GAMES

Rescue Relay
National Capital Area Council

Divide den into 2 equal teams. Supple each Cub Scout with a piece of rope about 2 feet long. One cub from each team sits on a piece of cardboard some distance from the rest of his team. Each Cub must tie rope to his neighbors using a square knot. When all ropes are tied, one end is thrown to the Cub on the cardboard and his team pulls him to safety (pass a line on the ground). First team to pull in Cub is the winner.

Tug of Peace
National Capital Area Council

A group of boys sit in a circle holding onto a rope place inside the circle in front of their feet. The ends of the rope are tied together to make a huge loop. If everyone pulls at the same time, the entire group should be able to come to a standing position. The Tug of Peace can also be played by stretching the rope out straight and having boys sit on either side of it, facing each other in two lines. If both sides pull on the rope evenly, they can help each other up.

Search and Sketch
National Capital Area Council

This nature scavenger hunt game does not stress collecting, rather boys record what they found by sketching pictures of them on paper. Select a safe area with boundaries and set a time limit. Give the boys a list of things to find and have them draw it on paper. Here are some sample topics:

·         Find two signs of the current season

·         Locate four sources of water or air pollution. Draw pictures and list what you thing can be done about them.

·         Find a place to sit for a few minutes, listen to the sounds, draw what you think might be making the noise.

Who Dunnit?
York Adams Area Council

Before starting the game, explain what the way it is played to all the boys.  Each boy will have a turn at playing the Detective.  That boy will leave the room and another boy will be selected as the one “Who Dunnit.”  All of the boys left in the den area (including Who Dunnit) will come up with a one-phrase clue to give the Detective when he returns.  The clues should not be so obvious, as the boy’s name, but should be fairly unique to Who Dunnit.  For example, it might be the boy’s street name (Oakmont Road) or his color of eyes (blue eyes) or his family (three sisters).  Based on the clues, the Detective tries to guess Who Dunnit.  To identify Who Dunnit, the Den Leader should select one boy randomly (so there’s no order to who is selected for each turn). 

Listen And Watch Closely
York Adams Area Council

This is a game I’ve read about a number of times.  It is designed to alert the boys to paying attention.  Have all the boys sit around a circle with an adult (or Den Chief) reader.  Tell the boys that at the end of the story you will be asking questions to see how closely they were paying attention.  Read the following story and do the motions indicated.  After reading the story, ask the boys to list off all of the things the reader did while reading the story.

A Right-Under-Your-Nose Grandpa
A Story by Darla K. Lindner

http://www.indiana.edu/~eric_rec/fl/pcto/menu.html
York Adams Area Council

Zachary Evans sat on the steps to his apartment building with his head in his hands. [Cross your legs.]

"What's the matter, young man?" Mr. Bell asked as he walked up the sidewalk.

Zachary frowned. "Aw nothin '." He kicked the step.

The white-haired man with the bushy eyebrows sat down beside Zachary. "Can't you talk about it to a friend?" [Rub you leg.]

"Well . .. okay . . . I need a Grandpa," he admitted. "I need him by tomorrow morning."

Mr. Bell scratched his head. "Hm-m-m! That is a problem."

"I have a Grandpa in Idaho," the boy explained, "but he's too far away to come to South Dakota. Grandparents' Day is tomorrow and . . " He sighed. "And you need a school Grandpa."

"That's right." Zachary nodded. ''So I'm waiting for Mr. Williams, the garbage man."

"He might be all right," the white-haired man said. [Scrunch your shoulders.]

''I hope so."

"Good luck, then." Mr. Bell patted the boy's shoulder and walked across the street to his own house.

Zachary was glad his friend went home. Usually, he liked visiting with Mr. Bell, but today he had more important things to do. [Rub your eyes.]

He ran down the steps and paced the sidewalk in front of the garbage cans. Back and forth. Back and forth. Why did Mr. Williams take so long to pick up the garbage?

Scre-e-ech! Scre-e-ech! The garbage truck finally rolled down the street.

Zachary perched himself on the biggest garbage can.

"Hi, Zachary," Mr. Williams said. "You're up early."

"Do you like me?" the boy asked.

"Of course I do," the garbage man answered. [Stretch out your legs.]

"Do you like me good enough to be my grandpa at ten o'clock tomorrow morning?"

"I like you, all right, but who would pick up everybody's garbage?"

"Oh." Zachary jumped down on the sidewalk.

Mr. Williams emptied the garbage cans and drove away. Zachary picked up a stone and threw it.

"Whoa! You almost hit me," said Mr. Thomas, the mailman.

"I'm sorry," Zachary apologized. [Hold the paper at arm’s length and then back to “normal” position.]

"You seem a little out of sorts, Zachary. What's the matter?"

"I need a Grandpa, and I can't find one." The boy pointed to the mailman. "You'll do."

"I'll do what?" Mr. Thomas asked.

"You'll do for a grandpa at Grandparents' Day at school tomorrow." [Scratch your nose.]

"I'd like that," the mailman said, "but people don't like their mail to be late. Sorry, Zachary. Maybe next time."

"Yeah, maybe next time." [Adjust how you’re sitting.]

When Zachary looked up, Mr. Jones, the milkman was pulling up beside him.

"Good morning, Zachary," the milkman said. He handed the boy a gallon of milk.

"How do you feel about grandpas?" Zachary asked. [Clear your throat.]

''I like them."

''So do I," Zachary said. ''Will you be my grandpa for Grandparents Day tomorrow morning?"

"Wish I could," Mr. Jones sad, "but kids get mighty hungry if they don't have milk for their cereal."

Zachary snapped his fingers. "I never thought of that."

The milkman waved and drove away.

"Now, what will I do?" He scooted back across the street to Mr. Bell.

"Any luck, Zachary?"' his white-haired friend asked. [Wiggle your foot.]

The boy shook his head. "Nobody wants to be my grandpa."

''Maybe you're looking too hard," Mr. Bell said.

"I am?"

"Yes, sir. Maybe there's a Grandpa, waiting to be asked, right under your nose."

Zachary spun around. ''I don't see any Grandpa." [Scratch you shoulder.]

"Well, don't give up yet." Mr. Bell's bushy eyebrows moved up and down.

Zachary left his friend and scooted up the steps to his third floor apartment home. He opened his bedroom window and leaned on the window sill.

"I wonder what Mr. Bell was talking about," he thought to himself. "I've never heard of a right-under-your-nose Grandpa before." [Cross your legs the other way.]

This was terrible. He would be the only kid in his class without a Grandpa. Zachary looked up and down the street. ''There aren't any Grandpa-looking people under my nose."

His friend, Mr. Bell, was still working in his yard. His white hair looked even whiter from the third floor window. His bushy eyebrows looked even bushier.

Mr. Bell looked up and waved. Zachary waved back. [Sniffle.]

"I wish there was a Grandpa right under my nose . . . Hey, wait a minute!"

Zachary closed the window and ran down the stairs, two at a time.

"Mr. Bell! Mr. Bell!" he shouted as he sped toward his friend. "I gotta talk to you right now."

The white-haired man stopped mowing his lawn.

"I . . . I . . . I . . . " Zachary's breath whistled.

"Slow down, son," Mr. Bell said. [Brush back your hair.]

"Do you remember what you told me? About a grandpa?" Zachary's breath still whistled. "Well, I was thinking and looking, and there you were, right under my nose.'' He grabbed his friend's thumb. "Will you be my grandpa tomorrow morning?"

"I'd be happy to be your grandpa, Zachary."

Zachary smiled and squeezed Mr. Bell's thumb. You just couldn't tell who might turn out to be a right-under-your-nose grandpa. [Drop the paper/book you’re reading.]

Here is the list of actions from the story:

Cross your legs.

Rub you leg.

Scrunch your shoulders.

Rub your eyes.

Stretch out your legs.

Hold the paper at arm’s length and then back to “normal” position.

Scratch your nose.

Adjust how you’re sitting.

Clear your throat.

Wiggle your foot.

Scratch you shoulder.

Cross your legs the other way.

Sniffle.

Brush back your hair.

Drop the paper/book you’re reading.

Who Is Missing?
York Adams Area Council

Equipment: None

Formation: Circle

The Cubs walk round in a circle.  When the leader gives a signal they all cover their eyes with their caps or their hands.  The leader touches one of the Cubs on the shoulder and he leaves the room as quickly and as quietly as possible, while the others still walk with their eyes closed.

When the leader calls 'STOP!', the Cubs stop walking and uncover their eyes. The first one to give the name of the Cub who is missing, is the winner.  Note: The Cubs should not walk round for too long a time, as they will become dizzy.  Watch out for any Cubs who are cheating by peeping through their fingers!

Can You See Them?
York Adams Area Council

Type: Pack

Equipment: Twenty small objects, and lists of them for all players

The objects should be placed in a room so that they are in full view, but difficult to see.  E.G. piece of black wool tied round the poker; a red stamp on red curtains; cellophane on glass.  A list should be kept of where the objects are hidden.  Each player is given a list of the objects he has to find, with space opposite so that he can write down where he has seen them.  None of the "hidden" objects must be removed, and it should be stressed that there is no need to move anything, as all objects are in full view.  About 20 minutes can be allowed for the search.

Police Name Game
Crossroads of America Council

Have everyone who wants to play divide themselves into equal numbers on two or three teams. Give the first person in line a pencil or pin. About 30 feet away place a piece of paper on the wall or floor (be sure the writing does not damage or stain anything) for each team. Every person must run to the paper and write the name of a television program or star of the program on the paper. If you do not watch TV then putting a name of a policeman you know on the paper.

The first team finished wins!