show trust

Materials: Blindfolds, big space

Time: 30 min.

Age: All

Participants: Even numbers

Preparation: None

The participants are divided into pairs. One is blindfolded and puts the hands on the partners

shoulder. Now the partner has to lead the blind through the surroundings in silence, with an agreed coded communication through foot taps. After a while they swap positions.

THE PEN

Goal: Experience and show trust

Materials: Music, a pen

Time: 30 min.

Age: All

Participants: 10 – 30 people

Preparation: None

Everybody stands with their eyes closed. They have to be quiet during the activity. Put on some

soft music. Now they move slowly around. One person has a pen in the hands and when he

touches someone, he hands over the pen and lies down on the floor - still keeping eyes closed.

This goes on, until only one person is standing up with the pen.

Discussion:

• How did it feel?
• Were you thinking of the people laying on the floor? Etc.

CHAIR-TRUST

Goal: Learn to trust each other

Materials: 4 chairs

Time: 5 min.

Age: 11 +

Participants: 4 + 1 leader

Preparation: None

Place chairs as numbers on a watch, in positions 3, 6, 9 and 12, with the backs facing outwards. Sit down and turn to the right. "Lie" down, with your head and shoulders resting on the knees of the person behind you. When everybody lies down, the leader removes the chairs.

To end it in a smooth way, the leader can grab their hands and they are gently lowered to the

floor. Many more can participate in this game. And you can try to crawl forwards.

NEWSPAPER DANCE

Goal: Work together

Materials: Newspapers, music

Time: 10 min

Age: All

Participants: All

Preparation: None

Divide the participants into groups of 4. Give each group a newspaper sheet and start the music.

They jive to the music till it stops. Then they put the newspaper on the floor and step onto it without any part of their feet touching the floor outside the newspaper. Each time the music stops, the newspaper is folded in half till they cannot manage to avoid touching the floor beyond the paper at which point they drop out.

PASS THE SHOE

Materials: Music, 2 shoes

Time: 30 min

Age: 11 +

Participants: 20 +

Preparation: None

Place the boys and girls in separate circles. One person in each group has a shoe. Start the music

and the shoe has to be passed around in the group, until the music stops. The 2 participants holding a

shoe stand up and stand back to back. The others count to 3 and the 2 participants move their head

to one side or the other.  If they move to the same side, they give each other a hug), if they move their heads to opposite sides, they give a handshake.

FOLLOW THE LEADER

Goal: Have fun, work together

Materials: None

Time: 20 min

Age: All

Participants: All

Preparation: None

Everybody sits in a circle, except one, who is outside the room. A leader is designated and

has to lead some actions: slap thighs, rubbing tummy, clapping hands,… discretely, while

and the rest follow the leader’s example. The person in the middle has to guess who the leader is.

HUMAN CARWASH

Goal: Getting them cleaned up after other games have got them dirty

Materials: Water-hose, shampoo, towels etc.

Time: 40 – 60 min.

Age: All

Participants: All

Preparation: None

The participants are dressed in swimming-suits and are split into boys and girls. The get in line

and leaders take care of them. At the first station, they get wet, at the next, they get shampoo in

their hair, the next is to rub in it and at the next, they get hosed down and finally they all get their

towels and are dried up.

 THE CIRCLE OF KNEES

Goal: Have fun

Materials: None

Time: 5 min

Age: All

Participants: 10 +

Preparation: None

Everybody stands in a circle, facing the same direction. Move closer and ensure the circle is tight.

On the countdown 3-2-1…all sit down onto the laps of the person behind him/her, then stretch arms out, count up to ten and stand on ten. Or try to walk forward while remaining seated with hands on the shoulders of the one in front.

ROMEO & JULIET

Goal: Have fun

Materials: 2 scarfs

Time: 20 min. +

Age: 11 +

Participants: All

Preparation: None

Everybody sits down in a circle. A boy (Romeo) and a girl (Juliet) are picked, stands up and

Romeo gets blindfolded and Juliet has her feet tied together, so that she can only jump. Then you

turn Romeo around and now Romeo has to find and touch Juliet by saying:

"Juliet…Juliet…Juliet…" She has to answer when he calls: "Romeo…Romeo…Romeo…"

When he catches Juliet, he has to guess who it is, by feeling the face.

Then 2 new persons are picked and so on.

 SMUGGLERS

Goal: Have fun

Materials: About 500 small tokens or more, big space

Time: 20 – 40 min.

Age: 8 +

Participants: All

Preparation: None

This game works well in the woods or well in a large open area.

Split the participants into 2 groups – Smugglers and Customs. The smugglers have their base on

one side of the field. They have to run through the open area, to the other side, where they have a

free zone. Here a leader waits and collects the tokens. When they have delivered a token,

they can quietly go back and get another one at their base and try again.

In the open field, you have the Customs. When smugglers get touched by a custom, they have

to stop and now the customs officer has 10 seconds to find the token. If s/he asks questions like:

"Is it under your arm?", “in your pocket", “behind you ear?" etc. the smugglers may not lie. The officer is only allowed to ask 3 times. If the tokens are not found, the smugglers can continue, but another Customs officer now has the chance to catch the smugglers. When tokens are found, the smugglers have to return to the base to fetch another one. The Custom officers save the tokens.

After a while positions are swapped. The winning team is the one with the most tokens brought across to the collecting leader and counted after several rounds.

MIRRORS

Goal: Concentration

Materials: None

Time: 10 – 20 min

Age: 11 +

Participants: All

Preparation: None

Divide the participants into pairs. One is the "person" and the partner is the "mirror". The mirror must copy everything the person does. After a while, swap positions. New pairs can be formed. There can also be 3 mirrors per person, etc.

GOODBYE SESSION

Goal: Say goodbye to everyone

Have everybody stand in a circle. One person starts by saying goodbye to the person standing to

the left with a hug, and the person to the right of the first does the same in the opposite direction. As they continue to the next on each side, first persons who were hugged follow on and begin to hug their neighbour…and the next…and the next.