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Outdoor
Games
Outdoors
Equipment: Bat; soccer or volleyball.
Formation: Teams
Divide the group into two
teams. Line up the outfield team as you would for a game of baseball.
Line the infield in a straight line about 15' behind home plate.
The pitcher pitches the
ball to the first player, who hits it with the bat. As the ball rolls
to the outfield, the batter runs around his team as many times as possible.
Meanwhile, the players in the field line up behind the player who catches
the ball. They all stand one behind the other with their legs apart. The
player who caught the ball rolls it between his legs and between the legs
of his teammates. When the last player in line gets the ball, he yells
'STOP'.
At his cry the batter stops
running.
The infield scores one
point for every three times the batter circled his team.
After three batters, teams
switch positions. Play continues for as many innings as time permits.
Outdoors
Equipment: Pencil and paper for each Six
Formation: Sixes
The Cubs try to spot something
beginning with each letter of the alphabet. These must be written down
in alphabetical order and nothing beginning with B may be spotted until
A has been noted.
This can be played for
general interest in one group, or competitively by a number of groups.
Note: One adult in each
Six could do the job of writing.
Outdoors
Equipment: 1 large paper bag per Six
Formation: Sixes
Each Six has to find a
nature specimen for each letter of the alphabet. The leader should set
a time limit.
Outdoors
Equipment: A supply of apples
Formation: Teams
Divide the group into two
equal teams. In a yard or park, mark out a large rectangular area. One
end of the area is home base, the other end is the outpost, and in between
is enemy territory. The job of the airlift team is to carry supplies (apples)
from home base to the outpost without getting 'shot down' (tagged three
times) by the enemy team. The airlift team may carry one apple each or
may let one or two boys carry several while the other protect them as
they race from home base to the outpost. Boys who are tagged three times
while carrying apples are out, and the enemy gets their apples. Those
of the airlift team who are not carrying apples may run freely without
fear of being tagged. The team that has the most apples at end of game
wins.
You can then have an apple
feast, with the enemy and the airlift team joining forces (as in peacetime).
Outdoors
Equipment: Soccer ball
Formation: Scatter
Mark a goal 3' in circumference
and place a soccer ball in it. Have one of the players kick the ball as
far as possible. While the others run and hide, 'it' runs to recover it
and replaces the ball in the circle before going in search of the players.
When he sees one he calls, 'I spy......' and both run for the ball. The
one who reaches it first kicks it and runs for a hiding place. The other
player is 'it' and must return the ball and search.
Outdoors
Equipment: Per Six: 1 magnifying glass; pencil; paper; rope
Formation: Sixes
Put the group into their
Sixes. Place a box or object over a piece of ground approximately 1 foot
square. Give each group five minutes to write down as may living things
as they see in that square.
Use croquet mallets and balls.
If on paved area, use chair legs as hoops; set up larger than usual croquet
course. Divide boys into groups of four to six for this game so there is
not too much waiting for a turn.
Each boy is handed a slip of
paper bearing the name of a domestic animal or bird. On the signal to start,
each begins to act the creature in dumb show, at the same time looking out
for others of the same species. When three or more have been collected,
they may begin to give voice. The first herd, covey or flock in full chorus
is declared the winner.
A quickie, for a break; allow
about five minutes. Players form two equal lines facing each other and about
3' apart. One is "Heads " the other "Tails." The leader tosses a coin and
calls out the side turned up. If it is Heads, the Heads laugh and smile
while the Tails must remain solemn. The Heads try to make the Tails laugh.
Those who laugh have to join the Heads' side. The coin is tossed again and,
if it comes up Tails, the Tails have to try to make the Heads smile. In
five to seven minutes the line with the greatest number of players is the
winner.
One of the players is the lighthouse,
parked at one end of the hall. Half the group are rocks and they are spaced
around the floor, with a gap between each of them. The rest of the group
are ships who have to make their way, blindfolded, through the rock to the
lighthouse.
On "Go," the lighthouse
goes "Woo-Woo" to guide the ships. The rocks go "Swish-Swish," very gently,
to warn the approaching ships of danger, and the ships are supposed to
sail between the rocks to the lighthouse beyond. If a ship hits a rock
it sinks and stays where it is. When all the ships arrive at the lighthouse,
the two halves of the group swap sides: the rocks become ships and the
ships become rocks and they have a replay.
The Indians of Bolivia used
the tail bones of a donkey or llama (you can use a stick) for this game.
Set the stick up on end in a hole in the ground. Now draw a straight line
away from the stick. Measure out a distance of 3' from the stick. Drive
in a peg. Do this so that the pegs are all 3' apart and in line. You will
need about six pegs, also a supply of tennis balls. The boys then take turns
in trying to hit the stick from the first peg. Those who do, move on to
the next peg. Those who don't, stay at one peg until they hit the stick.
Boys must throw in their correct order throughout the game. The first boy
to complete the six throws from the pegs wins. This can also be done on
a best time basis.
One of the players tells the
story of the Pony Express, and how the messenger-riders had so little time
that they never touched the ground when changing horses but jumped from
on horse to the other. "Horses" are spaced out over the course the smallest
player in each group is the messenger. Any messenger touching the ground
on the change-over from one player; to another must start over. First player
finished is the winner.
Variation--Change Horses
Pair off the horse and
rider teams. On command, all riders change horses without touching the
ground.
Turn slender saplings, about
4' long, into lances with feathers for steering. Boys line up, throw lances
for distance.
Make hoop out of a slender
branch, about 1' diameter, by tying ends together. Weave string-work in
the hoop leaving a 6" bull's eye in the center. Boys line up, hoop is rolled
down before the line. Object is to send lance through bull's eye in center
of string-work.
One or two of the bigger players
take position in center of room, facing group. At "Go," the entire group
charges and tries to reach the other side of the room or a given area, without
being caught. To catch someone, the "bull dogs" in the center must lift
player off the floor long enough to yell "1-2-3 British Bull Dog." When
a player is caught, he becomes a "bull dog" for the next charge. Not more
than three "bull dogs" can tackle a single player. If a struggling player
is not lifted completely off the floor, while the group slowly counts to
ten, he is declared free for another charge. Game is run until everyone
has been caught. Play safe and have players take off watches, glasses and
other breakables. Last man charging the line without being caught is the
winner.
Attach two or more 3' lengths
of stout cord or lightweight rope to a wall or chair. At a given signal
the boys start to unbraid the rope. Fastest boy or team wins.
Draw a finish line about 25'
from the start and line the players up about 3' apart. At "Go" they race
by jumping first to the right, then to the left, then straight ahead. This
procedure is followed until someone crosses the finish line.
Groundsheets folded to about
3' square represent holes and tin plates represent balls. Lay out the golf
course as desired to include hedges and streams as obstacles. If a plate
falls in one of these hazards it must be retrieved and carried behind the
obstacle and one throw added to the player's score. Arrange the holes some
distance apart so that players do not come in contact with a skimming plate.
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