GAMES

Jacks

Circle Ten Council

Number of participants: One or more

What players will need: A set of ten jacks (which should include a small rubber ball), a flat surface to play on

Rules of the game:

Although a game of Jacks usually involves two players, children can play with them alone and be both challenged and mesmerized for hours.

Before the game, each player throws all ten jacks up in the air and tries to catch them on the back of his hand. This is called "flipping." The player who catches the most jacks goes first. The object of the game is to throw the ball in the air and pick up a certain number of jacks before the ball bounces twice. There are ten rounds in jacks. The first round is called "onesies." The starting player scatters the jacks on the ground and throws the ball in the air. He then picks up a jack and catches the ball after the first bounce, using the same hand. The first player continues to throw the ball and pick up a jack until he has removed all ten from the floor. If he misses a jack, moves any of the jacks, drops a jack, or fails to catch the ball, he's out and it's another child's turn. If he picks up all ten jacks successfully, he moves on to twosies, threesies, and so on, until he catches all ten jacks in one last swipe. The first child to get to tensies wins.

Other ways to play: Instead of playing ten rounds, challenge your boys to pick up as many jacks as they can on each turn.

C.U.B.S.

Longhorn Council

Cubs sit in a large circle and a bean bag is placed in the center.  The leader assigns each Cub a letter of the word CUBS.  When the leader calls out a letter, all the Cubs with that letter jump up, run around the circle twice, come back to their spot, then enter the circle, and try to snatch the bean bag from the center of the circle.

Cup Race

Longhorn Council

Thread paper cups onto a cord stretched between chairs, or posts.  Each team member blows cone to the end of the cord, brings it back; next boy does the same.  First team finished wins.

Feather Relay

Longhorn Council

Each player throws a long feather javelin style, toward the finish line. As soon as it comes to earth, he picks it up and throws it again, and continues until across the finish line. He then picks it up and runs back to his team to give the feather to the next player. 

Variation: each team member makes a paper airplane to use instead of the feather.

Fireman, Save My Child

Longhorn Council

Each team has a pile of the cut-out children on a table and a drinking straw for each player. Approximately 15-20 feet away from the start, place a small pail for each team on another table, chair, stool, etc.  At the call of "Fireman, save my child", the first player on each team must pick up a child by sucking up the figure against their straw.  While holding the figure this way, they run to their respective pail and deposit the figure. The next team member then goes. If they drop the figure en-route, they must stop and pick up their child, again, by sucking it up with the straw.

Games Telephone Codes

Great Salt Lake Council

Supplies: Paper and a pencil, copy of the numbers and letters from the phone.

This is a secret message game based on the buttons on a telephone. Give each boy a pencil and a piece of paper and have him convert a very short message into code based on the letters on each numbered button on the phone. It's tricky because there is a choice of three letters for each number.

Here is a sample message:

36 ......... Do

9687 ... Your

2378 .... Best

When all the boys have coded their messages, exchange papers and have them try to solve each other's message.

This would be a great game for a boy to play while Home Alone.  He could write his message and parents could guess when they got home or they could all bring messages to the Den meeting.

Roll Up the Hose

Heart Of America Council

Equipment: None

The first player stoops over and puts his right hand between his legs. Each boy behind him stoops over and places his right hand between his legs and grasps the right hand of the boy in front of his with this left. When all are ready, the last boy in line lies on his back and the line backs over him; the next boy lying down, and so on until all are lying. The last boy to lie down then rises to his feet and steps forward, each boy in turn following until all are in their original position.