GAMES

TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF 

Sam Houston Area Council

ü  Players sit in a circle.

ü  One player is “It” and stands in the center. “It” points at any player and asks a simple question and immediately begins to count to 10, while looking only at the boy he points at.

ü  But the boy who is really supposed to answer the question is not the one “It” is pointing at, but the third player on the left of that boy.

ü  If he fails to answer the question, he goes to the center and becomes “It.”

ü  Remember, the questions must be simple, such as “How old are you?” “Where do you live?” “What’s your name?” etc.

ü  The boys are told at the beginning the rules of the game--it is always the third one on the left.

DROP THE CUB SCOUT NECKERCHIEF 

Sam Houston Area Council

Drop the Neckerchief is played in a circle.

Only two players will be running at a time.

Besides the thrill of the chase, this game offers the suspense of never knowing when or behind whom the neckerchief will fall.

ü  To begin, all the players except one stand in a ring close together.

ü  The remaining player is “it.’

ü  He walks slowly around the outside of the ring holding a neckerchief and begins saying this rhyme:

A tisket, a tasket,

A blue and yellow basket

I wrote a letter to my mom

And on the way I dropped it.

A friendly Cub Scout picked it up

And put it in his pocket.

ü  At any time during the rhyme, “it” secretly drops the neckerchief behind one of the players but keeps on singing.

ü  The players in the circle all the while keep an eye on “it”, and most will be able to tell quickly when he’s dropped the neckerchief.

ü  A few moments may pass, however, before the player that “it” has chosen realizes the neckerchief has been dropped behind him.

ü  When he does, he sets off in hot pursuit of “it.”

ü  “It” races around the circle, trying to get back to the chosen player’s space in the ring before he is tagged.

ü  When dropping the neckerchief, “it” should try to play it cool and perhaps stroll along a few steps before tearing off around the ring.

ü  The more time that passes before the chosen player realizes that he must give chase, the farther ahead “it” will be.

ü  If “it” is caught before reaching the empty spot in the circle, he remains “it” and must drop the neckerchief again. But if “it” gets all the way around the circle, the pursuing player becomes the new “it.”

DO THIS, DO THAT 

Sam Houston Area Council

This game is similar to “Simon Says.”

One player is selected to be the leader.

The rest of the players line up facing him.

The leader then instructs them in actions they must do.

The catch is that when he says “Do this” and shows an action, they must obey him.

But if he says “Do that,” and shows an action, the players must ignore him.

Any player who makes a mistake is eliminated.

Do a Good Turn Relay

Southern NJ Council

ü  Divide den into two teams. 

ü  Give each team a list of things the team must do in order to complete the game. 

ü  Make up your own list with things such as: carry a pail of Legos from point A to B, sweep a circle around the team, read one joke from Boy's Life, fold paper airplanes, recite the Cub Scout promise, etc. 

ü  Emphasize the ideas are ways to help other people.

Balloon Passing

Southern NJ Council

This game is for den families, also.

ü  Give each team a balloon inflated to about six inches in diameter.

ü  On signal, the first player on each team tucks the balloon under his chin and, without using his hands, passes it to the next player, who must take it under his chin. 

ü  Continue until all have received the balloon. 

ü  If it drops, the player may pick it up with his hands but must put it under his chin before passing it on.

Smile Tag

Southern NJ Council

A quick game for a break.  Takes about 5 minutes.

«  Players form two equal lines facing each other and about three feet apart. 

«  One is heads and the other is tails. 

«  The leader tosses a coin and calls out the side that is face up. 

«  If it is heads, then the heads laugh and smile and try to make the tails smile without touching them. 

«  The tails must remain solemn or turn into a head. 

«  The coin is tossed again and again. 

«  The side of the coin landed up has the opportunity to win players to their side. 

«  After five minutes, the side with the most players wins.

Human Knot

Southern NJ Council

This is a great game to start off the new year. It gets everyone working together right from the get-go.  Here's how it work--

Have everyone gather round in a circle.

Have them put their arms into the center of the circle, close their eyes, and grab onto two other peoples hands.

Now they can open their eyes. 

Now, without letting go of each other, they need to untangle the knot they've created.

Leaders, keep an eye out that they don't get frustrated or it could backfire by having someone get upset at someone else.

Otherwise, let them go!

Promise/Law Puzzle

Southern NJ Council

This came from a Den leader for 14 Wolf cubs.  She used this jigsaw puzzle type game to help them learn the Cub Scout Promise and the Law of the Pack.

ü  Write out the Promise and Law on pieces of two foot by two foot 1/4 inch masonite. 

ü  Then use a jigsaw to cut out each word.  When you are done each word will be a separate piece of the puzzle.

ü  Have the Cubs take turns in groups of four (or so) putting the puzzles together.

ü  Time the groups to see which group is the fastest to assemble the puzzles. 

ü  Not only does this help them learn the Promise and the Law, it also forces them to work as a team if they want to be the winners.

It took the DL about an hour and $5 to make 2 of each puzzle.  The puzzles are also good for gathering activities, as boys arrive, to keep them busy until everyone is there.

Cub Scout Salute Race

Simon Kenton Council

A great way to help prepare boys for their Bobcat badge.

ü  Line  up the teams. 

ü  At "GO", the first man on each team runs to the judge (one judge is required for each team), snaps to attention and salutes. 

ü  Player then returns and touches off next member, while the judge calls out right or wrong. 

ü  First team completing a given number of the correct salutes wins.

Variation 1: Judge keeps the player until he does the salute correctly.  In this case, the first team finished wins.

Variation 2: Use the Cub Scout sign, handshake, Promise, Law, Motto, or any combination, instead of the salute.  This game is a natural for new Cub Scouts and their parents. 

Cub Scout Dice

Simon Kenton Council

You will need: Make dice from large cubes of foam rubber or blocks of wood.  Paint words pertaining to Cub Scouting on the 6 sides of the dice - Tiger Cub, Bobcat, Wolf, Bear, Webelos, Arrow of Light, Boy Scouts.

How to play: Divide boys into teams.  Each team rolls one die (boys take turns rolling), trying to match the words on top.  If they match, each team gets two points.  If not, the team rolling the "higher" level of Scouting gets one point.

TOYS FOR SALE

Heart of America Council

ü  Each Cub Scout is given the name of a toy - soldier, trumpet, clown, jumping jack, top, kite, etc.

ü  The Toys sit in a circle with the Storekeeper outside the ring.

ü  The Store keeper walks around the circle and calls out the names of the Toys in any order.

ü  As they are named, the Toys leave the circle and follow him, imitating the toy they represent until there is a long line walking around the circle.

ü  When the Storekeeper shouts, "Sold", the Toys rush back to their places and sit down.

ü  At the same time, the Storekeeper tries to find a seat.

ü  The one left standing is the next Storekeeper.

Variation:

Give Cub Scouts names of pets and have a pet store owner.

C.U.B.S.

Viking Council

Equipment: 1 beanbag
Formation: circle

The Cubs sit in a circle with the beanbag in the center and the leader gives them a letter in the order C.U.B.S. all the way round the circle.  The leader calls out one of the letters and all the Cubs with that letter run right round the outside of the circle and back through their places into the center - where they try to snatch the beanbag.  The Cub who get the bag is the inner.

BAREFOOT MARBLE RELAY

Heart of America Council

«  The Cub Scouts remove their shoes and socks.

«  Place two marbles on the starting line in front of each team.

«  On signal, the first player on each team grasps a marble with the toes of each foot and walks to the finish line.

«  When he reaches the other end of the room he picks up the marbles and runs back to give them to the next player in line, who repeats the action.

«  The first team to finish wins.

MARBLE SHARPSHOOTERS

Heart of America Council

Allow each person in turn to roll five marbles at soda-bottle obstacles. Score one point for each marble that rolls between the bottles without touching them.

Keep some of the following in mind for A-MAZE-ing Games in January 2009.  CD

TIC‐TAC‐TOE – A GAME FOR BUDDIES 

Sam Houston Area Council

Creating a Tic-Tac-Toe board is as easy as drawing two horizontal lines and two vertical lines. (See illustration.)

The nine squares that result should be about the same size.

The players decide who will be the Os and who will be the Xs and who will go first.

The first player has the advantage so it is only fair for the players to alternate who goes first.

Each player aims to get three of his own mark in a row – horizontally, vertically or diagonally.

To play, the first player makes his mark, an X or an O, in one of the squares.

The players continue to take turns making their marks as they try to get three in a row and block their opponent from doing the same.

The first player to get three in a row draws a line through his marks and calls out, “tic-tac-toe!” to win the game.

If neither player is able to complete a line of three marks, the game is considered a draw.

MAGIC SQUARE TIC‐TAC‐TOE – A GAME FOR BUDDIES 

Sam Houston Area Council

This version of Tic-Tac-Toe is played with coins, five each of two different denominations such as nickels and quarters.

The playing board in this game is a square crossed by four lines: one horizontal, one vertical and two diagonal (see illustration.)

Players take turns placing their coins at any of the intersections on the playing board (the center, corners and the middle of each side.)

The goal is to complete three in a row.

The first to complete horizontal, vertical or diagonal is the winner.

ULTIMATE TIC‐TAC‐TOE – A GAME FOR BUDDIES 

Sam Houston Area Council

·         The grid for this game is 16 squares (three vertical lines or three horizontal lines) or 25 squares (fours lines each way.)

·         Using Xs or Os, each player competes to get three, four or five of his marks in a row.

·         Players try to form as many lines as possible.

·         A mark could be counted several times - as part of a horizontal, vertical or diagonal line.

·         The scoring is as follows:

three marks in a row scores 1 point;

four in a row scores 3 points,

five in a row scores 5 points.

The game ends when all spaces are filled. The highest score wins.

BOXES – A GAME FOR BUDDIES 

Sam Houston Area Council

ü  In this game opponents compete to make the greatest number of boxes out of a dot grid.

ü  To begin, players draw a square grid of 16 dots with four even rows of four dots.  (After you get good, use a larger grid)

ü  Players take turns drawing lines connecting any two dots that are next to each other.

ü  The lines must be horizontal or vertical (no diagonals) and each player can only draw one line at a time.

ü  As lines accumulate, each player tries to be the one who can close up a four-dot box by drawing the fourth line.

ü  When a player completes a box, he claims it with his initial and then draws another line. He can go on as long as he keeps completing boxes.

ü  Sometimes drawing the fourth line on a box can start a chain reaction. When the player cannot complete any more boxes, then it is finally the other player’s turn again.

ü  The game is over when all the dots are connected and the boxes are filled in with initials. The player with the most boxes is the winner.

Variations:

ü  Square grids can be made any size for a longer game.

ü  Players can also try to complete the smallest number of boxes rather than the greatest number of boxes. In this variation, the player who has the fewest boxes at the end of the game is the winner.

DISABILITIES AWARENESS GAMES

Heart of America Council

To make Cub Scouts aware of the needs of others, three special games are suggested. These “disability awareness games” are fun in themselves, but they also serve to show able-bodied boys the problems of boys who have physical disabilities.

Without making a big deal of it, you might introduce these games with the thought that disabled boys must deal with the limitations imposed for the games in their everyday lives. The idea is to make them aware of the needs of others.

Fumble Fingers

Divide the den into two teams.

Tell players to untie their shoe laces.

Then tell them to put one hand behind their back (or tie one hand to belt.)

On signal, each team tries to the tie their shoe laces, with each player only using one hand.

First team finished wins.

Ships In The Fog

Divide the den into two teams and line them up relay fashion at one end of the room.

For each team set up a series of obstacles—a chair, tables, stools, etc.—between them and the other end of the room.

Blindfold the first player on each team.

On signal, he starts for the other end of the room, trying to avoid the obstacles.

His teammates may call out directions (“Go right”, “Turn left”, etc.)

When he reaches the other end of the room, he takes off the blindfold and runs back to touch the next player, who is already blindfolded.

Continue until all team members have raced.

First team finished wins.

Muffled Sounds

Divide the den into two teams and give each player two cotton balls to stuff in his ears.

When all ears are covered, one leader steps outside the room where he or she cannot be seen and produces a series of sounds—tinkling bell, sentence spoken in normal conversational tones, pan being scraped, barking dog, hammer on a board, etc.

When the leader returns, each team huddles and writes a list of the sounds it heard.

Winning team is the one with the longest list of correct sounds.

Variation:

Tape-record the sounds in advance.