Heads or Tails

Required: Quarter and play area
Players: Small to large groups

Have the players divide into two teams. Label one team HEADS and the other TAILS.

Lay out two center lines that are parallel to each other and three feet apart. Then set up two boundary lines about 20 feet from the center lines for each team to cross for their safe zone. Use hoses or rope if outdoors and tape if indoors. To start, make teams stand with their backs toward each other at the centerlines. Toss the coin into the air. Once the coin has landed on the ground call out if it’s heads or tails. If it was tails, the TAILS team must run to their safe zone. The HEADS team will turn around and try to tag the TAILS team before they reach their safe zone. After each toss and chase, players are to return to the centerline, expect tagged players-they are out of the game. You play until one team has captured everyone on the opposite team and that team is the winner. Heads or Tails is a good game for Physical Educators, Youth Groups, picnic game or party game.

Have the players divide into two teams. Label one team HEADS and the other TAILS. Lay out two center lines that are parallel to each other and three feet apart. Then set up two boundary lines about 20 feet from the center lines for each team to cross for their safe zone. Use hoses or rope if outdoors and tape if indoors. To start, make teams stand with their backs toward each other at the centerlines. Toss the coin into the air. Once the coin has landed on the ground call out if it’s heads or tails. If it was tails, the TAILS team must run to their safe zone. The HEADS team will turn around and try to tag the TAILS team before they reach their safe zone. After each toss and chase, players are to return to the centerline, expect tagged players-they are out of the game. You play until one team has captured everyone on the opposite team and that team is the winner. Heads or Tails is a good game for Physical Educators, Youth Groups, picnic game or party game.

Hula-Hoop Tag

Required: Gym floor and Hula-Hoops
Players: Medium to large groups

Pick 2-4 players to roll Hula-Hoops that will be positioned across both sides of the play area or gym floor. Have the rest of the players line up across the width of the gym floor. Players will run from one end of the gym floor to the other trying not to touch or be tagged by the rolling Hula-Hoops from the players on the side of the play area. As players are tagged they will join the rollers on the sides with additional Hula-Hoops to tag existing runners. Great game idea for PE teachers and kids will beg to do this again.

Submitted by Ms. Launiere – PE teacher, Northview Schools

Japanese Tag

Players: Small to large groups

Similar to the regular game of tag except the one who has been tagged must place his right hand on the spot where he has been touched, whether it is on his arm, his chest, his back, his ankle, etc. Then he must chase the other players in that position until he has tagged a new person to be “it”.

Mr Wolf (Game of the Month 6/08)

Required:Flat play area (gym floor or parking lot)
Players: Small to medium groups

To play this game you’ll need a safe play area with boundaries to run around in. One person will start out being Mr Wolf. Mr Wolf will stand at one end of the play area and all the other players will be at the other end. The other players will all say at once… What time is it Mr Wolf??? The Wolf will answer with a numeric time like 2 O’clock. If he does, the players will step closer and repeat… What Time Is It Mr Wolf??? He then again answers with another time until he feels that they are close enough to chase. Once Mr Wolf thinks that they are close enough to chase he will respond instead with… Time for Dinner and to eat you!! Mr Wolf will then chase the players and the first one that is tagged will become Mr Wolf.

Poison Cookie (Game of the Month 2/13)

Required:8 Foam Discs (Cookies), flat play area (gym floor or parking lot), flags or bandanas
Players: Small to large groups

Make cookies out of 2″ foam,12″ in diameter. Color 4 cookies yellow and 4 red. You can use colored tape around the circumference or spray paint the cookies.

Divide into two teams on opposite sides of the play field. You may use bandanas or flags to identify the two teams. Each team gets one color of the cookies. The object is to hit member of the other team by kicking the cookies at their legs. Anyone hit by a cookie from the opposite team is out of the game. When one team has been completely eliminated, they lose.

Great toys for picnics or the beach!

Pizza Shop

Players: Medium to large groups

Two people (pizza makers) stand in the middle of the gym and the rest of the players stand behind a line at one end of the gym. The coordinator goes down the line informing them what topping they are by saying pepperoni, mushroom, or ham. The pizza makers are to call out one topping and those toppings are to run across the gym past the safe line. If they’re tagged they must stop where there at and sit down. They try to tag anyone that passes them during the game. Do this until there are only two people remain in the game. They are the new pizza makers.

Save Tom The Turkey

Required:Fun Gripper Handball (6″ Soccer Ball), chalk and play area
Players: Small to large groups

A wonderful holiday game, great for Thanksgiving with hopes to save Tom the Turkey. Make a large circle with chalk and place the ball in the center. If played in the grass use rope to make a circle or our favorite is use rubber yard hose. Pick one person to be “It” and they should stand in the center of the circle counting to 30, with their eyes closed, while the other players hide. Once “It” has finished counting, they leave the circle trying to find hidden players and attempting to tag them. If they are tagged they must freeze in that position. Other players will try to reach the circle and kick out the ball (TOM). If Tom is kicked out, that player will be awarded the letter T and shouts T. The game will start over again. Players will unfreeze and hide while “It” will once again count to 30. If same player kicks it out again they are awarded an O and shout O, and the next time if kicked it out they shout M. The player that kicks out the can three times will shout TOM and have won the game. If the “It” person tags all hiding players before someone kicks out TOM they are the winner.

Snake Tag

Players: Small to large groups

Start out with three to four in a group. Try to get as many groups as possible and leave a person as “it”.
Have the members of each group attach together by holding onto the waist of the person in front of them to form a snake. The person in front is the head and the person in back is the tail. To start, the person that is “it” must catch the tail of one of the snakes and attached to it. If he is successful, the head must come off and he is now “it”. You are to twist and turn your snake to keep from loosing your head.

Toilet Tag (Game of the Month 6/04)

Players:Small to large groups

One person is to be “It”. Players are to run back and forth to the two different safety areas. If tagged they have to go down on one knee and have one arm up. The arm should be displayed so that the elbow is bent and wrist is bent above the elbow. They are to stay in that position until someone else frees them. To be freed, another player has to sit on their knee and push their hand down as if they were flushing a toilet. The tagged player must also make the sound of a toilet flushing while doing this. If caught that person is also a toilet and the toilet becomes another “It”.

Submitted by Jim Hovarka, Wisconsin

Zombie (Game of the Month 12/00)

Required:Balloons, string and safe play area
Players:Large groups

Pick one person to be the Zombie, that player will not be given a balloon. All other players will be given one balloon with a piece of string to tie around their waist. Once the balloon is tied on, players must position the balloon to be in the middle of their back clearly exposed. Players are given a 45 second head start to hide from the Zombie. The Zombie is released to go and make other Zombies by popping other student’s balloons. Once a player’s balloon is popped (either by accidentally or by a Zombie) they become a Zombie and begin to pop other player’s balloons as well. The game is timed and at the end when the allotted time is complete, any non-Zombies will be given a treat. You can play this great game at a youth group lock-in, birthday parties or sleepover. An option is to play this in the dark with minimal lighting.

Zookeeper (Game of the Month 1/00)

Required:Playground or large area
Players:Small to medium groups

Mark off two goals approximately 50 feet (15 meters) apart. Between the goals, off to one side, have a ten-foot square for the zoo. Choose one player to be the zookeeper and have them stand in the center of the play area. Secretly give each player an animal name to be called. More than one person can have the same name. While the hunter is in the center of the play field he is to call out an animal name. He will call out animal names one by one until he finds one that is in the group. Once a players animal name is called they are to run across the opposite goal line and then return. When the zookeeper sees this he is to run to the zoo, get his net, and return to center area to try and tag the running animal. The net can be something soft like a piece of foam or soft rubber item. Any animals tagged are taken to the zoo and sit until all players have been called.

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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