Quickie Games

[prettysocks]

I know there's pages and pages and tons of sites worth of quick games.. but I'm wondering which ones REALLY WORK in your experience?

I'm looking for games that would semi-calm a group (of about 10) down, or just keep them occupied for 5 or 10 minutes. I work with kids ages 7-18, but if you could, note the ages you've played your favourite games with. So, share with us: the game, quick rules for it, the ages you've played it with.

Thanks ladies and gents! :)

[camper]

indian chief! so simple, you pick a person to step away from the group for a minute. then you pick a chief. the chief comes up w/moves that everyone has to copy and the person who stepped away from the group comes back and has to guess who the chief is based on the change of movements. they have 3 tries. if they get it that person is the next to step out. if they don't get it they have to step out again.

[Dave]

I know this is a common game, but when we have time at the end of a period we sometimes play Simon Says. That usually keeps the kids amused. By the way, I'm with 7-year-olds.

[audur]

I like the Triangle Game - in case you don't know it, you basically go "I'm making a triangle from the beach ball, to the corner of the boat house to Anna's nose, and back to the beach ball... whose triangle is it?" (you can use any three objects/places/people... it's more fun if you point at the things you're using - providing they're not Paris, or something like that) Then you have the kids guess, and they're supposed to figure out the rule to whose triangle it is. The rule is that the first person to talk after you ask the question is the "owner" of the triangle. Make sure that the kids know that you're not supposed to tell anyone what the rule is once they've figured it out! This game can last for a few days - you can resume playing whenever you have 5 minutes and nothing to do. The kids who've figured it out think it's hilarious to watch the others try to get it right, and they also like to make triangles! You can play it with kids about 7/8 and older, although the youngest kids tend to get a little frustrated, so you have to make it more obvious for them.

[camper]

i don't understand audur...how do you know whose triangle it is?

[audur]

Okay, here's an example of how the game would work:

Counselor: I'm making a triangle from the picnic table, to the flag pole, to that kayak and back to the picnic table... whose triangle is it?
Billy: Huh? I don't get it.
Counselor: Whose triangle is it - guess!
Susie: Is it.... your triangle?
(counselor shakes head)
Anna: No it's not, it's Susie's!

... in this case, it would be Billy's triangle because he was the first one to speak after the counselor asked. It gets fun once a couple of kids figure out how it works, because sometimes they'll yell out "mine!" after the triangle is made, and the other kids get soooo frustrated trying to figure out why it's theirs! And the funniest thing is when you make a triangle, a kids says "is it mine?" and you tell them yes, but the kid has no clue why the triangle is theirs!

[S_R_Star]

my favourite quick game is....well i don't really have a name for it......you put your group in a cirlce with one preson in the middle. You go around the circle and number everyone starting at 1 and then the last number goes to the person in the middle. Make it clear that everyone keeps their number through out the game. The person in the middle then calls out 2 numbers and the people who are those numbers have to swap places and the person in the centre has to try to steal one of the spots. At first it is easy but then after a few goes the numbers are no longer in order so you have to have i good memory to remember who's number you are calling out.

It is a really fun game and i have played it for almost an hour with a group of 17 ppl aged from about 11-16.

[prettysocks]

The game I wanted to share.. uh.. also does not have a game.

Have everyone sit in a circle and "explain" the game. This is a fake explanation, but it needs to be told. So you tell them that the two people two people (we usually picked one camper and one counselor, incase the camper is nervous or gets stuck or frustrated) are going to go away from the circle and the rest of you will make up a short story. When they get back, they will try to guess pieces of the story and try to recreate the story. Now, pick two people to go away from the circle, and explain to the rest of the group the real game. You will tell them that the two people will be making up the details depending on what they guess. If the sentence they guess ends in a vowel (aeiouy), the group answers YES. If it ends in a consonant, the answer is NO. If it ends in an S, the answer is MAYBE. (It doesn't really matter is you remember which yes and no for, just decide on the spot.) The story usually ends up being crazy and complicated! Every so often, get the 2 guessers to recap the story for you. The 'group' should try not to laugh too much, and can't tell the guessers what's going on until the end. They usually don't figure it out until you tell them anyways..

Everyone get it? It's an awesome game.. I think I've played it with ages 12+.. Little kids would get frustrated and not as understanding or creative.

[camper]

so audur, whats the point of the triangle? just to have something for them to guess about? there's no rhyme or reason in the objects you pick?

[audur]

Nope, it doesn't matter at all what objects you pick... you can pick anything you want, and the triangle always belongs to the first person to speak after you ask the question.

[camper]

so don't they figure the game out eventually?

[prettysocks]

Haven't you guys ever played games similar to these before? Yeah, you can only play them once with that group of campers, but it's cool because it's a mystery until they start figuring it out..

Other versions would be things like..

Everyone takes turns saying what they would bring to camp..
Betty: I want to bring a balloon.
(yes, Betty can come)
George: I want to bring a kangaroo
(no, George cannot come)
Sarah: I want to bring a spoon
(yes Sarah can come)
.. Get it? That version is with the initial of their first name.

Another version, for their 'item' to be okay, they have to say the word "please" when they ask.
Betty: Can I bring my brother to camp?
(no)
George: Can I please bring 3 turtles?
(yes)

Another version, their article has to be plural.
Betty: Can I bring my blankets?
(yes)
George: Can I bring my shoes?
(yes)
Sarah: Can I bring a cookie?
(no)

... That's all the versions I'm coming up with.. but I just made 2 of them up on the spot (.. right.. now), you can too!

So to recap: for this version of this mystery guessing trick game.. Sit in a circle, and go around the circle and ask what they would like to bring to camp. Keep going around until most people have figured out the trick. Even if they've figured it out, they can keep asking to bring things each time you go around the circle; this will help the people who haven't figured it out yer to figure it out.

Whewwwwww.

[audur]

Yeah - you can make up lots and lots of versions. I like "The moon is made of...", which is another one of those guessing games where you go around the circle and have everyone finish that sentence... the counselor participates, too, and is always "right".

Counselor: The moon is made of... umm... cheese, and that's a true statement.
Billy: The moon is made of spaghetti? (no)
Anna: The moon is made of, uh... grass? (yes)

... here, the "rule" is to make a little "umm"-sound before whatever the moon is made of. And once they've figured that out, it can be crossing your arms, scratching your nose, things that start with the letter A, prety much whatever. These are my *favorite* kind of games.

I used to play a version that goes "Can I cross the border with ____?" and we'd make up the most ridiculous rules, and got *so* good at it, it was insane.

Johnny Whoops is another game sort of like that. And the stick game...

[Pooka]

It doesn't look like it's been posted yet, so I'll add my favorite-- Sleeping Lions. (It's also called Popsicles.)

Everyone but one person lies down on the ground in a comfortable position. The rules are simple: the people lying down can't move at all, save for things like breathing or sneezing. The person who's 'it' tries to make the sleeping lions-- or popsicles-- move/talk/laugh but can't touch them. If the person moves, they get up and help 'it.'

Great, great game for when things get a bit out of hand, 'cause it's all about keeping still and quiet. Depending on how good (or sleepy) the players are, it can last quite a while, but with younger campers usually doesn't stretch more than 10 minutes.

[CAMPFRIEND]

Haven't you guys ever played games similar to these before? Yeah, you can only play them once with that group of campers, but it's cool because it's a mystery until they start figuring it out..

Other versions would be things like..

Everyone takes turns saying what they would bring to camp..
Betty: I want to bring a balloon.
(yes, Betty can come)
George: I want to bring a kangaroo
(no, George cannot come)
Sarah: I want to bring a spoon
(yes Sarah can come)
.. Get it? That version is with the initial of their first name.

Another version, for their 'item' to be okay, they have to say the word "please" when they ask.
Betty: Can I bring my brother to camp?
(no)
George: Can I please bring 3 turtles?
(yes)

Another version, their article has to be plural.
Betty: Can I bring my blankets?
(yes)
George: Can I bring my shoes?
(yes)
Sarah: Can I bring a cookie?
(no)

... That's all the versions I'm coming up with.. but I just made 2 of them up on the spot (.. right.. now), you can too!

So to recap: for this version of this mystery guessing trick game.. Sit in a circle, and go around the circle and ask what they would like to bring to camp. Keep going around until most people have figured out the trick. Even if they've figured it out, they can keep asking to bring things each time you go around the circle; this will help the people who haven't figured it out yer to figure it out.

Whewwwwww.

I love games like this. I know that we have a few that have taken campers all week to get. I do them as well during staff training and it's fun to see how lon it takes the staff to get them!

[CAMPFRIEND]

It doesn't look like it's been posted yet, so I'll add my favorite-- Sleeping Lions. (It's also called Popsicles.)

Everyone but one person lies down on the ground in a comfortable position. The rules are simple: the people lying down can't move at all, save for things like breathing or sneezing. The person who's 'it' tries to make the sleeping lions-- or popsicles-- move/talk/laugh but can't touch them. If the person moves, they get up and help 'it.'

Great, great game for when things get a bit out of hand, 'cause it's all about keeping still and quiet. Depending on how good (or sleepy) the players are, it can last quite a while, you but with younger campers usually doesn't stretch more than 10 minutes.

Great game to give you a little rest with the younger campers. I think that I have had some kids who will just fall asleep! great during change times!

[prettysocks]

It doesn't look like it's been posted yet, so I'll add my favorite-- Sleeping Lions. (It's also called Popsicles.)

Everyone but one person lies down on the ground in a comfortable position. The rules are simple: the people lying down can't move at all, save for things like breathing or sneezing. The person who's 'it' tries to make the sleeping lions-- or popsicles-- move/talk/laugh but can't touch them. If the person moves, they get up and help 'it.'

Great, great game for when things get a bit out of hand, 'cause it's all about keeping still and quiet. Depending on how good (or sleepy) the players are, it can last quite a while, but with younger campers usually doesn't stretch more than 10 minutes.

I work at a daycare during .. uh... now... and I play this with my 4-6 year olds.. they LOVE it.. it's great for when they're getting too silly and hyper.. you can do it that way.. or just the "quiet" game (which also works well during meals for making them stop talking and eat instead)! :rolleyes:

[powers]

Along the same vein of the mystery guessing games is crossed / uncrossed-
you pass 2 spoons / sticks / anything really around the circle saying "these spoons are crossed" or "these spoons are uncrossed"- the thing you actually cross is your feet, but it's cool when the kids (and gulliable adults) are wrapping their arms round their backs to see if that's right! I love these games!

[Pooka]

Yet ANOTHER mystery game...

My fourth-grade teacher had us guessing for ages with this one. One takes a bandana or towel-- or anything that can be folded in weird ways-- and lays it on the ground, folded, in front of them, saying, "My aunt Sally died last night. Did she die?"

The kids guess, and it's done over, this time while the speaker folds the bandana in a different way.

The secret is that the answer has nothing to do with how the bandana is folded: if the speaker clears their throat beforehand, then the answer is "yes."

Infuriating game, that was.

[KiwiCRB]

Heads up seven up was always a favorite of mine if you have enough campers.

[prettysocks]

Oh, that reminds me of another one, too... (apparently I remember more games then I thought i even knew)

everyone sits in a circle with their heads down.. one person (counselor) says 'heads up' and everyone has to look at, and stare at one person. you can't switch your person once you've looked at them. if two people are staring at each other, those two people are out (or, if you don't like cutting kdis out of the game, then.. they have to run around the circle once or something).. then you say heads down, and do it again.. it gets intense when there's like.. 3 or 4 people left.

[lifer]

There are quite a few games like audur's talking about. They usually work better with older kids, since they are sometimes hard to figure out. You can play these games anywhere, at any time, so they are really good time-fillers, and campers will usually get so worked up trying to figure out the answers, they will keep playing for days ! Just a couple other examples:

*Bobby's World (though there are many different names for this games, like Green Glass Door or Hilly Tilly)-- One person will name two things, one that exists in Bobby's World, and one that doesn't. Only words with two of the same letter next to each other can exisit exist in Bobby's World. Example: In Bobby's World there are apples, but not grapes. In Bobby's World their are walls, but not ceilings. People who know the game keep giving examples of objects until other people begin to figure it out.

*Another games begins by telling people you are going to draw a smiley face in the air and you want them to copy you exactly. Start by drawing a circle in the air and dotting it with two eyes and a smile. The trick to the game is that whenever you finish drawing the circle, you should cross your arms. People will try over and over again trying to draw the right smiley face, but it will never be correct, or exact, unless they finish by crossing their arms.

[rockinsmiles]

Oh, that reminds me of another one, too... (apparently I remember more games then I thought i even knew)

everyone sits in a circle with their heads down.. one person (counselor) says 'heads up' and everyone has to look at, and stare at one person. you can't switch your person once you've looked at them. if two people are staring at each other, those two people are out (or, if you don't like cutting kdis out of the game, then.. they have to run around the circle once or something).. then you say heads down, and do it again.. it gets intense when there's like.. 3 or 4 people left.

I played a game like this besides we stood in a circle and looked at people's shoes...then when we looked up we had to look at the person who's shoes we were looking at.

[campnerd99]

Everyone but one person lies down on the ground in a comfortable position. The rules are simple: the people lying down can't move at all, save for things like breathing or sneezing. The person who's 'it' tries to make the sleeping lions-- or popsicles-- move/talk/laugh but can't touch them. If the person moves, they get up and help 'it.'

Great, great game for when things get a bit out of hand, 'cause it's all about keeping still and quiet. Depending on how good (or sleepy) the players are, it can last quite a while, but with younger campers usually doesn't stretch more than 10 minutes.

That's such a popular game at my camp, only we call it 'Graveyard' or 'Grave Diggers"

[muchaprin]

we play a lot of these games the bring something to camp we play Im taking a trip around the world and im bringing....
for this one you have to spell out around the world with the items

have you ever you stand in a circle with one person in the middle that person says have you ever something that they have done like gone fishing then everyone that has done that has to leave there spot and find a new one the last one in the middle has to ask the next question.

stand in a circle and one person starts to act something out then the person next to them say what are you doing and they something elsa so the person that asked has to do what the other person said they were doing

we also play down by the banks and little sally walker, or riding on my little white pony

but the camp favorite game is scatter ball its like a tag/dodge ball the person with the ball can't move but everyone elsa has to be in constent motion if you get hit your out or if the ball you throw was caught your out and if the person that got you out get out your back in you can play for 5 mins or and hour the game never gets old

[Campy Measius]

We call these games 'back pocket games' cause their just short little games you can pull out of your back pocket when you need em. (such as johnny oops, magic marker - the one where you draw a smiley face in the air, these sticks these have already been explained) One that I love (I dont think anyones mentioned it unless I missed it) is 'black magic' for this one you tell the campers that after working with your co counselor all summer long you have developed psychic powers (or whatever, just make up a story lol) and you can read each others minds. And that all you have to do is say different items (in the area) and your psychic friend will know which one it is. So the other counselor leaves the room and as a group you decide on which object to choose. Now the trick to the game is that when you are listing off different objects you ALWAYS say something black before you say the real thing. You can say the color of the stuff or not, just to be sure it doesn't get messed up.
"Ok, is it Sarahs red bandanna?"
"nooo"
"is it Jimmy's blue tshirt"
"nope"
"is it Ray's black shorts?"
"no, it's not rays' black shorts"
"is it Sally's green earing?"
"hmm... yes, yes it is definitaly Sally's green earing!!"
*Shock and awe from campers!
*all names have been changed to protect the innocent... lol

But seriously it's such a fun game, and the more the counselors get into it, like going over and touching the object, smelling it, tasting it... (unless it's on a kid.. ya know lol) the more the campers get a kick out of it.

We use this game for kids aged 8-12 and 13-16.
Oh and you can change the color too... just make sure that your co counselor knows that it will be red for a while or whatever.

Eek, sorry bout the long post... I have a posting problem :P

[Pooka]

I was trying to remember this one a few weeks ago, Campy Measius-- thanks for posting it!