Hoop Dash

Equipment:
At least 4 Hula Hoops.

Description:
Have each student find a partner and stand with their partner. Have the students decide between them who is partner 1 and who is partner 2.
Bring all of the partner 1s to the middle of the gym, and have them hold hands and back up to make the largest circle they can without letting their hands come apart. Then, have the students let go of their hands and have all the partner 1s take 3 large steps backwards.
Now, have the partner 2s come and link arms with their partner 1.
Place four hula hoops in the middle of the gym (as shown in the picture).
If the teacher shouts “partner 1,” all of the partner 1s must run around, and outside of, all of the partner 2s in a clockwise direction until they make it back to their own partner. When partner 1 makes it back to his/her partner, they must crawl through the open legs of their partner and try to get inside one of the four hula hoops.
The first four people to get both feet inside one of the four hula hoops win a point for their team.
The first team to five points wins the game.
Remind students that they must be very careful when running towards a hula hoop, as their could be more than one student heading towards a hula hoop at the same time.
At the end of each game, have the students switch partners and/or add or take away hula hoops to change the difficulty level.

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Games

Foursome Tug

Equipment: Rope, Chalk
Players: 8+

  • Tie two short lengths of rope (2m) to produce four ends long enough for a 4-way tug-of –war.
  • Cubs sit in their Sixes in the corners and a numbered off. The rope is laid on the floor in the centre circle with the ends pointing to the corners.
  • A number is called and the four players with that number run from their corner round the circle back to the rope pointing to their corner. They sit on the floor and pull the rope. The first player to get the knot outside of his side of the circle is the winner.

Square Football

Equipment: Chalk, football, and whistle
Players: 8+

  • The room is divided into four sections with chalked lines
  • A leader throws the football into play and the Cubs must try to keep it out of their area using their hand only (no kicking).
  • A leader, who isn’t looking blows the whistle at short, irregular intervals. The team in whose area the ball is when the whistle goes gets a penalty point against them.
  • Any player who crosses the line or kicks the ball also gets a penalty point for their team.

Dark Square Football

Equipment: Chalk, football
Players: 8+

As above for square football, but instead of a whistle, it’s played with the lights turned off and on.

Stock Car Racing

Equipment: None
Players: 8+

  • The Sixes line up relay fashion and each Cub is given the name of a car and when that car is called he travels to the other end of the hall and back in the manner described below:
    • Rolls Royce – this never goes wrong – the Cub runs
    • Vauxhall – has a flat tyre – the Cub hops
    • Skoda – is stuck in reverse gear – the Cub runs backwards
    • Builders Van  – very old model, can only go very slowly – the Cub walks
    • Mini – very small – the Cub runs, crouched down
    • Volvo Estate – pulls a caravan – the Cub tows his Sixer behind him
    • Stock Car  – everyone runs

Pea In A Bottle

Equipment: Dried peas, bottle and saucer per Six, straw per Cub
Players: 8+

  • The Cubs line up relay fashion with the bottle and saucer of 12 dried peas at the far end of the hall in front of each team.
  • When the leader calls go, the first Cub runs to the end and sucks one pea from the saucer and drops it into the bottle, and then runs back and the next player goes.
  • If a pea falls on the floor the player must pick it up, put it back in the saucer and start again.
  • The winning Six is the first one to transfer all 12 peas.

Head Waiters

Equipment: A bucket of water, an empty bucket and a plastic cup with a hole in the base per team
Players: 8+

  • Players sit in relay fashion.
  • On the word go, the first player fills the cup with water and must place it carefully on his head, holding it in place with his hands, so that his head blocks the hole and stops the water coming out!!
  • The players race to the empty bucket, and tip what water is left into the bucket, and then races back and player 2 goes.
  • Needless to say the winning team is the one with most water collected at the end of the game!

Towering Inferno

Equipment: Plastic cups and playing cards
Players: 8+

  • At the far end of the room, in front of each Six, are a dozen playing cards and a dozen plastic/paper cups
  • On the word go, the first player in each team runs to the far end and puts a card on top of one of the cups and then returns and tags the next player.
  • This player goes and puts another cup and card on top of the previous one, thus building a tower and this continues until all 12 cups and cards have been used.
  • The first Six to complete the tower, or the one with the highest tower when time is called, is the winner.

Windy 500

Equipment: A straw and balloon per team, string and sticky tape
Players: 8+

  • Stretch a length of string from one end of the playing area to the other (between chairs or sticks) onto which is first threaded half a drinking straw. A balloon is blown up, sealed and taper to the straw.
  • Cubs sit in relay fashion at one end of the string with the first player standing by the balloon with the other half of the straw.
  • The leader calls go and player one blows the balloon along the string to the other end. He then returns to tag the next player who runs up and blows the balloon back to the team.

The Rat and Egg Relay

Equipment: A length of rope and ball per team
Players: 8+

  • Cubs line up in relay fashion.
  • A ball is placed in front of each Six
  • When a leader calls go the first player holds the ends of the rope and drags the ball up the hall to the finishing line and back again.
  • He then passes the rope to player two and so on.

Whirling Wheels

Equipment: One beanbag per Six
Players: 8+

  • The Sixes line up as the pokes of a wheel, facing a clockwise direction, with the Sixers in the centre, with the beanbag at the feet of the Sixers.
  • When the leader says go, the Sixers pick up the beanbag, run down the back of the Six, and in a clockwise direction, around the wheel and back to the outside end of their Six.
  • The beanbag is then passed up the Six to the Cub who is now at the centre and this continues until all the Cubs have been.

Space Shuttles

Equipment: A chair per Six
Players: 8+

  • The Sixes line up with a chair (“launch pad”) at the head of each Six facing away from the Six.
  • The first Cub (“Space Shuttle”) in each Six stands on his chair awaiting the countdown.
  • When the leader reaches zero, the space shuttle jumps off the chair, and blast off around the room, touches all four walls and returns to the launch pad where the next space shuttle is standing on the launch pad and is tagged for blast off.

Skiing Race

Equipment: 2 shoeboxes, 2 garden canes, and 4 cones (or similar) per Six
Players: 8+

  • Place the cones in front of each Six to act as slalom markers.
  • The Sixes line up relay fashion with the two shoeboxes and 2 garden canes in front of each Six.
  • When the leader calls go, the first Cub in each Six puts a foot in each shoebox and, with a cane in each hand, slides up the course ski fashion and then back.
  • Each Cub repeats this and the first team to finish is the winner.

Izzy Dizzy

Equipment: None
Players: 8+

  • Cubs sit relay fashion.
  • On the word go the first player from each Six runs to the end of the hall, puts one finger on the ground and circles round five times (The finger must not leave the ground).
  • They then stagger back and tag the next player and so on until all the players have been.
  • First Six to have completed say seven runs, is the winner.

Beanshooter

Equipment: One straw per person, lots of safety matches, one billy (or bowl) per Six.
Players: 8+

  • Cubs sit relay fashion and halfway down the hall, in front of each Six, is a pile of matches and at the end of the hall the billy.
  • On the word go player one, runs up to the pile of matches, takes one, and using the straw tries to blow it, pea-shooter fashion into the billy.
  • When this is done, they return and tag player two, and so on.
  • The winner Six is the one with the most matches in the bowl at the end of play.

Chunnel

Equipment: One beanbag per Six.
Players: 8+

  • Players line up, relay fashion, one behind the other with their legs apart and their hand on the shoulder of the person in front.
  • On the word go, the person at the back, crawls through the legs of the Six to the front, carrying the beanbag.
  • When they are standing at the front they pass the beanbag back down the Six to the person now at the back, and the new player repeats the process.
  • The winning Six is the one, which has all players across the line at the end of the hall first.

Balloons Up

Equipment: A supply of Balloons (about ten per Six) and a whistle.
Players: 8+

  • Round one starts with the leader throwing the ten balloons in the air (one after the other).
  • One Six must then try to burst all of the balloons in the two minutes maximum playing time, scoring 10 points for each balloon burst.
  • Meanwhile players from the other Sixes have to try and stop the balloons being burst by hitting them in the air. No physical contact is allowed, and no sharp things are to be used to burst the balloons.
  • Round two is exactly the same, only a different Six tries to burst the balloons. The game continues until all Sixes have had a turn.

1-2-3

Equipment: none
Players: Any

  • Cubs start in their Six corners.
  • If a leader calls 1 then they move along the length of the hall, for 2 they move across the hall and for 3 they go diagonally across the hall to their new corner.
  • Whole Six must be within the corner white lines to win.
  • Combine numbers, remembering that 1-2 is the same as 3 and 1-2-3 will bring you back to where you started.
  • The best Sixes think about the destination before starting to run.

Alligator Alert

Equipment: wooden chairs per Six (1 less than the number of people in the Six)

  • Each Six working as a team has to cross the hall.
  • They start from the side of the hall and cannot put their foot down once across the white line but can stand on chairs in this zone (representing a river full of hungry alligators).
  • First team to get all their team plus the chairs across the far white line wins.

Arches

Equipment: none

  • Cubs stand on their lines in their Sixes holding hands and are numbered.
  • When 2 adjoining numbers are called the appropriate Cubs raise their hands to form an arch.
  • The rest of the Six, including the players themselves, must pass through the arch without breaking the chain.
  • First team back on the line wins.

Four Way Bash Bertie

See Bash Bertie in the Two Teams section.

Film Tubs Relay

Equipment: film tubs (6 per Six), ball per Six
Players: any

  • Each Six has 6 film tubs placed in front of the Sixer.
  • Take it in turns to run up and place a tub to build a tower.
  • When all 6 are in a tower the next player rolls the ball to knock them down.
  • First Six to demolish their tower wins.

Radar

Equipment: one blindfold per team

  • Sixers stand at far end of hall. First person in team is blindfolded.
  • Once blindfolded the Sixers change places so that they are no longer in front of their own team.
  • Sixers then call out the name of their Six to guide their blindfolded team member safely in to land.

Robbing the Bank

Equipment: A chair in each corner and 7 coins in the middle

  • Number teams. When number called they have to get 3 coins on their chair to win.
  • Coins can be collected from the middle or an opponent’s chair but only one coin can be carried at a time.
  • Any coins that fall off the chairs don’t count and have to be put back on the chair by the player not the rest of the team.

Individual

Around the World

Equipment: Set of Cards with names of countries on them.
Players: 8+

  • The Cubs are all travelling by air around the world. When the leader calls out places to visit, the Cubs all fly to the country in which the place is situated (e.g. the leaders calls out “The White House” the Cubs run to the USA).

Submarine Dive

Equipment: Sheets of paper (one less than the Cubs in the pack)
Players: 8+

  • The Cubs hop, run, walk around the room according to the instructions given by the leader.
  • When the leader calls “Dive, Dive, Dive” each Cub tries to get into a “submarine” (i.e. stand on a sheet of paper). The one Cub who is left out stays on a submarine for the next round and so gradually the submarines become occupied.
  • The winner is the one who gains the last vacant submarine.

Darkness Dash

Equipment: None
Players: 8+

  • One Six stand in the middle of the room and the others stand around the room with their backs against the four walls
  • The lights are turned off while the leader counts to 15, when the lights are turned on again.
  • While the lights are out the Six in the middle must try to reach a wall and be touching it when the lights go on. The other players will try to stop them by tagging and holding them.
  • Play again with untagged players in the middle. Last one caught is the winner.

Animal Pairs

Equipment: cards with animal names on (2 of each animal)

  • Give each Cub a card, which they must not show to anybody else.
  • When the game starts they have to make the noise of the animal on the card (and no talking). Somebody else will have the same animal and they have to find them.
  • When they find the other person they must show their cards. If they are a match they sit down on the benches together.

Blind Pirate

Equipment: blindfold, chair, keys/whistle

  • Cubs all wait by the wall at one end of the hall.
  • Pick one to be the pirate and blindfold him. He sits on a chair near the other end and has his treasure (keys/whistle) under the chair.
  • Once ready another Cub is sent to try and steal the treasure. The pirate gets up to 3 goes to point at the creeping Cub. If he points directly at the approaching Cub then they are caught. If the Cub successfully steal the treasure, they become the blind pirate.

Clumps

Equipment: none

  • Cubs wander about the hall until a leader calls a number.
  • They then have to get into groups of that number.
  • This requires careful managing on the part of the leader who has to ensure that not too many people are out each time – so a group of say 13 would probably not be a good idea!

Deer & Tiger

Equipment: – blindfold

  • The story is that the hall represents a jungle with a waterhole at one end. A thirsty deer is trying to make its way to the water but knows that there is a fierce and hungry tiger looking for a meal. It therefore moves as quietly as possible.
    Cubs all wait by the wall at one end of the hall and a deer and a tiger are chosen.
  • The tiger is taken to opposite end and blindfolded.
  • The deer starts from the end other end. When released both move on all fours.
  • The tiger tries to intercept the deer by listening for movement. It can roar up to 3 times. Each time the deer must respond with a frightened squeak.
  • This game only works if the watching Cubs stay quiet! Leaders must take care that the blindfolded tiger doesn’t bump into the walls or benches!

Sheepdogs

Equipment: none

  • Two Cubs (or energetic leaders!) are picked to be the sheepdogs.
  • Other Cubs (sheep) gather by the wall at the far end of the hall.
  • The sheepdogs have to touch the sheep that then have to come willingly to the sheep pen at the other end of the hall. Sheep in the pen have to touch the wall.
  • Object is for sheepdogs to capture all the sheep.
  • However, a free sheep can release sheep in the pen by touching them.
  • Gets very tiring!

Whistle in the Dark

Equipment: – whistle

  • Cubs wait at one end of the hall touching the wall.
  • Leader turns out lights. (There will be some that cheat and come away from the wall so turn lights on again. Resolve that lot then turn lights off again!)
  • Slide whistle across the floor so that Cubs can hear where it is.
  • On the word go the Cubs leave wall and first person to find whistle and blow it gets points.
  • Repeat a few times.

Two Teams

Bottle Busters

Equipment: 2 empty plastic Cola bottles, large ball, chalk
Players: 8+

  • Draw a circle at either end of the hall (2m diameter) and place the bottles in the centre. These are the goals.
  • Divide into two teams.
  • The object of the game is to knock over the bottles of the opposing team. The ball may only be moved by hand and may not be held. The Cubs may move anywhere as attackers or defenders, but may not enter the circle, nor may they run with the ball.

Tunnels

Equipment: 2 footballs
Players: 8+

  • The Pack divides into two teams and face each other about 3 metres apart. They stand legs apart with their feet touching those of their neighbours in their team.
  • The leader throws the ball down between the line between the two teams, and each team tries to score a goal by sending the ball through the legs of the opposing team.
  • The Cubs may only defend with their hands and must not move their feet. When the teams become adept at this the leader can send in the second ball.

Wet Creep

Equipment: Chalk, water pistol or similar, blindfold.
Players: 8+

  • Using string and pegs (or chalk if indoors) mark out a path a metre wide and as long as you like. The pathway has a circular bulge in the centre about 2 metres in diameter.
  • In the centre of the circle sits the “blind guardian of the path” armed with a water pistol or washing up liquid bottle filled with water.
  • The players wait at one end of the path and one at a time attempt to pass the “guardian” without getting squirted with water. The “guardian” is restricted to one pistol load of water and must therefore use it sparingly!
  • Players must stick to with in the pathway, and if they pass the “guardian” without getting wet, score points for their team.

Hopping Pirates

Equipment: None
Players: 8+

  • The pack divides up into two teams, largest to smallest, and number off from opposite ends, ensuring that the same numbers from each team are reasonably matched in size.
  • When the leader calls a number, those Cubs fold their arms and hop towards each other, trying to make their opponent lose balance and put a foot down.
  • The Cub who succeeds in doing this, scores a point for their team.

Chair Pass Ball (or as an alternate Bucket Ball)

Equipment: Football
Players: 8+

  • Cubs form two teams. A firm chair is placed at either end of the hall and a Cub from each team stands on the chair as the goalkeeper.
  • The ball may only be passed by hand and to score a goal must be thrown to the Cub on a chair and caught by him.
  • There should be no running with the ball, or snatching from another player.
  • The goalkeeper is changed after each goal.
  • An alternative play, is that the goalkeepers have a bucket, and must catch the ball in the bucket for a goal to count.

Ladders

Equipment: None
Players: 8+

  • Players sit in two teams, facing a player in the opposite team and are numbered off in their teams.
  • They sit on the floor, not too close to their neighbours, and put their legs out straight in front of them, so that the soles of their feet touch the soles of their opposite’s feet.
  • On the word go, the first players leap up, run down through the human ladder, touch the wall run up the outside of the ladder back to their places.
  • When they are sitting down, the second player then goes, down the ladder, touches the wall, up the outside and over the legs of the first players and back to their place. The third player does the same going over the legs of players one and two, and so on down the line.

Bash Bertie

Equipment: 2 chairs, Bertie (a plastic container about the size of a 2 litre bottle) 2 beanbags.

  • Place one chair at each end of the hall facing inwards. Put a beanbag on each chair. Place Bertie in the painted square in the centre of the hall
  • Number each team. When number is called they run to the end of the hall, touch the wall, pick up beanbag and get on the chair. They then throw the beanbag and try and knock Bertie out of the square.
  • If neither person is successful in their first go they can get the beanbag nearest to them and have another go.
  • If any part of Bertie is still in the square no points are given.
  • Can also be played as a 4 team game by having a chair in each corner.
  • Players must run to the chair opposite their corner by going clockwise around the outside of the circle, pick up beanbag and get on the chair.
  • They then throw the beanbag and try and knock Bertie out of the square.
  • If nobody is successful in their first go they can get the beanbag nearest to them and have another go (once all 4 bags have been thrown). If any part of Bertie is still in the square no points are given.

Cups & Saucers

Equipment: Yoghurt pots or plastic cups, 1 each

  • Place the cups on the floor so that there is at least one for each Cub. Half of them need to be placed on the floor in the normal way, and half upside down. This creates the cups and saucers.
  • Divide the Cubs into two groups, depending on whether they are a cup or saucer and they have to turn the cups over for their team.
  • The team with the most cups turned over within a set time, e.g. 30 seconds, wins.
  • The game can be repeated by lengthening the time, travelling in a specific way e.g. hopping, or having an uneven split of cups to start with.

Dog & Bone

Equipment: 2 sets of 3 identical objects (e.g rings, small cones or beakers) Board rubber (or similar object).

  • Place one set of objects in the painted box at each end of the hall and the board rubber in the painted square at the centre of the hall
  • Number each team. When number is called they run to the end of the hall and pick up one of the objects. They then carry it down the hall and put it in the box at the other end.
  • Repeat until all 3 objects have been transferred then the first person to get the board rubber wins.
  • Note that every part of the 3 objects must be in the square – nothing touching the line. If the opposing player accidentally knocks any of the objects out of the square then the leader watching that end can restore them. Otherwise it is up to the player to make sure they are all in before he goes to get the board rubber.

Indoor Rounders

Equipment: football

  • Divide into 2 teams, one stands on the circle (team A) and the other sits on the side benches (team B) with the first member in the corner.
  • When the game starts the leader in the centre of the circle starts throwing the ball to team A.
  • Each time it is caught and thrown back sensibly they get a point.
  • Meanwhile the first player from team B is running round the hall touching all 4 corners.
  • When he gets back to his team the next person goes until all the team have been.
  • When the last person returns to his place the team shouts “Stop” and the number of catches is noted down as team A’s score.
  • Swap over and repeat.

Matchbox Bomb

Equipment: large matchbox or empty smarties tube.

  • Place the tube or box on its end in the centre square.
  • Teams sit behind the white lines at the side of the hall and must be out of the circle.
  • Take it in turns to have their go.
  • When the person enters the circle he must be hopping. As long as only one foot is on the ground at once he can change feet until he has got to the bomb. Once the bomb is picked up he must not move his feet.
  • His objective is to stand the bomb on the white line so that it is nearer to the opposing team. If it is across the white line at the side of the hall then the bomb blows up. He can swap the bomb from one hand to another.
  • The player must get back out of the circle on his own side without putting his feet down otherwise the bomb goes back to where it was. Likewise if the bomb falls over or he touches the ground with his hand.

Pack Hockey

Equipment: 2 pack hockey sticks (rolled up newspaper covered in white tape), tennis ball.

  • Place one hockey stick at the side of the goal at each end of the hall and tennis ball in the centre square.
  • Divide into 2 numbered teams and sit on benches.
  • When number is called they run to the end of the hall and pick up the stick then run to the ball and hit it with the stick, trying to get it into the small goals (marked by the lines on the floor).
  • Can only move the ball by using stick – no feet or hands to be used.

Steal the Bacon

Equipment: – board rubber

  • Cubs sit on benches and are numbered. Board rubber is in centre square.
  • When a number is called the Cub has to pick up board rubber and carry it back outside the circle without being touched by their opponent.
  • If the opponent touches you before you have touched the board rubber then you win.
  • If he has already picked up the board rubber and you touch him before he leaves the circle then you win.

Circle

Circle Dash

Equipment: Beanbag or similar
Players: 8+

  • The Cubs sit in a circle with the beanbag in the middle and are numbered 1,2,3,4 …1,2,3,4.
  • A leader call a number and all the Cubs with that number run around the outside of the circle in a clockwise direction and back through their places into the centre where they try to grab the beanbag.
  • The Cub who gets the back is the winner.

Hunt the Card

Equipment: A pack of playing cards
Players: 8+

  • Players sit in a large circle inside which are scattered the playing cards, face down.
  • Five Cubs are chosen and, on the word go from the leader, must hunt for a card called by the leader.
  • They may only use one hand and may turn over only one card at a time, turning it face down again if it is not the named card. If a Cub finds the named card, they must pick it up and attempt to run out of the circle without being tagged by one of the other card-hunters.
  • If tagged they have lost, if not they have won.
  • Replace the card, mix them up, and then choose five more Cubs and a different card.

Space Invaders

Equipment: A plant sprayer
Players: 8+

  • Cubs stand in a circle around a leader in the centre. They are Space Invaders and the leader is the Earth Station.
  • The Earth Station fixes the water-filled sprayer to a fine mist and fires it at an invader. The invader “blows up” unless he raises the “deflector shields” – a hand held either side of his face like ears.
  • The invaders either side of him will also explode unless they raise the deflector closest to the invader who was shot.
  • Invaders who don’t react quickly enough, or who react incorrectly must sit down. Players still in the game must be alert as to who is now next to them!

Bottle Change

Equipment: Plastic bottle
Players: 8+

  • Players sit in a large circle, with one Cub in the centre holding the bottle.
  • The Cub spins the bottle and when it comes to a stop, the two players at whom the base and neck are pointing must change places with each other.
  • The Cub in the middle must try and sit in one of these newly vacated places.
  •  The Cub without a place becomes the one in the middle for the next round.

Crossed/Uncrossed

Equipment: Pair of scissors
Players:

  • Cubs sit in a circle and the leader passes a pair of scissors to someone and says “I pass these scissors to you crossed” or “I pass these scissors to you uncrossed”.
  • Cubs must take the scissors and try and pass them on to someone else in the correct way.
  • The secret is that it doesn’t matter whether or not the scissors are crossed or uncrossed but whether the person passing the scissors has their LEGS crossed!

The Man In The Moon

Equipment: A pen or pencil
Players: Any

  • Everybody sits in a circle. The Leader has the pen and on the ground in front of him draws a face of the man in the moon and says “I draw the man in the moon. He has two eyes, a nose and a mouth and I now pass the pen to you”.  He then passes the pen to the person next to him and they have to draw the man in the moon.
  • The secret is that it doesn’t matter how they draw the face, but whether they say thank you (or a variation thereof) when they receive the pen!

How Many Bottles

Equipment: A number of empty bottles, and a box or low table
Players: Any

  • Everybody sits in a circle. The leader re-arranges the bottles and says “that totals 5” (or any number he wishes as the number is immaterial).
  • As he says the total he rests the correct number (i.e. the number he has said) of fingers on the table or box.
  • The secret is that it doesn’t matter how the bottles are arranged it is the number of fingers on the table that matters! This game works best if someone else in the circle knows how to play.

What Am I?

Equipment: None
Players: 6+

  • Cubs sit in a circle and one goes out of the room. While they are away the others decide what they should be when they come back.
  • If they decide on a policeman, for example, the Cub must ask each person in question what she they would buy for themselves. One may say black boots, another a whistle, another a torch and so on.
  • See if they can identify who or what they are before they get round the whole circle and then choose someone else to leave the room.

Not in My Back Yard!

Equipment: Torch, blindfold, one piece of paper per Cub, chair
Players: 8+

  • Each player has a piece of paper with his Six’s name on – this represents a petition to stop the building of a new rubbish-dumping site. They must stand down one end of the hall, in the dark against the wall.
  • One Cub is chosen as a “night-watchman”. He is blindfolded and sits on the chair at the other end of the room with the torch. He shines the torch directly (but intermittently) whenever he hears a noise.
  • Each Cub tries to creep up one by one and put their piece of paper at the night watchman’s feet. If the night watchman hears a noise he shines a torch towards it. If he is successful in spotlighting the Cub he is out.
  • After two minutes how many petitions have been successfully deposited? Choose another night watchman and repeat the game.

Shuffled Letters

Equipment: 26 Pieces of paper
Players: 8+

  • Write a letter of the alphabet on each piece of the paper and jumble them up inside a bowl.
  • The leader picks a letter at random and announces to players, who are seated in the circle what the letter is.
  • He then gives a clue to a word he id thinking of, which begins with that letter.
  • The first Cub to guess the word is given the slip of paper.
  • The one with most slips at the end of the game is the winner.

How Many Birds In My Nest?

Equipment: 10 small stones per Cub.
Players: 6+

  • Players sit cross-legged in a circle, with their ten stones hidden in their lap.
  • The first player takes some stones and holding them in their closed fist, turns to the neighbour and asks “How many birds in my nest?”
  • The neighbour has to guess how many stones the player is holding. If he is right the stones are his.
  • If he is wrong, he must give the first player the difference. For example: if he guesses Six and the first player hold four he must give the first player two of his stones.
  • Player two then repeats the process and so on around the circle.
  • At the end of the game the players count the stones and the one with the most is the winner.

All Fish Swim

Equipment: none

  • Cubs sit on the circle and are given names of a fish – cod, herring, mackerel and sprat.
  • When the name of their fish is called they get up and start walking round the circle clockwise.
  • Speed them up by saying “sea getting rough”. Slow them down by saying “sea calm”. Make them change direction by saying “tide turns” and then eventually say“swim for home” to get them back to their places.
  • Last one back is out.
  • When fish stocks dwindle you can call 2 fish together.
  • When the numbers have reduced a bit call “all fish swim” and everybody left in runs.

Elephant Football

Equipment: football

  • Cubs stand on the circle with legs apart so that their feet touch their neighbour.
  • They have to stop the ball going through their legs. The ball can only be hit with a clenched fist.
  • If ball goes through their legs then they are out and leave the circle which then closes up so that there are no gaps.

Head & Catch

Equipment: Football

  • Cubs stand on the circle and a leader stands in the middle with the ball, which is thrown to the Cubs in turn.
  • As the ball is thrown the leader says either head or catch. The Cub has to do the appropriate thing when the ball arrives. If he fails he goes down on one knee, then 2 knees.
  • The ball continues round the circle but on their next turn if they get it right they can go from 2 knees to 1 knee or 1 knee to standing back up.
  • When they are all doing it right swap it over so head means catch and catch means head.

In the pond, on the Bank

Equipment: – none

  • Cubs stand on the edge of the circle, which represents a pond.
  • When a leader calls “in the pond” they jump so that they are inside the circle. When“on the bank” is called they jump outside the circle.
  • Leader tries to confuse by saying “on the pond” or “in the bank”.
  • Anybody who moves when the wrong command is called is out.

Jellyfish Alert

Equipment: “jellyfish”

  • Form a circle and hold hands.
  • Place a piece of paper in the centre of the circle (ideally this would be shaped like a jellyfish but a piece of newspaper would be about the right size).
  • The object is for everyone to get someone else to step on the jellyfish without letting go of hands or stepping on it themselves.

Frogs & Flies

Equipment: none
Players: 8+

  • Select one young person to be the Detective and ask them to leave the room, whilst you select the Frog and the Fly saver.
  • The game starts with the young people in a circle and the Detective in the centre. The Detective tries to decide who is the Frog and who is the Fly saver.
  • The Frog ‘eats’ the flies by sticking his tongue out at them. The flies can die dramatically with lots of buzzing if they wish. The Fly saver can bring ‘dead’ flies back to life by looking at a ‘dead’ fly and giving a thumbs up signal.
  • If the Detective sees and guesses whom the Frog is, carry the game on until the Fly saver is identified, or all the flies are alive. If the Detective sees and guesses whom the Fly saver is, the game carries on until the Frog is identified, or all the flies are ‘dead’.

Hunt the Woggle

Equipment: Length of string, woggle
Players: 8+

  • Stand the young people stand in a circle facing inwards, everyone hold onto a piece of string that stretches all the way around the circle. One young person is chosen by an adult to stand in the middle of the circle with their eyes closed. The adult then threads a woggle onto the string, without the person in the middle seeing.
  • The woggle is then moved around the string from person to person. As each young person is passed the woggle, they hide it under one hand and passes it to the other hand, then to the next young person.
  • The young person in the middle has to start looking for the woggle and who has it
    and the people passing the woggle have to try and make it look like they have the woggle by clenching their fists and pretending to be passing it.
  • When the young person in the middle has guessed correctly – or has guessed enough times they changes places with the young person who has the woggle

Sense Games

Dominoes

Equipment: One or two sets of dominoes depending on the size of the pack
Players: 8+

  • Keeping back one domino for each six, the rest are distributed around the room.
  • The leader gives each Six one domino and they set off around the room to find dominoes to build up a line. They must not collect any dominoes, which they can not use immediately – leaders will have to be observant!
  • The Six with the longest chain when all the dominoes have been collected is the winner.

Kim’s Game

Equipment: 12 articles on a tray – ordinary items such as string , ink pen, paperclip, rubber, elastic band etc., piece of paper and pencil per cub.
Players: 8+

  • The cubs sit in a circle and the leader shows them the tray of articles for a few minutes, before covering it over.
  • The cubs must write down the list of articles from memory.

Smelly Kim

Equipment: A collection of dried foodstuffs that have a distinctive smell e.g. tea, coffee, sage, rosemary, onion, etc. each in an identical numbered container, such as a film tub, and pencil per cub.
Players: 8+

  • Players sit in a circle with the containers in the centre and the leader gives each player a list of what is there.
  • He then passes each numbered container around the circle.
  • The cubs must identify the foodstuffs by their smell and write the number against the names on the sheet of paper

Party Games

Cat & Mouse

Equipment: None
Players: 8+

  • All but two players line up across the hall in four or five lines and rows. Players face the same way and outstretch their arms so that they are just touching fingertips with their neighbours.
  • One player is chosen as the cat and the other the mouse. The cat chases the mouse up and down the lines – neither may cross through or under any outstretched arms.
  • When the leader calls “change!” the players turn at right angles clockwise and form rows by touching fingertips with their neighbours in their new line.
  • When the leader calls “change!” again, the lines turn again.
  • When the cat has caught the mouse a new pair are chosen to play.

Run for the Bus

Equipment: One chair for each cub
Players: 8+

  • Make a back row of 5 chairs and then place the rest in pairs going forward to create the inside of the bus.
  • Cubs start seated in the ‘Bus’ and when the whistle is blown they exit down the central aisle and begin to walk clockwise around the bus.
  • When the whistle is blown again all the cubs must enter down the main aisle again and find a seat on the bus, the last cub to sit down remains seated and you begin again.
  • Keep repeating this process until there is only one cub left and they win 10 points for their six.
  • If time is running out then two or more cubs can be knocked out in each round.
  • Remember, cubs cannot enter through the sides or back of the bus and can only go in a clockwise direction (they can’t go backwards when the whistle blows to get on the bus quicker).

Chocolate Dice

Equipment: A large bar of chocolate, pair of gardening (or oven) gloves, woolly hat, scarf, plate, knife, fork and large dice
Players: 8+

  • The players sit in a circle with the chocolate, plate, knife and fork in the centre.
  • Players take it in turn to throw the dice.
  • Any player that throws a Six has to dash to the centre, put on the hat, scarf and gloves and try to eat the chocolate, one square at a time, on the plate using the knife and fork.
  • Meanwhile the dice is passed round the circle in turn until another player throws a Six, at which point he must claim the items of the first player and try to eat a square of chocolate.

Chubby Bunnies

Equipment: Lots of Marshmallows!
Players: 2 – 6 per group

  • This is a fast moving game and may be messy!
  • Players sit in a circle with a bowl of marshmallows in the centre.
  • On the word go, player one stuffs a marshmallow into his mouth and says Chubby Bunnies”. Player two does the same and soon around the circle. Players are NOT allowed to chew or swallow the marshmallows.
  • Back to player one, who picks up a second marshmallow and again says “Chubby Bunnies”. This continues around the circle as many times as possible.
  • A player is out if the words are inaudible, or he giggles too much or dribbles all over the table!

Tommy Smartie

Equipment: A saucer and lots of coloured chocolate beans
Players: 3 – 10 per group

  • Players sit in a small circle around the saucer, which has ten chocolate beans on it.
  • One player is chosen to leave the room and, in their absence, the other select a specific chocolate bean.
  • The player returns and starts to pick up the beans and eat them one by one.
  • When they pick up the chocolate bean the others have selected, everyone calls out“don’t eat Tommy Smartie!”  and the player must put the bean back and re-join the circle.
  • More chocolate beans are added and the game starts again with a new player.

Filling Santa’s Sack

Equipment: One balloon per Cub, with a few reserves, one plastic sack per Six.
Players: 6+

  • One Cub in each Six stands in the corner holding the sack.
  • The leader spaces the rest of the Cubs in a tight group in the centre of the hall and gives each a balloon.
  • When the leader calls go, all the Cubs pat their balloon towards their corner and try and get the balloon in the sack. The balloons may not be held in the hand and must only be patted.
  • The first Six to get all their balloons in the sack is the winner.

Wide Games

Pioneers & Indians (Wide Game)

Equipment: plastic rings, (about 30 should do)

  • The game takes place in the Wild West. It is nearly winter and snow is on the way. The pioneers have to get their supplies back from the fort to their camp before the weather closes in. Unfortunately for them, the Indians have other ideas.
  • Divide the group into 2 – one is pioneers and other Indians.
  • Pioneers have to find a base. Leaders choose the location of the fort. The area immediately around the base and the fort in out of bounds to Indians.
  • Pioneers come to the fort in turn and are given a ring by a leader. They may only carry one at a time. They have to make their way back to their base and give the ring to the leader waiting there.
  • If an Indian touches them on the way they have to give them the ring. Indians also take the rings to the leader at the base but they are counted separately.
  • When all the rings have been used swap over teams.
  • Winners are the group with the highest combined score.

Flag Raid (Wide Game)

Equipment: – 2 tea towels to use as flags

  • Each group goes to find a base where they can hang their flag. Bases must not be hidden in the undergrowth and must allow easy access.
  • Choose some defenders and some attackers. Attackers go off to find the other team’s flag. Defenders can defend their flag by touching the attacker who then has to go away out of sight.
  • Defenders are not allowed within 3m of their flag.
  • Winners are the team that captures the opponent’s flag and get it back to their base