GAMES

Chuck Wagon Contest

Viking Council

Equipment required: Two children's wagons (made to look like a chuck wagon by covering with a cloth cover attached to a wire frame), assorted pots and pans, brown paper bags.

Each den team has a chuck wagon. Two den members wearing paper bag horse masks are the horses. Behind each wagon is an equal number of pots and pans (or tin cans). On signal, all den members except the horses load cans into the wagon. When they are finished, they yell, "Wagons, ho!" and the horses dash off, pulling the wagon twice around a track. If any implement falls out, the horses must stop and wait for other den members to put it back. First wagon making the circuit twice wins.

 Bull In The Ring Game

Viking Council

The players form a ring around the "Bull" holding hands. The "bull" tries to break through. He may rush, lunge, or pull, to try to break out of the ring. If he escapes the players chase him. Whoever catches him becomes the "Bull". It is not fair for the "bull" to duck under.  

Pony Express Game

Viking Council

One player is blindfolded and stands in center of the area as the Pony Express Rider. Another is selected to be Station Agent and has a list of cities or towns. Other players have been given names of one of the towns. The Station Agent calls out names such as: "I have a letter from Deadwood to Tombstone". Immediately the players with these names must rise and exchange seats. The Pony Express Rider tries to catch one of them or sit in his seat. If a player is caught or his chair is taken, he becomes the Pony Express Rider. Players may crawl, run, walk, dive, or dodge to get by the Pony Express Rider, but they are not allowed to step outside the circle of chairs. If the rider has difficulty catching anyone, the Station Agent may call out several town names at once.  Keep the game moving rapidly.  The announcement of "General Delivery" causes a mad scramble, as all players must change chairs.

Relay Barrel Race

Circle Ten Council

Arrange three barrels (or other objects in a large triangle)

Starting point is midway between two barrels and a distance (depends on size of your playing area) outside of the triangle.

Following the route of a Rodeo Barrel race: Rider circles left barrel, then right barrel, then the far barrel, then races home.

Bronco Tag Game

Circle Ten Council

At least 10 players are needed for this game.  Divide the players into groups of three with the one remaining as the chaser.  The groups of three form “broncos”; one player is the “head” and the other two line up behind the “head” holding onto the player in front of him at the waist; they are the “tails”.

After the broncos start running, the chaser must try to join one of them by getting hold of the waist of the “tail” player.  If the chaser successfully joins the bronco, the head becomes the chaser and the next player in line becomes the new head.  This game has no real winners or losers.  The object is to simply avoid the chaser.

Golden Spike Game

(or I've been working on the Railroad)

Circle Ten Council

A large grassy or carpeted area is needed. Divide boy's into two teams. They must construct a railroad connection to Premonitory Point in the middle of the area, starting from their side of the room. The boys become the tracks. One boy lays down with feet and arms extended and together. The next boy crawls over the first and with the first boy holding his feet, he extends the tracks further, etc. However each railroad must have two "curves", a "trestle" (boy on elbows and knees), and a "switch back" (three boys forming a "Z" in their "track plan" before connecting to Premonitory point. Once the two tracks have joined, then the boy's "ride the rails" to premonitory, beginning with the first one down, till everyone has completed the journey to "drive the golden spike."

Earth, Air, Water

Santa Clara County Council

The players form a circle, and one stands in the center holding a knotted up neckerchief or a ball.  He counts up to ten, then throws the ball into someone’s lap, calling out either “Earth,” “Air,” or “Water.”  If he cries “Earth,” the person in who has the ball or neckerchief must instantly name some animal which lives on earth; if the word was “Water,” some fish must be named; and if  “Air,” a bird.  If the thrower counts to ten without an answer, the catcher either leaves the circle or loses a point or becomes the thrower (whatever scheme is most fun for your group).

Stake a Claim -

Heart of America Council

To play this game take a piece of rope about one meter long and tie the ends together with a square knot. Drop the rope down on the ground anywhere you like. Together look carefully at everything in your circle. How many different things can you discover?

Pony Express Relay

Heart of America Council

Each den is given a paper bag full of crumpled newspaper and is divided into two groups. The groups should be separated as far as possible. On signal, the first "rider" in each den grabs the bag from the floor, races to the other group and puts the bag down. The first rider in the other line picks it up and races back to the start. This continues until all riders in the den have finished. First den through wins.

Stagecoach

Heart of America Council

The players are seated in a circle. Each player is given the name of some part of a stagecoach - the wheel, hub, axle, seat, door, harness, brake, horses, driver, passenger, baggage, spoke, step.  One of the party begins telling a story about a stagecoach. As each thing is mentioned, the player or players representing it gets up and runs around his chair. At the same point in the story, the storyteller shouts "stagecoach", when everyone must leave his seat and get a different one. The storyteller tries to get a seat in the scramble, thus leaving another player to begin a new story.

Going West

Heart of America Council

A trail out west is set up outside. It is played like a treasure hunt, except that at every stop a player must do something in order to go to the next stop on the trail. A leader is posted at each stop to see that every boy completed the requirement. These requirements can be feats of skill or other achievements out of the Wolf or Bear book and after the game is over the boys can be signed off on those feats. This game can also be used by Webelos leaders too.

Advancing Cowboys

Heart of America Council

All players stand in a line except one. He stands some distance ahead of the line and covers his eyes as he counts to 10. The players try to get to the finish line while "it" is counting. As soon as "it" reaches 10, he looks up suddenly Any player caught in motion must go back to the starting line. The others must hold whatever position they happen to have at the time, "Cowboy-like”. The first player to cross the finish line becomes "it".