MacScouter: The Great Games Resource

Pick one fox and one squirrel. The rest of the Beavers pair off and become trees by facing each other, holding hands and putting their arms in the air. The fox chases the squirrel, who is holding a 'nut' in his hands, in and out of the trees. The squirrel is safe when he stands inside a tree. The squirrel passes the 'nut' to half of the tree, who becomes the squirrel, and the squirrel becomes half of the tree. The fox continues to chase the squirrel. If touched by the fox, the fox and the squirrel may change places or they may choose two new Beavers.

Tail

Each Beaver receives a 'tail', and puts it UNTIED in the back of his pants. Spread the Beavers out and say go. Beavers run around trying to grab and keep the other tails, but at the same time try to keep their own tail. If the Beaver loses his tail, he may continue to collect other tails. "Winner" is either the Beaver who is the only one with his tail, or the Beaver who has collected the most tails.

Mousetrap

Two Beavers make a mousetrap by joining hands. Beavers go through the trap. When the Leader calls out 'Mousetrap', anyone inside the trap becomes part of the trap. Eventually, you will have a large circle mousetrap, and only a couple of Beavers running through.

Balloon Game

Everyone blows up a balloon, ties a string around the balloon and his ankle leaving about a foot or so of string between his ankle and the balloon. When everyone is ready, Beavers try to break each other's balloons, but also try to keep from losing their balloon - if their balloon breaks, they may try to break other Beavers - but the "winner" is the one who has his balloon unbroken.

Sew the Seams

Beavers form a circle. One Beaver is the tailor, and another Beaver is 'It'. 'It' tries to catch the tailor before he can sew all the seams. To sew the seams, the tailor runs between the Beavers, who then join hands - the seam is then sewn. 'It' can only run around the outside of the circle while the tailor can run in and out.

Weasel

All Beavers face inward in a circle, hands behind back, eyes closed. The Beaver with the 'weasel' walks around circle and places it in another Beaver's hands quietly. The Beaver receiving the weasel bops the Beaver on his right with the 'weasel'. The Beaver being bopped runs around the outside of the circle while being bopped with the 'weasel' till he gets back to where he started. The Beaver that was bopped now gets a turn to place the weasel into another Beavers hands.

Super Beaver

You need lots of inflated balloons plus several sets of men's long underwear (one per lodge). Have one Beaver put on the long underwear. The other Beavers stuff balloons into the long underwear, trying to see how big they can make their beaver. They can change "wearers" and see if they can beat their own record. Why not add a tail, also ? (The Leader, May 1986)

Beaver, Beaver, Come Out and Be Fed

Beavers form a dam and face inwards. The leader breaks the circle and starts walking inside the circle, slowly while chanting the verse below. The leader, with the Beavers following keeps walking in circles towards the center. Once they reach the middle, they change direction and begin to weave back out. When finished, everyone is in a large circle facing outwards. How did that happen ?

Chant:

Beaver, Beaver, come out and be fed,

First your tail and then your head.

Bring your Mama and your Papa,

We'll feed you fried bacon.

Beaver Colony

A leader calls out the words and the Beavers do the appropriate action or activity.

Riverbanks - form river banks

Build the Dam - dam formation

Tail slap - sit on the floor and slap floor with hand.

Lodges - form a group with your lodge

Tails - form a group with your tail level

Salute your Friends - make Beaver sign

Chop, Chop - take chopping position

Mend the front/back/side of the lodge - run to the appropriate wall.

Danger ! - lie down flat in a tight bunch in the center of the room

* NOTE: To prepare for this you might want to have symbols/pictures for the tail groups and lodges. Hand signals can reinforce other directions i.e., front/right, etc.

Pieces of Santa

(or anything else for that matter)

Draw two identical outlines. Tape one to the floor. Fill the other in and cut up into pieces (one per Beaver). Each Beaver places his piece in the appropriate spot.

Balloon Badminton

Seat Beavers in two lines facing each other. Put lots of balloons into play. The Beavers must stay seated as they try to get the balloon over the heads of the opposite line. Multiple balloons eliminate any hope of keeping score. Change positions within the lines to equalize participation.

Scramble

Mark four areas on the floor and give each a name. Play music as Beavers move around. When music stops, call a name of one of the areas and have all of the Beavers try to get within it. If possible, make it smaller next go around. Carpet scraps or samples are possible markers. The game ends when the Beavers no longer fit into any area.

Snake tag

The Beavers form two teams in two lines, with the Beavers holding onto the waist of the Beaver in front. The Beaver at the front of each team tries to tag the last Beaver on the other team. When caught, the Beaver joins the other 'snake'. The game ends when there is only one snake, or....

Musical Groups

Play music while the Beavers skip or hop around. When the music stops, the leader calls a number. The Beavers form groups of that size. Make sure other leaders are available to help complete groups if needed.

Leap Frog

The Beavers form a (several) line(s) and squat down to make themselves as small as possible. The last Beaver in each line jumps over his squatting friends until he reaches the front. Then he squats and yells "Go". This helps the Beavers get from Point A to Point B, i.e., circle to lodge.

Back to Back Run

The Beavers find partners, stand back to back and link elbows. Their challenge is to run to a spot and back, one front wards, the other backwards. To return to the start point after reaching the given spot, they don't turn around but merely switch roles.

Ground Walk

Sit down, grab right ankle with left hand and left ankle with the right hand. Then, without letting go of ankles, the Beaver tries to move from one point to another.

Falling snowflakes

The Beavers sit in small tight circles with elbows touching. Hold a balloon over the center of the circle, and let it go. The Beavers try to keep the 'snowflake' up in the air as long as possible without touching it. They could blow or flap their arms to keep the air moving.

Centipedes

Play in lodges. Beavers get down on hands and knees and grab the ankles of the Beaver ahead. Try to move to a given spot without breaking hold.

Clap-a-name

The Beavers stand in a circle and one by one clap the syllables of their first names. Once Beavers are secure with the rhythm of their own names, they can clap their names all at the same time. They then locate others who are clapping a similar pattern and form groups.

Clap-and Slap-along

This game allows the Beavers to become familiar with each other, and builds a ritualistic group rhythm. Beavers should sit in a circle or in a random formation. The leader establishes a rhythm. For example, the Beavers can slap their thighs twice, clap twice, and snap their fingers on one hand and then the other. Once the rhythm has been established, one Beaver is chosen to begin. This Beaver calls his own first name on the first snap of the fingers and another Beaver's name on the second snap. That Beaver continues the pattern. Each Beaver joins in as his name is called.

Shake Hands With a Friend

This game is a quick way to introduce Beavers to each other in a safe and unthreatening manner. The leader counts off the Beavers by ones, twos, or threes. Everyone then walks around the room shaking hands with each other. A Beaver whose number is one, shakes the other Beaver's hand once. If the number is two, the Beaver shakes a hand twice. If the number is three, the Beaver shakes three times. One Beaver will have to stop shaking while the other Beaver continues because each Beaver shakes a different number of times. Beavers with identical numbers form a group looking for other Beavers with the same number.

Fruit Basket

The Beavers sit in a circle with one less chair (or space) than there are Beavers. The leader goes around the circle and whispers the name of a different fruit to each Beaver. One of the Beavers is chosen to stand in the center, and calls the names of two fruits. The two Beavers immediately change places. The Beaver standing in the center tries to get one of their places, and the one left without a chair goes to the center. At any time the Beaver in the center may say, "The fruit basket is upset." Then all Beavers change places. This gives the Beaver in the center a better chance to find one of the places.

What Comes Next?

A leader starts this counting game by having the first Beaver say one. The next Beaver says two, and then, three, and so on. When a Beaver comes to five or a number with five in it, he says, buzz. When a Beaver comes to seven or a number with seven in it, he says, fizz. For example, 57 would be buzz-fizz. When a Beaver who misses drops out and the next one starts over with one.

Red Handed

The Beavers form a circle, and one Beaver, chosen as 'It', stands in the center. While 'It' closes his eyes, the other Beavers pass a small object (like a marble or a stone) from Beaver to Beaver. 'It' gives a signal and opens his eyes and decides who has the object. 'It' walks up and taps one fist of the Beaver 'It' feels has the object. Meanwhile everyone has been passing the object around. Fake passes by Beavers who don't have the object are allowed as decoys.

Pipe Cleaner Zoo

Each Beaver is given two pipe cleaners and five minutes in which animals, or any living creature, can be made from these.

Have You Seen My Sheep ?

The Beavers stand in a circle. One Beaver runs around the outside and stands behind any Beaver saying, "Have you seen my sheep ?" That Beaver asks, "What does it look like ?" The first Beaver describes any one of the Beavers who, as soon as he recognizes himself as the Beaver described, tries to tag the describer before he can run around the outside of the circle and get back to his own place in the circle. If 'It' is tagged he is 'It' again; if not, the tagger becomes 'It'.

Alligator

Two teams line up on opposite sides of a large open space called the river. The Beaver playing the alligator points or calls to a Beaver on one side to cross the river. This Beaver calls or points to a Beaver on the opposite side. They try to cross the river and change places without being tagged by the alligator. If a Beaver is caught he becomes the new alligator.

Squirrel in the Tree

The leader divides the group into threes. In each group of three, two Beavers join hands and form a tree for the third Beaver (the squirrel), who will stand between them. The leader calls, "Squirrels change trees." Then all the trees raise their arms while the squirrels run to find a new tree. If there are extra squirrels the challenge is to get to a free tree.

Partner Tag

All of the Beavers, except two, hook arms as partners. Of the two who are separate, one is 'It'; the other Beaver is the runner. The runner may save himself by locking arms with either member of any team he chooses. When the runner has chosen a partner the third member becomes the new runner and the game carries on. For large groups have more than one runner and chaser.

Hug Tag

The only way to be safe in this game of tag is to be hugging someone else. Beavers can try hugging two, three, or more Beavers. It this gets too much for the Beaver who is 'It', a few other Beavers can be 'It' too.

Wink

An uneven number of Beavers is required for the game. For example, there may be 21 Beavers. Eleven chairs are placed in a circle with 11 Beavers standing behind as guards. Ten Beavers are seated in the chairs. The object of the game is to avoid being the guard of an empty chair. All the seated Beavers look toward the Beaver who is guarding the empty chair. He winks at someone who is seated. At once, that Beaver jumps up and runs across to fill the empty chair. He may not escape if his guard lays his hands upon the Beaver's shoulders. Each guard must keep his hands at his sides and must not touch the shoulders of the Beaver he is guarding until the Beaver is winked at.

Oranges Under The Chin

Two teams line up with their hands behind their backs. An orange is placed between the chin and shoulder of the first person in each team. At the word 'Go' the oranges are passed without using hands to the next person in the line. If the orange drops, it has to go back to the beginning of the line.

Rainstorm

Everyone sits quietly in a circle, with their eyes closed, waiting for the leader's first movement. The rain slowly starts as the leader rubs his palms together. When the Beaver on the leader's left hears this sound, he makes it, too, and each Beaver starts upon hearing the Beaver to the right. Once everyone is rubbing palms, the leader increases the sound of the rain by snapping fingers, and that sound in turn is passed around the circle. Then the leader claps both hands together, and that sound is passed around the circle. The leader then switches to thigh slapping, and the storm comes with feet stomping as the rain becomes a hurricane. To indicate the storm will start to subside, the leader reverses the order, beginning with thigh slapping, then hand clapping, finger snapping, palm rubbing, and finally passes around silence as the storm dies away. During the game, Beavers have their eyes closed.

Touch One, Touch All

Like touch tag, when 'It' touches someone, that one joins 'It', then two try to touch others, until all are caught and there is nobody left to chase. The first one touched becomes 'It' for the next game.

Ball Tag

'It' must throw the ball to hit one of the runners. If no one is hit, 'It' must run after the ball while the others get as far away as possible.

Dragon tag

Four Beavers link their arms together, forming a chain. They are the Dragon and must remain linked at all times, even when running. The aim of the game is for the Dragon to run and catch as many Beavers as possible by forming a circle around them. A Beaver who is captured must link arms with the others forming the Dragon and help to capture the remaining Beavers. The game goes until everyone has been tagged and is part of one long Dragon.

Hit the Penny

This is a game for two Beavers. They stand facing each other about five feet apart. In the middle a penny is placed on the ground. The Beavers take turns throwing a ball at the penny. A hit counts one point; if the penny is turned over (heads becomes tails or vice versa), score two points. The penny stays wherever the ball moves it throughout the game. Eleven points wins.

Follow chase

The Beavers stand in a circle with arms extended sideways, resting on each other's shoulders. The runner starts in one of the spaces between Beavers; the chaser does likewise, but on the opposite side of the circle. At a given signal they both start, the runner weaving in, out, and across, and the chaser trying to catch him. The chaser must follow the route set by the runner. If a runner is caught, he joins the circle, the chaser takes his place, and a new chaser is chosen. If the chase becomes too long, you can set a time limit, after which a new runner and chaser are chosen.

Knee-bend race

Each Beaver crouches in a knee-bend position, with hands on hips, and jumps or walks along.

Hot Potato

The Beavers stand in a circle and pass around a ball or some other suitable object. One Beaver stands outside and faces away from the circle. Suddenly he cries 'Stop !', and whoever has the ball may not pass it. The idea, of course, is not to be caught with the hot potato when the passing stops. Each time the passing stops, whoever is caught is out and must step out of the circle. Last one in becomes the caller for the next game.

Cat and Mouse

The Beavers join hands to form a circle. One Beaver inside the circle is the mouse; one Beaver outside is the cat. At a given signal the cat tries to catch the mouse by getting into the circle, but the Beavers should help the mouse by raising their hands to let him under, and by trying to prevent the cat from getting through. When the mouse is caught, he becomes part of the circle, the cat becomes the mouse, and a new cat is chosen.

Nut race

This is a relay race in which the Beavers must transfer nuts (in shells) from one bowl to another by carrying them on the back of the hand. Only one hand may be used. Each Beaver, in turn, scoops up - on the back of his hand - as many nuts as he thinks he can safely carry, runs to the far bowl and deposits the nuts. Any nuts dropped or thrown outside the bowl my not be retrieved; they are lost. Each returning Beaver taps the next Beaver in line to start him off. As soon as the first team is finished, the game ends, and the team with the most nuts deposited in the bowl wins.

Horse's Tail

Beavers line up in threes, the two rear Beavers in each line holding on to the Beaver in front. One Beaver is chosen to be the chaser. The object of the game is for the chaser to try to attach himself to the rear of any line - thereby becoming a new 'tail' for the various lines - or 'horses' - to prevent the chase from doing this by dodging and turning so as to keep him in front of them. If the chaser succeeds in becoming a new tail, the head of the line he has attached himself to becomes the new chaser.

Spot tag

The Beaver who is 'It' tries to tag one of the others, the Beaver tagged then becoming 'It'. This new chaser, however, must place either hand on the spot where he was tagged and must do all his running and chasing in that position until he has tagged someone else with his free hand. This game is a lot of fun, especially when 'It' aims for a spot that will be particularly awkward for the new chaser (the foot, for example).

Bell Catch

All the Beavers are blindfolded except one, who carries a bell so that it will ring on every step. The others try to catch him, and the first one to do so changes places with him, giving up the blindfold and taking the bell.

Blast Off

Have Beavers in a squatting position. Begin by counting with ten down to one, then 'Blast Off'.

Four-way pull

Four ropes are tied together at one end. Each Beaver takes one end. About two feet behind each Beaver is an Indian club or similar object. The idea is to pull the other three Beavers in your direction, enabling you to pick up your club. First one to pick up his club, of course, wins. This game may be played with any number, provided each Beaver has a rope.

Tug of war

Each team takes hold of one end of a sturdy rope. A line is drawn in between them and at a given signal each team tries to pull the other over the line. You can rule that a team must pull the entire opposing team over the line to win, or you can mark the middle of the rope (with paint or a rag tied around it), set a time limit on the pulling (one minute, for example), and the rule that the team with the middle of the rope on its side of the line when the pulling stops is the winner.

Animal Blindfold

One Beaver is blindfolded and given a stick. The others move around, staying fairly close to him, until he taps the stick three times on the ground. Everyone then stops moving, and the blindfolded Beaver points his stick. The Beaver pointed at must take the other end of the stick and imitate, with sounds, an animal specified by the blindfolded Beaver. The latter then tries to guess who is making the noise. If he is right they change place; if wrong, the game starts again with the same Beaver wearing the blindfold.

Follow the Leader

One Beaver is the leader. The others must follow him wherever he goes and do everything he does. If he hops on his left foot, all must hop on the left foot. If he hits a tree with his hand, every other Beaver must do likewise when passing the tree. Any one failing to follow exactly is out.

Hand Slap

Two Beavers stand facing each other. One Beaver puts their open hands under the hands of the opposite Beaver. The Beaver with their hands on the bottom then tries to slap the hands of the other Beaver. If the other Beaver is able to move their hands before they can be slapped, then they will take up the position on the bottom. If the bottom Beaver manages to slap the other Beaver's hand before he can remove them, then the slapper will continue in the bottom position.

Triangle Tag

To start the game, have three of the Beavers join hands forming a triangle. One Beaver on the triangle is then chosen to be the chasee and faces into the middle of the triangle. The other two Beavers will face outwards and use their bodies as a shield to protect the chasee from the fourth Beaver, the chaser. When the chaser tags the chasee, then the chaser will join the triangle and the chasee will become the chaser. Another Beaver on the triangle is chosen to be the chasee and the game continues until the four Beavers decide to end it.

Bum push

To start, the Beavers get into partner groups and stand back to back. The partners should be approximately the same height and weight for the best results. On the count of three both Beavers try to push each other off balance by only using their bum. The first Beaver to move his feet loses. The loser can challenge the winner again, or find another partner if he wishes to continue with this game.

Broken Telephone

Played in a circle. It starts by having one Beaver whisper a message to the Beaver next to him. The message must be whispered and only said once. The message is passed from Beaver to Beaver until it comes to the last Beaver. The last Beaver then says out loud what he has heard. The first Beaver says what he started with. It is always fun to see how mixed up the message can get by the time it is received by the last Beaver.

Hot Potato Gift (Variation of Hot Potato)

The game starts with everyone sitting or standing in a circle. The wrapped present is then given to one individual in the group.

The leader starts a rhythm by either clapping hands or by singing a simple short song. The present is then passed around the circle as one might pass a hot potato. When the rhythm or song stops (whenever the leader chooses) the Beaver who ends up with the parcel at that moment must take off one layer of wrapping. That individual then leaves the game to join the leader in keeping up the rhythm and the game starts up again. This goes on until there is only one Beaver left to unwrap the present.

Tic Tic BOOM

This game is started with everyone standing in a circle. One Beaver is then chosen to go around the circle tapping Beavers as they go, saying tic, tic, tic, etc. When the chosen Beaver decides he/she yells Boom ! He/she runs off in one direction around the circle and the Beaver who was tapped runs in the other direction. The two race each other back to the original starting point on the circle. The first one back joins the circle. The last one back becomes the Beaver to go around the circle saying tic, tic, tic, etc. Also known under a number of other names, such as Duck Duck Goose.

Circle of Good Cheer

The game starts with everyone sitting in a circle. One Beaver is then chosen to go into the middle and do some-thing silly. Everyone sitting around the circle gives that Beaver a huge round of applause after they have finished doing their silly act. The act itself should only take two or three seconds. Once that Beaver has sat down the Beaver to his left gets up and does his/her sill act, and the game continues until everyone has had a turn.

Gluepots

A game for as many Beavers as possible. One Beaver is chosen to be 'it' and has to chase the other Beavers. Before the games starts, 'it' picks a number of special places to put the people he catches. These are the Beavers gluepots and any Beaver who is put there cannot move. They can be released, however, only if a free player touches their hand - but if the free player makes a mistake and puts a foot into the gluepot, then he is stuck there also.

Elbow Tag

All of the participants, except for one chaser and chasee, are arranged in groups with their elbows locked together and their free arms on their hips. The chasee can join any of these pairs at any time by linking their arm, at the elbow, with he free arm of a partner group. On having joined a pair of Beavers, the Beaver on the opposite side of the partner pair must leave and become the new chasee. If the chaser tags the chasee, then the two change roles and the old chaser can link on to a partner group. This game ends when you, as the play leader, decide to end it.

The Secret Handshake

The Beavers are divided into groups of three or four and asked to make up their own version of a secret handshake. Once each group has chosen their signal for handshake and can recognize it with their eyes closed, they will be ready to begin. The groups are intermingled and everyone closes their eyes. Without talking, each group will now intermingle in an attempt to find their group members. The first group to find all its members, by using the secret handshake, will have won the game. The winners must be together and sitting on the ground.

Skin the Snake

Beavers are divided into two lines, with about ten Beavers to a line. Everyone spreads their legs and passes one hand through their legs to the Beaver behind them. Each Beaver then grabs hold of the hand in front of them and the hand behind them. When everyone has joined their hands in their fashion only the front and last Beavers will have a free hand. The two snakes are now ready to be skinned. To skin the snake, the back Beaver starts the process by sitting down. The whole line of Beavers then shuffles backwards. The back Beaver lies right down as the group continues to move over top of him. As the line moves backwards, each Beaver in turn will sit down and then lie down, spreading their legs to either side of the Beaver lying in front of them. The line keeps moving backwards until everyone is lying down. The snake is now ready to grow a new skin. To grow the skin back, the last Beaver to lie down will stand back up. Once standing. this Beaver then shuffles forward over the other Beavers pulling up others as he moves. Everyone will now rise in turn, as the line moves forward overhead. When everyone has risen and is back in their original places, the activity ends. The first group to complete this task without letting go of any hands, wins the game.

Shoe Mixup

The Beavers are divided into two equal teams. The team members will take off one of their shoes and put them into a pile; with one pile per team. The Beavers will stand about eight feet from their pile waiting for the leader to give the signal to start. On the word 'go', team Beavers will put on a shoe that belongs to another team member. Once the shoes are on, the Beavers must then match up their left and right feet with the other team members wearing similar shoes. The feet of each Beaver must be pressed against the same shoe to be matched. The first team to match all of their feet wins the game.

Animal Walks

Beavers imitate animal walks around the Meeting Place. A Beaver can be leader and pick the animals (giraffe, elephant, caterpillar, etc.)

Zero gravity

Select one Beaver to be the earthbound mortal who cannot fly into space. Other Beavers, with their magic zero gravity shoes, are safe as long as they can balance on a stone, hang from a tree, hug a lighthouse - anything to stay off the ground. The earthbound 'It' may guard closely any Beaver who is losing his grip and is soon to fall back to earth. Anyone tagged while on the ground loses his magic shoes and becomes 'It'.

Racket Squad

Mark start and finish lines about 10 yards apart. Each Beaver takes a balloon, blows it up, and ties a knot in it. Beavers line up at the start line with balloons balanced on their wire rackets. When the leader says 'Go', Beavers begin to walk quickly toward the finish line, balancing their balloons without letting them blow off. Beavers may not use hands to touch balloons; however, if a balloon falls off, the Beaver stops, picks up the balloon, counts to three, and continues.

Overall Understanding

Beavers are divided into two teams. Teams line up in parallel rows with Beavers standing behind one another. The first Beaver on each team is given a basketball, beach ball or balloon. When the leader says 'Go', the first Beaver on each line passes the ball backward over his head to the second Beaver. The second Beaver passes the ball under his legs to the next Beaver behind, and so forth. The ball continues to be passed backward down the line, alternately over and under, until it reaches the last Beaver. The last Beaver, receiving the ball, runs to the front of his line and begins to pass the ball backward again. This continues until every Beaver on the line has a chance to be at the beginning. The team whose first Beaver gets to the front of the line again first is the winner.

Overall Understanding Variation

At one end of the Meeting Place, form a single line with the entire Colony. Four or five balls or balloons will be needed to play. One by one, the first Beaver takes each ball or balloon and passes it backward overhead to the next Beaver. The next Beaver passes it under his legs to the next Beaver, and this continues alternately down the line. When the last Beaver receives a ball, he runs to the front of the line and starts again. With four or five balls moving down the line, and Beavers running to the front of the line, the line will move slowly across the Meeting Place.

Line switch (Outside Game)

Divide the Colony into two teams. On a sidewalk or paved area, draw a line of squares with a piece of chalk. Allow one space for each Beaver. Leave an empty square in the center between the two teams. The object of the game is for all the Beavers on one side of the blank space to switch places with the Beavers on the other side. Have Beavers stand in the squares. One team will be on one side of the empty square, one team on the other. To begin, the leader yells 'Line Switch'. One at a time, Beavers may move forward into the free spot or jump over an occupied space to a free one. Only one Beaver is allowed per space. When both teams have successfully maneuvered to the opposite side of the empty center square, everyone wins.

Lean In, Lean Out

All Beavers join hands and form a circle. The circle must be large enough so that everyone can hold their arms at shoulder height. It is also important that everyone is around the same height and weight for best results. Before starting, each Beaver is given either the number one or two. As the leader, either include or exclude yourself so that there is an even number of Beavers in the circle. You are now ready to begin. On the count of three all the number ones will lean in and all the number twos will lean out. It is important to encourage the Beavers to move slowly, so that their weight is evenly distributed at a constant rate. Ask the Beavers to speak up if they need the participants on either side of them to either increase, or decrease their weight by moving their bodies accordingly. It will most likely take a few practice trials before Beavers will feel comfortable trusting the others. With encouragement and co-operation they will soon be able to master the techniques. Once the Beavers feel comfortable with this exercise, see how many times the ones and twos can switch positions without letting go of each other. Help the Beavers change positions by orally guiding them through the switch.

Smiling Faces

This game is most successful when played with small groups of 15 Beavers or less. Have everyone form a close circle, sitting on the ground. On the count of three, Beavers put on their most serious faces and stare into the eyes of the others, trying not to be the first Beaver to laugh or smile. The first Beaver to break the spell goes into the middle of the circle and lies on his back. The others gather round, and on the word 'go', tickle the Beaver until he yells 'Stop !'. After being tickled the Beaver joins the circle once again, but now tries to make the other laugh, doing anything except touching them. Continue until everyone has been tickled.

Food for Thought

The game begins with a statement such as 'I saw a candy bar; I one it.' In turn, Beavers reply 'I two it,' 'I three it', 'I four it,' etc., until one Beaver says "I eight it.' Older Beavers may want to use such objects as rocks, dead horses, skunks, etc., but perhaps it is best to use more desirable objects with younger Beavers.

Laughing

All Beavers except one who is 'It' form a circle. 'It' stands inside the circle and tosses a handkerchief into the air. Everyone, including 'It' must laugh until the handkerchief touches the floor. Then there must be perfect silence. Anyone laughing after the handkerchief touches the floor becomes 'It', and the previous 'It' joins the circle.

Pass it On

Beavers line up in two equal teams. One filled container is placed at the front end of each team and an empty container at the back. At a signal, the first Beaver takes one object at a time out of the front container and passes them down the line to be deposited into the empty container at the back of the line. If an item is dropped, it must be passed back to the head of the line and started again. The first team to transfer all the items wins.

Poor Pussy

One Beaver is the pussy. The other Beavers form a circle, sitting around pussy. Pussy moves on hands and knees to a Beaver who must pet Pussy's head three times and say "poor Pussy, poor Pussy, poor Pussy' without smiling. Pussy meows and tries to make the Beaver smile. If pussy is successful, the Beaver must take Pussy's place.

Shoe Scramble

Each Beaver removes shoes and places in a pile. The Beavers move to a starting line 10 to 15 feet away, and at the signal the Beavers try to retrieve and put on their own shoes (not necessary to tie or buckle. The first Beaver back to the starting line wins. What animal Am I ? Wrap as many different animal crackers as there are Beavers; place in bowl. Beavers for a circle. Each Beaver selects one wrapped animal cracker and unwraps the animal cracker but does not let the other Beavers see it. Beavers take turns standing inside the circle, acting like the animal on the Beaver's cracker. The other Beavers then try to guess which animal is being imitated.

Squat tag

One Beaver is designated 'It'; the other Beavers scatter over the game area. The only way to avoid being tagged is to squat down and call out 'Squat'. "It" tries to tag one of the Beavers in order to exchange places.

Coin Drop

Preparation: Large wide-mouth container full of water with a small jar or glass sunk in the middle; five small coins for each Beaver; a few additional coins for play-offs. How: The container is set on the floor, and one at a time the Beavers try to drop their coins from a standing position into the sunken jar or glass. Each Beaver's score is kept, and a tie for first is decided with a sudden death play-off. The winner keeps the coins outside the small jar or glass; the runner-up gets to keep the coins in the small jar or glass.

Colors

One Beaver is selected to start the game. The Beaver says "I am thinking of something that is in this room that is (names the color of the object.)" The rest of the Beavers try to guess the correct object. The first Beaver to guess correctly becomes the new selector of the object to be guessed.

Fishing for paper clips

Preparation: Empty a box of paper clips into a cardboard box with high sides; a magnet on a string. How: the cardboard box of paper clips is placed in the center of a table. The first Beaver is given the magnet on the string and tries to get as may paper clips as he can.

Peanut butter and jelly

All of the Beavers stand in a circle. Beavers pass one of the balls, "Peanut Butter," around the circle. To make things sticky, the second ball, "Jelly," is tossed from Beaver to Beaver in any direction. Beavers must keep both balls moving without stopping. The object of the game is for the Jelly to catch up with the Peanut Butter. When one Beaver catches both balls, everyone shouts "Peanut butter and jelly!" Then everyone starts again.

Airplane race

Preparation: One cone-shaped paper cup with a hole cut in the bottom and 15 feet of string or twine for each team. Pass the string through the hole in the cup. How: Beavers are divided into teams of three. Two Beavers on each team hold either end of the twine and line up side-by-side with the other teams. The third member of each team stands at one end of the twine with the paper cup and, at a given signal, blows into the cup to move it the length of the twine. The first team to get the cup moved the length of the twine wins the game.

Bang relay

A pile of paper bags for each team should be on chairs at the end of the room. Every team member, in turn, races up to this pile; inflates and bursts a bag; runs back and touches off the next Beaver.

Thirsty Race

Requires jugs of water, tumblers and straws. Each runner pours out a tumbler full of water and drinks it through a straw, before returning to the starting point.

Pea Relay

Each Beaver carries a pea in a teaspoon from one point to another. Place an equal number of peas in a container for each lodge, and an empty container in another point in the room.

William Tell race

Each Beaver runs with an apple (or other object) balanced on his head. The event may be either for individuals or relay teams.

Balloon Overhead

All Beavers stand for this, the teams being in two straight lines, facing inwards. The end Beaver of each line holds a balloon, and at the starting signal they pat them over their heads to their neighbors. The second Beavers pass similarly to the third, and so the balloons travel down the lines. The first to reach the end marks the winning team.

Floor balloon

Played with all Beavers sitting on the floor, in two straight lines. Each Beaver should sit with legs straight forward, so that his feet are pressed against the feet of the opposite opponent. Then the balloon is patted by hand, and a goal scored each time it is made to fall to the floor behind the back of either team.

Balloon football

Two teams line up facing each other. A string down the middle marks the line each team may not cross. Each team has a balloon. It is important that two balloons are in play all the time, as this makes the game more exciting. At the word 'Go', each team has to try to get their balloon over the heads of the other team, and onto the floor behind them. Each time they do this, they score a goal. The teams must not divide into front and back rows for attack and defense.

Fly swat

One Beaver is blindfolded, and stands at the middle of the room. He holds a baton of rolled-up newspaper. Whenever he hears a buzz at his ear he swipes at the one who is making the sound. He must never swipe except when there is a buzzing. No Beaver should buzz except by the ear of the blindfolded one.

Wool Gathering

Scatter about the meeting place 3" lengths of colored wool, and allow your Beavers to collect them. You can either assign a point value to each individual color and the team with the most points wins.

Checker golf

A smooth floor is needed for this. Mark chalk rings for 'holes' at convenient points, numbering them from 1 to 9 in proper golf fashion. The balls are checkers or wood circles instead of golf balls, and are driven along by being flicked by finger and thumb.

Musical Bumps

Everyone jumps up and down in time to the music. Each time it stops, they all sit down. Pick out the last one to sit down, but don't make them sit out for the rest of the game. The winners can be the ones who have never been last.

Perpetual Motion

Beavers sit in a circle on the floor and count off so that each Beaver has a number. Place a Frisbee or a metal plate on the floor in the center of the circle. The first Beaver gets up, turns the disc on edge and spins it as you would a coin. As the Beaver sits down, he calls out the number of another Beaver. The Beaver whose number is called jumps up, gets the disc before it stops, give it another spin, and calls out another Beaver's number before sitting down. Beavers continue calling each other's numbers and keeping the disc spinning. If the disc completely stops spinning, a Beaver starts it again. The object of the game is to co-operate in keeping the disc spinning, not to trick other Beavers.

Kangaroo relay

Divide the group into two teams and have Beavers line up, one behind the other. Place a chair about ten feet in front of each team. The first Beavers place a ball between their knees, hop around the chair, and return to tag the next Beavers in line. Beavers may touch the ball with their hands to pass it to the next Beaver or to pick it up when dropped, but they cannot move while touching the ball with their hands. The first team to send every member around the chair and back is the winner.

Water Brigade (Outside game)

Divide the Beavers into two teams. Teams stand in two parallel lines. Place a bucket at either end of each team. Fill the buckets at one end of each team with water while the buckets on the opposite end remain empty. Give each Beaver a disposable cup. The object of the game is for each team to transfer the water from the filled bucket - cup by cup - to the empty buckets. When the leader says "go", the first Beavers on each team dip their cups into their buckets. The water is passed from Beaver to Beaver on each team by pouring it into the next cup. The last Beavers pour their cups into the empty bucket.

Stringing along

Cut 75 to 100 pieces of string of varying lengths - from 2 inches to several feet. Hide each piece of string someplace in the room before Beavers arrive. Have Beavers stand in the middle of the room. Divide the groups into two teams and explain that you've hidden pieces of string, pointing out the more obvious ones. The object of the game is for each team to find and tie together as many strings as possible. Since the strings are not the same length, the winning team will not necessarily be the one with the largest number of strings, but the one with the longest line. When it seems that most strings have been found and tied, have teams stretch their lines of string next to each other to compare. The team with the longest string is the winner.

Icicle Tag

Choose one Beaver to be the 'sun', the rest of the Beavers are 'icicles'. The sun must run around and touch as many icicles as possible. When an icicle is touched, he must 'melt' and fall down. This continues until all the icicles are melted.

Pencil Game

A pencil is passed around to each Beaver, who is to mime an action with it, e.g., eating a cob of corn, hitting a ball, etc. The other Beavers have to guess what the action the Beaver is doing.

Feather Puff

The Beavers sit in a ring, which should not be too large. One of them throws up a small feather, and immediately all begin to blow it. No one must move any part of his body but the head. Should the feather fall on any Beaver that one is out of the game - thus the aim of each is to make the feather touch someone else, and to protect oneself. As fewer Beavers remain, they should draw into a smaller ring.

Handkerchief Tag

The amount of running about in this game can be determined by the number of Beavers and the size of the room. It does not even matter if most of those taking part stand still all through. One Beaver is 'It', and remains so until he succeeds in tagging, or touching, some other Beaver. But the others toss a handkerchief about between them, and 'It' can only touch another Beaver who is holding the handkerchief.

Bean-bag Golf

The holes can be tins or boxes, scattered about the floor, and numbered so that they can be played in proper order. No clubs or balls are needed. Instead, each Beaver has a bean-bag which he tosses into the hole. When a bean-bag falls on the floor, outside a hole, it must be tossed again from the point where it is picked up.

Charades

A casual game where Beavers are asked to act out certain actions for other Beavers to guess. They can think them up on their own, or the leaders can give ideas, e.g., doing dishes, cutting the hedge, going to the store, driving a bus, etc.

Lemon Golf

This is played as nearly as possible in the manner of ordinary golf - but with lemons and walking-sticks. For holes you may have chalked rings on the floor, or circular pieces of paper, cloth or cardboard, laid about. Until you have tried to knock a lemon about the floor, and make it go in a straight course, you have no idea of what an awkward fruit it can be.

Simon Says

One Beaver is Simon. He stands facing the others and shouts out instructions, such as 'Simon says, "touch your toes". Everyone has to obey. But if he leaves out the 'Simon says', anyone who obeys the instruction is 'out'.

Squeak, piggy, squeak

Everyone sits on the floor except for one Beaver, who is blindfolded. He tries to catch hold of the others. Each time he does, he says "Squeak, piggy, squeak" and the Beaver has to squeak. If he guesses who it is, the squeaker is blindfolded.

Sneaky Peter

One Beaver is blindfolded and sits on a chair with a teddy underneath it. The others try to sneak the teddy away without him catching hold of them. When someone is caught, he becomes 'It'.

Pipe Line

Give each Beaver a piece of construction paper and two paper clips. Have Beavers roll their papers into 12-inch cylinders with a 1-inch overlap. Fasten ends with paper clips. Separate the group into two teams and have them stand in two parallel lines. Tell teams to hold their paper cylinders end to end to create a long pipe. Crush two pieces of paper into balls small enough to fit through the cylinders. Say 'go' and drop the paper balls into the ends of the first two cylinders. Team members must jiggle the paper balls from one cylinder to the next. If a paper ball drops on the floor, the last Beaver must pick it up and try again. Passes can only be made from cylinder to cylinder. When the paper ball gets to the last Beaver's cylinder, teams must reverse the passing. The first team to get the paper ball back to the beginning is the winner.

Hot Stuff

Gather everyone in a circle. Leader starts as the Caller, selecting a number from 1 to 50 (or less). As the Beavers stand in the circle, passing the ball from Beaver to Beaver, the caller counts aloud to the pre-selected number, then yells 'Hot Stuff'. Meanwhile, the Beavers in the circle must keep the ball moving from Beaver to Beaver. When the Caller yells 'Hot stuff', the Beaver with the ball, (or if the ball is between Beavers, the Beaver just about to catch the ball) leaves the circle and joins the Caller. As more and more Beavers leave the circle, the Caller group becomes larger and larger, and the counting becomes louder and louder. The original Caller tells the new Callers the number to which the group will count. As the game dwindles to two Beavers passing the ball back and forth, the last Beaver left without the ball when the callers yell 'Hot Stuff' will be the winner.

Partner Pull-up

Partners sit down facing each other with the soles of their feet on the floor, toes touching. Partners reach forward, bending their knees if they must, and grasp hands. By pulling together, both come up to a stand and then try to return to a sitting position.

Partner Back-up

Two Beavers sit back to back, knees bent. From this position they try to stand up by pushing against each other's backs without moving their feet. Sitting down again can also be attempted. If the Beavers are successful, propose that from a halfway position they try to move like a spider. . .

Mile of Yarn

This is an interesting way to knit Beavers together. One Beaver starts with a bright ball of thick yarn, or a strip of material, wraps the end of the yarn around his waist, and passes the ball to another Beaver. He wraps it around his waist, and passes it to another child, and so on. Once the whole group has been intertwined in yarn, the whole process is reversed. The last Beaver begins to rewind the ball, passes it to the next Beaver, and so on until the fully wound ball reaches the first Beaver.

Shoe twister

Each Beaver removes one shoe and places it in a pile. Everyone then picks up someone else's shoe, and while holding the shoe (method left up to Beaver's ingenuity) everyone joins hands, forming a large circle. Each Beaver then locates the owner of the shoe that he is holding, and all Beavers exchange shoes without breaking their joined hands. Once all shoes have been returned to their owners, the circle is reformed and Beavers make another pile of shoes to start the game again.

Sticky Popcorn

The Beavers begin this game by 'popping' - jumping or hopping -about the Meeting Place as individual pieces of sticky popcorn, searching for other pieces of popcorn. When one piece of popcorn comes into contact with another piece, they stick together. Once stuck, they continue to pop around together, sticking to other pieces, until they all end up in a big popcorn ball.

Fish Gobbler

Select a caller, known as the Fish Gobbler. The caller shouts 'ship', and all of the Beavers run toward the wall to which he points. On the shout 'shore' they quickly change directions and run toward the opposite wall. On the signal 'Fish Gobbler', the Beavers quickly drop to the floor on their stomachs and link arms, legs, or bodies together with one or more friends.

The Fish

Gobbler moves around the room with arms outstretched like a big bird swimming toward the other Beavers but not touching any of them. The Beavers are all 'safe' as long as they are all physically linked together. Once the Fish Gobbler sees that everyone is linked to someone else, the signal 'Rescue' is called. At his moment all the Beavers jump to their feet, join hands, and yell 'Yah', raising their joined hands over their heads. Various other calls could be added, such as 'Sardines' -everyone runs to a central point to make the tightest group possible by either lying on the floor or forming a massive standing hug; 'Fishermen All' - everyone sits on someone else's knee or knees; 'Crabs' - everyone backs up to a partner, bends over, and reaches under their own legs to hold hands.

Toesies

Partners simply lie stretched out on the floor, feet to feet, and attempt to roll across the floor keeping their toes touching throughout. Toesies can also be attempted with only the toes of the right feet connected, with legs crisscrossed, or in a sitting position, rolling toe to toe.

Group pull-ups

Group pull-ups add fun to exercise and introduce an element of creative challenge. Players begin in a seated circle of four. Grasping hands or arms, they try pulling up to stand as a unit. If successful, they can try a circle of six or eight Beavers. The more Beavers added, the more difficult the challenge becomes. Group members can experiment and discover workable ways to get up.

Jiggle and Swiggle

A stick about 24 inches long and 1 inch thick is held parallel to the ground, supported between the waist of two partners. A string about 24 inches long hangs down from the center of the stick, with a small rubber ball at the loose end. Adjust the length of the string so that the ball hangs free a few inches above the ground. The two Beavers work in unison to wind the string and ball around the stick and then to unwind it.

Rump Bump

Partners stand back to back, bend down, and place their hands on the floor in front of them, with or without bending their knees. They then place a balloon (or ball) between their behinds and try to move around without dropping it. To end the game with a bang, the partners can press their behinds together until the balloon pops.

Touch Blue

The game begins with six to eight Beavers standing in a circle. A leader calls out instructions: First, all Beavers must use their right hand to touch something that is blue on another Beaver, and hold on. It could be a bit of blue trim on a shoe or blue jeans or a blue shirt. Next, the left hand has to touch something yellow and hold on. Have the left foot touch something black and the right foot something brown, the head can touch something red, and if the group hasn't fallen into a crumpled mass, the shoulder can touch something green.

Rubber Band Toss

Each Beaver begins with a wristful of rubber bands. One Beaver tosses or shoots a rubber band onto the ground, and the Beavers then take turns throwing one rubber band at a time, trying to make it hit any other rubber band on the ground. If a Beaver is successful, he immediately picks up all the rubber bands on the ground and redistributes them among all the players. They then begin tossing again, with the winner each time being given the privilege of redistributing the rubber bands for the next game.

Crab Race

The Beavers crawl on all fours backward to a goal.

Tightrope walking

Use existing lines on the floor of the Meeting Place, or use a clothesline stretched along the ground. To walk the 'tightrope', place the heel of one foot on the start line and begin to walk - placing the heel of one foot directly to the toe of the other foot - all the way to the finish line. Divide the Colony into two teams. When the leader says "Go", members of each team begin on their tightropes. Each Beaver waits until the Beaver ahead is finished 'walking the rope' before beginning.

Rope Ring

You will need approximately 50 feet of clothesline rope with the ends tied together to make a circle. Beavers stand outside the rope in a circle, holding it with both hands. One Beaver is selected to be the Ringmaster and to stand in the middle. The Ringmaster tries to tap the hand of a ringside Beaver holding the rope. Beavers can drop the rope to avoid being tapped. The Ringmaster may try to trick Beavers by pretending to tap one Beaver and then tap another. When a Beaver is tapped while holding the rope, he becomes the next Ringmaster, and the thrills and chills continue.

Dangling Doughnut Eating contest

Ensure that you have enough doughnuts for each Beaver. Powdered sugar doughnuts are fun because the Beavers get white noses. Tie a rope, one for each Beaver, to the branches of a tree or jungle gym. Keep ropes long enough so that they are only 2 or 3 feet off the ground. Slip the other end of the rope through the doughnut hole and knot it so that the doughnut doesn't slip off. The object of the game is to be the first Beaver to eat an entire doughnut without using any hands. Beavers stand next to their doughnuts with their hands behind their backs. When the leader says "Go", Beavers begin to gobble.

Laughing matter

A single Beaver is selected to be the Laugh Igniter. He lies down on the grass. The rest of the Colony is divided into two groups. A Beaver from each lodge lies down on either side of the Laugh Igniter with his head on the Laugh Igniter's stomach. One by one Beavers lie down, placing their heads on the stomach of the last Beaver. This makes two branches of Beavers with the Laugh Igniter at the center connecting them both. This is useful when shy boys prefer separate groups. After everyone is arranged, the Laugh Igniter takes a deep breath and yells "Ha!" The two Beavers resting on his stomach yell "Ha! Ha!" The Beavers resting on their stomachs yell "Ha ha ha" and so forth. The idea, of course, is that each Beaver adds to the number of "ha's" at each turn.

Yellow Jell-O

Gather Beavers into a close group. Tell them that they have been changed into a bowl of banana Jell-O (or any flavor you like). Pretend you are shaking the bowl. Begin slowly waving your hands as if you were conducting an orchestra. Jiggle quickly and vibrate the Jell-O more. Beavers are encouraged to act exactly the way Jell-O would. Stop shaking the Jell-O. Usually Jell-O will shake for awhile until it slows down to a stop. Naturally, if you leave your Jell-O out in the sun, it will begin to melt away all over the ground.

Paper Pat-a-cake

To add an interesting variation and challenge to Pat-a-cake, two Beavers can attempt to support a sheet of paper between their two hands as they go through the clapping actions. Each Beaver extends one hand and the sheet of paper is slipped between them; they then try to separate their hands and connect them again without dropping the sheet of paper. If successful, they can switch hands or go through a variety of other Pat-a-cake hand sequences.

Little Beavers

In groups of three or four, they are asked to make the letters of "Sharing" with their bodies. Each group works together to make an S; then after a suitable time for the leaders to view the S and praise their efforts, they make an H, and so on.

Toesie Roll with Control

Partners lie stretched out on the floor feet to feet with soles touching. Once you decide in which direction you would like to roll, hook your foot on your rolling side over your partner's foot. The top of your toes on that foot will be hooked over the top of your partner's toes. Roll in one direction and then try reversing the direction of your roll, but first unhook your toes on one side and hook them on the other side.

Dog Bone

Beavers remain seated except for one Beaver selected to be the dog. The Dog sits with eyes closed, facing away from the group. A "bone" is placed behind the Dog and in front of the group. Select one Beaver at a time to try to slip up quietly and get the bone. If the Dog hears a sound, he barks like a dog and the would-be bone thief returns to his seat. If a Beaver is able to take the bone without being heard, the Beaver returns to his seat and hides it. The rest of the group then chants "Dog, Dog, where's your bone." The Dog then turns around and has three chances to guess who has the bone. If the Dog guesses incorrectly, the group says 'No !' If the guess is correct, the group applauds. In both cases, the one who stole the bone becomes the next Dog.

Balloon Soccer

All players sit in rows evenly spaced throughout the room. Two goalies sit at opposite corners of the room. Both goalies have pushpins, safety pins, or other instruments that will break balloons. The rest of the group is divided into two teams by counting off. To begin, the leader drops an inflated balloon in the center of the room. Each team tries to hit the balloon to its goalie, who remains in a corner. The goalie who gets the balloon and pops it scores a point for the