When leading a group I found it useful to have a summary of the best games in my pocket as an aide memoir my poor memory. I developed the game summaries on this site from a small booklet I made for myself to give me the minimum information which would trigger my brain cells back into activity. Information is available on downloading a zipped file formatted for WordPerfect for Windows v6 suitable for making up such a booklet and how to recreate this page on your computer without having to download the information each time.
This site contains summaries of excellent games that work. I have tried to give enough information for you to figure out the games if you are not already familiar with them. I have kept it short by using abbreviations shown below. I have drawn these games from many sources including playing all of them with the Woodcraft Folk and at New Games meetings. They exist with many different names and many given different names are in fact just variations on the same theme. The names used here are those given in the Woodcaft Folk Games book where possible (available from 13 Ritherdon Road, London SW17 8QE). This book describes many more games than are on this site in much more detail. Other books are The Co-operative games book by Terry Orlick or Sharing Nature with Children by J B Cornell. These books give a paragraph at least to each game - I give a couple of sentences.
The Golden Rule with these games is to stop long before the kids are fed up with them - 10 minutes is an absolute maximum, usually reckon to change every 4 or 5 minutes. Speed is the essence, don't mess around with long descriptions or chat - go straight in and let them pick it up by a demonstration. Don't be put off because some seem foolish or simple: some like My Magic Drum or the Name Train are magic. A parachute is a wonderful tool - try to get access to one or buy one (see the Woodcraft links for advice about that. Play safely particularly with games of cooperation: this is a summary so there are no prescriptions about how to play safely. Read the books or use lots of commonsense e.g. take off shoes if necessary, be careful with furniture or things projecting from walls with energetic games etc. Above all adults should join in - you have the right to have fun to.
Abbreviations are used for some of the actions which occur frequently in different games.
Pyramid: Choose to be plants or animals, split into groups of
meat eaters, vegetable eaters & vegetables. Make an eating or be eaten
pyramid
Relativity: Numbered related objects or cards with names of
related things areput around room at random. Go round room writing down
which ones are related to each other e.g. ozone, skin cancer, carbon dioxide,
greenhouse effect could be 2 groups; cats, dogs, robin, swallow another
2 groups.
Snack Track: Each has badge of something eaten by one of the
other badges. Try to tig your dinner without being dined on. When tigged
freeze. Unfreeze by any of usual methods.
Wood Relay: Make three similar sets of blocks of different woods
including mahogany. Stick identification labels on one set. Put this set
between two teams at each end of room each team with its own unmarked set.
At sign both teams run to centre with a block and by comparing it to those
in the centre, identify their block then run back to base to check with
a leader if identification is right. If not re-match. Then next person
matches till team have finished. First team made Protector of Rain Forest.
Can do this with leaves, tree pictures, birds, matching leaves to trees
etc.
Birthday Present: Wrap players in para. Everyone sings Happy
Birthday while they try to escape before the song is finished.
Cat and Mouse : Choose several cats
who are on top of para and several mice underneath. Those around edge shake
para to make it billow up above mice so they are not visible to cats. Cats
try to catch mice. When caught they come out.
Climb Mountain: Mushroom, pull edges to ground, choose two to
climb bubble on top of the air bubble.
Hot dog: Give everyone one of 3 names (e.g. hot dog, relish,
mustard). Call out one name. They run round para. Call Mushroom and an
action e.g. shake hands, hop to place and they must run under para performing
action back to their places.
Mushroom :Call out carrots, peas, b.sprouts,
etc. On word mushroom make para. mushroom. While para is in the air take
turns to call out categories (e.g. all those with white socks, who hate
tea, with two ears) of people to run across to the opposite side before
the para comes down on them.
Sea Storm: Two lie down at centre of para, rest shake edges
to make ripples.
Sharks : All but the shark sit around the
para holding it to their waist with legs under parachute. The shark under
the para crawls around and pulls screaming people by the legs under the
para. Once under they become sharks.
Tent: Mushroom, raise arms round back to sit on para as it comes
down making tent. Sing and chat inside (until it gets too hot).
Treasure: Put articles from people or oddments into a treasure
box under para. Make waves as in Sea Storm. Send divers to retrieve named
items one by one from box.
Alibi: 3 to 5 people leave room and decide on a common alibi
i.e. something they did together to cover up being somewhere else e.g.
all at the cinema, shopping, doing homework. Each one of group comes back
individually and is questioned to expose differences in their stories.
Clapping: SCfloor. Clap passes round circle. Double clap changes
direction.
Electric Current: OneLRm. SCfloor, all holding hands behind
backs so not visible from centre. Choose an Electricity Generator &
some people to be Appliances (phone, washer, vacuum, fridge, fan, clock,
TV). which function i.e. make noises and mime actions when current passes.
OneLR goes in centre of circle. Current is started by generator in one
direction by squeezing one neighbours hand who passes it on in same way.
As current reaches appliance they function for a moment. When current gets
back to Generator its direction is reversed.. OneLRm in centre has to guess
who is Generator.
Fizz - Buzz: SCfloor. People count off in sequence around the
circle but replace certain numbers with buzz or fizz: multiples of 3 numbers
ending in 3 = buzz, ditto for 5=fizz, both 3 & 5 e.g. 15 = buzz-fizz
or change direction of rotation round circle.
Interview room: OneLRm. All decide on a job. When OneLR returns
all interview her/him for the job. She/he tries to guess what the job is.
e.g. for cook: "Do you like beating". "Do you like rolling"
Missing person: SCfloor. OneLR One person hides, OneLR returns
& guesses who is missing from the circle. also One person changes
clothes while OneLR is out. OneLR comes back and tries to find who has
swopped clothes.
Stalking: SCfloor. 1 person blindfolded on chair in centre of
circle, keys under chair. A chosen person in the circle tries to creep
up and get the keys without blindfolded person pointing directly at them.
If they succeed they are blindfolded if not someone else tries.
"Who stole the cookies Start rythmn together of clap-slap thigh
-clap-slap thigh. When everyone is in sync one chants to rythmn "Who stole
the cookie from the cookie jar, [name of someone] stole the cookies from
the cookie jar. Named person replies without losing the rythmn "Who me"
reply "Yes you" "Couldn't be" "Then who". Named person then takes up the
chant naming someone else.
Word Clap: SCfloor. Each in circle thinks of what they had for
breakfast e.g. "toast & marmalade". First in circle claps out the rythmn
of the words. Neighbour joins in until everyone is clapping with their
own rythmn. Then stop one by one.
All Change: SCfloor. Circle numbers off in 1's & 2's or eggs
and bacon. When called on a group has to move carefully on hands &
knees slowly across the circle to other side without damaging anyone else.
If ambitious call both groups at once. Can divide into 3 groups. Centre
needs care.
Amoebas: Circle of 5 facing outward, arms linked try to move
as one round obstacles.
Caterpillar Walk: CSt, face your neighbours back. Slowly sit
on the lap of person behind you.
Co-op Letters: In groups of 2-3 make shapes of letters from
bodies. Then words.
Guided key walk: On pair is blindfolded and two legs tied together.
One person shouts instructions to them to direct them to some keys at the
far end of the room. Other people stand around as stationary obstacles
to be avoided like a maze. Get the pair through the maze of still people
to keys on floor without touching anyone.
Huggy Bear : All dance around. When
music stops call out instructions: Get in hug-groups of: e.g. a number,
everyone with same hair colour etc. On the shout of Huggy Bear everyone
crowds into a big hug.
Knots: Circle, eyes shut, both arms outstretched to centre so
all hands overlap. Mix up hands. Take hold of two hands. Untangle the resultant
circle.
Log Roll : Lie on floor alongside each
other on mats. Practise all rolling together. Then load people on top so
when all roll they are propelled along.
Motor-cycle : 1 One person makes handle
bars with their hands on hips, closes eyes, makes engine noises. Driver
stands behind driving them around head down avoiding collision. Drive by
pressing buttons on left or right shoulders, press head=forward, bum=back..
2
Same but as Robot
Musical Islands: Dance until music stops when all must find
a place on a den (a newspaper on the floor or similar). Remove the papers
gradually so it is more and more crowded in the dens. Finish when dens
are at maximum capacity.
Partner Balances: Couples: sit back to back, elbows interlinked.
Each pushes with feet until they stand. also Sit facing, feet touching,
holding hands. Pull to stand.
also Stand facing, hold left legs,
try to hop & sit. also Lie on back, facing, feet touching. Cycle
together.
People to people: Dance round to music. When it stops form pairs.
Caller says body parts the partners have to touch together e.g. nose to
elbow, ear to knee.
Shake the snake - Biscuit Machine: Form 2 lines facing each
other with arms bent at elbows, elbows at waist, hands close to facing
partners elbows, shoulders close together. Load people onto conveyer belt
carefully so load is distributed and shake them down the line by gently
moving arms up and down in time. Chant the name of their favourite biscuit
at the same time.
Skin the snake: Make line with each right hand passed back through
legs to take left hand of person behind. Left hand goes forward to person
in front. Back person kneels down, last but one goes back over them, kneels
in turn and so on until front person is at back of line.
Spirals - Catherine Wheel: All hold hands
in a line. Walk around then one end of line circles into a ball and others
spiral round into a swiss roll. Then person in centre of spiral climbs
over and under arms to lead line out of the spiral.
Tangles: Cstanding-hands, "A" & "B" outside circle. People
in circle get in a tangle by climbing over and neighbours arms. "A" &
"B" untangle circle.
Yut Circle: Alternates in Cstanding-hands lean in or out and
should balance.
Last updated: Sept 2000