Steam Off Games
Article #R68.
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From Games Galore, BSC publication.
Fun Or Steam-Off Games
Bicycle Polo
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.
Farmyard Frolics
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.
Smile Tag
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.
Lighthouse
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.
La Palma (Bolivian Indian)
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.
Pony Express
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.
Indian Lance Throwing
Turn slender saplings, about 4' long, into lances with feathers
for steering. Boys line up, throw lances for distance.
Indian Hoop Roll
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 centre. Boys line up, hoop is rolled down before the
line. Object is to send lance through bull's eye in centre of
string-work.
British Bull dog
One or two of the bigger players take position in centre 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 centre 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.
Unbraid Race
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.
The Frog Hop
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.
Camp Golf
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.
Fishing Games
There are an infinite variety of games that can be made from a
hook, a line and a pole that will leave the contestants as
breathless and open-mouthed as a fisherman's true story.
Fashion the hooks from coat-hanger wire, paper clips and open
safety pins. Make the fish from cloth, inner tubes, cardboard,
balloons, or wood. Use a cardboard carton, nail keg, barrel, or
dart board for the ocean bottom or trout stream. The players can
catch the "fish" by hooking them, lifting them, trapping them, or
spearing them (with darts). They score by standing in the centre
of a circle and casting into several different ponds, by standing
on boxes or stools and trapping the fish, or by just catching as
many as they can out of one "lake." Each "fish" could contain a
message describing some task that a player has to perform before
he can return to fish again. Or each fish could have a point
value written on it; winner could be either the group or the
individual player with the largest score at the end of a given
period of time.
Fish And Net
Have three to five players join hands to catch "fish" by
surrounding individual players. Those who are caught become a
part of the "net." The last five fish caught make up the net for
the new game.
The Christmas Card Game
Take a set of old Christmas cards (about three times as many
cards as there are players) and cut each card into two pieces,
making two sets of half-cards so that each half-card in one set
has its counterpart in the other. Some of the cards should be
cut so that the halves are easy to spot as belonging to each
other (e.g., by cutting vertically down the middle of a coloured
picture of a vase of flowers), and others should be made
difficult to spot (e.g., by cutting along the horizon of a
seascape). Distribute one set of half-cards all over the room
(they should be visible but not necessarily obvious). Give one
half-card from the other set to each player and keep the "pool"
in your hand. On the word "Go" all the players try to find the
other half of the piece that you have given them and bring it to
you. Every player finding a pair that match is given a fresh
half-card from the "pool" until there are none left. When all
have finished, the group with the largest number of paired pieces
wins.
A Christmas Telegram
Have everyone write down the word Christmas leaving a space after
each letter. Then allow ten minutes for all players to compose a
telegram, the first word beginning with C, the next with H, the
third with R and so on. The first word should be the name of the
person to whom the telegram is sent, the last word the name of
the sender. The players then read out their own attempts in
turn, the winner being the one who has composed the most
original.
Variation--Christmas Dinner
Give each group a piece of paper with CHRISTMAS written
vertically down the side and tell them that after each letter
they must write the name of some article that could be found on
the table at Christmas dinner--and both run for the ball. The
one reaching it first kicks it and runs for a hiding place. The
other player is "It" and must return the ball and search.
Bowling On The Green
Play this game on a smooth, close-cut lawn. Croquet balls or
wooden balls made especially for this game may be used. Each
player has two of these balls, called "bowls." A smaller ball is
called the "jack." The first player bowls the jack out on the
lawn and the bowls are bowled at it in turn. The jack and the
bowls may be moved by being hit in play. A bowl touching the
jack scores three points. The nearest bowl to the jack scores
one point. If two bowls bowled by the same player are nearest
the jack, two points are scored.
Every Man In His Own Corner
Everybody selects a corner. If there are not enough corners or
trees, players can make corners by drawing two lines at right
angles on the ground or floor. Any player may start the game by
leaving his corner. A second player chases him and a third may
chase them both and a fourth may chase the three, etc. In other
words, a player may tag any one who preceded him in leaving a
corner, but cannot tag a play who left after he did.
When a player is caught his "captor" leads him by the arm
to the "Captor's Corner," and while doing so he is not subject to
capture. When the two players reach the corner they become team-
mates and work together to capture others. At the end of the
game, the player who has the greatest number of captives is the
winner.
Ring The Bottle
Place a number of bottles on the floor and let several boys
play at one time. Each boy has a "fishing-rod" consisting of a
cane or pole and string; on the end of the string is a brass
curtain ring. The first one to get his ring over the neck of a
bottle wins.
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