Misc. Games

Required: Twine, apples and skewe
Players: Small to medium groups

For this game there are only two players on a team, one to hold the apple and the other to eat the apple. Set up the apples on ropes ahead of time. You do this by poking a hole through the apple, stringing a piece of thin rope about 3′ in length through the apple and knot it several times at the end to prevent the apple from falling off.

The apple holder will hold the one end of the rope in the air while the apple dangles and the apple eater will eat the apple while their hands are behind their back. The first team done eating the apple down to the core is the winner. You might want to have a judge to decide when a team is down to the core. With this game you should use caution because players could choke if they inhale the apple. So encourage them to concentrate on eating the apple and not laughing. This game is better for older players, great game for married couples. Some players have a hard time getting the first bite into the apple and the trick sometimes is to hit the apple with the force of your teeth. Careful, don’t play this game if you have loose teeth.

Required: 10-15 jars of baby food, permanent marker, paper and pencil
Players: Small to large groups

Buy 10 – 15 different flavors of baby food and remember, the more flavors the less chance you’ll have a tie game. Make a master list with numbers and record the flavors you have and then with a permanent marker write on the lid of each jar the corresponding number. Remove all the labels to the baby food jars. Hand out a pencil and paper to each player and have the players write down the numbers of jars they’ll have to see. Pass the baby food jars and they are to record what they think is in the jar but quietly without clueing their neighbor (no sampling allowed). If working with a large group, start several jars in differently locations with the playing group and have them all pass the jars in the same direction. The player that guesses the most correct jars of baby food is the winner. When the game is over, give all the baby food jars to an expectant mother along with the master list of what’s in the jars.

Required: Small balloons, shaving cream and plastic knives
Players: Small to large groups

Each player is given a balloon coated with shaving cream. At the same time, all players must shave their balloon with out popping it. The player who does this first wins!

Submitted by Naomi Blumberg

Required: Balloons, string and square play field
Players: Medium to large groups

Divide players into four teams and give each team member a blown up balloon. Each team should have balloons of a different color. Example is one team with orange balloons, one team of red balloons, one team with green balloons and the last team with blue balloons. Each team member will team tie their balloon around one leg so that it is resting above their knee. The teams will choose one side of the square to stand at, standing on the outside and facing in. Choose two teams to start the game that are facing each other, like the orange and green team. The two teams will step into the square and on go will try to pop the other teams balloons. Once one team has been completely eliminated, the balloon war will stop. The team that has remaining balloons will count them and step back to the sideline of the square. The next two teams will do the same. The remaining team will count their balloons and step back to the sideline. The two teams that have remaining balloons will have a face off and the team that has the last remaining balloon or balloons is the winner. If you have an uneven number of players you can either give one player an additional balloon on the leg or once someone has lost a balloon quick give them another to make the game fair.

Required: Make up, face paints, cotton swabs, cotton balls, old clothes and Vaseline
Players: Small to medium groups

Set up teams into groups of 2-4. Give each team make up, face paint and a pile a clothes to choose from. The idea of this activity is the make the best looking clown. If you’re working with a large group have a central place where the makeup and face paint are located. Have a person within each group assigned to pick out makeup; you could limit their choices of how many items to use at a time. If they’re limited to lets say three items at a time, when they are done with those items they can exchange them for three more new items. Any makeup they use must be put on with clean cotton swabs or cotton balls. The same idea could be used for clothes to pick out for the clown to wear. Have a large area for one person assigned from each team to pick out clothing choices. You could get used clothing from used clothing stores or ask for donations. If you’re working with a talented group they could put together a quick skit. You could also provide ideas that they could pull out and have to create a short skit from that idea. Ideas can be simple like a clown riding a bike…., a clown falling in love….., a clown going over a waterfall in a barrel…or some may want to use there own ideas. You can give prizes for the best clown face, the best-dressed clown and best clown skit. A great game that will require teamwork and team cooperation, great for those lock-ins or youth groups.

Created by R. Scheel, Fun-Attic Inc.

Required: 1 non-see-through blanket
Players: Small to medium groups

You’ll need two people to hold up a blanket as if it were a curtain. Separate the group of players in half and place the groups on opposite sides of the blanket. Each group picks 1 person from their team (very quietly so the other team doesn’t hear) and that person goes and stands right behind the blanket (make sure that the players standing at the blanket cannot see each other). Choose one player from each team to get ready for the blanket to drop. The two people holding the blanket drop it and the two players shout out the other players name from the opposite team that was standing behind the blanket. The first person to yell the name correctly gets one point. First team with 10 points wins. Do not tell them the game or the rules they will be playing until the blanket is up and the teams are separated.

Submitted by Kailie Knutzen

Required: Blindfolds and Team Handball
Players: Small to medium groups
6″ Fun Gripper Soccer Ball

Set up two to three teams and assign one person on each team to be blindfolded. Once all chosen players are blindfolded and teams are established, have one person throw out the ball into the play area. Each team is to stand back from behind a designated line and instruct their teammate where the ball is by yelling out instructions. If a player finds the ball, they are to return to the team while still blindfolded and they receive 3 points. If another person with a blindfold tags them, that team receives 1 point. Then another team member from each team will try to complete the same task. Blind Fetch is a great game for Physical Educators, Youth Groups, picnic game or party game.

Required: Blindfold
Players: Medium to large groups

Here’s a quickie game that can be played in the classroom or wherever. Select one player to wear a blindfold and they are to be placed into the center of the room. Once the player is blindfolded and in position, the other players must stand in one of the four corners. They must do this very quietly (no talking allowed) and within 10 seconds. If a player is not in a corner by the time your done counting, that player is out of the game. The player that is blindfolded will point to one of the corners and all the players in that corner will be out of the game. To be fair you cannot go to one corner, make noises and then quickly move to another corner. If no one is in a selected corner, the players have 5 seconds to get to another corner before a new corner is selected. The one person that was never found will be the new player in the middle.

Submitted by Mariah Scheel, Fun-Attic, Inc.

Required: Kids Rubber Boot, sand, duct tape
Players: Small to large groups

Find one or more child size rubber boots, fill with sand and then duct tape the top to hold all the sand. All participants must stand behind a line and then one player at a time will toss the boot as far as they can. Mark off where each boot has landed or which toss went the farthest. The history to this game is that in Scotland when a husband would come home in a drunken stupor the wives would take off their husband’s boots and toss them out into the yard. Use this game for parties, picnics or family reunions.

Submitted by Jeanette Fowlks, Rock River Valley Celtic Society

Required: Fun Gripper Bowling Set
Players: Small to medium groups

Set up bowling pins in a small circle near a wall. Player rolls the ball to hit the wall and then bounce back to knock down pins. One point is awarded for each pin knocked down. A roll that hits the pins first loses that many points. Set up pins for the next player to roll. The first player to reach 30 points is the winner.

Required:Brooms, rubber ball, and goals (boxes or buckets)
Players:2 or more

This game can be played in any size room, make two goals opposite of each other. You start the game with a face-off in the center of the room. Opponents attempt to hit the puck into the opposite goal. The goalie is allowed to block shots in any way he desires. Penalties may be assessed for delaying the game, holding the puck with hands or feet, high sticking or other unnecessary roughness. The opposite team may receive a free shot (except for goalie) on goal when penalties occur. For large groups limit number of players and substitute once a score is made.

Required:2 large rags (flags)
Players:Medium to large groups

The rules are simple. Divide into two teams in an area that has both woods and open field. Divide the play area into two parts so that one team (A) has the top part the other team (B) has the bottom part. Each team will receive a flag to hide in their area; they will also have a jail for anyone that they catch in their play area. You should have a jailer for the inmates of the jail. Allow each team several minutes to hide their flag. Once the flags are in a safe place, signal the players to search for the flags. When a player from team A enters into team B’s territory, a player from team B tries to tag them and send them to jail. You can only get out of jail if one of your team members touches you again without them getting caught. Use colored ribbon tied to the arm of one team to distinguish who’s on what team. The first team to find the other teams flag is the winner. For a variation you can use water balloons and if they find the water balloon they have to get it safely back to their territory without it breaking, this could be very challenging

Required:List of cars, pencil and lots of time time
Players:Small to medium groups

Here’s a game for the kids to play on that next long car ride. It’s a car scavenger hunt and here’s a list to get you started. Print this list and have them mark off which cars they have spotted. If there are several players, take turns as to who marks off the next car that you pass or that passes you.

Required:Quarter, sidewalk with sections and Playground Ball
Players:Two players

Each player will stand behind their own sidewalk section facing each other and place a quarter standing upright in the sidewalk crack between them. The first player will stand behind the line of the next sidewalk section and try to hit the standing quarter by bouncing the ball at it. If they hit the quarter they get one point and if it is knocked out of the crack they get two points. The ball will bounce to the other player from across the crack. The second player will take a turn. The first person to get 21 points is the winner.

Required:Boxes of crayons and bags
Players:Small to medium groups

You can use this game for a young child’s birthday party idea. Buy a couple of the large boxes of crayons and hide the crayons through out the playing area. Give all the players bags to collect the crayons, and then send them off searching for those new crayons. When done the player or players with the most crayons get to keep the box that they came in. At the end they can even go around trading different colors with each other.

Required:Clothes line, clothespins, phone, basket, clothes and baby doll
Players: Small to large groups

Hang a clothesline at the party scene, then hand each player a phone, a baby (doll of course), a basket of clothes and some clothe pins. The object of the game is to have each player hold the baby properly, while on the phone and hanging clothes. They must at all times be chatting on the phone and hold the baby as if it were real. See how many clothes they can hang on the line in 60 seconds, but the object of the game is to see if they can handle a mom’s job for 60 seconds without dropping the child or the phone. Good Luck and Enjoy! Dads of all ages and men in general are encouraged to play this game. Have all men, teenagers and especially, fathers give it a try. This is a great game for father/son outings. It is hilarious to see them juggle so hard to keep that baby in their arms.
Submitted by Jackie Soler, Chicago, Illinois

Required: Playing cards (preferably larger size) and activity slips (be creative)
Players: Small to large groups

For this activity the players will perform a variety of fitness activities in “Fitness Mania” in order to improve their own levels of physical fitness. (muscular strength, muscular endurance, body composition, flexibility and cardio respiratory endurance).

Dividing into two teams. Each team will line up single file on opposite side of the card and activity slip piles. The first person on each team will run towards the middle and pick up a card and an activity slip. Each card represents a number. Jack = 11, etc… Ace = 14 Note: If a player picks up an activity that their team has already done, then they must pick another activity slip. Players will run back towards their group then read and perform the activity as a group.(ex: Do ____ curl-ups). The next person in line then goes and the game continues until all of the cards or activity slips are gone. The team that finishes first wins.

Safety Issues: Players should allow plenty of space during the various activities including running towards the middle to grab a card and activity slip.

Submitted by John Larry and Chris Place

Remember – The object is for everyone to have fun. The moderator is the all-powerful dictator. You may at any time change the rules or boundaries or handicap players to help balance out the wide spectrum of abilities. We want the tentative athlete and the superjock to play together at the best of their abilities.

Have Fun! ?

Now here are some colorful ideas to liven up play time.
If you have a fun game that is entertaining and healthy for kids of ANY age, you can send it to us for consideration and addition to our Games and Activities Guide.
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