For those times when things don’t quite go to plan – and extended lockdown is certainly one of those times – Guide and Scout leaders around the world have a ready stock of easy and relatively quick-to-set-up games for their unit members to play. We thought we’d share a few of the Helensburgh Girl Guides’ favourite games for others to try at home.
Egg carton scavenger hunt
Save an empty egg carton for each child (6 or 12 egg size, depending on age etc). Write on a small piece of paper something that must be found and place in the bottom of each of the egg cells. The rule is that whatever is found cannot be bigger than the space of the cell and must be found, so no making something to fit. Categories of objects can include colours (e.g. something blue or something multi-coloured); something smooth, or rough; a particular shape (e.g. round or a triangle); something that smells nice (e.g. a leaf or small flower); something shiny or dull; something patterned or plain. The Guides are usually given this to do as an outdoors activity so there’s the added benefit of getting kids out of the house.
Water games night
As the weather warms up, Guides love having a water games night. Here are some that they really love and are good for a few kids at a time, or even two kids (with a bit of tweaking):
1. Drip drip splash:
Played the same as duck-duck-goose, but instead of touching the heads of those not picked they have a wet car sponge to touch on their head. The person who gets picked as goose has the whole sponge squeezed over their head.
2. Fireman’s relay:
Kids form a line. The first person in line will stand approximately 2.5m from the adult who has a water hose. The first person will have to catch the water coming out of the hose 2.5m away with a cup. Once the cup is filled they then dump the contents into a bucket, which is placed even further away and then go to the back of the line where everyone rotates forward. See how long it takes them to fill a bucket. Once full use it for the wet t-shirt relay.
3. Wet t-shirt relay (good for 4+ kids):
Fill two buckets with water and place them about 10 feet apart in a straight line. Put a t-shirt in each.
Divide the group into teams, and have each team line up across from a bucket, about 30 feet away.
Once the race begins, the first member runs to the bucket, puts on the wet t-shirt, and runs back to his/her team. When he/she reaches the team, he/she removes the shirt and gives it to the next person.
The next person runs with the shirt in hand to the bucket, dunks the shirt into the water, and puts on the wet shirt.
The first team to have all players finish the task wins!
Requirements: Buckets of water depending on number of teams , and shirts depending on number of teams.
4. Water balloon volleyball: (can be played with two people each holding a towel out as tightly as they can).
Form two teams. Have each team stand on either side of the volleyball net. Have each team divide into pairs. Each pair should have one towel and each person should grab two corners of the towel so that it is spread out between the pair.
A water balloon is placed on the towel of one of the pairs. The pair must then work together to lift their towel so that the balloon is propelled into the air, across the net to the other team. One of the pairs on the other team must then try to catch the balloon with their towel and return it the same way.
As in regular volleyball, a team scores a point when the balloon hits the ground on the other side of the net. Like volleyball, the object is to score the most points and get the other team wet at the
same time.
Requirements: one towel for every two people. Water Balloons (large balloons tend to be more fun!). A volleyball net or a rope line.
Stay safe, everyone. We are hoping to be back to Guiding in term 4.
