GAMES

California Inland Empire Council

Lemon Derby

Besides the built-in excitement of this timed event, this quirky race comes with a twist.  Each scout must use a stick to roll a lemon to the finish line.  Unlike a ball, which rolls true, this fruit has a tendency to wobble and weave.  So the key to winning may be simply staying the course.

Squirt-Tac-Toe

Make a tic-tac-toe board on the sidewalk with sticks or chalk.  Each player use a water quarter to make the X's and O's. Work quickly, because when an X or O dries up, it doesn't count! The hotter the day, the quicker you have to be.

Clap and Splat

Toss a water balloon straight up, and see how many times you can clap before catching it.  Take turns.  If you drop the balloon and it doesn't break, you get to go again.  If the balloon breaks, you're out.  The person who can clap the most times and make a successful catch wins.

Marathon Melt

Divide into pairs.  Everyone has to keep one hand behind his back.  Each pair gets one ice cube. See which pair can find a way to melt the ice cube first!

Soapy Toes

Fill a kiddy pool with soapy water.  Dump in a bunch of marbles.  Set up chairs around the pool and dip in your feet.  See who can fish out the most marbles with his toes!

Water Yo-Yo

Cut a large rubber band in half.  Tie one end to a filled water balloon.  Hold the other end and yo!

Little Squirts

Supplies: a slopped sidewalk or driveway for this game.  Draw start and finish lines with sidewalk chalk.  On 'Go' each player places an ice club on the start line and squirts the cube with a water squirter to help it cross the finish line.

Catch or Splash

Fill a bunch of water balloons and choose someone to be the tosser.  The tosser stands about 10 feet in front of the rest of the players.  He tosses a balloon to the players and shouts out a number between 1 and 5.  The player who catches the balloon wins that many points.  If a player breaks the balloon, he loses that many points.  The first player to 10 wins.

Wet Potato

Pass around a bucket of water while music plays.  When the music stops, whoever has the bucket dumps it on his head!

Volleyball

Two players stand one each side of a volleyball net, holding a towel between them.  Serve a water balloon to the other side by placing it in the towel and launching it over the net.  The players on the other side must catch the balloon in their towel and then launch it back.  If the balloon breaks on your side, the other team gets a point.  If a team launches the ball out-of-bounds, the other team gets a point.  Play to 10 points.

Who Wants to Be a Chill-ionaire?

Pick one person to be the host and give him a squirter.  Everyone else lines up. The host asks the first person a question. If he gets it wrong, he gets squirted and goes to the back of the line.  If he gets it right, he gets to be the next host.  The original host goes to the end of the line.

Save the Soda

Each player gets 3 sponges and an empty 2- liter soda bottle.  Set up the bottles on the ground. Each player tries to protect his own bottle while trying to knock down the other players' bottles with the sponges.  The player with the last standing bottle wins!

Beat It Ball

Gather as many soft balls as you can to play this wild game.  Divide into 2 teams. Make a line down the middle of a swimming pole with a rope or string of floats.  Put half the balls on each side of the line.  Choose a timekeeper.  On "Go!" players throw as many ball as they can to the other side.  After 3 minutes the timekeeper yes "Stop!".  Whichever team has the fewest number of balls on their side wins.

Rainy Relay

Try to pour water from your paper cup to a partner's.  The trick?  They both have to hold the cups on their head!

Balloon Bombs

Players stand in a circle, an arm's length apart.  Start passing water balloons quickly around the circle (You may have to toss them). If a balloon breaks, the last person who touched it has to sit down, and pay continues over his head.  The last person standing wins.

Tug-Of-War
Circle 10 Council

Play in water that is chest deep for Cub Scouts.  If playing with adults, divide them equally between the teams.  Use a sturdy rope, with a colored ribbon tied to the center of the rope.  Anchor a float or other permanent marker to show the center of the play area.  Play like standard tug-of-war with the winner being the team that pulls the other team past the center float.

Duck Tag
Circle 10 Council

This tag game is fun for even the non-swimmers because it does not require special skills and can help them feel comfortable in the water.  Play in water no higher than waist deep and in an area with a level bottom.  Play like regular tag, except that a player is safe if he ducks completely under water when “it” tries to tag him.  A player does not have to stay under water more than two seconds, and then can safely come up without being tagged.  “It” must go after someone else when his quarry ducks under water.

Dodge Ball
Circle 10 Council

Play in waist to chest-deep water.  Divide players into two teams.  One team forms a large circle, and the other team gets inside.  The circle players try to hit their opponents with a beach ball or soft foam or rubber ball.  Score one point for each hit.  The inside players are allowed to swim in any direction or go under water to avoid being hit, but cannot leave the circle.  Outside players cannot advance forward to hit a player.  At the end of a specified time, teams change places.

Sharks And Whales
Circle 10 Council

Play in waist to chest-deep water.  Divide group into two teams, the “sharks” and the “whales.” The teams line up facing each other about 10 feet apart.  Behind each other is its home base – the side of the pool or a rope tied to buoys, or other designated area.  When the leader calls “sharks” they swim or run after the whales, trying to tag them before they reach their base.  If a whale is caught, he must join the sharks for the next round.  Leaders should alternate the calls of “sharks” and “whales”.
The team with the most players after a specified time is the winner.

Paddlewheel Push
Circle 10 Council

To play this water game you will need at least one foam or plastic kickboard but more boards will allow more boys to play at the same time.  Pair off, trying to match basic size and strength of the boys. Play in waist-deep water.  Opponents grasp opposite ends of a kickboard.  On signal, both boys start kicking, trying to force the opponent backward.  Boys should not stand and shove the board, but should swim and kick legs to move forward.

Candle Race
Circle 10 Council

This is a fun game for swimmers and non-swimmers.  Play in chest-deep water.  Players line up side-by-side in the water about an arm’s length apart, all facing the goal line. Adult leaders (only) will hand each player a small, lit candle.  On signal, all swim or walk at once toward the goal, carrying the lighted candle.  The object of the game is to complete the race first and keep the candle lit.  The player is disqualified if his candle becomes extinguished, except if another player splashes it and extinguishes it, in which case that player is out. Leaders should apply drip guards at the base of each candle to avoid getting wax drippings onto hands or into the water.  Afterwards, leaders safely handle and extinguish the candles.

Save Me
Circle 10 Council

This is a practice game for the “throw” rescue method. Divide into 2 teams.  Teams select their strongest swimmer, and with leader approval these boys represent their teams by competing against each other. In chest-deep water about 25 feet from the edge, weight and sink an over-size tee shirt (one for each team). Give each team a 30-foot rope.  On signal, each team’s best swimmer swims to the shirt, retrieves it from the bottom, and puts it on.  He then calls to teammates, “Save me!” whereupon the other den members cast their coiled rope to him.  The swimmer must act like a non-swimmer, and not swim or walk to reach it.  The team must keep trying to cast the rope directly within reach of the swimmer.  When he grabs the rope, the other team members pull him to shore.  First team to “save” its “victim” wins.