Circle
Games
From 'Games Galore', BSC publication.
Players form a circle, two
deep, facing center. Two players on the outside of the circle, and at some
distance from each other, begin the game as runner and chaser. The runner
may save himself from being tagged by stepping in front of one of the pairs
of players, thus making the circle, at that point, three deep, Immediately,
the outside player must leave or be tagged. If a player is tagged, he becomes
the chaser. A runner may run in any direction, to right or left or across
the circle or around the outside.
When a player finds himself
the third or last player in a line, he must run or be tagged. He tries
not to be tagged and, for safety, may stop in front of any line of two.
Set a time limit of fifteen minutes.
Divide players into two sides:
Attackers and Defenders.
Defenders form a circle,
holding hands and facing outward, with their captain in the center.
Attackers surround the
fort at about eight or ten paces distant. They try to kick a soccer ball
into the fort; it may go through the legs of the defenders or over their
heads. If it goes over their heads, the captain may catch it and throw
it out. But if it touches the ground inside the circle, the fort is captured
and the players change sides.
The group stands in a circle.
The leader has half a dozen balloons. Into each a message has been inserted
before the balloon was blown up. One at a time, a balloon is passed from
player to player around the circle, until the leader blows a whistle. The
player holding the balloon when the whistle blows must go to the center
of the circle. He must sit on the balloon until it bursts, then read the
note, and perform the action or answer the question contained in the message.
Players sit in a circle and
start counting round the circle from "one." If the agreed figure for the
game is seven, each time the number being called includes the figure seven
or is a multiple of seven, the player keeps quiet and clasps his hands together.
If anyone makes a mistake the leader records a point against him.
When the boys become good
at this game, add one or two other numbers, so they will have to keep
very sharp not to get caught with numbers four, six and eight going on
at once.
For one number the player
clasps hands. For the second number he will put both hands above his head.
For the third number he can nod his head. Most players will find thinking
of two numbers at once difficult enough.
Draw 10' circle on ground.
Players on outside of circle facing inward, join hands. Then on signal,
circle rotates. Ground inside circle is poison. Object is to force others
to touch poison without touching it yourself.
Those who touch poison
are out. Game continues until players are unable to reach around the circle.
As above but without circle
drawn on ground. In center, place plastic bottles or other easily knocked
over objects. Object of the game is to force others to knock over one of
the bottles while avoiding doing so yourself.
Divide group into two equal
teams. Draw a circle on the floor with a piece of chalk. One team of players
is stationed within the circle. The other team is scattered outside the
circle. At signal, the players who are stationed outside the circle try
to pull the players who are stationed inside the circle so their feet are
outside of the circle. At the same time, the players inside the circle try
to pull their opponents stationed outside of the circle so their feet are
inside the circle. Once a player is pulled in or out of the circle, depending
on which side he is on, he becomes a prisoner and is out of the game. Continue
the game for two minutes and count the prisoners of both sides. Next, change
sides and play a second round. The team with the most prisoners wins.
The players form a circle as
large as the joining of hands will permit. When the circle is completed,
all drop hands and each one takes the longest step possible towards the
center. Then with his toe if outdoors, or with chalk, if indoors, each player
marks on the ground a section of the so called Poison Circle. After completing
the Poison Circle, the players step back to the original circle and again
join hands. A ball is placed in the center and the preparation is complete.
At the starting signal, the players, still holding hands, move around the
circle to the right. Then, without warning, the leader calls "change" or
blows his whistle. At this signal everybody moves in the opposite direction
and the Players try to force one another into the Poison Circle. When a
player is drawn into the circle every one calls "poison" and runs from him,
while he, in the meantime, gets the ball and tries to hit one of them. If
two or more players are drawn into the circle at the same time, any one
of them may get the ball and try to hit one of the others. After the one
who throws either hits or misses, the circle is reformed and the game continues.
Push a dry stick into the fire
until the tip glows. Leader picks up stick, blows ember, gives stick to
boy, saying "Jack's alive." Boy blows on ember, sends stick around circle.
Boy holding stick when ember goes out ("Jack's dead") gets charcoal mark
on face or performs a solo stunt.
Draw a ring 6' in diameter.
The contestants enter the ring, stoop over and grasp their ankles. The object
of the game is to push your opponent over or to make him let go of his ankles.
The player is automatically disqualified if he steps out of the circle.
Seat the boys in a circle.
Warn them to maintain a serious expression. The leader, standing in the
center of the circle smiles, then wipes the smile from his face and tosses
it to another boy in the circle, calling the boy's name as he does so. The
"smile" catcher must put on the smile, wear it for a moment, then "wipe"
it off and pass it to another boy. The boy who does not wipe the smile completely
off, or smiles out of turn, must stand up. Since smiling is contagious,
the entire group will soon be standing... as well as smiling.
The chief imitates the sound
of a bird or animal and the players, standing in a circle, try to guess
what the sound is. The brave who guesses correctly is praised by the chief
and given the chance to make the next bird or animal sound.
One of the players is to be
chosen as Indian Chief and he has got to be very nippy and fast. The group
forms a big circle. In the middle there are placed five plastic bottles.
The Chief goes into the middle and his job is to keep the bottles standing
upright while the other players try to knock them over by throwing a football
at them. Whoever manages to keep the bottles standing for a given time is
quick enough to be "Indian Chief."
Variation: Try this game
using other kinds of balls, (tennis, basket ball, etc.).
Form a circle with the leader
in the center. When he points to someone and says "zip!" the player must
give the name of the person on his right before the leader counts to ten.
If the leader says "zap!" the player must name the person on his left. Anyone
who gives the wrong name or is too slow drops out or may become the leader.
Group sits in a circle. One
player is sent out of the room and the others take counsel and decide what
this player must be when he comes back. They decide, for example, that he
shall be a policeman. When he comes in he asks each of the players in turn
what he can buy for himself. In this case he can buy a pair of black boots,
whistle, a flashlight, and so on. When he has gone round the circle he is
given two chances to guess what he is and if he does not know he loses a
point.
Variation: As above, but
group decides who the person sent out of room will be. (Famous athlete,
politician, musician, movie star, etc.) Person sent out of room tries
to determine who he is by elimination: Am I living? Am I Canadian? Am
I in sports? etc. Set a time limit of ten minutes.
Group sits in a circle on the
floor. Every player is given the name of a town. One player with his scarf
in his hand, stands in the middle. At two different places a letter box
is chalked on the floor. The Postman calls out, "I have a letter to post."
The players cry out, "Where does it come from?" The Postman gives the name
of a town and runs away followed by the player to whom the name of this
town has been given. The Postman suddenly puts his letter (scarf) in the
letter box and runs back to the open space in the center of the ring. The
player picks up the scarf and tries to hit the Postman with it. If he succeeds
in doing this the Postman goes and stands in the circle and the other player
becomes Postman.
Group in a circle. One player
(the White Cobra) sits blindfolded in the middle guarding the treasure of
the Gold Lairs (some object which is lying between his outstretched legs).
Leader points to one of the players who creeps up to the White Cobra and
tries to rob him of the treasure. When the Cobra hears a sound he points
with his forked tongue in the direction of the noise. If he is right then
this player must go back and another has a turn. If a player succeeds in
stealing the treasure then he becomes the White Cobra.
Blindfolded player becomes
the sleeping pirate and sits on a chair in the middle of the room, with
"treasure" (blocks of wood) which he is defending, at his feet. Players
line up at one end of room. On signal "Go," players stalk in an attempt
to pick up treasure without being caught. Sleeping pirate catches players
who have made noise by pointing at them. A player pointed to must retire
and start from beginning. Two tries for each player. Only one block can
be captured at a time.
Ten points are given for
each block or box successfully captured.
Variation; Use two pirates
seated back to back, and more blocks if group is large.
Divide boys into two groups.
One group forms a large circle; the others scatter inside the circle. The
circle players throw a volleyball or other ball at the inside players. The
center players dodge but cannot leave the circle. When hit by the ball they
join the players in the circle. The winner is the last man in the center.
Players form a circle with
arm's-length spacing. "It" stands inside the circle. The players pass a
basketball, play ball or football from one to the other. "It" attempts to
touch it or catch it. If "It" touches or catches the ball, the last player
who touched it is "It." The ball may be passed across the circle at random
or to the next player in either direction.
Mark a big circle on the floor.
This is the pond. The whole group stands around the edge. The leader is
the referee. When he shouts "In the Pond," you all jump into the circle.
When he shouts "On the Bank," you all jump out. But... sometimes he will
try and trick you by saying "On the Pond" or "In the Bank." When he does
this, nobody should obey. Anyone who moves, on a wrong order, is out of
the game or may pay a forfeit and get back in.
Group is in a circle, facing
in, with hands behind their backs, eyes closed. Leader walks quietly around
circle and places the rolled up newspaper secretly in the hands of one of
the group. The player starts hitting the player on his right with the swatter.
He continues swatting while the victim runs around the outside of the circle
and back to his place in the ring. Player with swatter now goes around the
circle and hands swatter to another player. A knotted neckerchief can be
used instead of a newspaper.
One player walks around outside
the circle, taps another player on the back. Both race around the circle
in opposite directions. The player that fails to "fill" the gap continues
the game.
The group stands in a big circle.
In the center are two boys blindfolded. One, the Hunter, has an old sock
stuffed with Paper. The other, the Rattlesnake, has a tin (old shoe polish
tins are ideal) with a lid on -- containing small pebbles. The Hunter starts
the game by shouting "Rattlesnake!" The Rattlesnake "freezes" on the spot,
and shakes his tin of pebbles. The Hunter rushes to where he thinks the
sound comes from and takes a swipe at the Rattlesnake. If he misses, the
Rattlesnake then moves silently away, and again the Hunter calls "Rattlesnake!"
This continues until the Hunter hits the Rattlesnake -- with a time limit
of two minutes. When the Hunter is successful, the two change places. After
two minutes, the next two players in the circle have their turn.
A player stands in the center
of a circle, holding a tennis ball. He tries to throw this ball to someone
in the circle who will drop it. Another ball is also being passed around
the circle from one boy to another.
The player in the center
may throw his ball to anyone, but he usually throws it to the boy about
to receive the ball being passed around the circle. If either ball is
dropped, the one who dropped it changes places with the boy in the center.
Players in circle; each player
in turn goes into the center and "registers" an emotion by facial expression.
First player to guess the emotion portrayed correctly scores; each player
has only one guess. Best total wins.
Group walks around in a circle
singing. When leader signals they must jump into the "lifeboats." Leader
puts up any number of fingers and whoever is not in a "boat" with the same
number of passengers must drop out.
Players stand in a ring facing
inwards. The leader stands in the center. He addresses one of the players,
saying, "I've lost my dog." The player asks, "What is it like?"
The leader describes any
other person in the ring--trying a so to make the description fit a dog.
When the questioner guesses the identity of the person described, the
one described leaves his place and is followed round the circle by the
questioner. Both race in the same direction, each returning to his place.
The last to get back becomes the one to whom the leader will speak when
the game begins again.
Players sit in a circle. Each
takes his turn telling something he can see, hear, feel or smell from where
he sits. No repetition is allowed and if a player repeats what another says,
or cannot think of something, he is out. The game continues until only one
is left.
A blindfolded boy stands in
the center of a large circle. Beside him is a log or some other solid object.
Other boys are given a
piece of sticky paper in the color of their group. These boys circle on
hands and knees trying to crawl up silently and place their stickers on
the log.
If the boy in the center
hears a sound he calls "Wolf" and points In the direction of the noise.
The boy caught must start over again. Points are given to the group which
places the most stickers on the log. A time limit should be set.
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