GAME IDEAS

Get Acquainted

• Getting Acquainted Bingo - Fill out a grid of 5 x 5 squares with things that you know at least one of the girls could answer. Examples: I have an older brother, I have 2 or more pets, I have brown hair, I have earned my (whatever) Badge, I have my 7 year service bar, or star, I am more than 5 foot 3 inches tall. etc. They must go around and get the other girls (and leaders if you'd like) to sign one square. The first one finished can win a prize if you want.

• Name Ball - Make a big circle. This works well for younger girls too. Have each girl say their name (and you can have them say one thing that they like too). After they have gone around the whole circle, you toss a ball to one of the girls, while saying their name. The girl whose name you call is the one who is supposed to catch the ball. Try to encourage them to call on people that they don't already know, especially if there are lots that aren't acquainted yet.

• For older girls (say 8 or 9 years and up) make cards for each one and tape or clothespin them to their backs. They must go up to each other girl in the unit, ask their name, introduce themselves, show the other girl their piece of paper, and then they may ask one yes or no question about the word they have on their backs. I suggest cartoon characters for kids that age, if they are older you can use movie stars, or music groups.

• Daisy to Daisy. Have the girls get a partner. Have them introduce themselves and tell two things they like to do. If you have an extra girl she can become the "caller." The "caller" says things like "elbow to elbow", "heel to heel", "back to back" and the girls assume that position with their partner. After a while have everyone switch partners and repeat. The girls get a chance to meet other girls and relax because of the crazy positions they get into.

• Bingo with numbers or pictures are fun, but you need lots of prizes (limit each person to 1 prize). You might be able to get some donated prizes.

• How about blank paper, pencils, and crayons for the quieter ones or those who want a rest?

• Drop the clothespin in the bottle. Stand up straight and drop the clothespin in the container with a small opening. The pins without the springs would work best. You could get them back *out* of the bottle.

• Hanging marshmallows. This game is great around Halloween. The children try to eat marshmallows off a sting without using their hands. You need string, clothespins, toothpicks, marshmallows and somewhere to hang all the strings. You stick the toothpick in the marshmallow and clip the toothpick in the clothspin. The clothspin has already had a length of sting tied to it and the string has been hung from a tree branch or ramada beam. The kids eat the marshmallows without using their hands. You replace the toothpicks each time you put a new marshmallow up.

  Another version of this is to have a string about 6 feet long as the "beam". You will need two adults to hold each end. Hang the individual strings on the long string and tie the marshmallows to the end of the string.

• Bean bag toss. Toss bean bags into a bucket from a certain distance.

• Cotton ball races. You need cotton balls and straws. The kids blow the cotton balls to the finish line by blowing thru the straws.

• Doggie, doggie, where’s your bone? Pick one person to be "it." "It" hides their eyes. The leader chooses something small that can be hidden in the palm of a childs hand (example, ribbon, quarter, etc.). While "it" is hiding their eyes, the leader gives the object to be hidden to one of the other children. Everyone holds their fists out in front of them for "it" to see and began the chant, "Doggie, doggie, where’s your bone? Someone’s stole it from your home. Guess who, maybe you. Or maybe the alligator from the zoo!" Then "it" turns around and tries to guess who is hiding the object. They get three tries (or whatever you choose). The person that was hiding the object then becomes "it."

• Water balloons. Make sure to pick up all of the broken balloon pieces. Another idea is to use foam balls that soak up water that could be used for catch.

• Potato sack races

• Dress for the weather relay. You could have large t-shirts and shorts that teams would have to put on and run to the other side, take off the clothes and have the next member put on, etc. Have to be careful of the little ones, they might forget to hold the shorts and trip on them as the shorts fall!

• Tricycle or Big Wheel races? Even bigger kids could peddle them

• Soak the person with a wet sponge. Have a water fight with everyone having 1 or 2 sponges and large buckets of water to re-soak the sponges. They will keep going until the whistle is blown since sponges are constantly being thrown, there is always an extra one somewhere for a person to pick up and re-throw.

• Got a paved area? How about drawing with chalk.

• Hopscotch

• Jacks

• Jump Rope (have long and shorter ropes)

• Marbles

• Throw the ball (kickball). The game is similar to kickball except you stand at home and throw the ball into the field. Then you run the bases until someone gets the ball and returns it to a bucket at the pitchers mound. There is no need to catch or tag someone. You can use large balls like kickballs or small ones like tennis balls. You can adjust the rules like a girl and boy have to retrieve the ball or an older and younger child have to retrieve the ball. You can fine-tune the rules during the games depending on who was hogging the ball. If you caught a fly ball it was probably an out and if you got it back to the bucket before they got to first it was probably an out. You could even NOT keep score and just have each side "at bat" until everyone on that team has a chance to throw the ball.

• Pass the ball/orange/sponge/whatever from chin to chin or bodypart (hip to hip, etc) without using your hands. You end laughing on this one and the difference in heights make it that much harder!

• Bubbles. You could have older kids blowing the bubbles and everyone else chases the bubbles. Or bring lots of little bottles of bubble solution and be prepared for 1/2 of it to be spilled.

With thanks to all the WAGGGS-L members who contributed to this: Sally G., Jane M.