GAMES

Indoor Track Meet
York Adams Area Council

A good idea would be to run this track meet on a Six basis, with each Six sending forward its representative before the name of the contest is announced.

Bean Toss: Give each contestant 10 navy beans and have him try to throw them, one at a time, into a quart jar from a chalk line on the floor.

Foot Race: Have each Cub stand with his feet touching each other, heel to toe.  The den with the greatest aggregate length wins.

30-inch Dash: Tack a 30 inch piece of string with a marshmallow at the end on the wall.  The first Cub who chews the string and reaches the marshmallow wins.

Polo Pan: Number six 1" cubes on each side: 0-1-2-3-4-5; and use a six hole muffin pan.  Let each person throw the cubes into the muffin pan from a distance of 6'.  Add the top numbers of the cubes that land in the pan to determine a winner.

Bounce Ball: Use five different-sized rubber balls and a cardboard box.  Have the players, in turn, bounce the balls in the box from 10'.  Score 2 points for each ball that goes in.

Plumb Ball: Suspend a golf ball on a cord from the ceiling, using screw eyes.  From broom handles, make a set of tenpins, 4" long.  Have the players swing the ball and knock down the pins.  Score 2 points for each pin knocked over and 10 extra points for a strike.  Be sure to catch the ball on the rebound.

Hoop Stop: Lay an 18" hoop made from No. 9 wire on the floor.  Use three balls (marble, golf, tennis).  Score 5 points for each ball placed inside the hoop in any manner from a distance of 6'.

Running High Whistle: The boy who can hold a whistled not the longest with on breath wins the event.

Lightweight Race: Have the runners carry a lighted candle in one hand and a pail of water in the other.  If water is slopped over or if the candle goes out, the contestant is out.  The first to cross the finish line wins the race.

20 Yard Dash: Line up the dens for a relay race.  Have the contestants carry an egg in a teaspoon held with the arm extended.  The first in each line runs 20 yards and back to the next one in line.

100 Yard Dash: Tie a lump of sugar or a marshmallow on the end of 100" string.  The contestants gather the sting and marshmallows into their mouths without using their hands.  The first one to eat the marshmallow wins the race.

Obstacle Race: Place nickels in pans of white flour, or of whipping cream, to see who, with his hands behind him, can be the first to dig them out with his teeth.

Sharpshooters: Hold a contest to see who can throw the most pebbles into the mouth of a jug.

Endurance Race: See who can eat four soda crackers and be the first to whistle a tune.

Moving Target: Have the contestants throw beanbags, sticks, stones, anything for that matter, through a rolling hoop.  Score 1 point for each hit.

Hobble Race: Conduct a 100' race with contestants who are bound loosely about the ankles.

Long Glum: The player who can keep from smiling longest, while all the others jeer and laugh, wins.

Slipper Throw: Have the contestants lie flat on their backs and throw slippers over their heads with both feet.

Second Obstacle Race: Make a large number of chalk marks on the floor at the end of the race course.  Give each runner a damp rag with which to rub out the chalk marks.  The first to clean his section on the floor and run back  to the starting line, wins.

Swimming Relay: For this relay race, have each hop on one foot, carrying a glass of water.

20 Foot Dash: Have the relay runners roll lemons or hard-boiled eggs with a stick down the course and back and touch off the next player in line.

Bawl Game: See who can make the most noise for a given period of time.

Wide Stretch: Line up the Sixes with arms extended so that the players are touching, fingers to fingers.  See which Six has the longest line.

Beans Relay: Have the relay runners carry beans, one at a time, between match sticks, toothpicks or on a knife.

Standing Broad Grin: The width of the grins measured by judges.  The widest one wins this event.

Discus Throwers: Each contestant throws a paper pie plate from a chalk line.  The plate must be held flat in the hand and not sailed with the thumb and fingers.

16 Pound Put: Have each contestant put an inflated bag for distance as though it were put from the shoulder.

Sponge Shot-Put: Use a small dry sponge for the shot.  See who can put the shot the farthest.

Hammer Throw:  Use blown-up paper bags attached to a yard of string.  Give each Cub one turn to see who can throw the 'hammer' the farthest.

Bottle Roll: See who can roll a pop bottle from 6' and score a bull's-eye in a chalk ring on the floor.  Draw several concentric circles to make targets of different value.

Semicircle Soccer (A Semicooperative Game)
Bay Area Council

The idea for this game came from a game called Konta Wai in Papua, New Guinea.  In Konta Wai, two semicircles of about five players each stand facing each other about 12 feet (3-1/2 meters) apart.  The fruit of a local tree is thrown, lifted like a hockey puck, or batted back and forth between the semicircles with the use of sticks. The main object of the game is to try to prevent the fruit from passing through one's own semicircle of players.  Semicircle Soccer takes off from here and adds a few new wrinkles.

To play: Two separate semicircles, of four or five players each, are formed by linking arms around the next person's waist. Semicircles begin by facing each other and kicking a sponge soccer ball back and forth.  The objective of each team is to prevent the other team from kicking the ball through its semicircle.

However, both semicircles are mobile.  They can move at will and can kick the ball from anywhere on the play space. They can even attempt to get around behind the other semicircle in order to kick the ball through their unit in a rear attack.  Additional Semicircles and balls can be added for more action.

Finger Wrestling
Baltimore Area Council

This is similar to modern wrestling except that the contestants use their fingers rather than arms.

Octopus
National Capital Area Council

Draw straws or choose one person to be the octopus.  The octopus is “it.”  If you are playing indoors, you will need to clear a space between two walls.  If your are playing outdoors, lay two ropes on the ground about thirty feet across from each other as shown.

The person who is the octopus stands in the middle of the “field.”  All other players line up on one side of the rope or against a wall.  The octopus looks at them and says, “Fishy, fishy, in the sea, won’t you come and swim with me?”  Then all the players who are fish have to run across the field and get safely to the other wall or on the other side of the rope without being tagged by the octopus.

If the octopus tags someone, that person becomes “seaweed” and can tag other players.  However, a person tagged by the octopus always has to keep his/her right foot on the ground in the exact place where he/she was tagged.  The octopus can move about freely.

The last person to be tagged gets to be the octopus in the next game.

Push – Catch
National Area Capital Council

Everyone is in a circle except for one person in the middle (usually a leader to start). The person in the center has a ball that the leader throws to those in the circle. The leader must shout out either Push or Catch.  The person to whom the ball is thrown must Do The Opposite Action that was shouted out. That is if the leader shouts Push, the Cub must Catch the ball. If the leader shouts Catch the Cub Pushes the ball. If an error is committed by either not doing the opposite or stumbling with the ball the Cub must sit down or step back and is eliminated from play. Variation: If the group gets really good at the game, the shouter must shout out 3 words (such as Push Catch Push) and the Cub must do the opposite of the middle one (or the first or last).

Flame-Jumping Contest
National Capital Area Council

Equipment: scissors, ruler, pencil, markers, corrugated cardboard, clothespins, masking tape.

This is a popular Midsummer's Eve game. Draw and cut out a cardboard flame 15 inches high by 10 inches wide. Decorate the flame with markers.  Cut out and decorate another piece of cardboard that is 20 inches square. Fold this piece in half to make a stand 10 inches high. To play the game, fasten the cardboard flame with clothespins to the cardboard stand. Start by pinning the flame so that its bottom is level with the bottom of the stand.  Each player must them jump over it without knocking it over or touching it and getting “burned.”  Each time all the players have successfully leapt over the flame, the flame is repined an inch high.  How high can you jump?  If this flame game is too easy for you, make a taller flame.

Dragon’s Tail
National Capital Area Council

All the players get in a line and place their hands on the waist of the person in front of them.  The first person in line becomes the dragon’s head.  The last person in line is the “tail.”  Tie a rope around the last person’s waist, and tuck a scarf into it for the tail.

The object of the game is for the dragon’s head to grab his own tail without pulling itself apart.  If the dragon pulls itself apart, the game starts over again.

Race to Freedom Game
National Area Capital Council

You will need: poster board, markers, corncobs, spoons, and paper plates.

Make a big sign from poster board, and write the word “Freedom” on it.  Place it 50 to 100 yards away from the start of the race.  Divide players into 2 teams.  Players from both teams wait at 10 to 20 yard intervals on the course between the starting line and “Freedom.”  The first player skates on 2 paper plates while balancing a corncob on a spoon.  When this players reaches the next player, he or she hands the skates, corncob, and spoon to the next player on the course, and so on until the final player makes it to “Freedom.”  If the corncob falls off the spoon at any time, that player must return to the beginning, and his or her team starts again.  Whichever team reaches “Freedom” first wins the game!

Toss and Catch Game Pieces
National Area Capital Council

Materials:

2 disposable wooden paint paddles

Paints

Paintbrushes

2 paper cups

Scissors

Glue

Tissue paper or Ping-Pong ball

Instructions:

1.        For each player, paint a disposable wooden paint paddle with bright colors and designs.  You can write a special friendship message on one side, such as “I’ll always be here to catch you when you fall!”

2.        Then glue the bottom of a paper cup to the end of each paddle.

3.        Let this dry for at least an hour.

4.        Take your toss-and-catch game pieces outside or where there’s a lot of room and you are ready to play the game.

Circle Stride Ball
Crossroads of America

Equipment: Volleyball or soccer ball.

Have players form a circle with their feet spread comfortably and touching the feet of those around them. Have one Cub as the person who is “IT” standing in the center with the ball.  The Cub tries to roll it between the legs of one of the Cubs in the circle.

The Cubs in the circle can use their hands only to stop the ball.  If the ball goes through he legs of a boy or if a Cub falls down they take the place of the Cub in the middle.

The Dumb – Bell
Sam Houston Area Council

Cast: Four Cubs in Cub T-shirts, Johnny (not a Cub) and Den Chief.

Props: Cardboard cutouts of trees, rocks or real branches, etc., homemade bar bells or dumb-bells

Scene: Local Park - As scene opens, Johnny is sitting on a rock, chin in hand, looking very dejected. He says to himself,

Johnny: Gee, there's nothing to do around here, I'm almost glad school's startin'. (Voices off stage are heard)

Steve: OK, Jim, you and Billy can practice your broad-jump, Mike and I are going to lift weights.  (Enter Mike and Steve with small home-made barbells. They proceed to work out with weights and Johnny watches)

Mike: Boy, Steve, I can hardly wait for the Physical Fitness Contest. We're bound to make a good showing the way we've been practicing. (Each time he lifts the weights, he steals a glance at his muscles to see if they are growing. Steve notices and says, laughing)

Steve: Nuthin's going to happen that fast, Mike. It takes lots of time and practice. (Meanwhile Johnny is still watching and finally says)

Johnny: (In puzzled voice) What are you guys doin'?

Mike: Getting ready for the big Physical Fitness Contest. Don't you know about it?

Johnny: No, what is it?

Steve: Gosh, I thought everyone knew about it. Aren't you a Cub Scout?

Johnny: No, I just moved here this month. Boy, there sure isn't much to do around here.

Mike: Sure there is. You just haven't been here long enough. You could come with us to our den meeting this week - then you could be a Cub Scout too.

Steve: (Chimes in) Yes, and be in the contest, too. You'll have lots to do then, you want to start practicing now? (Hands him the weights.) Say, do you want to work out with a real big DUMB - BELL?

That's what we're waiting for.

Johnny: Well, yes, I guess (looks pleased)

Mike: OK, say, here come the rest of our Den (Jim and Billy walk on talking, followed by a larger boy, carrying a BIG dumb-bell) And here comes our Den Chief.

Johnny: (Taking a couple of steps toward the Den Chief) Are you the Dumb-bell we're going to work out with? (rest of boys start to laugh.)

Billy: He's not the dumb-bell! He's our Den Chief! (Pointing at barbell, he says) That's the Dumb-bell!  (rest of den pats Johnny on back, all walk off)

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