USSSP - Baloo's Bugle

GAMES

Bronco Tag Game

San Gabriel, Long Beach Area, Verdugo Hills Councils

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.

Buffalo Stalking Game

San Gabriel, Long Beach Area, Verdugo Hills Councils

All boys form a circle. Two boys are chosen to be the Buffalo and the Stalker. These two boys go outside of the circle, where they are blindfolded.
They are taken to different sides of the circle.
Those left in the circle are taught two sounds: a clicking sound and a howling wind sound.
The Stalker tries to catch the Buffalo, being careful not to make too much noise. The people in the circle can help the Stalker by giving the clicking sound when he is far away from the Buffalo and the howling wind sound when he is close.

Bowlegged Cowboy Race

San Gabriel, Long Beach Area, Verdugo Hills Councils

You will need two pillows rolled up and tied like bed rolls or two small sleeping bags.
Racers place bedrolls between their legs as if sitting on a horse. Bedrolls are held in place by the legs (NO HANDS).
Racers walk or run as fast as they can to the finish line without dropping their bedroll.
This makes a good team relay race.

Bull in the Ring Game

San Gabriel, Long Beach Area, Verdugo Hills Councils

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

Chuck Wagon Contest

San Gabriel, Long Beach Area, Verdugo Hills Councils

Equipment required:

Two children's wagons (made to look like chuck wagons by
covering with cloth covers attached to wire frames), 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.

Cattle Drive Game

San Gabriel, Long Beach Area, Verdugo Hills Councils

Form up the boys into cows and cowboys. 2 boys form a cow - one the head (hand forming horns) and one the rear (hands on other boy's hips).
The cowboy has one hand on his hip, the other twirling a pretend rope.
There should be at least three or four times as many cows as cowboys.
Cows must walk unless it's a stampede.
Cowboys must skip.
When a cowboy rides along side a cow and says "Git along little dogie" the cow must move with the cowboy, and becomes part of the herd (which stays together unless there is a stampede – first cow becomes the leader).
"Whoa Dogies" stops a herd's movement.
Cowboys try to gather herds and drive them to Dodge.
Cows just try to "wander and eat grass".
Cowboys can and probably should work together.

Options:

Game Leader's calls:

"Stampede" - All the cows will break free from their Cowboys and run till tagged by a Cowboy.
"Rustlers" - The Cowboys must change herds. Or a Cowboy can try to steal another's herd .
"Mavericks" - Unescorted herds may reverse themselves (heads become tails) and wander from the herd.
"Night Riders" - Cowboys must circle herd and sing!
"River Crossings" or "Dust Storms" - requires two Cowboys per herd to keep them together or cross a line.

Wells Fargo

Santa Clara County Council

Equipment:

Two colors of wide masking tape,
3 small boxes marked 25, 50, 75 (the Gold).
Mark off a fort, approximately 10’x10’.

Directions:

The group is split into two teams, Soldiers and Bank Robbers (or Good Guys and Bad Guys).
The boxes marked with numbers are gold bricks that are given to the Soldiers at the beginning.
The Bank Robbers have the fort surrounded, and the Soldiers are outside the fort trying to get the gold past the Bank Robbers and into the fort.
When all the gold is in the fort or the Bank Robbers have captured it, the game is over.
Each person has a piece of masking tape attached to the back of his hand or shirt, which represents his “life.”
A person is eliminated by pulling the tape off and keeping it for points. Each team should have a different color tape to tell them apart. Each person (tape) is worth one point.
Once a person is caught (tape removed) he is out of the game but he keeps his captured tapes for counting later.
The team with the most points (tapes + gold) wins.
Pulling the tape off the person who has possession of it captures the gold. The gold may change hands several times while playing.

Up Jenkins!

Santa Clara County Council

Is the hand quicker than the eye? Players test their powers of observation in this fast-paced game. This is a great game for a large den (or two), and is based on teamwork and cooperation. Players split up into two teams, which sit facing each other on opposite sides of a long table – the longer the better. Each team chooses a captain, or the players can take turns being captain. One team takes possession of a quarter and begins passing it back and forth from hand to hand under the table, out of sight of the opposing team.

The captain of the team without the quarter slowly counts from 1 to 10 and then yells, “Up, Jenkins!” At this signal, all the players on the team with the quarter raise their fists in the air. Then the captain of the other team calls, “Down, Jenkins!” and all the members of the team with the quarter must open their fists as they slap their hands down on the table, all the time trying to keep the coin hidden.

Now the team without the quarter confers and tries to figure out who has the quarter. This is where being an astute listener and observer helps. Players should be listening for the sound of the coin clinking against the table and observing the faces and hands of the opposing team members as they tried to conceal the quarter.

After the team without the quarter has reached a decision, the captain calls out the names of all the players on the other team except the one thought to be hiding the quarter. As each player’s name is called, that player must turn over his hands. If the quarter shows up before the last player is called, the team hiding the quarter earns a point and gets to hide again. If the other team guesses correctly, they get a point and the chance to pass the quarter.

The team with the most points after a specified period of time (between 5 and 15 minutes) is the winner. For a more challenging game, players can try to guess not only who is holding the quarter, but also the hand in which the quarter is hidden.

Rattlesnake

Baltimore Area Council

Stand a milk carton on the floor.

Den forms a circle around it, arms linked.

Keeping together, boys begin to move back and forth around the carton, each trying to make the “other guy” knock it over.

Whoever has knocked it over has been “struck by the rattlesnake”, and must drop out of the game.

The game continues until only one boy is left.

Dead-Eye Dick

Baltimore Area Council

The object of the game is to knock ping pong balls off the tops of soda pop bottles.

The distance from firing line to target depends upon the “weapon” used.

Suggested “weapons” are water guns or Den made rubber band guns (always use extreme caution with any type of projectile)

Lasso The Steer

Baltimore Area Council

Cut a steer’s head, complete with horns, from cardboard or plywood. See template above.
Place on a stake to stick in the ground, or lash to the back of a chair so that it sticks up over the back.
Have the boys form a loop in a piece of rope about 25 feet long.
Mark a line about 15 feet from the steer’s head,
Each boy in turn tries to throw the loop over the steer’s head from the line.
Allow each Cub three turns and score as follows:

Loop thrown over either horn 5 points

Loop thrown over head only 10 points

Loop thrown over head and one horn 15 points

Loop thrown over head and both horns 20 points

‘Possum Tag

Baltimore Area Council

This tag game should be played on a smooth, grassy surface. When a player who is in danger of being tagged by IT drops to the ground and lies in a curled—up position, he is safe (temporarily) and IT can go after another player.

Instead of chasing another player, IT may move back three paces and count slowly to 10. The player on the ground must stand up and run off.

IT may chase the ‘Possum again as soon as he is on his feet.

Tails

Baltimore Area Council

Divide the Cub Scouts into two teams. All players tuck their neckerchiefs loosely into their belts in back as tails. On the signal, each team rushes toward the other and trys to get their tails. Once a tail is taken, the Cub Scout who loses it is out of the game. The capturer ties the tail around his waist. The team that captures the most tails wins. This is a good stalking game in a place where brush or shrubbery provides cover.

Pony Express

Santa Clara County Council

Set Up:

Arrange enough chairs in a circle for all players except one.

One player is blindfolded and stands in the center as the Pony Express Rider.

The Den Leader or Den Chief plays the role of Station Agent and has a list of cities or towns.

Other players have been given names of one of the towns. The Play:

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. If a player is caught or his chair is taken by the Pony Express Rider (person in the center), 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 more than two town names at once.

Keep the game moving rapidly.

The announcement of “General Delivery” causes a mad scramble, as all players must change chairs.

Milking the Cows

Santa Clara County Council

Divide the group into three or four teams. Each group is given a one-gallon milk jug and a paper cup for each boy. At the sound of a cowbell, the teams fill up the milk jug with the water from a bucket that is twenty feet away. First team to fill the jug is the winner.

Western Hospitality

Santa Clara County Council

The West was noted for its hospitality. One boy is chosen to be the Stranger and the rest of the players form a circle. The Stranger runs around the outside of the circle, he tags one of the other players and continues on his way. The tagged player starts around the circle in the opposite direction. Each boy is trying to reach the vacant place in the circle, but when the boys meet, they must stop, shake hands, and say “Howdy” before continuing on their way. The player who is the first to get back to the vacant spot remains in the circle; the one who is left outside becomes the “Stranger.”

Taking the Cattle to Market

Santa Clara County Council

Line the dens up for a relay race. Give each team a broomstick and a “steer” (an empty 2-liter soda bottle will work). Each player in turn must take the “steer” to the designated turning point and back to touch the next player on his team, but his broomstick must never lose contact with the “steer”.

Chuck Wagon Contest

Santa Clara County Council

Each den has one wagon. Two den members are the horses. Behind each wagon at the starting line is an equal number of old tin cans, pots and pans, silverware – the more the better. On signal, all den members, except the “horses,” load their wagon as fast as they can. When they’re finished, they yell, “Wagons, Ho!” and the horses dash off, pulling the wagon twice around the “trail.” If any implement falls out, the horses must stop and wait for the other den members to put it back in. The first wagon to make it around the circuit twice is the winner.