Dragon's Jewels

OBJECT - Steal the dragon's jewels!

GAME TYPE - Tag games.

WHO'S IT FOR - Group Two or Group Three. You should have at least five people to play this game.

WHAT YOU NEED - About ten to twenty small objects to double as jewels. I like to use beanbags, but you can use just about anything.

HOW TO PLAY:

1. Choose one player to be the dragon.
2. Place the dragon's jewels in the center of the floor.
3. The dragon must protect the jewels, but may not touch them. The dragon can stand over them, crouch, and protect them in anyway, but no touching.
4. All other players try to steal the jewels. They can work together, trying to distract the dragon while others steal jewels.
5. If the dragon tags a player, that player is out of the game.
6. If the player gets away from the dragon with jewels and without being tagged, the jewels are successfully stolen.
7. If the player steals jewels, but gets tagged in the getaway, the jewels go back to the nest.
8. The round is over when either all jewels have been stolen, or all players have been tagged.
9. Everyone should get a chance to be the dragon. The winner will be the dragon who has successfully defended the most treasure.

Since the jewels do not belong to an individual, but rather to the whole team, be sure to stress team cooperation. The team can't steal much treasure unless they work together.

THIS WORKS ON - Teamwork (working together to steal jewels), strategy (figuring out the best way to stymie the dragon).

Dragon's Tail

OBJECT - Be a dragon, and don't let the head catch the tail!

GAME TYPE - One team games.

WHO'S IT FOR - Group One. You need at least five people to make a good sized dragon.

WHAT YOU NEED - Space to move around, and some kind of flag for a tail.

HOW TO PLAY:

1. Everyone lines up, one behind another, and puts their hands on the shoulders or waist of the person in front of them.
2. Attach a tail to the person in the back. It can be a flag, a handkerchief, or some other loose cloth or paper attached loosely in the back o the waist. It must be easily removed.
3. The person in front of the line is the head of the dragon. He/she must try to grab the tail from the back of the dragon and pull it off.
4. Everyone else is the body of the dragon. They must hold on and not lose contact with each other for the entire game. However, in following the head, they must try to keep it from catching the tail.
5. The tail must try to evade the head for as long as it can.
6. When the tail is removed, the person who was in the back of the line moves to the front and becomes the new head.

Make sure everyone gets a chance to be both head and tail throughout the game.

THIS WORKS ON - Teamwork (having to move as one entity), strategy (trying to keep the head from the tail)

Athlon

OBJECT - Compete in an athlon to earn points. An athlon is an event with multiple stages where players earn points, add them up, and declare a winner. A triathlon would be a three stage event, a decathlon would be a ten stage event.

GAME TYPE - Individual games.

WHO'S IT FOR - This is our first all groups game! The number of events should propably vary from group to group based on tolerance and time to spend. There should be at least three people competing in each event, but no more than ten.

WHAT YOU NEED - It depends on what events you're going to use. This requires planning and preparation.

HOW TO PLAY:

1. First, choose how many stages you're going to have in your athlon. In sporting events, athlons can be held over several days, so feel free to have yours last over several sessions. A suggestion would be to have Group One hold a triathlon (three stage event), Group Two compete in a pentathlon (five stage event), and Group Three participate in a decathlon (ten stage event).
2. Once you've determined how many stages your athlon will have, decide on the events. Suggestions can be found below.
3. Now it's time to compete. Have the children participate in the events and keep score for each event. First place scores as many points as you have players, then each subsequent placement scores one less. With five players, first place gets five points, second gets four, third gets three, fourth gets two, and fifth gets one. With ten players, first gets ten points, second gets nine, and so on.
4. Keep track of the individual scores for each event. After all stages are completed, add up the scores from each round to find your athlon champion!

Following are ten suggestions for stages in your athlon. Feel free to come up with your own events based on the likes and dislikes of your particular groups.

• Animal Race - Have players imitate animals in a race. You can have them all race as one animal, or have several legs where they change animals. Possible ways to race are as horses (galloping), crabs (walking on backs), kangaroos (hopping), snakes (crawling on bellies), penguins (waddling with legs together), and cheetahs (running). The game is discussed in detail in an article published 2/21/08. Have them race, and the fastest student wins the stage. Last place gets one point.
• Ball Draw - Put several plastic balls in a sack. There sould be about five of one type for every one of a different type (i.e. five green to one red). On their turn, each player should reach into the bag and pull a ball out. If it is green, they're still in the game. If it's red, they're out. The first one to go out gets one point, and the last one standing wins the stage. If you don't have plastic balls to use, find some other object to use, but make sure the objects are similar enough that they can't be discriminated by touch.
• Discus Throw - Using a Frisbee, each student gets three tries to throw the discus as far as they can. Only one of their throws will count, so it should be the one that went the farthest out of their three. The one who gets the discus the farthest wins the stage, and the one who threw it the shortest distance gets one point.
• Ecar - Have the students race a predetermined distance, but have them run backwards. The first one to cross the finish line (or the fastest, if you want to run them individually) wins the stage, and the last one (or slowest) gets one point.
• Jump Rope - Using a long jump rope, have two adults (or one adult and a stationary object you can tie one end of the rope to) twirl a rope for each student in turn. Each student gets three tries to jump as many times as they can, and all three tries are added together. The winner of the stage is the one with the most combined jumps, and last place gets one point.
• Memory - Lay out a deck of playing cards face down. In turn, each player turns over two cards. If they match (same number and same color, such as the two of clubs and the two of spades), the player gets to keep the pair and go again. If they don't match, the player turns them back to facedown and the next player goes. At the end, the player with the most matches wins the stage. The player with the least gets one point.
• Musical Chairs - Have enough chairs for everyone to be sated, and cluster them together. Start the music, and everyone gets up to walk around the chairs. Take one chair away, then stop the music. Whoever does not get a chair gets one point. Keep going until there's only one chair left. The student who takes it is the winner of the stage.
• Rock Paper Scissors - Each player competes against an adult, one at a time. On the count of three, both competitors throw either a rock (closed fist), paper (flat hand), or scissors (two extended fingers). Rock breaks scissors, scissors cut paper, paper covers rock. Play a best of five series. If the player wins three, they are still in the game. If the adult wins three, the player is out. The first player out gets on point, and the last player to not get eliminated wins the stage.
• Target Throw - Use some sidewalk chalk to draw a target on concrete outside. Draw five rings, with the inner ring being worth 5 points, and the outer ring being worth one. Everyone gets to throw five beanbags at the target, trying to score as many points as possible. The one with the highest score wins the stage, and the on with the lowest gets one point.
• Tug Of War - Rather than have two teams trying to pull each other over a line, this version pits everyone against everyone. Players stand around a large mat or other clearly marked area and hold hands. On the word "GO", everyone tries to pull each other onto the mat without stepping on themselves. The first person to step on the mat gets one point. The last one standing wins the stage.

In case of a tie for placement in a stage, both players get the same number of points, but each player afterwards gets the same number of points they would have had the players not tied. For example, if two players tie for second in a five player game, they both get four points, and whoever comes next in points would get two, as if they had come in fourth place.

Also, if there's a tie for first place after the athlon is finished, choose a sudden death event and have the players who tied compete for the win.

THIS WORKS ON - Competition (competing against peers in physical and non-physical activities), sequencing (doing a series of tasks to accumulate points). There are also individual goals for each activity.

Paranoid

OBJECT - Protect your flag!

GAME TYPE - Elimination games.

WHO'S IT FOR - Group Three. There should be at least three people playing at a time, but it's more fun with more.

WHAT YOU NEED - Some type of flag for each player, and each player should have two. Flags should be loosely attached at the belt line so it can be easily pulled off. Also, you should have a boundaried area to play in, not too big, but big enough so people can move around. A circle is preferable.

HOW TO PLAY:

1. Attach flags to player's waists. They should be easy to pull off. Each player gets two flags.
2. This is an everyone for themselves game, so players will be trying to capture other people's flags while protecting their own.
3. Once both a player's flags have been taken, they are out and must leave the area immediately.
4. Players may not stray out of the boundaries you have established. If a player does go outside the area, they are penalized one flag.

The game is called Paranoid because you're trying to keep everyone in your sight to keep your own flag safe. Players will find it difficult to keep their eyes everywhere at once. You may want to play smaller games with at least three people before working up to an all out game with everyone.

THIS WORKS ON - Strategy (trying to outthink your opponents), competition (trying to be the last one standing).

Animal Races

OBJECT - Run like an animal to win the race!

GAME TYPE - Racing games.

WHO'S IT FOR - Groups One and Two. There need to be at least two people for it to actually be a race, but it's better to have more competition.

WHAT YOU NEED - Cards that represent the various animals, and an area where the kids can run.

HOW TO PLAY:

1. The first thing to do is have the kids practice the various animal racing movements (see below the rules for a list of suggestions).
2. Once practiced, have heats for each movement. Have each student run a certain distance in one of the animal styles one at a time. Crown a champion of each animal class by who can finish each leg the fastest.
3. After all heats are done, do a big animal race. Have everyone start as one animal. When they reach a certain point, they switch to another animal. Keep switching as much as you want (use the animal cards to let them know when to switch), and the first one to reach the finish line is the winner.
4. You also may want to do the final animal race one at a time to keep things fair. Just keep track of the time, and the winner is the one who finishes the fastest.

These are good animal moves to use for the race:

• Cheetah Run - Run as fast as you can.
• Crab Walk - Walk on all fours with your back to the ground.
• Horse Trot - Gallop forward with one foot staying in front of the other.
• Kangaroo Hop - Jump forward with your feet together.
• Penguin Waddle - Walk with your legs pressed together.
• Snake Slither - Crawl forward with your belly staying on the ground.

THIS WORKS ON - Competition (racing against your peers), athletic ability (running, doing other animal moves quickly), sequencing (able to follow the moves and change when they need to)

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)

Scavenger Chairs

OBJECT - Like musical chairs, but here, you have to find stuff to not be eliminated.

GAME TYPE - Elimination games.

WHO'S IT FOR - Group Two, although it may be good for other groups as well. You need at least five people for this game.

WHAT YOU NEED - Chairs, a space with many objects around, and a list of easy to find objects within that space.

HOW TO PLAY:

1. Have all players sit in chairs in a line. Their backs should be to a wall or to the outside of the area so they can clearly see all around the area.
2. Name the first item. When you say "GO!", all players must dash off to find that item.
3. Once the players have found the item, they run back to their chairs. However, one chair has been removed, so the last person to get back with the correct item is out.
4. Some players may come back with the wrong item. If they do, send them back to try again.
5. Keep removing chairs until only one person is able to get a seat. This person is the winner.

Make the objects more difficult to find as the game goes on, particularly in future rounds.

THIS WORKS ON - Competition (trying to find objects before the other players), following directions (finding the object told to you)

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).

SPUD

OBJECT - Get everyone else to spell out SPUD by hitting them with the ball.

GAME TYPE - Dodge games.

WHO'S IT FOR - Group Two or Group Three. There should be at least three players for this game.

WHAT YOU NEED - A soft playground ball and plenty of space to run.

HOW TO PLAY:

1. Gather all players in a circle and assign one player to be IT.
2. IT throws the ball as high as they can in the air, and all other players take off running.
3. IT catches the thrown ball and yells "FREEZE!" The running players must stop exactly where they are and not move.
4. IT must then try to hit one of the runners with the ball. IT may take up to three giant steps in their direction, then throw. The runner may not dodge.
5. If IT succeeds in hitting a runner, the runner gets a letter. The runner becomes the new IT.
6. If IT misses the runner, IT gets a letter. Choose a new IT in any way you like.
7. Everytime a runner gets hit, or IT misses, they get a letter. The first time, it's S. The second, P. The third, U. The fourth, D. If a player gets to D, they are out of the game.

Make sure no one is trying to hurt each other with their throws. Also, be very strict about the three step rule.

THIS WORKS ON - Eye-hand coordination (aiming the ball), following directions (three step rule, freeze), competition (trying to get other players out, being a good sport).

Seated Volleyball

OBJECT - Don't let the ball touch the ground!

GAME TYPE - One team games.

WHO'S IT FOR - Group One. You need at least six people to make the game work well.

WHAT YOU NEED - Either a beach ball or a balloon, and chairs

HOW TO PLAY:

1. All players sit in chairs in a circle.
2. One player hits the beach ball or balloon up in the air.
3. Another player hits the ball when it comes down.
4. Repeat this as long as possible. Don't let the ball touch the ground!
5. No player may hit the ball twice in a row.
6. No player may leave their seat to hit the ball.
7. No spikes are allowed (hitting the ball very hard).
8. Score one point for the team every time the ball is hit successfully. If the ball hits the ground, start the scoring over.
9. Try to get the highest score possible!

You can also play a more individual version, where players get points if they hit the ball and someone else can hit it before it touches the ground.

THIS WORKS ON - Teamwork (working together to achieve the highest score possible), eye-hand coordination (being able to see the ball and hit it so others can hit it), following directions (being able to follow the rules), attending (paying attention to when the ball comes to you).

Catch the Leader

OBJECT - For IT, discover the leader from the group. For everyone else, keep that from happening.

GAME TYPE - Observation game

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

WHAT YOU NEED - One chair per person (except for IT), or everyone can just sit on the floor.

HOW TO PLAY:

1. All players sit in a circle.
2. One person is chosen as IT and leaves the room.
3. Once IT is gone, another player is chosen to be the leader.
4. The leader begins a simple, repetitive movement that can be easily imitated by all other players. This could be clapping hands, nodding head, tapping feet, etc.
5. Once the movement has started, IT returns to the room.
6. IT must try to figure out who the leader is.
7. The leader must change the movement every once in a while. If you want, you can set a thirty second time limit before the leader MUST change the movement. Otherwise, the leader will never change, and IT has no chance.
8. All other players must imitate whatever the leader is doing, which means they have to pay attention to the leader. However, they can't give the leader away, so they shouldn't look directly at the leader.
9. IT has three guesses to catch the leader. If IT is successful, the leader becomes the new IT. If IT is unsuccessful, you can make him/her go again, or you can choose a new IT.

It is very important that the group protect the leader. They must pay close attention so the movement changes can be imitated immediately.

THIS GAME WORKS ON - Teamwork (group working together to fool IT), competition (everyone against IT), attending (paying attention to when the movements change), imitation (imitating what the movement is), logic (IT must work out who the leader is).

Bronco Tag

OBJECT - Grab onto the tail of the bronco!

GAME TYPE - Tag game

WHO'S IT FOR - Group Two. You should have at least seven children for this game.

WHAT YOU NEED - A big space to play in.

HOW TO PLAY:

1. Divide everyone up into teams, with one person left over. There should be three to four people on a team. You can have as many teams as possible with your number of children. (Seven people - three on each of two teams, one person left over. Eight people - three on one team, four on the other, one left over. Ten people - three on each of three teams, one person left over.)
2. The teams are broncos. Line each team up and have them hold the waist of the person in front of them.
3. The person left over is IT. IT's job is to catch one of the broncos. To catch a bronco, IT must grab the waist of the person in back of the bronco.
4. The broncos must try to avoid IT. They must work together for this to work.
5. When IT catches a bronco, the player at the front of that bronco becomes the new IT.

It may take awhile for the broncos to get the hang of moving together, but keep working at it. Also, encourage a competitive spirit, but make sure everyone gets a chance to be IT.

THIS GAME WORKS ON - Teamwork (since the broncos have to move together to avoid being caught), competition (trying to avoid being IT).

Apples to Oranges

OBJECT - Don't get caught with the wrong fruit when the music stops, or be out of the game!

GAME TYPE - Elimination Game

WHO'S IT FOR - Group One. There should be about six to ten students for this game.

WHAT YOU NEED - Music, chairs, an apple, an orange, and cards to represent the fruit. The fruit can be real or plastic...plastic fruit will most likely last longer as it can't be eaten. As the game progresses, you may want to use other fruit. Be creative.

HOW TO PLAY:

1. All players sit in a circle.
2. For the first round, only use the apple. No cards are needed in this first round.
3. When the music starts, pass the apple from person to person.
4. When the music stops, whoever is caught holding the apple is out.
5. The last person remaining in the circle is the winner!
6. After the first round, have all players sit in a circle again.
7. This time, use an apple and an orange. You will need an apple card and an orange card.
8. When the music starts, players pass the fruit around the circle one at a time (no player should be holding both the apple and orange at once).
9. When the music stops, draw a card at random. Whoever is holding the fruit that is on the card is out.
10. At the end of the round, the last two players will each be passing the fruit back and forth to each other. Whoever is left holding the fruit not on the card that is drawn is the winner!

In subsequent rounds, if the students are getting it, feel free to add more fruit, such as a banana, a lemon, or a peach.

THIS GAME WORKS ON - Social interaction (by passing the fruits to their peers), attending (paying attention to when the music stops), following directions (by following rules and passing when they're supposed to).

The Bloglish Game Zone

Welcome to the Bloglish Game Zone. This blog is intended to put together games for groups of kids. My focus, however, is on special education rather than typically developing children. Why I try to find group games that are aimed at the groups in the school where I work, I don't find a lot that is specifically aimed at our population. Most just aren't appropriate for our needs. Many of them also seem like they're no fun. So, I'm going to see if I can get together a set of games that are appropriate specifically for special education groups, and could probably used with groups of typically developing children.

Your group is really only as advanced as its weakest member. In this respect, you really need to know a group and be willing to make changes for everyone. For purposes of this list, I'll try to group games into three group levels. Of course, each game could probably be adapted for every group, this is mostly just a template.

• GROUP ONE - This is our lowest functioning group. The group dynamic is good for them to develop social skills that are not quite where they should be for the age level. This group requires a lot of prompting, and games should be very simple. Concepts such as social skills, sharing, teamwork, cooperation, sequencing, and following directions are very important for this group.
• GROUP TWO - This group is higher functioning, but not to the point where they are completely independent. This group is more competitive, but still need to work on their social skills. Games should be less about winning, and more about achievement. Some prompting is still necessary, and rules can be more challenging, but not too complicated.
• GROUP THREE - This is our highest functioning group. The students are generally independent, and very good at following directions. Rules can be more complex, and competition can be emphasized. Other things to work on are teamwork, strategy, and cooperation to achieve a common goal.

You'll know your children better than I will, but this is the basic setup of the groups at the school where I work. Variations that you can think of are appreciated. Thanks, and I hope you enjoy.
-Dr. Worm, Gamemaster