EXPLANATION OF GAMES
Here are a few suggestions, though there are likely many other games to consider. These games require minimal equipment, which made them ideal for the pioneers to participate in.
RING TOSS
Equipment needed: 1 stick for each participant and at least one ring per pair. Use large fruit jar rings or something similar that are approx 3-4” diameter. Use sticks approx. 12“ long, 3/4” diameter. Select partners and standing about 10’ (3M) apart, with the stick, #1 throws a ring and see if the partner #2 can catch it on his/her stick. Then #2 throws it back to #1 to see if #1 can catch it. Continue through 10-20 throws to see how many times it is caught. Alternative: Could be run as a relay and the stick is passed to the next person on the team only when a ring is successfully caught.
STICK PULL
This was a favorite activity of the Prophet Joseph and no one ever threw him. Equipment needed: A stick 3’ (1M) long, about 1 1/2” diameter. Two people sit on the ground facing each other, feet to feet. Both grab hold of the stick and at a signal, both pull on the stick and see if they can pull the other person from his/her sitting position. The one who remains seated the longest is the winner.
TRIANGLE WALKER
Equipment needed (A little more extensive): One triangle for each team. The triangle is made from 2 ea. 8’ long 2X4 boards and one 4’ long 2X4 board. Also several pieces of 3/8”-1/2” rope: 4 pieces 12’, 4 pieces 6’. A team consists of 9-10 people. Fasten one end of the two long 2X4s together with a bolt 1/4” X 3 1/2” making two legs of the triangle. Fasten the short board about 1’ from the other end on both the “legs” making a triangle
with the two legs protruding about 1’ beyond the cross piece. Fasten the 4 long ropes to the top of the triangle, 2 in front and two in back. Fasten the short ropes to the protruding legs, two on each side. The object is to have one person stand on the cross bar of the triangle, the other members of the team hanging onto the ropes to keep the triangle from tipping over, while “walking” it a predetermined distance (30’, 10 M). Other members of the team hang onto the ropes and pull them as appropriate to keep it from tipping over, or to lift up one of the legs and pull it forward.
SACK RACE
Equipment needed: A cloth or burlap bag for each team. Run it as a relay. A team consists of 10- 12 people with half the team on one side and half on the other side spaced about 60-70’ (20-25M) apart. At a signal one person puts both feet into the bag and while holding up the bag with both hands, hops across to the team member on the other side. That team member puts his/her feet in the bag and hops back, and so on, until all the team members have had a chance to hop across the area. The first team with all their members having hopped across is the winner.
3-LEGGED RACE
Equipment needed: A belt for each team to tie legs together. Teams of 16-20. Teams should be even numbers. Run as a relay. Distance is approx 100’ (30 M). Two members of each team have one leg “belted” to one leg of the other person (left leg to right leg), thus “three legs”. OK to hold onto waist of the partner. At a signal, they run to a mark and turn and run back. The belt is taken off and two other team members are strapped together, etc. Alternate: Have part of the team 100’ away and the racers go across the distance where the belt is traded to another pair. First team with all team members having participated is the winner. Alternative #2: They could carry something (stick, apple, orange, paper cup, etc). Greatest number of items conveyed in a given time period wins.
SKI TEAM
Equipment required: One pair of “skis” for each team. Skis are made from an 8’ long 2x4. Make three loops (rope or leather strap) on each board to fit toes of shoes, one loop near each end of the board and one loop near the middle. Clear area 50-70’ wide. Teams of 12-18. Run as a relay. A team of three puts toes in loops on each ski and at a signal, tries to “ski” to the other side of the area. When they fall, they must begin from there, no carrying the “skis”. There they exchange with three other skiers who ski back to the beginning point.
RING ROLL
Equipment needed: A 12-16” diameter ring (possibly a small bicycle wheel) and a 3’ long stick for each team. You will need a clear space 80-100 feet across (25-30 M). Run as a relay. At a signal, a team member rolls the ring across the distance, using only the stick to direct it. A team member at the other side rolls it back using only the stick.
WATER PASS
Equipment needed: A 5 gallon bucket full of water and an empty 5 gallon bucket for each team. One 7-8 oz plastic or paper cup for each person. Teams of 12-15 people. Team members line up facing the full bucket. The idea is for the front person to fill the cup and pour the water over the shoulder into the cup of the next person. #2 person pours to #3, #3 to #4, etc. The last person in the line pours the water into the empty bucket. #1 person dips more water as soon his/her cup is emptied so it becomes a paper cup fire brigade. The winner is the team that has conveyed the most water to the second bucket during a given time (2-3 min. Experiment a little with the time). Alternative: One person pours the water over the shoulder, #2 between the legs, #3 over the shoulder, #4 between the legs, etc.
WATER RELAY
Equipment needed: 1 Gallon container of water, an empty container, and a tablespoon or
measuring spoon for each team (make sure the spoons are the same). Run as a relay. One team member dips a spoonful of water and carries it to the other container at the end of the course (75-80’ away), dumps it and runs back to give the spoon to the next member of the team. Winning team is the one who has conveyed the most water in a given period of time (eg. 5 min.).
SKELETON WALK
Equipment needed: 5 ea. 2’ (.7 M) long 2X4s for each team. Run as families. With the team standing in two lines, the boards are held up at waist height by members of the team. One of the lighter members of the family walks along on the boards. As a step is taken the back board is transferred around to the front so there is space for another step. OK to balance by holding onto shoulders. Winning team is the one which covers a given distance first (80-100’, 25-30 M).
FRUIT PASS
Equipment needed: 1 orange or apple for each team, teams of equal numbers. The first person holds the fruit with his/her chin and passes it to the next person who must “gather” it with his/her chin. First team finished passing to every member is the winner. Alternative: Use toothpicks and Lifesaver candies. Toothpicks can be held in the mouth (some concern about germs) or just by the fingers.
SONG WRITING
Equipment needed: Paper and pencil. Do as a family. Using common tunes, write a song based upon experiences of the trek. Tunes can be assigned, or let them choose their own. Suggest whether it be more humorous or more spiritual – maybe one of each. Alternative: Develop a family cheer.
TRADING BUTTONS
Each person is given 10 buttons of the same color (there are at least 10 different colors of buttons that people can have) and told to go around in their company and trade buttons. Everyone tries to come back with 10 different color buttons. They are told the following story. Buttons were important and valuable to pioneers. Buttons were made out of antlers, bones, metal, and wood. Pioneer women had a button box that they used to save their buttons. When clothing was worn out and discarded buttons were always removed and saved. Pioneer women traded them and gave them to each other as gifts. Buttons were also used to make necklaces and bracelets called charm strings. These charm strings
became popular storytelling props because each button had a history. Despite their
limited resources, pioneer girls collected buttons. Prized buttons were strung together to
create charm strings. The goal was to collect 999 buttons: the 1,000thbutton was to be
presented by a girl’s true love.
OTHER ACTIVITIES: Square dancing, Virginia Reel, other “folk” dances common to your area.
ADDITIONAL GAMES OR ACTIVITIES TO CONSIDER
WINK
Make a double circle, girls sitting on chairs inside and boys standing behind the chairs. One chair must be empty. The boy behind that chair winks at a girl, trying not to be seen winking. The girl at whom he winks attempts to slip out of her chair without being noticed by her partner.
If she succeeds in making it to the empty chair, then her former partner is the one who tries to get another girl to his chair. If a boy is caught winking he is out of the game. This could also be played with the girls sitting on the grass.
THROW THE WICKET OR STEAL THE PICKET
Played with a large number of players and a two foot long stick. The stick is placed against a tree. The hunter hides his eyes and counts to 50 while the others hide, then yells, “Bushel wheat, bushel barley, who’s not hid holler Charley!” If no one hollers, the hunter begins searching. The object is to catch all the players without anyone getting to the tree and taking the stick and throwing it away. He must return it to the tree and start over again. The game ends when all are held captive at the same time. The “hunter” is the one hides his eyes and places the stick by the tree.
I AM GOING TO GRANDMA’S HOUSE
A circle game with the beginning player saying, “I am going to Grandma’s house. I am going to take her (gift)_____.” The next player repeats the preceding statement and adds a gift of his own.
RUN MY SHEEPIE, RUN!
Divide into two teams, each with a captain. One team is the “sheep” and hides from the other team. The sheep captain watches and gives verbal clues as to where to hide safely while the other team searches for them. When it is safe for the sheep to make it “home”, the captain yells, “Run my sheepie, run!” If any sheep are caught by the other team, they become part of the other team.
BUTTON, BUTTON, WHO’S GOT THE BUTTON
Get a button. Leader walks around the circle with a button in folded hands pretending to drop the button in each player’s folded hands. Another player has been asked to watch this procedure. When the leader has gone to each person, the leader asks, “Button, button, who’s got the button?” The player guessing chooses someone. If after 3 guesses the player has not located the button, the guesser becomes the new leader. If he chooses correctly, then the leader remains the same and repeats the process with a new player guessing.
BUTTON STRING
Get a long string with a button threaded onto it. Players sit in a circle with a leader in the center. Each player holds onto the string. The button is moved from player to player while all players pretend they are moving the button from fist to fist. The leader must guess where the button stops when the leader calls out “Stop!”
RAILROAD SPELLING BEE
The first person spells any word of their choosing. The next person uses the last letter in the previously spelled word as the first letter in a word of their choosing. The next person follows in like manner. Persons misspelling their word sit down.
TAG GAMES
SHADOW TAG
Step on someone’s shadow and they are “It”. Set some boundaries for the game.
LAST COUPLE OUT
A leader is chosen. Other youth pair up and line up side by side behind the leader. The leader yells, “Last couple out!” The last couple in the line separate, one runs along the right side and the other runs along the left side. They try to reunite hands before the leader tags one of them. If one of them gets tagged, he becomes a partner to the leader. The untagged partner then becomes the leader and the new couple takes their place at the head of the line.
GAP FILLERS
DO YOU LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR
Players stand in a circle-formation with one person in the middle. The middle person is “IT”. IT asks one of the people in the circle, “Do you love your neighbor?” If the player answers “Yes”, the players on each side of him must switch places before IT can take their place. If the player answers “No”, he must then say whom he does love. He will say something like “No, but I love everyone wearing blue.” then, everyone wearing blue must switch places before IT can take their place. The person left without a place is the new IT.
STATES
Players sit in a circle and everyone chooses a state (or fruit or famous person, etc.). Go around the circle twice, having each person name their state so that the players can memorize them. IT stands in the middle with a hat or bandana and approaches a player who must name another state (belonging to another player) before IT hits them on the head with the hat. IT must hurry to the person whose state was named and try to hit her before she can name another state. Whoever is hit on the head before naming another’s state is IT. If a player says his own state or a state not included in the game, he becomes IT.
TANGLE
Stand in a tight circle. Have everyone put their right hands in the middle and instruct them to join their left hands with someone else’s right hand. No one should join two hands with the same person. Now, without letting go, the group must become “untangled”.
MINGLE
Have the group wander around in a close area while you yell, “Mingle, Mingle”. At a good point, yell out a number under 10. The people must then get in groups of that size. Anyone not in a group of that size is out and must wait till the game is over to participate again. Continue mingling and yelling out numbers until only two remain.
PERSON TO PERSON
Everyone chooses a partner. Each player mingles about the area until the leader calls a
command. When a command is given, the players must find their partner and follow the
command. For example, if the leader calls, “Nose to hand”, players must find their partner and touch their partner’s nose with their hand. Any combination of body parts (within reason) may be called. The last pair to find his partner and follow the command is eliminated. Play is continued until only one pair remains.
STRENGTHS AND FEARS
Each person in a circle shares one of their greatest fears. When everyone has shared a fear, go around the circle again and ask everyone to share one of his greatest strengths. This is an activity that can be processed.
CHAMPION THE CAUSE
In a circle, one person shares a peak experience that they have had—one that has meant a great deal to them for some reason or another. When he/she has completed sharing the experience, the other members of the group share their observations about that person’s outstanding characteristics. This is continued until everyone has had a chance to be “championed”.
TOYS
• Homemade marbles
• Jacks
• Whirligig’s-button or metal disk on a looped string and twirl
• Dolls-Rag, cornhusk, handkerchief, sometimes stuffed with sawdust
• Cup and Ball-Wooden ball is attached to a cup by a string. Object is to get ball in cup by
swinging ball.
• Battledore and Shuttlecock-Use a paddle to hit a shuttlecock into the air while repeating a rhyme. One, two, or more players can participate.
• Yo-yo’s
• Dominoes
• Checkers (or Draughts)
• Hopscotch
• Pick-up Sticks
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