Group Games Fun

Let me share one of my new favorite resources! Sometimes it can be a bit tricky to find group games, ice breakers, etc. for kids with vision impairments. This summer I found some super fun ideas for Minute to Win It games but it was slim pickings as not every game was vision friendly. I was perusing the web looking for leadership games and activities with some fun group games and got lucky!

First, here's the website:   http://dragon.sleepdeprived.ca/games/games.htm.

Don't get overwhelmed by the amount of categories and games! I spent some time going through the site and found a handful of great ideas that require very little (to none) modifications for our kids. I tested these games out at our recent Girls Weekend and they were so fun! Now just in case you are still overwhelmed by the amount of games on the site or you or not tech savvy, I made a handout of the several of the games that are awesome. I've posted them below as well as some pics and video that I took of us playing. Now I kept the author's original text because I didn't want to be copy. This is all from the site that I posted above. None of these are my original ideas (the twist and modifications are all me though :). Thanks to my dynamic duo PE teachers, Craig Boucher and Alex Specht, who led these games modules. In order to keep privacy of my students, my own children are mostly the models (as well as my handsome husband, Todd, and Craig).

Here are the games:

Tri-Hop-A-Thon 
Many thanks to Catherine Bryant who posted this game to the Guide Mailing List!!
Relay teams compete rabbit-style: Choose three "landmarks" (if you meet in a gym, lines on the floor work well or you could use corners, doors, chairs...) The teams line up at the same mark. When the contest starts, the first player on each team must hop on one foot to the second mark, skip from there to the third mark, and then jump all the way back on two feet to tag the next team-mate in line. The first team whose members have all completed the course wins.

Please Note: "Tri-hop-A-Thon" comes from the magazine "Family Fun" magazine -- a great source for games and crafts.

The Yell (Scream Race) 
Equipment: None      Number of kids: makes no difference      Ages: 5 and up
Category: Outdoors   Source: Calgary Parks and Recreation Department

Get the kids to line up, like a race. They are to run as far as they can on one yelled breath. Get them to take a good breath before hand. When they have to stop yelling, they are to sit down where they are. (Discourage cheating on this, but it is an energy user!)

Beans
Can be played with any number.
The Guider calls out various types of beans and the girls perform the correct action.
Runner Beans - run around
Jumping Beans - jump
Baked Beans - lie out in the sun
Chilli Beans - shiver
Frozen Beans - Stand still
Broad Beans - Stand with legs as far apart as possible
French Beans - say "Oh La La!"
String Beans - stand still, arms straight up.
Dwarf Beans - squat down
Has Beans - fall on the floor

Captain's Coming
Equipment: None
Category: Large space required   Age: 5 and Up      Number: Any number
Source: A Brownie Pack with Black Forest District, Germanica Division

The girls assemble in the center of the gym. The commands and actions are as follows:
Captain's Coming - all line up, stand at attention and salute.
Bow - run to the 'front' of the gym.
Stern - run to the 'back' of the gym.
Port - facing the 'front' of the gym, port is the left wall. Run to port.
Starboard - facing the 'front' of the gym, starboard is the right wall. Run to starboard.
Man overboard - lie on back and swim
Submarines - lie on back and stick on leg straight up. (for the periscope)
Man the Lifeboats - find a partner, sit together, and row!
Torpedoes - lie on tummy, with hands together over head to give a stream lined look. One person (usually a leader) does the calling and the girls rush around performing the actions, which are mixed up and used more than once. Once everyone knows the rules it is not a problem to join in as you go.

Mouse Trap
Equipment: None      Age: 5 - 12 years
Number of participants 10-30 (with 30 participants start with a bigger trap!)
Mouse Trap Source: I think this one was in a Canadian Guider

Four children become the Mouse Trap. They stand in a circle, facing in, holding hands with their arms extended and up high. The other children are "mice" and they run in and out of the trap. One person facing away calls "Spring the Trap" and the girls of the trap bring down their arms catching (hopefully) some of the mice inside. The caught mice become part of the trap. The game continues until only a few "mice" haven't been caught. Then they become the trap and the game begins again.

Portage, Pyramid, Piggyback
This game is suitable for playing in a gym or in a large outdoor space. If you are playing outdoors, you will have to mark a 'start' line and a 'halfway' point. Divide the group into teams of equal size - it works best if you have teams of six or more players. Each team begins behind a 'start' line. On "Go!", the team selects one team member that they will carry, 'portage'-style, down the length of the gym to the other end. When they reach the end of the gym, the entire team must construct a human pyramid on the spot. Once the pyramid has been approved by a leader, the team breaks up into pairs and piggyback each other back to the start line. In this leg of the race, players can only move towards the start line if they are (a) carrying someone or (b) being carried (i.e., if there is an uneven number of players, someone will have to remain back where the pyramid was built until a team-mate can come and piggyback them). The first team to have all its players back at the start line wins!

Caterpillar
Divide the girls into teams 3-5 girls each. At the start line have the girls sit down with their legs wrapped around the waist of the girl in front of them. This forms the caterpillar. With the girls attached as a team, the Guider yells go. The girls move together as a unit by using their arms by their sides and lifting and moving their bottoms. The teams race to a designated line or spot. At the line, the girls let go of their link to reform their caterpillar with the girls in the opposite order. The teams continue racing back to the start line.

Back to Back
Players stand back to back with a partner with their elbows interlocked. Using each other's back for support, the partners must try to sit on the floor and stretch out their legs. Then, while keeping their elbows locked, the partners must now try to stand up without slipping or falling down! (Not as easy as it sounds!)

Here we are playing Caterpillar!