Table Baseball

OBJECT - Score the most runs.

GAME TYPE - Two team game.

WHO'S IT FOR - Group Three. There should be at least three people per team, but as in real baseball, no more than nine per team.

WHAT YOU NEED - A ping pong ball, a scorecard, and a marked square table. The markings are described below.

HOW TO PLAY:

1. First, set up the table. At the center of one side, mark a home base. From there, mark diagonal foul lines to one third the distance of the sides. These are your foul lines. At the other end of the table, draw three lines parallel to the end. The area closest to home plate is a single, the next area is a double, and the third area is a triple. There should be some room between the foul lines and the single line.
2. Place the ping pong ball on home base.
3. One player from the batting team kneels so his mouth is right behind the ball. This is the batter.
4. Three players from the other team make up the outfield, and kneel on the opposite side of the table.
5. When ready, the "batter" blows the ball. He may only blow it once. He is trying to blow it over the edge where the "outfielders" are.
6. The outfielders also blow the ball. Their object is to blow it off the edge of the table before it scores either a run or a hit.
7. If the ball goes off the edge of the table in foul territory, the batter may try again. However, they only get three total chances. If it fouls on the third try, they're out.
8. If the ball goes off the edge of the table between the foul line and the single line, they batter is out.
9. If the ball goes off the edge of the table in the single zone, the batter goes to first base (mark this on your scorecard). If a double, they go to second base. If a triple, they go to third base. If it goes off the edge of the table where the outfielders are, it's a home run.
10. Keep track of which base each batter is on. They may only advance on force moves. If a batter is on second with no one on first, and the next batter gets a single, the batter on second does not move. If a batter is on second with no one on first, and the next batter hits a double, the batter on second may only move to third. Of course, a home run scores everyone.
11. Each team gets three outs or five runs per inning. This means that if a team gets their three outs before getting five runs, the next team is up. If the team gets five runs before it gets three outs, the next team is up.
12. Keep playing for a predetermined number of innings. The winner is the team with the most runs scored.

Be sure to rotate players - have a lineup, or order, for the batters, and if you have more than three players per team, make sure everyone gets a chance to be in the outfield.

THIS WORKS ON - Competition (playing a baseball game), oral motor (blowing the ball), strategy (knowing where you should aim the ball for the batter and outfielders).

Bottle Ball

OBJECT - Knock down the bottles!

GAME TYPE - Two team game, dodge game.

WHO'S IT FOR - Group Two. You should have at least three per side, but no more than eight.

WHAT YOU NEED - Twelve to twenty 2-liter plastic soda bottles, some empty, some filled with water. You'll also need two or three playground balls and a marked off space for the playing area.

HOW TO PLAY:

1. Divide the group into two teams. The two teams go to opposite sides of a playing area, separated by a line.
2. Set up the plastic bottles at the back of the playing area, with space between them.
3. Place the three playground balls at the center. All players line up in front of their plastic bottles.
4. On the word "GO", players race to try and get the balls. No player may cross the center line.
5. The object of the game is to knock down all of the other team's bottles. The full ones should be harder to knock down than the empty ones.
6. This game also adds elements of dodge ball, in that if you hit another player with your throw (unless the ball touches the ground first), they are out. However, as soon as a bottle gets knocked over, all out players on the team whose bottle went down may reenter the game.
7. If a player catches a throw, they may return one player from their own team to the game. Nothing happens to the thrower.
8. If a ball goes out of bounds, one of the players from the team on the side where it went out of bounds may retrieve it. They may not throw the ball until they have come back in bounds.
9. Once all the bottles of one team have been knocked down, the game is over.

For a variation, give one point for each empty bottle knocked over, three for each full bottle knocked over, and set a time limit.

THIS WORKS ON - Athletic ability (throwing, running), competition (playing against another team), eye-hand coordination (aiming at targets), teamwork (playing as a team).

Human Foosball

OBJECT - Protect the goal, but don't stray from your line.

GAME TYPE - Two team game.

WHO'S IT FOR - Group Three. This is a big game, and you need at least seven players per side, plus two ball chasers.

WHAT YOU NEED - A big space (such as a basketball court), sidewalk chalk, a kickable ball, and two goals.

HOW TO PLAY:

1. First, make the court. Draw three or four lines on each side of the court and set up a goal at either end.
2. After dividing the players into teams, set them on their lines. As in regular foosball, they should alternate. There should be a line of Team A in front of their goals, then a line of Team B facing them. Then Team A, Team B, Team A, and Team B in front of the goal they are protecting. Players can decide how many people they want on each line, but once the decision is made, that's it.
3. The big rule of this game is that no one may leave their line. They can move on the line wherever they want, but they may not go around another team member as that would involve leaving the line.
4. Start the ball in the middle. The team can kick it to their teammates or to the goal.
5. If the ball goes in the goal, the kicking team earns a point, and the other team gets the ball.
6. Players may use any part of their body to block, but may only pass with their feet.
7. If the ball gets stuck between the lines, the ball chasers (who otherwise stay off the court) may tip the ball in either direction. It will probably be a good idea to assign them to teams, and whoever gets there first can tip it.
8. Also, the ball chasers are responsible for getting any balls that go out of bounds. The ball chasers, however, may not try to score.
9. The winning team is the one with the most points at the end.

Have fun, but be very strict about the no leaving the lines rule. You can make the lines wide for a little more mobility, but they must stay there.

THIS WORKS ON - Athletic ability (kicking the ball and blocking), following directions (staying on the lines), competition (trying to score points against each other), teamwork (passing to each other).

Team Rock-Paper-Scissors

OBJECT - Get all players on one team by playing Rock-Paper-Scissors.

GAME TYPE - Two team games.

WHO'S IT FOR - Group Three. You should have at least six people to play this game, but more is preferable.

WHAT YOU NEED - A large space with home bases for each team.

HOW TO PLAY:

1. Divide the group into two teams.
2. Each team decides among themselves whether to throw rock (closed fist), paper (open palm), or scissors (two fingers extended).
3. Once decided the teams come together in the center of the area.
4. On the count of three, both teams throw the sign they decided on. Everyone on a team must throw the same sign.
5. A winner is determined. Rock breaks scissors, scissors cut paper, paper covers rock.
6. If there is a tie (i.e. both teams throw paper), the teams go off and decide on a new sign.
7. If there is a winner (i.e. one team throws rock and the other throws paper), the losing team must run back to their home base. The winning team must try to tag the members of the other team before they get away.
8. Anyone who gets tagged before reaching home base switches teams.
9. The process is repeated until everyone is on the same team, at which point the game is over.

Make sure everyone understands exactly when they're supposed to throw their sign. Decide beforehand whether to do it right on three, or to count 1-2-3, then throw the sign.

WHAT IT WORKS ON - Strategy (to try to decide what the other team will throw), teamwork (doing the exact same thing as the rest of your team at the same time), competition (no real winner declared, so it's just fun)

Brooklyn Bridge

OBJECT - Get a ball through the legs of your opponents.

GAME TYPE - Two team games.

WHO'S IT FOR - Group One. The group should have an even number of people. However, if there's an odd number, an adult can join one of the teams to make it even.

WHAT YOU NEED - A playground ball and a big space.

HOW TO PLAY:

1. The players divide into two teams. It doesn't matter how the teams are chosen.
2. Each team lines up with their feet approximately shoulder width apart. Also, their feet must be touching the feet of the player or players next to them.
3. One team takes a ball and attempts to roll it through the legs of the other team.
4. The team defending may try to block the ball, but they may not use their hands or move their feet, only their legs.
5. If the ball rolls through, the rolling team gets a point.
6. The defenders are now the rollers. Make sure everyone gets a chance to roll and defend.
7. The winning team is the one with the most points after a certain time limit.

As the game goes on, you may want to add more balls to the mix to make things interesting.

THIS WORKS ON - Eye hand coordination (aiming, rolling), strategy (figuring out where to roll the ball and how to block it), competition (trying to score points off the other team).