Games and Activities book

ONE SWEET GAME BOOK
“Life is more fun if you play games.”
- Roald Dahl

Compiled in 2017
This game and activities book is a collaborative effort of many intelligent
and creative minds. It is a far from complete list, and many of the games
can and should be adapted to keep your group engaged and
entertained – your creativity is encouraged! Our hope is that this
collection helps those in the field of education and adventure to create
better experiences and stronger bonds within your group of students or
participants.
Major contributions from Broadreach, Inc. and the Tahoe Rim Trail Association.
Additional contributions by the Tahoe Institute for Natural Science, the Boys & Girls
Club of Lake Tahoe, SOS Outreach, and other creative and generous individuals.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Group Development............................................................................................................1
General Game Guidelines....................................................................................................2
Ideas to Create Teams & Form Pairs...................................................................................3
Icebreakers: Name Games ..................................................................................................5
• Adverb Name Game
• First Word on Your Mind
• Likes Name Game
• Name Game Toss
• Object on Your Back
• Peek-a-Who
• Shout Out!
• Squash
• You Me Left Right
Icebreakers: Get to Know You.............................................................................................9
• M&M or Skittle Game
• Once Upon a Time – aka Where the Wild Wind Blows
• Partner Introductions
• Questions
• Tri-Question Walkabout
• The Bus – aka Either/Or
• 2 Truths & A Lie
Group: Problem Solving....................................................................................................13
• Diminishing Load
• Helium Poles
• In the Loop
• Match My Card
• Traffic Jam
• Zen Counting
Group: Communication.....................................................................................................19
• Ball Collectors
• Barn Yard
• Blind Birthday Game
• Body English
• Impulse – aka Electricity
• Jane’s Angry Apes – aka Tank Tag

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• Perfect Square
• Search & Rescue – aka Blind Retriever
• Skin the Snake
• Slipped Disc
• Telephone
• Tiny Little Teaspoons
Group: Trust.......................................................................................................................27
• Body Snatchers
• Come to Me
• Don’t Laugh at Me – aka The HA Game
• Trust Lead
• Wind in the Willows
Group: Team Building .......................................................................................................31
• Chocolate River
• Diminishing Circles – aka Shrinking Ship
• Human Knot
• Popsicle Push Ups
• Reach For Your Goals
Just For Fun: Tire Them Out .............................................................................................35
• Alaskan Baseball
• Birdie on a Perch
• Johnny Johnny
• Man Hunt
• The Tail that Wags the Dog
Just For Fun: Wake Them Up ............................................................................................39
• Elbow Tag
• Metamorphosis
• Pass the Loop
• People 2 People
• Rock Star
• Screaming Toes
Just For Fun: Sitting Down................................................................................................43
• Assassin – aka Frogger
• Drawing in the Dark
• Honey, if You Love Me, Please Smile
• Mafia
• Making Rain
• Story-Story

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• Telephone Pictionary
Just For Fun: Silly ..............................................................................................................47
• Ark, Snark, Bark
• Charades
• Finger Fencing
• Fox in the Hen House
• Group Thumb War
• Guess Who???
• Hagoo
• In the Way of the Adverb
• King Frog
• Museum
• Ninja
• Push
• Smog’s Jewels
• Triple Charades
• Warp Speed
Just For Fun: Parlor Games...............................................................................................53
• Bang Bang
• Behind the Green Glass Doors
• Black Magic
• Broom Sniffing
• Can You Pogo?
• Counting Sticks
• Crossed, Uncrossed
• Johnny Johnny (Whoop!)
• Man on the Moon
• The Minister’s Cat
Expanding Comfort Zone ..................................................................................................59
• Anonymous Feedback
• Do This!
• Maze
• What did you Call Me?
Science Games...................................................................................................................61
• Bear-Salmon-Mosquito
• Camouflage
• Charades with a Purpose – aka LNT (Leave No Trace) Charades
• Jays & Chickadees

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• Mineral Tag
• Nature Bingo
• Nature Web
• Oh Deer!
• Pollination Tag
• Rockity Rock Rock Rock!
• Solar Star – aka Eclipse
• Survivor
• Tree Factory
• Wildfire
Trail Games: Pass the Time...............................................................................................73
• Each One Teach One
• Guess My Career
• Pop Culture Acronyms
• Ten Minute Mysteries
• This or That? – aka Would You Rather
• Word String
Scavenger Hunt Ideas........................................................................................................77
Trip Trivia Ideas .................................................................................................................79
Additional Games & Notes ................................................................................................81

1
GROUP DEVELOPMENT
Understanding the stages of group development will help you to figure out which
games and activities are appropriate for your group at various points in your journey
together. Originally developed by Bruce Tuckman, this model dictates that these
phases are all necessary and inevitable in order for the team to grow, face up to
challenges, solve problems, plan for the future and deliver positive results. The stages
of group development are as follows:
Forming: This is the initial stage of group development in which most members of the
group are positive and polite. The leader plays a prominent and dominant role at this
stage to help shape the group by making roles, responsibilities, and expectations
clear. This stage can last for some time as people work to get to know each other, and
is facilitated by activities that allow them that opportunity.
Storming: This is the second stage of group development in which people start to
push against their boundaries to figure out where they fit in. This can manifest as
conflicts within the group, or lack of tolerance or willingness to grow by members of
the group. It can be challenging to leave this stage, and easy to fall back into. As a
leader, this stage can be best facilitated by encouraging open communication and
active problem solving as a group.
Norming: This is the third stage of group development in which group members can
effectively resolve their own differences, appreciate each other’s strengths, and
acknowledge their responsibilities toward a common group goal. As a leader, you can
facilitate continuing this stage (rather than reverting back to storming) by giving them
new and different challenges to work together, and giving them opportunities to show
their individual strengths to be recognized and appreciated by the rest of the group.
Performing: This is the fourth stage of group development, and what every group
should strive to achieve. It is not easy to get here, and requires careful facilitation, but
is well worth the effort. As a leader of a group in this stage, your role can shift more
toward participating rather than leading, as the team is able to make necessary
decisions and work without friction to achieve group goals.
Adjourning/Mourning: Added later to the original four stages, this is the point where
the group breaks up and moves onto other things. It can be the end of the trip or the
end of a school year. As a leader, there’s not much you can do during this stage
beyond helping group members to reflect on what they have accomplished together.

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GENERAL GAME GUIDELINES
1. Make sure that the game environment is relatively safe.
a. Remember you can’t prevent every possible accident or problem – you will drive
yourself and your students crazy by trying.
b. A certain amount of risk is essential, but safety should be your FIRST
consideration.
c. Have the students check around for hazardous objects.
d. Have your first aid kit handy.
2. Start with simple games or rules and work towards more challenging ones
a. Complicated or physically challenging games can discourage participation.
b. Judge the comfort level of the group and decide on a game accordingly. (i.e.
don’t play a game that risks personal embarrassment on the first day)
3. Don’t intervene unless it’s absolutely necessary.
a. Games can be ruined by too much intervention or interruption.
b. You should be playing with them anyway!
4. Discreetly support fairness and good power management.
a. Engineer consensus regarding what games to play, how to play, and what to do
if there is a problem.
b. Try to make sure there is equal participation without intervening too much.
5. You don’t necessarily have to debrief the game. Kids might eventually get worn out
of debriefing and will want to simply play a game and have that be it. If you sense
that they are sick of it, just do a simple and silent thumbs up/thumbs down debrief,
asking if they liked it, if they thought it went well, if they learned anything about
themselves from it.

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IDEAS TO CREATE TEAMS & FORM PAIRS
Sometimes when you need to form teams or pairs, you find people group together in
the same way each time. If you need some inspiration to spice it up, or a reason to get
them to work together with someone new for each activity, game, or task, here are
some ideas to get you started.
Teams: Have everyone grab a partner (or if you need more than two teams, have them
get into groups of the number of teams you need). In their pair/group, decide who is
what of options you give them. EX: peanut butter or jelly; Ren or Stimpy; rock, paper or
scissors; Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Hufflepuff or Gryffindor; etc. Then have all of one type
group together to form a team.
Teams or Partners: Group by closest birthday, favorite color, favorite animal, middle
initial, etc. Have everyone say theirs out loud and you can figure out how best to group
them according to the factoid they told you.
Partners: Have them form two teams of equal size and get in a line shoulder to
shoulder. Have those two lines face each other. The person across from them
becomes their partner.
Keep in mind, you don’t always have to construct teams or groups. You can ask
students to find someone they don’t know well, or let students be with who they want.
It all depends on the point of the game or activity, where the group is in their
development, and where you are trying to get them to be. Also sometimes they will
catch onto your tricksy methods of dividing them, and start to mess with your system.
The best way to keep them on their toes and accomplish the goals you and they set for
the group is to keep switching it up and play to the strengths of your group and group
members.

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ICEBREAKERS: NAME GAMES
These games are designed to help members of a newly formed group remember each
other’s names.
ADVERB NAME GAME
Time: 10 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Providing opportunity for the members of your group to begin to feel
comfortable with each other.
Directions: In this game, you circle up and say an adjective that describes you using
the first letter of your first name, the followed by your name. EX: “I am Awesome
Andrew!” Then the next person goes, but he has to remember the ones that came
before him. So the last person to go has to remember all the names and adjectives
that were given. No repeats!
FIRST WORD ON YOUR MIND
Time: 10 min
Equipment: Object to be tossed among group members
comfortable with each other in a lighthearted way.
Directions: When using the object, this game is a fast one. The person who starts says
a word and tosses the object to someone else. That person says the FIRST thing that
comes to mind. No hesitating! Get it moving fast to make it fun and enlightening!
LIKES NAME GAME
Time: 10 min
Equipment: None
Directions: In this game, you circle up and say a noun that you enjoy that begins the
first letter of your first name. EX: “I’m Maggie and I like monkeys!” Then the next
person goes but he has to remember the ones that came before him. So the last
person to go has to remember all the names and everyone’s likes!

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NAME GAME TOSS
Time: 10 min
Equipment: Object to be tossed among group members
Directions: In this game, you hold an object, say your name and something about
yourself, then toss the object to someone else. The receiver then thanks you and says
something about themselves. EX: “Thank you Jordan. My name is Josh and I don’t like
watermelon-flavored candy.” Instructors can let the students choose whatever they
want to say about themselves or pick a category of sharing. EX: Where you live, where
was your favorite Scuba dive, what is your favorite band, a vegetable you don’t like?
Be creative and make it fun!
OBJECT ON YOUR BACK
Time: 15 min
Equipment: Index cards and pens/pencils
Directions: Using an index card or piece of paper, write twelve (or one for each person
in your group) things that have to do with your trip or surroundings. EX: tank, sunset,
dolphin, full moon, dive flag, shark, main sail, etc. Attach one card on the back of each
student’s shirt. Then when everyone is ready, each student goes up to someone,
shows them the card on their back, introduces him/herself and shakes hands with
their partner. Then they each get to ask one yes/no question, and then find a new
partner to ask. EX: “Am I alive?” “No.” If they think they know what they are they can
guess. When they get it right, they put their card on the front of their shirt and
continue to play until the last person gets theirs.
PEEK-A-WHO
Time: 15 min
Equipment: Sheet or tarp
Directions: Separate students into two groups. Hold up a sheet in between the two
groups. With one person from each group up at the sheet, drop the sheet. The first

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person to say/shout the name of the other person “wins” that person for their side.
Play until all students are on one side.
SHOUT OUT!
Time: 10 min
Equipment: A single object to use as a place-marker
Objective: Fast-paced, fun initial name game.
Directions: Form two large circles next to each other, separated by a line or object.
Have the circles rotate in opposite directions. When a facilitator yells “STOP”, the
person in each circle closest to the line/object has to shout the other person’s name.
The first person to correctly name the other person gains that person into their circle.
The goal is to get the most people in your circle.
SQUASH
Time: 10 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Fast paced funny initial name game.
Directions: There is one person in the middle of a circle as the Caller. Everyone goes
around the circle and introduces themselves. The Caller points at someone in the
circle and squashes them by saying “squash!” The squashed person crouches down
and the two people on either side of them are now in a race to say the other’s name
first. The loser is the new Caller in the middle.
YOU ME LEFT RIGHT
Time: 10 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Fast-paced initial name game.
Directions: There is one person in the middle of a circle as the Caller. That person
introduces themselves and then the group takes five seconds to meet the people next
to them. The Caller points at someone in the circle and calls either “You”, “Me”, “Left”,
or “Right”. You is the person being pointed at. Me is the caller. Left is (from the
perspective of the circle) the person to the left of the person being pointed at. Right is
to the right. The person has a couple of seconds to say the appropriate person’s name.
If not, they become the Caller. The Caller can begin pointing immediately. The person
can also call “switch,” once during their turn and the group circle must find new
people to stand next to. You can add multiple Callers as people learn names.

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ICEBREAKERS: GET TO KNOW YOU
These activities are to help newly formed groups get to know a little about each other
and work toward breaking down initial barriers to become more comfortable with one
another.
M&M OR SKITTLE GAME
Time: 20 min
Equipment: M&M’s, Skittles, or another similar candy
Directions: Have each person take as many Skittles or M & M’s as they want, before
you describe the game, but tell them not to eat them. The twist is that they then need
to tell a fact about themselves for each candy piece they took out, based on the colors
they chose. Assign a question to each color. If they have multiples of any color, they
must then give that number of answers to that color’s question. EX: red= something
interesting about your family, blue= hobbies, green = a place you’ve always wanted to
go, etc. Be creative!
ONCE UPON A TIME – AKA WHERE THE WILD WIND BLOWS
Time: 15 minutes
Equipment: None
Objective: Group bonding and to learn a bit about other group members.
Directions: An affirmative version of “never have I ever”. The person has to say
something they HAVE done. Here is how it works: have the group stand in a circle.
Everyone should remove their shoes (they act as a place holder – alternatively, can use
a sturdy water bottle). A Caller starts in the middle of circle (your shoes should not be
included as a placeholder in the circle). Using the name of the game, the Caller says
something that is true about themselves or that they have done and that they think is
also true of some other members of the group. EX: “Once upon a time, I went to
Egypt.” “The Wild Wind Blows for people who love apple pie.” “Once upon a time, I
broke my arm.” “The Wild Wind Blows for people who have been to Yellowstone.” Etc.
Then everyone to whom that ALSO applies has to run and find a new placeholder in
the circle to stand by that is not right next to where they were just standing. The
person left without a placeholder is now in the middle and they get to proclaim
something.

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PARTNER INTRODUCTIONS
Time: 20 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Learning about the other members of the group while making personal
connections.
Directions: Partner up – preferably with someone they’re not too familiar with. Decide
as a group five introduction questions. Give each pair several minutes to walk around
or find a space to sit and ask each other those questions. Each pair will then introduce
each other to the rest of the group. EX: Name? Dogs or cats? Feelings about clowns? If
you could fill Lake Tahoe with anything OTHER than water, what would you fill it with?
Etc.
QUESTIONS
Time: 10 min
Equipment: Question card for each person
Objective: Mingle with the group and learn a bit more about each person.
Directions: Each person receives a card with a question on it (you may have the
students write questions on cards beforehand, and then use those). They must find a
partner and ask that question. That person responds to the question and then asks
the question on their card. Once both people have asked and answered each other’s
questions then they SWITCH cards and find a new partner. It works best if when
searching for new partners, the people looking for a partner raise their question high
into the air.
TRI-QUESTION WALKABOUT
Time: 15 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Gives members of the group a chance to get to know someone outside their
comfort circle on a deeper level.
Directions: Pair everyone up, or ask them to find a partner they feel they don’t know
much about. The partners should link arms and take a stroll in the nearby vicinity.
Each must alternate asking the other three questions – they do not have to ask the
same questions. After several minutes, come back together as a group and have them
each share something they learned about the other.

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THE BUS – AKA EITHER/OR
Time: 20 - 30 minutes
Equipment: Prepared questions – or can make them up as you go along
Objective: Group bonding and learning.
Directions: Make or draw a line on the ground that is the proverbial “middle of the
bus”. Ask the group questions (the best type of questions are either/or questions).
Then each individual person should move to one side of the bus (aka the line) or the
other to answer the question. People may also naturally creep closer to the line or
farther away to one side depending on their beliefs. You should mix silly questions
with serious questions. Try to avoid any questions that might be sensitive or create an
atmosphere of judging. EX: City or Country? Vivid dreams or sleep like a log? Book or
Movie? Scrunch or fold TP? Give Up or Struggle? Words or numbers? Unknown illness
or known illness? Cup or Cone? Know the past perfectly or know the future? Left or
right handed? Etc.
2 TRUTHS & A LIE
Time: 20 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Learning about the other members of the group in a fun and silly way.
Directions: Everyone takes a few minutes to think of three “facts” about themselves,
only two of which are true, but all sound equally plausible/implausible. Each person
takes a turn listing all three facts, and the group decides which is a lie.

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GROUP: PROBLEM SOLVING
These activities are designed to get groups to work together to solve a common goal.
The debriefs aim to get participants to consciously consider how they solved the
problem, so they can recognize and repeat successful methods on their own. One of
the best ways to debrief is to simply ask them why they did that activity, what they
learned (about themselves, others, life, etc.), and if/how they would do it differently
next time.
DIMINISHING LOAD
Time: 20-25 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Providing opportunity for group members to effectively interact and
cooperate with each other to solve a problem that often has more than one correct
approach.
Directions: Instruct the group that they are to get across an open field as quickly as
possible. To get across a person must be carried. The first person must return to be
carried across, if someone being carried across touches the ground, both must return
to be carried across.
Debrief:
a) What was your strategy for accomplishing this task?
b) How did a leader emerge, and why or why not?
c) Was anything frustrating, and how did you deal with those frustrations?
d) What was the point of this task?
e) What have you learned from this activity?
HELIUM POLES
Time: 10-15 min
Equipment: Tent pole or long stick – something long and should be lightweight
cooperate with each other to solve a problem.
Directions: Each member of the group holds up the pole/stick with ONE finger
(pointer finger) from each hand, so each person only has two fingers on the pole.
Without speaking, they must lower the pole to the ground without dropping it, and
without anyone’s finger losing contact with the pole.

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Debrief:
a) Did you find this task easy or difficult?
b) What did you have to think about before you started?
c) How did you deal with your feelings when it wasn’t working?
d) What specific challenges did you come across not being able to speak? How did
you overcome those challenges?
IN THE LOOP
Time: 20-25 min
Equipment: 10 lengths of rope or string (5 of varying color/5 of the same color)
approach.
Directions: A series of four independent rope rings are held together by a fifth rope.
The challenge is for a group to decide as a whole, which rope is holding together all
the other rope loops, without touching any of the ropes. This activity is done in two
rounds. The first round is played with five ropes of different colors. The second round
is played with five ropes of the same color. The ropes are laid out ahead of time so that
participants do not watch the ropes being handled. Before the first round, give them
1-2 minutes of silent observation before they begin the discussion process. When they
have agreed on what they think is the correct rope, have them lift it up to see if they
are correct. Before they lift up the ropes, facilitate the conversation a bit by asking
what they would bet that they are correct. See how much doubt/consensus there is
within the group. If the loop they lift has all four other ropes looped through it, they
are correct. If there are three or less loops, they are incorrect.
Debrief:
Initial Questions
a) Did you find this activity easy or difficult?
b) Were you able to judge for yourself which rope was holding the others together,
or did you rely on group members to show you?
c) Did you experience any frustration?
Consensus Questions **helpful as an overall discussion for many group activities**
a) What is consensus?
b) How did you know you had achieved it? How did you demonstrate it
behaviorally?

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c) Did you really have consensus or something else? (anarchy, majority, implied
agreement, agreement by lack of conflict/disagreement)
d) If you don’t understand or have an idea to contribute, is it acceptable to just “go
along” with what the group thinks?
e) How do you know someone is still engaged and participating even when they
have no ideas to offer?
f) Is compliance the same as consensus?
g) Have you ever assumed that consensus existed only to find a lack of input at a
critical point? What was lacking that prevented true consensus from occurring?
Secondary Debrief
a) After a second round, have participants compare the two rounds.
b) How was it different? How did they improve?
c) What is the value of everyone knowing if true consensus exists and can work to
achieve it?
MATCH MY CARD
Time: 30-40 min
Equipment: 3 decks of cards (or as many decks as there are teams, plus one)
approach.
Directions: Divide groups into two or more teams. On the side, arrange 7-12 cards
face up, in a particular configuration (it can be anything as long as it’s repeatable).
Each team gets their own deck of cards. The goal is to replicate the exact configuration
and cards as what the staff have lain down. However, to do this, each member of each
team only gets to look at the cards ONCE for 30 seconds (no writing things down or
taking pictures) to try and arrange their cards in the same way.
Debrief:
a) How did you decide to solve the problem?
b) Did you create a strategy? How did you come up with that strategy?
c) What challenges did you encounter? How did you deal with those challenges?
TRAFFIC JAM
Time: 15-20 min
Equipment: Objects/squares to be used as place markers

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approach.
Directions: The goal is to have people on the left half move to the right half, and those
on the right half move to the left half. Place objects/squares in an arc on the ground.
There should be one more square than there are team members. Have each person
stand on a square, leaving the center square empty. Everyone should face towards the
empty square. The rules of movement to accomplish your goal are as follows:
1) Only one person may stand on a square at any time.
2) Only one person may move at a time, that person must move from one square
to a free square.
3) You may only move onto an empty square directly in front of you or around
someone facing you and onto the empty square directly behind that person.
4) No backwards moves are permitted.
5) Squares may not be moved.
After they successfully complete it once, have them do it again. Then, have the
facilitator step in for one of the students and have that student direct the group to a
successful solution without any input from or interaction with the group. This
challenges them to really consider whether or not they understand the process or are
just following along.
Debrief:
a) Did everyone see the solution, or did you solve it using collective wisdom?
b) Did everyone understand each action’s benefit? If not, how did you know to go
ahead and do it? How did you figure out which actions worked and which did
not?
c) Did you listen to each other? What made you stop listening or check out?
Common reasons that will lead people to check out or stop contributing:
i. Lack of rediscovering ideas – the solution was stated but not heard.
ii. A critical rule was stated early on, and no one in the team even knew that it
had been said.
iii. Ideas weren’t followed to their conclusion, and rather abandoned part way
through.
iv. Difficulty turning over something to someone else, allowing collective
wisdom to take its course.
d) If you didn’t understand the action or solution, did you ask for clarification? Why
or why not?
e) When explaining a solution, if someone didn’t understand your explanation,
what/how did you change the explanation to help them understand?

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ZEN COUNTING
Time: 10-15 min
Equipment: None
cooperate with each other to solve a problem that involves patience and trust.
Directions: Everyone stands in a circle and faces out, or lies on the ground with feet in
the center and heads to the outside (or vice versa). The goal is to count up to a given
number with each person only saying one number at a time, and no two people saying
the same number. Other than speaking a number in order, they cannot speak to each
other (i.e. no strategizing – it’s best if they also can’t look at each other or touch each
other). If a number is said twice, then counting begins again at 1. You can also increase
the number if they get it too easily.
Debrief:
a) Did you experience frustration? How did you deal with those feelings?
b) How did you eventually succeed? Did you have a specific strategy?
c) What is the purpose of this exercise?

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GROUP: COMMUNICATION
These activities aim to increase the amount and ease of communication among group
members. Debrief of the activities should help to highlight successful strategies and
encourage thoughtful reflection on the way participants communicate with others.
BALL COLLECTORS
Time: 10-15 min
Equipment: Hoops or circles of rope, and many balls/objects
Objective: Learning to look for opportunities to work together to achieve a common
goal, despite your first instinct.
Directions: Each person gets a hoop or circle of rope, and a partner. In a common
space, are all of the objects up for grabs. The goal is to get the most balls in your and
your partner’s hoops – GO! This game becomes a bit of pandemonium, but hopefully
the partners realize they can help each other by piling their hoops together, and
combining their ball-collecting efforts. Try to let them find this solution on their own
though, without any prodding or leading from the facilitator. You can also add part
way through to pick another set of partners and team up with them too and see what
happens. Ideally, you’re hoping they realize they can all win if they all pile their hoops
together and put all the balls in the middle.
Debrief:
a) What was your strategy at the beginning? Did that strategy change at all
throughout the game?
b) Who won? Why? Was their strategy different?
c) How would you change your strategy next time?
BARN YARD
Time: 10-15 min
Equipment: Blindfolds
Objective: Providing opportunity for group members to effectively communicate with
each other in order to complete activity.
Directions: Spread everyone out across a pretty large area (like a big field). Instruct
the group to blindfold themselves. When everyone is blindfolded, go around and
whisper an animal name into each person’s ear. When you’ve told everyone an animal,
tell them that ONLY by making the animal noise, they have to arrange themselves in
alphabetical order based on the first letter of the animal’s name. I.e. the person who is

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the goose walks around honking and must place themselves in the “g” position in the
alphabetical order without making any noise other than honking.
Debrief:
a) Did anyone become the leader? Why or why not?
b) How did you know where to fit into the line?
c) What were your struggles? How did you mitigate them?
BLIND BIRTHDAY GAME
Time: 20-25 min
Equipment: Blindfolds (optional)
Objective: FUN!!
Directions: Everyone must get in the order of their birthdays without talking and
while keeping their eyes closed.
Debrief:
a) How did you communicate?
b) How did you know where to fit into the line?
BODY ENGLISH
Time: 25-30 min
Equipment: None
Directions: Students are first separated into two groups. The goal is for each group to
configure their bodies to physically shape the letters of a word to communicate a
message to the other group. Groups should stand at least 100 feet apart. Either the
instructors or the students can develop messages to convey to the other group. An
example would be, “stand on one foot and sing Jingle Bells.” The most important
factor is that the techniques used to convey message are effective.
Debrief:
a) What was the purpose of this activity?
b) What things are involved in teamwork?
c) How did you decide what to do?

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IMPULSE – AKA ELECTRICITY
Time: 20 - 30 minutes
Equipment: Coin and object to grab
Objective: Fun and demonstrates the importance of non-verbal communication.
Directions: Everyone grabs a partner and then separates into two shoulder to
shoulder single-file lines with partners facing each other). E.g. X
Everyone then sits down facing their partner. At the end of the line, place an object at
an arm’s reach between the two people seated there (X on the diagram above). Have
everyone grab the hands of the people sitting next to them. The purpose of this game
is to pass a squeeze from the head of the line to the end. At the head of the line you
will set up the coin toss. Heads = squeeze and Tails = do nothing. The facilitator will
flip the coin and the two people at the top of the line will squeeze or not squeeze
depending on the luck of the flip. If the coin lands Heads, the squeeze should be
passed down the line. If the coin lands Tails, they should not squeeze the person’s
hand. When the person on the end by the object feels the squeeze, they grab the
object. The person who has possession of the object will then rotate to the head of the
line so they are now watching the coin and there is a new person grabbing the object.
Once the entire group has rotated through, they win! If someone grabs the object and
the coin was NOT Heads, then that group must rotate in reverse. Practice with your
eyes open one time. Then, everyone except the two people closest to the coin toss
closes their eyes. No talking anyone. Go team go!
Debrief:
a) What made your line go slower? Faster?
b) Did you ever get frustrated? How did you deal with that?
c) How do you think this game would change if everyone could have their eyes
open? If everyone could talk? Would that make it better or worse?
JANE’S ANGRY APES – AKA TANK TAG
Time: 30-35 min
Equipment: Blindfolds and soft objects to throw
Objective: Communication!!
Directions: Divide into pairs. One person in the pair is Jane (Goodall, of course), and
the other is her Ape (obviously a chimpanzee). The Ape is blindfolded. Soft objects are
distributed around a defined playing space. The blindfolded Apes crawl on all fours
around the playing space, trying to pick up a soft object and throw it another Ape,
guided in this process by their Jane. When an Ape has been struck three times by an

22
object, they are out. Play until there is only one Ape left. Debrief, then switch the
Jane/Ape rolls and play again.
Debrief:
a) Jane, how did you communicate with your Ape?
b) Ape, did you have any difficulty receiving Jane’s communication? What helped?
c) What was the hardest part?
PERFECT SQUARE
Time: 10-15 min
Equipment: Blindfolds and a long piece of rope with the ends tied together
Objective: A communication challenge.
Directions: Blindfold everyone and have them stand in a circle holding the piece of
rope. Everyone should then set the rope on the ground and take a short walk away
from the rope. Everyone then needs to come back to the rope, and form it into a
square. For the first round, allow students to talk to each other. Debrief and repeat a
second round with no talking allowed.
Debrief:
a) How did you figure out how to make a square the first time?
b) How did you communicate when you couldn’t talk?
c) How did you know when you had succeeded?
SEARCH & RESCUE – AKA BLIND RETRIEVER
Time: 20 min
Equipment: Blindfolds and one object for each team
Directions: Divide everyone into groups of three. One person in each group is the
Retriever who is blindfolded and stands on the starting line. One person in each group
is the Speaker and stands with his/her back to the blindfolded Retriever and faces
away from the playing field. The Speaker is not allowed to look at the playing field at
any time. The other player in the group is the Director and stands in front of the
Speaker, facing the playing field. The Director is not allowed to talk or make any noise
at any time. S/he is allowed to look at the playing field and must stand where the
Speaker can see them without looking at the playing field. The Director is allowed to
use hand and body gestures. Once everyone is in place, the facilitator places the

23
object for each team an equal distance from each team’s Retriever. On “go”, the
Directors give visual directions to the Speaker who verbalizes those directions to the
blindfolded Retriever who walks out and gets the object. The group is successful when
they direct the Retriever back to the start and have him/her place the object in the
Speaker’s hands. After each group has returned their object back to the Speaker,
debrief have everyone switch roles and go again, so each person gets a chance in each
role.
Debrief:
a) Speaker, what were your challenges and how did you overcome them?
b) Retriever, what were your challenges and how did you overcome them?
c) Director, what were your challenges and how did you overcome them?
d) What hindered you from working together? What helped you work together?
SKIN THE SNAKE
Time: 5 – 10 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Warm up and feel comfortable with other members of the group.
Directions: Everyone stand in a line, single file facing the same direction. Leave about
an arm’s length between each person. Instruct everyone to put their left hand
between their legs. Then with their right hand, reach forward and grab the person’s
left hand directly in front of them. This should form a chain. Now starting at the back
of the line, the group needs to “skin the snake” or untangle the chain without letting
go of anyone’s hands. You can choose to direct them in how this should happen, or
simply let them figure it out themselves. Essentially, each person must crawl through
the legs of the person in front of them. You might recommend that the person
crawling between someone’s legs politely say hello – it’s a nice thing to do.
Debrief:
a) What was the point of this activity?
b) How did you feel going into this activity, while it was being described? How did
you feel during this activity?
c) How did communication help this activity?
d) Did completing this task change your feelings about it if we decided to do it
again?

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SLIPPED DISC
Time: 10-15 min
Equipment: Frisbee
each other in order to complete the activity.
Directions: Everyone forms a circle on hands and knees with heads facing inward. A
Frisbee is placed in the middle of one person’s back. The object of the game is to pass
the Frisbee around the circle, from back to back, without using hands. If the Frisbee
falls, it is picked up by hand and placed on the back of the last person who had it. The
game continues until the Frisbee is passed successfully around the entire circle.
Debrief:
a) What was the purpose of this activity?
b) What made the activity go well or not?
c) What things involved communication?
d) How did you decide on the technique used?
TELEPHONE
Time: 20-25 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Communication!!
Directions: Form a line or a circle and the first player whispers a statement or story
into the ear of the next player. Pass it down ear to ear and the last player announces it
out loud. It can be silly, or it can be a piece of actual, important information to
demonstrate the changes that can take place in information the farther it is from the
source.
Debrief:
a) How different were the beginning and ending messages? How did they get so
different or stay so similar?
b) How does this relate to real life? (It shows the importance of source proximity,
by how garbled a message can become the farther from the source it gets –
think research to news media or original interview to hearsay. This illustrates
the importance of choosing the right sources for your information in research,
news, and advice!)
c) How can you help avoid this downward slide in information exchange (both
game and real life)?

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TINY LITTLE TEASPOONS
Time: 10 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Communication.
Directions: Divide into two groups. Each group picks a specific type of store that they
would like to be. EX: hardware store, grocery, secondhand – the more creative the
better. Then each person in that group chooses an item they will to be in that store.
Next the two groups line-up facing each other with about 15-20 feet in between. Then
they will go through a series of actions, while trying to figure out the type of store the
other team is:
1) On command, everyone in both groups, WHISPER their item at the same time.
Ask if anyone knows what kind of store the other group is? (Don’t confirm)
2) Then on command, everyone SCREAM their item at the same time. Ask if anyone
knows what kind of store the other group is now? (Don’t confirm)
3) Then on command, everyone SPEAKS NORMALLY their item at the same time.
Ask if anyone knows what kind of store the other group is now? (Don’t confirm)
4) Finally, the groups start with each person saying their item individually. Then
the other group. Now can they figure out the type of store the other team is?
Debrief:
a) What was the point of this game?

27
GROUP: TRUST
These activities are designed to help group members trust each other, and to create a
safe space to voice and overcome reservations, fears and concerns. Any debrief should
focus on how the experience was for students, so they can feel safe voicing their
feelings to each other and gain insight from seeing how other group members felt
about the experience.
BODY SNATCHERS
Time: 20-25 min
Objective: Providing opportunity for group members to entrust their physical and
emotional well-being to others.
Directions: The objective is to avoid being snatched by the Body Snatcher. Choose
one player as the evil invader from outer space and the rest go around blindfolded.
The invading Body Snatcher gets to keep their eyes open. They creep up to an
unsuspecting Citizen and make whatever scary, blood-curdling sound they want
(don’t make anyone deaf!) then that person also becomes a Body Snatcher. The last
one left gets to be the new Body Snatcher.
COME TO ME
Time: 10-15 min
Directions: Divide the group into pairs. One person in each pair will then be
blindfolded while the other remains sighted. Instruct everyone to scatter evenly across
a large area. The sighted person then attempts to approach the blindfolded person
from an agreed distance and tap them on the shoulder before being detected. When
the game is initiated, the blindfolded partner calls, “come to me” to their partner. The
sighted partner has one minute to stealthily approach. If the blind person believes
they can hear their partner approaching they yell, “get outta here!” They are limited to
three attempts to reveal their partner’s location.

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DON’T LAUGH AT ME – AKA THE HA GAME
Time: 10-15 min
Equipment: None
Directions: Start with one person lying on the ground, facing the sky. Have another
person lie down at an angle, placing his/her head on the first person’s stomach. Their
bodies should form a T shape. Have a third person lie down at an angle to the second
person and so on until everyone is in connected in a circle/blob shape. Instruct the
first person in the configuration to call out “HA,” as if laughing, but without actually
laughing. Immediately after, the second person, who has his/her head on the first
person’s stomach, should call out “HA HA,” the third “HA HA HA,” and so on until
someone actually laughs. The effort required from one’s diaphragm to issue a “HA”
will cause the head of the person lying on it to bounce. The goal is to SAY “HA”, and
not laugh. If someone laughs, then you start over, with the person who laughed going
first.
TRUST LEAD
Time: 5-30 minutes
Objective: Providing an opportunity for group members to entrust their physical well-
being to others.
Directions: Pick a partner and pass out one blindfold to each pair. One person is
blindfolded and their partner is in charge of leading them around on a trust walk. They
can be free to create their own route or they can play follow-the-facilitator. To finish it
off, it is great to pick a safe area where the blindfolded person can try to go on a
supervised “free run.” Then switch the blindfold.
WIND IN THE WILLOWS
Time: 25-30 min
Equipment: None
Directions: Standing in the middle of a circle of spotters, a person will close his/her
eyes and lean in all directions to be passed back and forth among the group. Instruct
the faller to pivot from the ankles when leaning and to keep the rest of their body as

29
stiff and straight as possible. Caution the group to pass the individual and not throw
him or her! Make sure all group members get a chance to participate in the middle of
the circle.
Debrief:
a) What was experience in the middle of the circle like?
b) What emotions did you experience?
c) How easy was it to submit to the group?

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GROUP: TEAM BUILDING
These activities are designed to incorporate elements of problem-solving,
communication and trust to help your group become a cohesive, functioning unit. Any
debrief should help them to resolve differences and become better at working
together.
CHOCOLATE RIVER
Time: 20-25 min
Equipment: Cardboard squares, or their equivalent (8-9), and river boundaries
Objective: Problem solving, communication, and team building.
Directions: Lay two ropes on the ground horizontally (like ===), or set two distinct
boundaries, with about seven giant steps (15-20 feet) in between. Have everyone line
up on one side behind the boundary. Between the two ropes/or boundaries is the
Chocolate River (or you can make it Lava, Acid, a Deep Dark Pit, etc.). The goal is get
the entire team across the hot Chocolate River, but it is too hot to swim across and too
deep to walk across. If anyone touches the Chocolate River the whole team must start
over. The only way to get across is by using the large, fluffy Marshmallows that you
provide. (You can use pieces of paper, bark, or leaves – work with what you’ve got. You
should have about 8-9 pieces.) Unfortunately, the current in the river is so strong that
it actually sweeps the Marshmallows away if someone is not always touching them
with a hand, foot, or other safe appendage. Also the Marshmallows can only hold a
certain amount of weight. This is determined only by the number of feet placed on the
marshmallow. 0 = it floats away, 1 =good, 2=good, 3=the Marshmallow sinks and is
lost.
This seems like a simple exercise, but some groups have a lot of trouble with it. Watch
the Marshmallows, if there is not some appendage touching it at ALL times grab it and
throw it away. If you feel like reducing the challenge level on the group you can reward
them by returning Marshmallows for good communication or anything else you
notice.
DIMINISHING CIRCLES – AKA SHRINKING SHIP
Time: 20-25 min
Equipment: Rope
Objective: Providing opportunity for group members to create and build group
cohesion in order to overcome demanding requirements of the trip.

32
Directions: Create a large circle with the rope. The objective is for the group to get
everyone inside the circle. When beginning, make the perimeter of the circle large
enough to guarantee success. Once they have experienced success from the first
round, make the circle smaller and smaller, until the group can barely succeed.
Skip the debrief for this activity, instead point out the “take away” lesson – that
everyone is going to have to come together on this trip and sometimes things might
get uncomfortable, sometimes things might be challenging, and only if the whole
group is reaching out and working together will it be a success.
HUMAN KNOT
Time: 5-10 min
Equipment: None
cohesion in order to overcome demanding requirements of program.
Directions: The task in this game is to form a knot by holding hands in a group and
then untie it. Form the knot by standing in a circle, shoulder-to-shoulder, and placing
everyone’s hands in the center. Now everybody grab a couple of hands. Do not hold
hands of the person standing next to you or the same hands of one person. Now untie
it. As a facilitator, try to have as little input as possible and let them figure it out and
debrief what they thought of it themselves.
POPSICLE PUSH UPS
Time: 20-25 min
Equipment: None
cohesion and become more physically comfortable with each other.
Directions: The goal of this game is to get your entire group supported off the ground
with only the participants’ hands touching the ground. Don’t share with the students,
but the idea is that the second person lies face down, behind the first person so that
the tops of his/her feet are on top of the first person’s back or shoulders. Each person
does the same. Everyone either starts with their arms extended or at the end does a
push up together.
REACH FOR YOUR GOALS
Time: 20-25 min
Equipment: Note cards and pens
Objective: Work together to achieve personal and group goals.

33
Directions: Have the group write down a few goals for the program on a note card.
While they are writing, make a small circle on the ground out of rope, or find a small
area in which the whole group can fit, with defined boundaries. Collect note cards and
band them together. Then set up your narrative. EX: “We’re going on a magical
adventure. Everyone, let’s pile into the “spaceship” (the rope circle on the ground or
area you chose).” Everyone needs to be completely inside. It should be a small enough
space to be challenging but not too difficult. One everyone is inside the space, explain
that on this adventure the group needs to “reach their goals” (you can also call them
something else – like rocket fuel that they need to reach their destination). Place their
goals far away (depends on group size). Explain to the group that the current or wind
or some such force will whisk people away if they are not connected to the space ship.
If there is a break in contact, the adventure starts over. The mission is to reach the
goals. You can move the goals multiple times until finally just barely within reach by
everyone laying down fully extended working together.
Alternative to make things even more challenging: Put the goals so far from the group
that the only way for them to reach them is to ask the facilitator(s) to join their efforts.
This shows them that you are a part of the group too, and helps them feel comfortable
asking you for help.
This is a great activity to simply ask the group why you had them do that activity. (You
all need to work together on this trip – no one can do it alone.)

35
JUST FOR FUN: TIRE THEM OUT
These games are exactly what they sound like. Great for groups with high energy that
need a productive outlet.
ALASKAN BASEBALL
Time: 20-25 min
Equipment: A ball, or object to throw
Objective: FUN!!
Directions: Divide into two teams and set up a baseball diamond. One team lines up
at home plate and the other spreads out throughout the field. The first batter is “up”
and takes the ball/object and throws it somewhere in the field. The batter, followed by
his/her entire team, then travels around all the bases (the next person in line can
begin once the player in front of them has reached first base) while the outfielders run
to get the ball. The outfielder who gets the ball first stops there and the rest of the
outfield team lines up behind them. They then must pass the ball alternately over
heads and under legs until it reaches the last person in the outfielder line (must have
the whole team there before you can begin). As soon as the ball has reached the end,
the outfield team sits down and yells “STOP!” The batting team must stop and count
their score (1 for every person who crosses home plate). Continue until every batter
has had a chance to bat, and then switch field positions.
Alternative, if there’s not enough space: Rather than creating bases and running
around them, have the batting team stand in a circle. Whoever is batting (rather than
rounding the bases), runs around the outside of their team’s circle, and taps each
person while saying their name. The team gets a point for every time the batter makes
it around the naming circle.
BIRDIE ON A PERCH
Time: 10 minutes
Equipment: None
Objective: Be silly, break down physical barriers.
Directions: Ask for participants to find a partner. They will then create two circles, one
person from each pair in the inner circle and one in the outer circle. The facilitator will
ask each circle to rotate in opposite directions while everyone sings the Birdie on a
Perch song (there is an “official” song, but you can use any song by simply removing
the words and singing with cheer!). When the facilitator shouts, “Birdie on a perch!”

36
the two members of each pair must find each other and hop on the other person’s
back (like a piggy back). The last pair to do this is out of that round. The game
continues until only one pair remains. This is a good option because it allows students
to feel more comfortable within each other’s space, and allows them to be less
inhibited. This is not a great option for forming groups or introductions as it makes
people a bit uncomfortable when they hardly know one another. Depending on the
maturity of your group, you may also consider same-sex partners.
JOHNNY JOHNNY
Time: 15-20 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Lots of running and getting tired out, also a potential to learn about each
other, depending on what Johnny says.
Directions: Set up a playing field with well-defined boundaries and two safe zones on
opposite ends of the playing field. One person is Johnny and stands in the middle
while all others start all in one safe zone. The group in the safe zone is trying to cross
to the other safe zone without being tagged by Johnny. The group yells (together!)
“Johnny, Johnny, may we cross your wide, wide river?” to which Johnny responds,
“only if _______ (ex: you’re wearing purple, your birthday is in June, you have a
brother, etc.). If what Johnny said applies to you, then you have to try to cross the river
without being tagged. If you are tagged by Johnny, then you join Johnny in the middle
and help tag people trying to cross the river. Keep playing until no one is left in the
starting safe zone and then switch to crossing back from the ending safe zone to the
beginning one. The last person to be caught becomes the next Johnny.
MAN HUNT
Time: 15-20 min
Equipment: None
Objective: FUN!!
Directions: This game is a cross between hide-and-seek and tag. Be sure to set
physical boundaries to your playing field before you begin. One person is It. They
stand in one spot, and count loudly to 60 while the rest of the group hides. The It
person then searches for the hiding group members. If you are spotted, you can run
away from the It person. Once you are found and tagged, you join the man hunt for the
rest of the group members until everyone is found.

37
THE TAIL THAT WAGS THE DOG
Time: 5-10 min
Equipment: An object to use as a tail
Objective: Silliness!
Directions: A group of people stand in line with their hands on the
hips/waist/shoulders (depending on personal comfort levels) of the person in front of
them. The person in the back has a tail on. The head tries to get the tail without
breaking the chain.

39
JUST FOR FUN: WAKE THEM UP
These activities are short and silly – a great way to re-energize groups, break up an
especially wordy lesson, or just add a moment of silliness to an otherwise serious
activity.
ELBOW TAG
Time: 5 - 10 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Warm up and get energized.
Directions: Everyone grab a partner. You need an even number of people to play this
game, so if you have an odd number of people then the facilitator becomes a part of
the game. This game is simply tag, but there is only one eligible person to tag. Partners
lock arms and spread themselves out randomly in a field. One person is free to run and
is trying to be tagged by another person. To prevent being tagged, the free person
must run up to a pair and lock arms with one of them. Once the free person locks arms
with the pair, there are three people locked together, which is not allowed, so the
person not directly touching the newest addition is now the one being chased. When
someone is tagged then their roles are reversed and they become the tagger.
METAMORPHOSIS
Time: 5 - 10 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Warm up while being silly.
Directions: A wacked out version of rock-paper-scissors where students act out
different phases of being as they win or lose. Students start in a beginning phase
(acting out being an egg, larva, or some other variation) and play Rock Paper Scissors
with one person at a time. When a person wins, then they progress to the next stage
(being a chick or pupa, etc.) and the loser reverts to the previous stage. Eventually
people get to the top of the food chain (yay!), though they may not stay there. It is a
silly game people are winning and losing and acting like fools. Play ad nauseam.
(Discuss beforehand: Rock, Paper, Scissors, then shoot)
EX: egg  caterpillar  chicken  T rex  superman

40
PASS THE LOOP
Time: 5 – 10 min
Equipment: Hula hoop (easier) or rope (harder)
Objective: Warm up and teamwork.
Directions: Everyone stands in a circle and joins hands with the people on either side.
The hula hoop is placed so that one pair of people is joining hands through the middle
of it. The goal of this game is to pass the hoop around the circle while the group
remains holding hands.
Alternative: Use two loops going opposite directions, time the group, or tie two loops
together (to make a figure-eight) and have the loops go opposite directions.
PEOPLE 2 PEOPLE
Time: 5 - 10 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Warm up.
Directions: Everyone grabs a partner. This game is a cross between Simon Says and
two person yoga. Facilitator will call out a body part and each pair then has to connect
to each other using that body part. EX: “Elbow to elbow.” If the facilitator says “Velcro”
then the buddy pair must continue to hold those two body parts together. If the
facilitator does not say “Velcro” then pairs are free to move into the next configuration
however they choose. When the facilitator says, “people to people,” everyone needs
to find a new partner.
ROCK STAR
Time: 2 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Warm up in a silly way and take a break from reality.
Directions: This is best to set up as a narrative. EX: “Everyone, you are in a rock band –
visualize the band, become that persona. You are now all Rock Stars and you are
sooooo popular. You are too popular and you need some help. Now silently (in your
head only) pick two people in the group. One person is going to be the Paparazzi that
you can’t stand. The other person is your Bodyguard. Does everyone have a
Bodyguard and a Paparazzi? Your job as the Rock Star is to always keep your
Bodyguard between you and the Paparazzi. On your mark, get set, go!” Don’t give

41
them time to ask questions. This is a silly game and they just run around for a little bit.
Once the game seems to stabilize (a minute or so) then call it.
SCREAMING TOES
Time: 5 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Warm up.
Directions: Everyone stands in a close circle, shoulder to shoulder and looks down
and finds someone else’s feet to stare at. On the count of three, look up into the eyes
of the person who’s feet you were staring at. If you find yourself making eye contact
with another person, you both scream, and run around to a different spot in the circle.
Repeat until laughter ensues.

43
JUST FOR FUN: SITTING DOWN
These games are great for having fun without running around – helpful if your group is
tired or if you’re trying to push them toward turning in for the night. Or if the weather
is yucky and you’re stuck indoors.
ASSASSIN – AKA FROGGER
Time: 20-25 min (5-10 min per round)
Equipment: None
Objective: Silly, mild fun.
Directions: All students are Flies on a Fly Farm! One person is the Farmer, who gets to
try to figure out which of the Flies is really the Frog. The goal of this game is for the
Frog to eat all the Flies by sticking out his/her tongue at them, while avoiding being
caught by the Farmer. While the Farmer hides his/her eyes and everyone in the circle
closes their eyes, one person (facilitator, or last round’s Farmer) walks around the
circle and taps one person on the head. That person is the Frog. Everyone opens their
eyes and the Farmer comes back to stand in the middle of the circle to try to figure out
who the Frog is. When the Frog sticks his/her tongue out at a Fly, that Fly must “die”
and lay down, out of the game (no giving the Frog away!). The Farmer gets three
guesses to figure out who the Frog is. If the Farmer cannot figure out who the Frog is
before the Frog kills all the Flies, then the Frog wins.
DRAWING IN THE DARK
Time: 20-25 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Creative fun.
Directions: This game must be played in a totally dark place (at night, in a cave, etc.).
The goal is for each student draw a picture illustrating a story told by one of the other
players without being able to see their paper. Someone must volunteer to be the
storyteller. Remind them to keep the story absolutely clean. It doesn’t have to be long
or elaborate, but it should include a number of different figures and objects which will
be drawn by the other players. The story should be fairly short and after each sentence
or two, the players should be given a moment or two to draw. When the story and
drawings are complete, turn some lights on. The illustration that comes the closest to
the story described, as determined either by the storyteller or a vote, is the winner.

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HONEY, IF YOU LOVE ME, PLEASE SMILE
Time: 15-20 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Silly fun.
Directions: One person walks around saying this line to other members of the group
in any way they want, to try to get the others to smile. If someone cracks, that person
is now in the middle trying to do the same thing to someone else.
MAFIA
Time: 20-25 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Creative mystery fun.
Directions: This one is complicated to describe and there are tons of variations. Here
is one way to play that will help minimize the bickering, debate and complications.
Usually there is an All-Knowing figure (facilitator or a story-telling student) who
chooses the characters and then narrates: two Mafia (who murder), one Angel (who
saves) and the rest of the people are Townspeople (who guess). The All-Knowing has
everyone close their eyes, walks around the circle and gives one tap to the head for
Mafia members, and two to the Angel. They then wake up the Mafia, has them silently
select someone to murder and then go back to sleep. Then the Angel is woken up and
s/he silently selects someone to save (the Angel does NOT get to know who the Mafia
killed before they select who to save). Then, all are told to wake up and everyone takes
on the role of a Townsperson, including the Mafia and Angel. The All-Knowing tells
everyone who the Mafia killed, and who the Angel saved. This is a chance to make up a
creative story. That dead Townsperson is out for the rest of the game, and cannot give
away who is in the Mafia, or who the Angel is, but can join in discussion to have fun
with those still alive. Everyone then tries to figure out who the Mafia is. This usually
involves a lot of arguing and eventually the group will take a vote on one person who
they think is in the Mafia and they will “hang”. Either way, the person they choose will
join the dead. Do not confirm or deny if that person was part of the Mafia – they may
do so if they so choose. Everyone then goes back to sleep for another round of Mafia
killings and Angel savings. Repeat until either both members of the Mafia are dead, or
until there are no Townspeople left. Be creative!

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MAKING RAIN
Time: 20-25 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Fun and can be soothing as well – not a lot of brain power required.
Directions: Everyone sits in the circle, except for one person, who will be the
Detective. With the Detective out of the circle, a Rain Maker is chosen. The Detective
comes back to stand into the center of the circle. Everyone starts by doing the same
motion – patting your lap with both your hands in sync. The Rain Maker can change
the action whenever he/she wants to whatever he/she wants, and everyone must
follow suit. It is the job of the Detective to figure out who the Rain Maker is – they get
three guesses.
STORY-STORY
Time: 20-25 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Easy entertainment.
Directions: Everyone sits side by side in a line. One person is chosen as the Conductor
and sits facing the line. The Conductor then asks for something (a place, subject,
activity, scene, relationship, etc.) from the group that will provide a loose
framework/plot for the story. The Conductor points to the first person who begins the
story and continues until the Conductor points to the next person. Enjoy the story!
TELEPHONE PICTIONARY
Time: 20-25 min
Equipment: Full sheets of paper and writing utensils
Objective: Silly and creative.
Directions: Everyone starts with a blank sheet of paper (roughly the same size!).
Decide as a group some sort of category that you will base your Pictionary on (ex: fairy
tales, awesome movie ideas, something that happened to you once, etc.). Once
decided, everyone writes a single sentence in that theme and passes their paper to the
left. The person receiving the paper then reads the sentence and below it, draws a
picture to illustrate what the sentence says. They then fold the part of the paper with
the original sentence on it backwards, so only the picture they drew is visible. They
pass it on to the person to their left. That person looks at the illustration and below it,
writes a sentence describing what’s happening in the illustration, then folds the paper
back so only their sentence is visible and passes the paper to the left. Continue in this

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fashion until there is no more room on the page or you’ve made it around the circle
once, whichever you prefer. Then you simply unfold the pages and laugh and laugh
and laugh at how silly they ended up! You can vote on your favorite(s) if you’d like, or
simply enjoy!

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JUST FOR FUN: SILLY
These games are a bit off the wall and sometimes kooky. They can be a good creative
outlet for your group.
ARK, SNARK, BARK
Time: 5-10 min
Equipment: Blindfolds (optional)
Objective: Hilarious and fun to watch and take part in.
Directions: Everyone is secretly given a word that ends with –ark, and pairs of people
will have the same word. Everyone is then told to walk around blindfolded or with
their eyes closed trying to locate the other person who is making the same sound as
them.
CHARADES
Time: 25-30 min
Equipment: Paper slips and pencil/pen
Objective: Creative and interactive fun.
Directions: First, everyone needs to write down several (three to six) famous people,
characters, books, movies, etc. on individual slips of paper and put them into a
common bowl. The goal in this game is to guess, in the shortest time possible, the clue
being acted out by your team members. Two teams compete, and alternate turns
acting and guessing. Each actor gets 60 seconds to get through as many clues as they
can, until all clues have been guessed.
Alternative: You can make this harder by only allowing acting and no words or noises.
FINGER FENCING
Time: 5 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Silly fun.
Directions: Two people face each other, grab right hand to right hand with thumbs
interlocking and pointer finger pointing towards the other person. The goal of this
game is to touch the other person with your finger and avoid being touched by your
opponent’s finger.

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FOX IN THE HEN HOUSE
Time: 20-25 min
Equipment: Blindfold
Objective: Fun and practice using senses other than sight.
Directions: One person is blindfolded and sits in the middle of a defined area about
12-15 feet in diameter. Three or four objects are placed around the blindfolded
person. Everyone else stands silently on the outside of the circle, and must try to enter
the circle to remove the objects placed inside it. If the blindfolded person hears the
other participants inside the circle, they point to where they think that person is. If
they are correct, that person is out. Play until either all objects have been retrieved or
all players are out.
Alternative: You can debrief this lesson, or even relate it to a biology or ecology lesson
about animals relying on other senses more than sight.
GROUP THUMB WAR
Time: 5 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Chaotic fun.
Directions: Set up just like Human Knot, where everyone grabs two different people’s
hands in a big jumble of limbs. However, grab hands in a way that you can play
simultaneous thumb war with two different opponents! Ready, set, chaos!
GUESS WHO???
Time: 20-25 min
Equipment: Pens and notecards
Objective: Fun puzzle game of memory and guessing.
Directions: Have each player secretly write down one well-known person that
everyone would recognize (fictional or not – i.e. Socrates, Joan of Arc, Angelina Jolie,
George Bush, Michael Jordan, Big Bird, etc.). One person collects all the cards and
reads through the names out loud, twice. Everyone should try to remember all of the
names. Everyone then becomes their own team. One person begins by trying to guess
another person’s identity (who they wrote on their piece of paper). It’s just blind
guessing – but you have to remember all the names that were read as possibilities. If
they get it right, the guessed person joins their team and that team gets to try to guess
another person. If they guess wrong, the person they tried to guess gets to try – you

49
can steal people back and forth between the many different teams! As the teams
grow, names will be used up and it will get harder and harder to remember the names
left. A team wins when they eliminate the last person whose identity is still un-
guessed, or you can play until all people are on one team.
HAGOO
Time: 15-20 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Goofy fun!
Directions: Two teams face each other, about three feet apart. Two players, one for
each team, who stand at the opposite ends of the lines, are challengers. They step
forward and face each other down the length of the gauntlet. With a bow and the
invitation Hagoo, they walk towards each other, breaking neither their eye contact nor
their reserve. In the middle, they pass and continue to the end, determined to
suppress their smile. The rest of the players may engage in any form of facial
movements or noises but no touching. If you make it the whole length then you stay
with your team. If you smile or laugh you join the other team. Play until everyone has
done it or there is only one team.
IN THE WAY OF THE ADVERB
Time: 15-20 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Comical and creative fun.
Directions: Two kids pick an adverb together without letting the rest of the group
know. Then the rest of the group has them act out various actions with that adverb,
and everyone tries to figure out the adverb they chose. It might be helpful to remind
your group what an adverb is (a word that modifies a verb or action), and give them a
few examples (excitedly, loudly, ridiculously – most words ending in –ly).
KING FROG
Time: 20-25 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Concentration and memory while being silly and having fun.
Directions: Everybody needs to be sitting down in a circle, positioned so that they can
see everybody else from where they sit. The leader, who will become the King or
Queen Frog, then invites each person to think of a unique action and noise they can

50
identify with an animal. For example, someone may choose to be a gorilla by beating
their pumped-up chest vigorously with their clenched fists, and making gorilla like
noises. After a little thinking time, the King or Queen Frog starts off demonstrating
their action. The action of the King or Queen Frog is up to that person (but it could be
moving one palm quickly across the other – like a frog jumping off of a lily pad). Allow
your group the opportunity to repeat the actions before continuing around the circle
to learn all of the other actions. Ensure that they are all unique, i.e., you can have three
types of birds, as long as they all have distinct gestures. Explain that the King Frog
goes first. That person will perform their gesture and noise and then perform the
gesture and noise of another animal in the group. This is a signal to this next animal
that it is their turn. They must quickly do their action and follow it with the action and
noise of another animal, and so on. A slow start will help people get the idea of it, and
then the pace will pick up. Here’s where it gets fun: if someone is too slow or mucks up
the actions or performs them in the wrong sequence, everything stops. That person is
obliged to leave their seat, and sit to the left of the King Frog. This causes everyone
sitting to the right of the King Frog to move along one seat to fill the gaps. NOW, the
clincher! The animal does not move with the person – the actions belong to the seat.
So when a person sits in a new seat, they will assume the actions of the new animal.
The object of the game is to get into the royal throne, because then you have control.
So, each time the King Frog makes a mistake, everyone moves one seat to the left and
closer to the throne. Hooray!
MUSEUM
Time: 5-10 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Fun with an opportunity to be creative and silly.
Directions: Similar to Red Light, Green Light. One person is the Museum Guard, and
everyone else is a Dinosaur in a museum exhibit. The Museum Guard closes his/her
eyes and faces away from the group, and all the Dinosaurs come to life. As soon as the
Guard turns around, the Dinosaurs freeze. If the Guard spots any movement, that
Dinosaur is out. This game is fun to play with headlamps in the dark!
NINJA
Time: 5-10 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Fun and excitement.

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Directions: The goal of the game is to touch other players’ arms between the elbow
and fingertips to eliminate that arm. When both arms are eliminated, that player is
out. Everyone stands in a circle and, taking turns, each player gets a single move (aka
one bodily movement – a jump/chop, a lunge/slice, a jab, etc.) to try to eliminate
another player. An attacked player gets a single move to try and avoid being
eliminated. The game begins with everyone’s hands together in the middle – rub them
together and scream “NINJA!” while jumping into your best ninja pose. And don’t
forget to make crazy ninja noises!
PUSH
Time: 5 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Silly fun that starts out calm but with the opportunity to grow.
Directions: Two people stand toe-to-toe facing each other. The goal is to push your
opponent and cause them to lose their balance and take a step backwards. You can
only push against each other’s hands.
SMAUG’S JEWELS
Time: 10-15 min
Equipment: An object to be used as Smaug’s Jewel
Objective: Fun competition.
Directions: Someone is Smaug and stands in the middle guarding a Jewel. Anyone
who tries to get the Jewel and gets tagged by Smaug is frozen. A person who is frozen
can be tagged by a non-frozen person to be released. Anyone who gets the Jewel is
now Smaug.
TRIPLE CHARADES
Time: 40-50 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Creative fun with team comradery.
Directions: This works just like charades, but there are three distinct rounds, in which
all the same clues are being guessed in each round. Teams take 60 second turns to go
through as many clues as can be correctly guessed within that time span. The first
round is just like normal charades, where people only talk to describe the clues. Once
all clues have been guessed, put them back in the bowl and begin the second round.
The second round is acting only – no talking or noise-making. The third round is a

52
single word! Be careful, because “um” counts as a word, and there’s no acting this
round! Feel free to keep score if your group wants a winner, or just play for fun.
WARP SPEED
Time: 20-25 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Fun test of memory, speed and basic coordination.
Directions: The group first throws a ball around a circle, remembering who they threw
the ball to, until each person in the group has had the ball just once. Then the group
starts again to see how fast they can get the ball around the group in the same order. A
second and then a third ball are introduced (labeled 1, 2, and 3) and the group needs
to get all three balls to each person in the same order and tries to do that as quickly as
possible.

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JUST FOR FUN: PARLOR GAMES
Parlor games are types of riddles that can be solved with concentration and attention
to detail (historically played in parlors, hence the name). They’re great to play while
you’re waiting for something or during a long leg of travel. These can be quite
frustrating though, so know your group! It’s also best not to play too many of these or
to play them too much, but rather sprinkle them into your trip together when you see
they could use a brain challenge.
BANG BANG
Time: 25-30 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Group puzzle.
Directions: With everyone sitting in a circle (or standing in an area), “shoot” three
people with a finger gun. Say, “Bang, bang, bang – who did I shoot?” The group then
tries to figure out who actually got shot!
Solution: The first person to talk or make any sort of noise with their mouth (cough,
sneeze, say “um”) after you finish is the one that got shot.
Alternative: You can also do the same thing with Three Magic Words. Tell them you’re
describing someone in the group, and then say three random words. EX: fish, ice cube,
toenail. Ask who it is that you were describing, and again, the answer is the first person
to makes a noise.
BEHIND THE GREEN GLASS DOORS
Time: 20-25 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Verbal puzzle.
Directions: The goal of this word game is to figure out what things belong behind the
green glass doors and what do not. You give several examples, and then everyone else
gets to try and figure out the secret. You would say, “Behind the green glass doors,
there are puppies but no dogs” “…kittens but no cats” “…spoons but no forks”, etc.
Guessers use the same phrase to try to figure out the solution.
Solution: Objects and things with double letters (spOOn, kiTTens, puPPies) can go
behind the grEEn glaSS dOOrs, but objects without double letters cannot. It’s best to

54
start using examples that sound related to one another (mOOn but no sun, leTTers but
no words, yeLLow but no blue, etc.). If the group starts to get very frustrated, you can
make them less related and therefore easier to figure out.
BLACK MAGIC
Time: 20-25 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Theatrical puzzle.
Directions: This puzzle requires two people to be “in” on the solution. Do not tell the
rest of the group that it’s a puzzle, rather frame it as magic, or that that person is
psychic and can guess any object we choose. Have the other person who is in on the
trick cover their ears or hide where they can’t hear, while the rest of the group picks a
visible object nearby. Bring the guesser back to the group. Then you (who is in on the
trick) ask the guesser, “Is it _______?” naming various objects nearby. The guesser
says “no” to everything. Ask several objects around the group, then right before you
are going to ask the CORRECT object, ask the guesser if it is some object that is BLACK
in color (hence the name “Black Magic”). The guesser knows that the object after a
black colored object is THE object the group chose. Repeat with new objects until
someone thinks they have figured it out, and then let them be the guesser to see if
they have in fact discovered the magic.
BROOM SNIFFING
Time: 20-25 min
Equipment: A broom, long pole, or stick
Objective: Theatrical puzzle.
Directions: Just like Black Magic, this trick requires two people to be “in” on the trick,
and should be framed as magic or psychic ability, rather than a game/trick. In this
trick, the guesser (who is in on the trick) hides his/her eyes and the group picks a
“spot” on the broom/pole/stick that is the Magic Spot. The guesser comes back and
attempts to find the Magic Spot ONLY by sniffing the broom. The guesser can make
this QUITE theatrical! They will know when they are sniffing the right spot, because
the person holding the broom (also in on the trick) will tap their foot or move their
toes to indicate the correct spot. Voila! It’s magic!

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CAN YOU POGO?
Time: 20-25 min
Equipment: None
Directions: This is a game in which the group tries to figure out how to “pogo”. Similar
to Green Glass Doors, you give several examples of how to pogo, and then they try to
pogo and you tell them if they have succeeded or not. You say “Okay, I can pogo off
that log, I can pogo off that pine cone, and I can pogo off your head. I can pogo. Can
you pogo?” And then they make their attempt.
Solution: They must begin their pogo attempt by saying “okay”. Then they can pogo
off anything and everything (picking 3 random objects). It’s important to say the entire
sequence each time, as it makes it seem like what you’re pogoing off of makes a
difference. Only you know they must begin by saying “okay”. If they become
frustrated, you can emphasize saying “okay”, or you can cut them off right after they
start pogoing if they don’t say “okay”.
COUNTING STICKS
Time: 20-25 min
Equipment: Sticks (can also use toothpicks, spoons, really anything)
Objective: Visual puzzle.
Directions: Put several sticks on the ground in a random position and then ask the
group what number you have put down. You can act as though you are thinking very
hard about how you are arranging the sticks, or not thinking at all, depending on how
long you have been doing this trick and the frustration level of your group.
Solution: The number actually has nothing to do with the sticks – it’s about how many
fingers you have on the ground. You can repeat over and over until the students figure
it out. If they start to get very frustrated, you can repeat patterns while using different
numbers or toss the sticks haphazardly to emphasize how little they actually matter.
CROSSED, UNCROSSED
Time: 20-25 min
Equipment: Two sticks (or other similarly-shaped objects)
Objective: Seated puzzle.

56
Directions: Everyone sits in a circle. You begin with two sticks. You must pass the
sticks to the person next to you, saying “I received these sticks _____ (crossed or
uncrossed), and I pass them to you _____ (crossed or uncrossed).” As with most parlor
games, the ceremony of saying all the words each time is important. Kids have to
figure out if they are receiving and passing the sticks crossed or uncrossed, as the
sticks get passed around the circle. You simply tell them if they are right or wrong.
Solution: Really, it has nothing to do with the sticks – it’s all about the legs of the
person with the sticks and the person receiving the sticks. If their legs are uncrossed
(aka straight or off to the side), then they receive the sticks uncrossed. If the person
next to them is sitting with crossed legs (pretzel style, or ankles crossed), then they
pass the sticks crossed. You can make this more or less obvious, depending on the
insight and/or frustration level of the group.
JOHNNY JOHNNY (WHOOP!)
Time: 20-25 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Visual puzzle.
Directions: Another brain teaser! The group is trying to mimic how you Johnny, and
you are telling them if they succeed or not. Hold up one hand, with all your fingers
spread out. With your other hand, tap the tip of each of your fingers in turn, starting
with your pinky. For each finger, say “Johnny”. In between your index finger and
thumb, slide your finger down the space in between like it’s a slide, and say “whoop!”
Once you reach your thumb, tap and Johnny your way back to your pinky, again
“whoop”-sliding between your thumb and index finger. So what you will actually be
saying is: “Johnny (tap pinky), Johnny (tap ring finger), Johnny (tap middle finger),
Johnny (tap index finger), whoop! (slide from index finger to thumb), Johnny (tap
thumb), whoop! (slide from thumb to index finger), Johnny (tap index finger), Johnny
(tap middle finger), Johnny (tap ring finger), Johnny (tap pinky).”
Solution: Just like most parlor games, the solution has nothing to do with the
Johnnys or the whoops. When you are finished, you cross your arms across your chest,
and that is how you successfully Johnny! Again, you can make the solution more or
less obvious depending on group insight and frustration level.

57
MAN ON THE MOON
Time: 20-25 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Brain teaser.
Directions: The group tries to draw the Man on the Moon, after you show them how.
Draw him in the air with your finger, describing how he looks as you draw him. Here’s
what you say (and draw): “The man on the moon is round (draw a circle), has two eyes
(draw two eyes/dots), a nose (draw a nose/dot), and a mouth (draw a mouth).” They
try to draw him.
Solution: As per usual with these parlor games, what you’re actually drawing doesn’t
matter at all. The trick is to draw the Man on the Moon with your LEFT hand. As most
people are right handed, they often don’t catch onto this fact. Again, as people catch
on or get frustrated, you can make this more or less obvious. You can draw the man on
the moon as “round” (but actually draw him as a triangle) or with “two eyes” (but
instead he has seven!!) or anything like that. Modify to keep your group engaged.
THE MINISTER’S CAT
Time: 20-25 min
Equipment: None
Directions: This is a game in which the group tries to figure out how to describe the
Minister’s Cat (you can also change this into anyone’s cat – the name doesn’t matter).
You start by describing the cat, and they all take their turn trying to successfully
describe the cat. EX: “The Minister’s Cat is an astonishing cat.”
Solution: This is an alphabet game – whatever the first letter of the adjective you used
to describe the Minister’s Cat must also be the first letter that they use to describe the
Minister’s Cat. EX: “The Minister’s Cat is an amazing cat.” “The Minister’s Cat is an
awesome cat.”
Alternative: If everyone figures out the solution, then this game can change. This time,
go around in a circle, and after each completion of a circle of describing the Minister’s
Cat, move on to the next letter of the alphabet. If anyone repeats an adjective or
cannot think of an adjective beginning with the letter you are on, they are then out.

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EXPANDING COMFORT ZONE
These activities are designed with well-formed groups in mind. They challenge
participants to move beyond their current group roles and seek improvement both in
themselves and in their relationships with other group members.
ANONYMOUS FEEDBACK
Time: 25-30 min
Equipment: Writing materials/index cards
Objective: Providing opportunity for group members to expand their comfort zones.
Directions: The group fills out 3x5 index cards, writing two of their greatest concerns
or issues on the front of the card. The cards must be filled out in the same color pen or
all in pencil to keep the anonymity. When all of the cards are filled out, the
participants should get up and move around passing the note cards around so no one
knows who has whose cards. The participants sit back down and read the comments
written on the card out loud in the first person (as if it’s their own card, regardless of
who wrote it). There is no discussion about what is on the card until all of the cards
have been read. This way the important things rise to the top and then the discussion
begins. The role of the staff should be nothing more than facilitating the dialogue.
DO THIS!
Time: 5 minutes
Equipment: Pieces of paper and writing utensils
Objective: Life lesson – the Golden Rule.
Directions: First have everyone write their name on a slip of paper. Then each person
picks a piece of paper with a person’s name written on it. They then write on that
piece of paper something they want that person to do. Then the person who wrote it
has to actually do it! This game has to do with not asking someone to do something
you wouldn’t want to do. (AKA the Golden Rule: do unto others as you would have
them do unto you)
MAZE
Time: 15-20 min
Equipment: Materials to create grid on floor (tape, string, or place markers)
Objective: Providing opportunity for group members to expand their comfort zones.

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Directions: The facilitator sets up a grid on the floor and maps a path across it on a
secret paper. The path goes from one adjacent square to another, but is not marked
on the actual squares, only on the secret paper. The facilitator beeps, snickers or
makes some other noise when the jumper goes to the wrong square. When that
happens, the student must go back to the beginning and start over.
Debrief:
a) What helped/hindered finding a solution?
b) How did you figure out how to complete activity?
c) What was the purpose of this game?
WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?
Time: 20-25 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Fun and gives opportunity for group members to showcase each other’s
strengths.
Directions: Choose an animal for the person next to you and then say why (good way
to show support for others). Then that person picks an animal for themselves and
why. Continue in this fashion around the circle until everyone has had a chance to
speak. Do not pull this game out until everyone knows each other pretty well like in
the “performing stage”.

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SCIENCE GAMES
These games and activities are designed to teach scientific concepts and enhance
lessons. Nearly all of them can be modified to your specific needs and many have
suggestions to help make these modifications.
BEAR-SALMON-MOSQUITO
Time: 15-20 min
Equipment: None
Objective: Fun, active and shows interconnectedness between three species – you can
change them to be anything applicable to what you are teaching or where you are.
Directions: This game works like a giant, group version of Rock Paper Scissors,
combined with Tag. Divide the group in two and define a playing field with two well-
defined opposing safe zones (one for each team), and an obvious center line. Explain
to the group that you’re playing a game like Rock Paper Scissors, except instead we’re
going to be Bears (“show me what a bear looks like!”), Salmon (“how do salmon
move?”), and Mosquitos (“what do mosquitos do?”). They should come up with
agreed-upon actions for the three critters. After everyone knows what the actions look
like, and who beats whom (Bear beats Salmon, Salmon beats Mosquito, Mosquito
beats Bear), each team will go to their safe zone and choose two organisms as a team
– one is their first choice, and the other is a backup (in case both teams choose the
same organism). When both teams have decided, they meet in the center and line up
across the playing field. On the count of three each team does the action for the
creature they chose. Whichever team wins the interaction (i.e. the team that chose
Mosquito wins over the team that chose Bear) then chases the losing team across the
playing field. Members that are tagged by the winning team before reaching their safe
zone then become a part of that team. Members of the losing team that make it back
into their safe zone stay a part of their original team. Repeat!
Alternative: You can change the three organisms to be anything that applies to your
program and fits the guidelines of Rock Paper Scissors – that is that each organism
beats one organism and is beaten by the other organism.

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CAMOUFLAGE
Time: 15-20 min
Equipment: None – best played outdoors in a large space with many obstacles and
hiding spaces.
Objective: Fun and is a great opportunity to discuss behavioral vs. physical
adaptations, what it means to camouflage, and different (really cool!) examples of
camouflage – both behavioral and physical.
Directions: One person is chosen to be the Eagle. The Eagle picks a good vantage
point to see a lot of the surrounding area. They then cover their eyes and count
LOUDLY to 60 while everyone else runs and hides. After reaching 60, the Eagle opens
his/her eyes and tries to spot people hiding – the catch is that the Eagle cannot move
his/her feet from where they are. The Eagle can turn around and crouch down or go on
tippy toes, but can’t actually move his/her feet from the spot they started. But there’s
ANOTHER catch! The people hiding MUST be able to see the Eagle at all times – this is
why it’s Camouflage and not just Hide and Seek. To prove that they can see the Eagle,
the Eagle will (randomly, without announcing it) hold up a number on their hands
near their face (so people hiding can target being able to see the Eagle’s face and
know they will be able to see the number). Once you have been spotted by the Eagle,
you are out, and cannot help the Eagle find more people. Once the Eagle can’t find
anyone else, they announce the second round, cover their eyes, and count loudly to 30
while everyone re-hides CLOSER to the Eagle. Repeat the same process with the
searching and holding up a number. If not everyone is found, there can be a third
round (count to 20!), so there will be three numbers to prove you could see the Eagle
to be able to win. The last person to be found is the winner. If multiple people can’t be
found at the end, the person who is hiding closest to the Eagle (and knows all three
numbers) is the winner!
CHARADES WITH A PURPOSE – AKA LNT (LEAVE NO TRACE)
CHARADES
Time: 15-20 min
Equipment: A list of something you are trying to teach (such as the seven principles of
Leave No Trace), and that list broken down into individual slips of paper that can
be drawn.
Objective: To learn a list of attributes or principles that otherwise might be
challenging to remember. LNT is a great example, but you could also do this for the
requirements for natural selection to take place, the Bill of Rights, principles of
diving, rules of a place you are visiting, etc.

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