Showing posts with label Competition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Competition. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Four Team Volleyball

OBJECT - Win a game of volleyball against three other teams.

GAME TYPE - Four team game.

WHO'S IT FOR - Group Three. You need at least three players per team.

WHAT YOU NEED - Two movable volleyball nets, an extra pole or two, and a volleyball.

HOW TO PLAY:

  1. Set up the court. Put a pole in the middle. Set up the nets so the middle is tied to the pole, and the ends make a ninety degree angle to each other, creating four equal quadrants. Alternately, you can have two poles in the middle and wrap the nets behind them.
  2. Each team goes to a quadrant.
  3. The serving team must serve the ball into the quadrant that is directly across diagonally. After that, the ball can go anywhere.
  4. After the serve, each team has three tries to get the ball over the net. One player cannot hit the ball twice in a row.
  5. If the ball hits the ground, or if a player commits a foul such as hitting the ball twice in a row, their team gets a point.
  6. If the ball goes out of bounds, the team that hit it out of bounds gets a point.
  7. The serving team keeps serving until they get a point, at which point the next team to the left serves. Alternately, you can set a five serve limit before they must pass.
  8. Players rotate the serve whenever it is their team's turn to serve.
  9. Once a team reaches 15 points, the game is over. The team with the lowest point total is the winner.

This game requires a lot of focus becauser the ball could be coming from anywhere. Players will learn how to fake each other out, so make sure everyone is paying attention.

THIS WORKS ON - Athletic ability (volleyball skills), competition (playing against three other teams), observational skills (paying attention to the ball), teamwork (playing as a team)

Friday, April 18, 2008

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).

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Balloon Sweep

OBJECT - Be the first to sweep your balloon over the finish line.

GAME TYPE - Racing game.

WHO'S IT FOR - Group One. You need at least two to play this one, more to make it a relay.

WHAT YOU NEED - Several blown up balloons (in case one pops), and two brooms (or more, depending on how many teams/racers you have).

HOW TO PLAY:
  1. Divide the players into teams.
  2. Give the first runner on each team a broom and place a balloon on the floor.
  3. On the word "GO", players sweep the balloon towards the turn-around point, which can be a line, a chair, a wall, whatever.
  4. At that point, they turn around and head back to the start.
  5. When they cross the start line, they give the broom to the next player who now sweeps the balloon toward the turn around.
  6. The winners are the first ones to have everyone cross the finish line.

The balloons will go all over the place, so definitely have more ready in case one pops. Also, you can have every player race individually rather than in teams, keeping track of the fastest time.

THIS WORKS ON - Eye-hand coordination (using the broom to sweep the balloon), competition (racing)

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Threeball

OBJECT - Score the most points and win the game.

GAME TYPE - Individual game.

WHO'S IT FOR - Group Two. You'll need eight or so players to play this game.

WHAT YOU NEED - Three kickable balls, a box, and a large field to play in.

HOW TO PLAY:
  1. Set up the field, with three bases and a home plate. They don't have to be as far apart as in standard baseball, but there should be some distance between them.
  2. Set up the box in the middle, where the pitcher's mound would be.
  3. Everyone plays defense and should go in the field, except for one player who is the first kicker.
  4. The kicker stands at home plate with three balls on the ground in front of them.
  5. The kicker kicks all three of the balls in different directions, and starts to run the bases.
  6. The kicker scores a point every time they cross a base. If a player crosses home plate, they can keep running, and each base is worth two points.
  7. The defense must corral the balls and put them in the box.
  8. Once all three balls are in the box, the kicker is out. Add up the number of bases they crossed before being out for their score.
  9. A new kicker comes up, while the old one goes to the field.
  10. The winner is the one, at the end of the game, who scored the most points.

With enough players, you can even have two teams, with all players kicking before taking the field.

THIS WORKS ON - Competition (trying to score/prevent scoring), following directions (rules of the game)

Monday, March 31, 2008

Calvinball

OBJECT - Make up your own game.

GAME TYPE - Creative game.

WHO'S IT FOR - All groups can play. You can have as many or as few as you want playing.

WHAT YOU NEED - It depends on the rules you decide. You may want to have some options ready when making the rules, then you can figure it out from there. You will need a chart for the rules and masks for everyone.

HOW TO PLAY:
Calvinball is a game played in the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes. As Calvin says in one strip, the only permanent rule in Calvinball is that you can't play the same way twice. Therefore, you'll have to make up this game as you go. You may want to take two sessions with this game, at least at first. In the first session, set the rules. In the second session, play the game.
  • SESSION ONE: Set the rules. Each group will be different in the way the rules get set. For Group One, for example, you may want to have more limited choices (what type of ball should we use...a basketball, a soccer ball, or a football?), while Group Three can have a broader choice (what type of ball should we use?) In the comic, Calvinball seems to be a cross between croquet and Capture The Flag, but you can play it however you want. Encourage creativity in the choices (seventeen bases, shoot a football into a basketball hoop, can only carry the ball between your knees, etc). You'll need to establish how to score, roles of the players, number of players per team, number of teams, penalties for breaking rules, and any other things you can think of. This will take a while, which is why I recommend taking an entire session.
  • SESSION TWO: Play the game. When playing the game, make sure everyone is following the rules they came up with. However, in the spirit of true Calvinball, players can make up more rules as they go, as long as they don't conflict with the original rules (if an original rule was to hop on one foot when scoring a point, a new rule cannot be to run in a circle when scoring a point). New rules must be stated alound and added to the rule chart. Also, the official uniform of Calvinball is a bandit mask over the eyes.

This game is more about inventing the rules than winning. Encourage lots of creativity.

THIS WORKS ON - Creativity (making up the rules), following directions (following the rules), competition (playing the game).

Monday, March 24, 2008

Greedy

OBJECT - Make the most baskets.

GAME TYPE - Elimination game.

WHO'S IT FOR - Group Three. You should have no more than ten people playing this game at once.

WHAT YOU NEED - A basketball hoop and enough basketballs so each player can have one. The basketballs should be unique enough that players can tell them apart. This can be a marking on the ball, or an entirely different style of ball. You should also have a scorecard.

HOW TO PLAY:
  1. Have each player line up outside the three point line, and give each a basketball.
  2. On the word "GO", every player shoots their basketballs to try to make a basket.
  3. When a player misses, they must get the rebopund (and make sure it is their ball), and shoot from where they got the rebound. They may not move closer to the basket. If a ball goes out of bounds, the player may bring the ball back in bounds before shooting again.
  4. Once a player makes a shot, they yell "POINT" and run back to the three point line to start shooting again.
  5. Keep track of the points. When a player scores five baskets, they can stop and move off the court.
  6. The last player shooting (who doesn't make five points) is eleiminated.
  7. Players start again from behiond the three point line. In the next round, you only need four points. The next round, and all rounds after that, need only three points.
  8. Players can use their basketballs to block other shots, throwing their balls in the air to knock another one off its flight path. The danger in this, however, is that you have to shoot from where your ball goes, which will probably be somewhere in the wrong direction.
  9. Keep eleiminating until one player is left standing. This player wins.

This game can get pretty chaotic, so make sure everyone knows exactly which ball is theirs.

THIS WORKS ON - Competition (trying to score the most baskets while everyone else is shooting), athletic ability (basketball skills)

Friday, March 14, 2008

Paper Football Tournament

OBJECT - Win the paper football tournament!

GAME TYPE - Individual game.

WHO'S IT FOR - Groups Two and Three. You need two people for a game, and more for a tournament.

WHAT YOU NEED - A table and a paper football for each game. Find instructions on how to make a paper football here.

HOW TO PLAY:

  1. You can set up the tournament in a couple of different ways. You can do a single elimination tournament, bracket style like the NCAA tournament. You could also have all players play everyone else and keep track of wins and losses, with the top two players meeting for the championship at the end. You can also come up with your own format.
  2. To play paper football, seat two players across from each other at a table. There shouldn't be too much space between them.
  3. Have players flick the football to the other end of the table. The goal is to get part of the football hanging over the edge of the table. You can check this by running your finger across the edge of the table. If the football moves, it's a goal.
  4. If the football goes over the edge and falls to the floor, it doesn't count.
  5. If the football does not score a goal, the opposing player must flick it from the place it stopped. The only way a player may move the football is if the football goes over the edge.
  6. Whoever scores five points first is the winner.

Play as many games as you want, but try to keep it competitive and fun.

THIS WORKS ON - Fine motor (flicking the football), eye-hand coordination (aiming, trying to get the shot just right), competition (trying to score more goals than the other player)

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Spoons

OBJECT - Make four of a kind, and don't be the last one to grab a spoon.

GAME TYPE - Elimination game.

WHO'S IT FOR - Group Three. This should ideally be played with a group of no more than seven or eight.

WHAT YOU NEED - A full deck of playing cards and one spoon for each player, minus one.

HOW TO PLAY:
  1. Have all players sit in a circle with spoons in the middle. There should be enough spoons in the middle so every player except one can grab a spoon.
  2. Have one player shuffle and deal the cards (help if you need to). Four cards get dealt to each player. All extra cards are placed in front of the dealer.
  3. The object is to make four of a kind in your hand. This means you want to have all four 3s or all four Kings, etc.
  4. On the word "GO", the dealer takes a card from the extra card deck. The dealer must then discard one card and pass it to the player on his/her left. While the next player decides if he/she wants to use that card, the dealer draws another one.
  5. Play continues like this, with each player discarding and passing. You may only have four cards in your hand at a time, and you may only pick up one card at a time.
  6. When the last player discards, instead of passing the card to the dealer, they make a discard pile. Should you run out of cards without someone getting four of a kind, the dealer may shuffle those cards and use them as a new deck.
  7. When someone makes four of a kind in their hand, they must grab a spoon. However, they want to do this in such a way that no one else notices.
  8. If anyone notices that a spoon has been taken, they can grab a spoon as well, even if they don't have four of a kind in their hand.
  9. Whoever does not get a spoon in the round is out.
  10. Remove a spoon and play again.
  11. Keep playing until only one remains. They are the winner.

Sneakiness is encouraged when grabbing a spoon. When someone does notice, it usually turns chaotic quickly.

THIS WORKS ON - Observational skills (knowing when someone takes a spoon), matching (making four of a kind), competition (playing a game with peers)

Octopus Tag

OBJECT - Don't get tagged by the octopus or any tentacles!

GAME TYPE - Tag game.

WHO'S IT FOR - Group One. You can have as many people as you want to play this game, but at least six.

WHAT YOU NEED - A rectangular space to run with clearly defined borders.

HOW TO PLAY:
  1. Set the borders of your area, which should be rectangular. The ends of the area are the safe zones.
  2. Designate one person to be the octopus.
  3. The octopus stands in the middle of the area, while all other players go to one of the safe zones (everyone in the same place).
  4. When the octopus says "GO!", all other players must run from their safe zone to the other, trying to avoid the tag of the octopus. Players may not cross over the edges of the area.
  5. If someone gets tagged by the octopus, they become a tentacle. Rather than attaching to the octopus, however, they must stay in the same place they were when they were tagged.
  6. Once all players who have not been tagged, the octopus returns to the center of the area and says "GO!" again. Players race back to the other safe zone, this time trying to avoid the tag of the octopus AND any tentacles.
  7. Tentacles may not move from their spot, they are rooted to the ground. However, they may take one step as long as their other foot is firmly planted.
  8. Anyone who gets tagged by a tentacle becomes another tentacle and must stay in place to try and tag people the next time.
  9. The last person who can avoid all tentacles and the octopus is the winner, and becomes the new octopus.

If any tentacle needs help staying put, you can use a carpet square, or draw a big circle where they need to stand using chalk, or tape.

THIS WORKS ON - Competition (trying to avoid the tag), following directions (staying inside the borders, staying in place as a tentacle)

Friday, March 7, 2008

Around The World

OBJECT - Score all the shots first!

GAME TYPE - Individual game.

WHO'S IT FOR - Groups Two and Three. You need at least two for this game, and probably no more than 8.

WHAT YOU NEED - A basketball, a basketball court (or half-court), and some means of marking spots (chalk, tape, carpet squares).

HOW TO PLAY:
  1. Mark ten spots around the basketball court, with shots increasing in difficulty. For example, spot #1 might be right by the basket (lay up) while shot #10 is behind the basket.
  2. On their turn, each player will start at spot #1 and try to work their way up to spot #10.
  3. If a player makes a shot, they move ahead and shoot again.
  4. If a player misses a shot, their turn is over and the next player tries.
  5. Each player starts their turn from the last place they missed.
  6. The first person to make all ten shots is the winner.

Know your group's abilities, and don't make the shots impossible, but do make them challenging. If your group can barely get the ball to the hoop from the free throw line, don't make them shoot from midcourt.

THIS WORKS ON - Competition (trying to make all the baskets before anyone else), athletic ability (basketball skills), eye-hand coordination (making shots).

Jingle Tag

OBJECT - Catch the jingler.

GAME TYPE - Tag game.

WHO'S IT FOR - Group One. You'll need four to ten people for this game.

WHAT YOU NEED - For variation one, jingle bells for everyone and one blindfold. For variation two, blindfolds for everyone and one set of jingle bells. For both groups, have an area with clearly defined borders.

HOW TO PLAY (Variation One):
  1. Choose one person to be IT and blindfold them.
  2. Give everyone else a set of jingle bells.
  3. At the word "GO", IT tries to find someone else by listening for their jingle bells.
  4. The jinglers must jingle their bells if they are moving. They also may not leave the defined area.
  5. Adults can scatter around the area to help IT stay inside the borders.
  6. When IT tags someone, they become the new IT.

HOW TO PLAY (Variation Two):

  1. Choose one person to be IT, and blindfold everyone else.
  2. Give IT a set of jingle bells.
  3. At the word "GO", everyone tries to find IT by listening for the jingle bells.
  4. IT must jingle the bells when moving. IT may not leave the defined area.
  5. Adults can scatter around the area to help the blindfolded people stay in the area.
  6. When someone catches IT, they become the new IT.

Watch out for the safety of anyone who is blindfolded. They shouldn't move too fast, and be sure the area is cleared of anything they might trip on.

THIS WORKS ON - Sensory (using ears instead of eyes), competition (trying to tag/not be tagged).

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Pig

OBJECT - Score 101 points before anyone else.

GAME TYPE - Individual game.

WHO'S IT FOR - Group Three. This game is ideally played with 2-6 players.

WHAT YOU NEED - Two dice and a scorepad.

HOW YOU PLAY:
  1. Decide who goes first by rolling the dice. High roll wins.
  2. The first player rolls the dice and adds up the total. They may keep rolling until they bust, or roll a one, or until they choose to stop.
  3. If, on any roll, one of the dice is a one, that player's turn is over and they collect no points for the turn, but may keep all points accumulated in previous turns.
  4. If a player rolls double ones, their turn is over, and they lose all points accumulated in the game to that point. This is a bust.
  5. If a player rolls doubles (not ones), they must roll again. They have no choice. If they roll doubles three times in a row, they lose all points accumulated to that point. This is also a bust.
  6. If a player chooses to stop before busting or rolling a one, they may keep any points accumulated in that turn and add them to their total.
  7. The first player to score 101 points or more is the winner. However, if any player scores exactly 100, they bust and lose all points accumulated in the game.

Confused? Here's a sample:

  • Player A rolls 3-6. He chooses to keep rolling. He rolls a 2-3. He chooses to stop with 14 points.
  • Player B rolls 4-4. He must roll again. He rolls a 6-6. He must roll again. He rolls 2-3. He chooses to stop with 25 points.
  • Player C rolls 5-6. She rolls again. She rolls 1-3. She ends her turn with zero.
  • Player D rolls 3-4. She chooses to stop with 7 points.
  • Player A rolls 1-1. He loses the 14 points he earned on his first turn and now has zero.
  • Player B rolls 2-2. He must roll again. He rolls 5-5. He must roll again. He rolls 3-3. He busts and loses the 25 points from the first turn, and now has zero.
  • Player C keeps rolling for several turns, amazingly not rolling a single one. However, at 95 points, she rolls 2-3 bringing her total to 100. She loses all her points and is back to zero.
  • Player D rolls a 6-6 and must roll again. She rolls 5-6 and chooses to stop with 23 points in this round added to her 7 from the previous round for 30 total.

THIS WORKS ON - Competition (rolling for higher points than your peers), strategy (knowing when to quit rolling), math (adding numbers).

Shadow Tag

OBJECT - Tag the shadows!

GAME TYPE - Tag game.

WHO'S IT FOR - Group Two. You can have at least four for this game, or as many as you want.

WHAT YOU NEED - A sunny day.

HOW TO PLAY:
  1. One person is designated as IT.
  2. At the word "GO", IT attempts to tag the other players. The catch is, IT must tag their shadow by stepping on it.
  3. If someone's shadow is tagged, they become the new IT.
  4. Play as long as you like.

Play late in the day for easier tags (longer shadows). Play at midday for a more difficult game.

THIS WORKS ON - Competition (trying not to get out), following directions (tagging shadow and not person).

Grid Game

OBJECT - Collect the most grid boxes.

GAME TYPE - Individual game.

WHO'S IT FOR - Group One. You need at least three people, and up to ten.

WHAT YOU NEED - Sidewalk chalk and an area outside. In drawing the grid, make five rows and five columns of boxes for 25 total. If there are more than five playing, add another column for each player. Also, you'll need one beanbag for each player.

HOW TO PLAY:
  1. Draw the grid (as described above).
  2. Each player takes turn throwing one beanbag at the grid.
  3. If a beanbag lands in an unoccupied box (a box that has not already been claimed), the player that threw it may claim the box. They can sign their initials, or color it in with a unique color, or draw a picture, or whatever tehy want to do to claim it.
  4. If the beanbag lands in a box that has already been claimed, they can have one more chance to try and get a free box. If they don't, they pass their turn.
  5. Keep playing until all boxes are claimed. The player who claimed the most boxes is the winner.

Due to the set-up, this is not a game that repeats easily. Either plan on this being the only thing in your session, or have another game ready for after this one ends.

THIS WORKS ON - Eye-hand coordination (aiming a beanbag and throwing), competition (trying to earn the most boxes), writing (signing your box).

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Hungry Hippos

OBJECT - Feed the hippos!

GAME TYPE - Four team game.

WHO'S IT FOUR - Group Two and Group Three. You need at least four players to play, but probably no more than 12.

WHAT YOU NEED - Four boxes or laundry baskets, several playground balls, and a fairly large area.

HOW TO PLAY:
  1. Divide the players into four teams. There should be one to three players on each team.
  2. Assign each team to one goal. This is a hippo, and this is where they will try to score.
  3. Everyone must try to score a goal in their own hippo while trying to block goals in other hippos. It may be helpful for teams to divide themselves into offense and defense.
  4. If there are only four players, the playing area will be much smaller than if there are twelve.
  5. If a ball is kicked into a hippo, that hippo's team scores one point. The ball goes back into play.
  6. Players may only kick the ball.
  7. At the end of a set time limit, whichever team has the most points wins.

All four teams must cooperate to prevent other teams from scoring while trying to score themselves. This can make the game pretty chaotic, so watch for frustration.

THIS WORKS ON - Competition (trying to score goals against other teams), eye-foot coordination (trying to aim kicks), interteam cooperation (working with other teams to try and defend).

Color Bingo

OBJECT - Get Bingo using colors.

GAME TYPE - Individual game.

WHO'S IT FOR - Group One. You can have as many or as few as you want to play this game, depending on how much preparation you do.

WHAT YOU NEED - This game needs quite a bit of preparation. First, take two standard six-sided dice. Cover all faces of one die with different colored paper, such as blue, green, yellow, red, black, and white. It doesn't matter which color goes where. Leave the other die alone. You'll also need enough bingo cards for all of your players. The Bingo cards should have six rows and six boxes for a total of 36 boxes. Number each column 1-6. Each column should have four of the six colors represented and placed randomly throughout the column. You'll also need a lot of tokens or other types of markers to mark the board during the game.

HOW TO PLAY:
  1. Pass out the cards to the players.
  2. Have a player roll both dice, the normal one and the colored one.
  3. When the roll is done, have the player call out what the number and color is (e.g. "Three blue").
  4. When the number/color combination is called, players look on their in the number column to see if they have that color represented. If there are one or more blues in the third column, players should mark only one with one of their tokens.
  5. If a number/color combination is rolled, and the player has already marked it, they don't get to mark it again.
  6. If a number/color combination is rolled, and the player doesn't have it, they don't get to mark anything.
  7. All players should get a turn to roll the dice and call out the number/color combination.
  8. Keep track of what has been called.
  9. When someone gets six in a row (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally), they call out "BINGO!" Check to make sure they got it. If they did, they win. If not, play continues.
  10. Once someone has won, clear the cards, switch them around, and play again.

This game is mostly based on luck, so try to encourage the players not to get frustrated if they don't win.

THIS WORKS ON - Color recognition (trying to identify colors on the bingo card), fine motor (placing markers on the card), competition (playing a friendly game with peers), tracking (finding the right color in the right column)

Monday, March 3, 2008

Paper Airplane Race

OBJECT - Build the best paper airplane and win the race.

GAME TYPE - Racing game.

WHO'S IT FOR - Group Three. You need at least two people to make it a race, but you can have as many as you want.

WHAT YOU NEED - Paper for the airplanes, and a number of different designs to experiment with.

HOW TO PLAY:
  1. Step One is the making of the paper airplanes. Each player can make several, using different designs if they want.
  2. Next comes the testing of the airplanes. They can throw them around, checking to see if they work properly.
  3. Now is the time for the race. Players pick their best paper airplane.
  4. On the word "GO", players throw their airplanes as far as they'll go towards the finish line.
  5. If the airplanes fall short, players must pick them up from where they landed and try again.
  6. The first airplane to cross the finish line is the winner. If two airplanes cross at the same time, the one that went the farthest was the winner.
  7. Try again with a different plane if you want.

Some players may need extra help making the airplanes. Be willing to give it.

THIS WORKS ON - Sequencing (following steps to make a paper airplane), competition (it's a race), artistic ability (being creative with designs)

Friday, February 29, 2008

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).

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Spam

OBJECT - Get the other team out using paper ammo.

GAME TYPE - Dodge game.

WHO'S IT FOR - Group Three. You should have a good number of players for this, preferably at least five per side.

WHAT YOU NEED - A large space to play in, and lots of old magazines or newspapers.

HOW TO PLAY:
  1. Divide up into two teams.
  2. Teams take sides of a playing area. In the middle of the playing area, there is a neutral zone that holds a table and the magazines and newspapers.
  3. On the word "GO", both teams have exactly one minute to go to the table and make as many paper balls as they can. Rip out magazine pages, tear up newspaper, whatever they have to do. Crumple the paper up to make your team's ammunition.
  4. At the end of the minute, everyone must leave the neutral zone and not return.
  5. When the minute is up, players may start firing ammunition at their opponents.
  6. If a paper ball hits a player, that player is out. They must sit out of the game until the next round.
  7. Players may use any ammunition that is on their side of the playing area. If the ammunition falls into the neutral zone around the table, it is out of play because no one may enter the neutral zone after that first minute.
  8. The team that gets the other team completely out is the winner.
  9. For the next game, they may make more ammunition, or you can jsut use what was already made.

This is better than dodge ball, especially for Group Three, since they can throw the paper balls as hard as they want and not hurt anyone. This game makes a mess, so make sure everyone cleans up afterwards.

THIS WORKS ON - Competition (trying to get the other team out), eye-hand coordination (aiming and throwing to hit a target).