At the opposite sides of the playground draw 2 lines (at the distance of 15-30 meters). There are "homes" of "crucians". All the players are "crucians". The leader is "a pike". "The crucians" stand in one of their "homes". "The pike" is in the center of the playground. At the signal "the crucians" run to the opposite half of their "home". "The pike" catches the running "crucians". 4-5 caught "crucians" make a "net". They stand in a line in the center of the playground. "The crucians" run to their "home" at the opposite side of the playground through "the net" (under the stretched arms of the players who make "a net"). "The pike" stands behind "the net" and catches "the crucians". "The crucians" who are caught join "the net". When "the net" is large enough it makes "a basket" (a circle). "The crucians" run through "the basket" and "the pike", who stands behind "the basket" catches them. When there are not many free "crucians", the caught "crucians" make "a fish-trap" (they form up in 2 lines, as though making a corridor). "The pike" stands near the end of the corridor (2 steps away from it) and catches "the crucians". The game is over when all the crucians are caught. The rules of the game: All "the crucians" must go through "the net", "the basket", "the fish-trap" while running to the opposite side. The players who violate the rules are out of the game.
FIGHT FOR THE BANNER
A small hill or a heap of sand is "a fortress". The players are divided into 2 equal parties. One party occupies a fortress. The players of this party stand around the hill with their backs to each other. The leader of this party stands on the top of the hill with the banner in his hands. Not far from the fortress there drawn a line. It is "a trench" of the enemy party. At the signal of their leader, the attacking party begins the assault of the fortress. The assault consists in that the attacking party tries to pull off the defenders of the fortress over the trench line. The player who is pulled off the fortress and is over the trench line is considered to be a prisoner and cannot take part in the game anymore. The defenders of the fortress try in their turn to pull their enemies into their territory. The players of the attacking party who are pulled into the territory of the fortress are the prisoners. The game is over when one of the parties is so weakened that cannot continue fighting.
ROBBERS
For this game choose flat surroundings with plenty of secret places. The players are divided into "policemen" and "robbers". The main policeman is a sheriff. The robbers hide before the game begins. The policemen tie their arms with the white kerchiefs or think of the other distinctive marks. They start catching the robbers by their sheriff's instruction. The policeman who notices the robber must say a password. Only on saying the password the policeman may catch the robber. (About the password the players agree before the game begins. The password is necessary to distinguish between the robbers and the policemen in the dark.) If the policeman cannot catch the robber single-handed he/she may call for help of the other policemen. The caught robber is led to the sheriff. The sheriff thinks of "a punishment" for him/her. Usually "the punishment" consists in several joke strikes of the wisp. The caught and "the convicted" robber becomes the policeman. He/she receives a white band or other distinctive mark of the policemen. The robbers may also catch the policemen and turn them into the robbers. For this the robbers must sneak up to the policeman, strike him lightly and pronounce the password before the policeman pronounces it. If the policeman says the password before the robber catches him/her, the robber has to escape. The robbers pay much attention to the sheriff. They may sneak up to him and catch him. So the sheriff must have bodyguards.
The rules of the game:
- The robbers and the policemen may make different tricks, but they mustn't confuse "the enemies" by changing the distinctive marks.
- If the robbers hear the policeman saying the password, they mustn't catch him/her. But the policeman may say the password only when he/she really sees the robbers.
- The game is over when one party is caught by the other or when the sheriff is caught.
- The players mustn't fight painfully. It's the main rule.
SPARROWS - FIDGETS
Draw a circle on the ground (or on the floor). The size of the circle depends on the number of players. The more the number of players the more the size of the circle. All the players are accommodated along the circle line. One of the players is "a cat". He/she is in the center of the circle. All the rest players - "sparrows" - are beyond the circle. They stand at the circle line. At the leader's signal "the sparrows" begin to jump in and out the circle. "The cat" tries to catch the sparrows" while they are within the circle. "The sparrow" which is caught becomes "the cat", and "the cat" becomes "the sparrow". The game repeats itself.
BE CAREFUL, PINOCCHIO!
There is a cap on the head of one of the players. He/she is Pinocchio. The leader tries to catch the player with the cap on his/her head. It's not easy, because the players pass the cap to one another while running. As the leader catches Pinocchio, they exchange their roles.
PORTER
The task of the player is to carry the chair from one part of the room to another without using the hands; leaning against the floor with one foot and one hand; without touching the floor with the feet; sitting on this chair; jumping on this chair.
GET THROUGH THE HOOP
Two teams (6-15 players in each team) form up in lines. The distance between the lines is 2-3 meters. The distance between the players in the line is about 0,5 m. The player's task is to get through the hoop (to each team is given one hoop) and to pass it to the next player. The team the players of which fulfill the task the first wins the game. This game may be more comic if the hoops are replaced by the round elastic lace. These round elastic laces must be loose enough to get through them.
WATER CARRIERS
Draw 2 parallel lines at the distance of 10 feet from each other. Some players go down on all fours before one of the lines. The leader puts a bowls of water on the back of each of the player. The task of the players is to cross the opposite line and return back.
WITH THE HELP OF THE TOES
Two players compete in this game. To participate in this game the players must take their shoes and socks off and sit down on the low chairs. On the floor in front of each player there stand 2 plates. Near each plate there are 5 walnuts. The task of the players is to put 5 walnuts onto the left plate with the help of the left toes and 5 walnuts onto the right plate with the help of the right toes. The player who fulfils the task the first wins the game.
WHO SEWS FASTER?
Two teams take part in this game. The players of each team must "sew" the players to one another as quickly as possible. Instead of the needle they use a spoon with the long thread or string tied to it. The players may be sewed to each other by the belts, straps or loops on the clothes.
MERRY PORTERS
You'll need 10 balloons for this competition. 2 players of each team participate in it. Their task is to take 5 balloons (not by the strings) and to carry them to the opposite wall of the room.
FROM 1 TO 5
You'll need plastic balls (different in size) and 2 plastic hockey sticks. Two teams (5 players in each one) compete in this game. The first players of the teams must pass one ball each with the help of the stick to the finish-line. At the finish line there stands a chair. The player must pass the ball round it and return back to his team with the ball. The second player of each team passes 2 plastic balls, the third - 3, the fourth - 4, the fifth - 5. It's very difficult, but amazing. The team which manages to pass the greatest number of balls wins the game.
MANY COLORED GARLANDS OF BALLOONS
Each team is given many-colored balloons, lace and string. At the leader's command the team must make a many-colored garland of balloons. So they must blow up the balloons, tie them with the string and make a garland. Who'll make it better and faster?
MERRY COOKS
You'll need 2 cook's caps, 2 cook's robes and 2 aprons. All these put on the stools near each team at the start line. On each opposite stool put a mug with water, a bottle with a wide neck and a spoon. Divide the players into 2 teams. Each team forms up a line at the start line. At the leader's command the first players of each team run to the 1st stool, put on a cap, a robe and an apron and run to the opposite stool. There they take spoons, ladle some water from the mugs, pour it into the bottles. Then they run to their teams, take off the caps, robes and aprons and give them to the next player. The second player of each team quickly puts on the clothes and does the same task, etc.
PROBLEM BURDEN
The players (2 of each team) are given 2 sticks (0,5m long) and a board (70-75cm long) with a little flag fortified on it. The players of each team stand hand in hand, holding their sticks parallel to the ground. On the sticks they put a board. They must carry this board to the agreed place. If the board falls down the players must pick it up and go on their way.
NIGHT PATROL
Two players are chosen as scouts. They stand in the center of the room at the distance of stretched arms from each other. All the rest players must go through the room so as not to be caught by the scouts. The scouts are blindfolded. They mustn't leave their places, they may only bend, and move their hands. The players who are caught by the scouts are out of the game. They must pay a forfeit. Repeat the game 2 times. Change the scouts. The scouts who don't cope with task play the forfeit.
FETCH AN APPLE
Two teams take part in this game. Each team consists of 6 players. The teams form up in lines. The first 2 players in each line are given the tea spoons. At the distance of 8 m from the teams there are 2 chairs. On each chair there is an apple. The first players run to the chairs with their spoons and put the apples on them without using the hands. Then they run back, put the apples onto the spoons of the second players and give their spoons to the third players of their teams. If the apple falls down the players must pick it with the help of their spoons and continue the game. The winners and the conquered get apples as the prize.
PROHIBITED MOVEMENTS
The players get into a circle. They stand at the distance of stretched arms from each other. The leader is in the center of the circle. He/she makes different movements and the players repeat all of them exactly. But there are 2 movements that the players mustn't repeat. Instead of them they must make other movements. Upon these movements the players agree beforehand c.f. When the leader puts his/her hands on the back of the head the players must squat, or when the leader bends forward, the players must clap their hands etc. The player who makes mistakes is out of the game.
BLACK AND WHITE
The players are divided into 2 teams: "black" and "white". The teams stand in lines facing each other. The leader throws a cardboard disk (one side of which is black, the other is white). Depending on the side of the disk which faces up (white or black) the players of one team try to catch the players of the other. The team which has the greatest number of captives wins. The players may begin catching their rivals only at the leader's command "White!" or "Black!"
CUTTING OFF THE PRIZES
Hang some prizes by string from the ceiling. Wrap up the prizes with the many-colored paper so that the players cannot guess what kind of prizes these are. The player who wants to get a prize is blindfolded and given scissors. The player comes to the string and cuts off one of the prizes.
ACCURATE TURN
Put a chair or a stool on the playground. The player who wants to participate in this game sits down on a chair. Then he/she is blindfolded. After that he/she stands up, makes 5 steps forward, turns to the right, makes 5 more steps forward and again turns to the right. On having walked the perimeter of the playground in this way, the player stops and sits down on the chair again. The player who manages to do it wins the game.
COLLECTING MUSHROOMS
Put 12-15 plaster casts of mushrooms on the floor. Three players are blindfolded. They must gather in their baskets as many mushrooms as possible in 3 minutes. The player who manages to gather the greatest number of mushrooms wins the game.
LABYRINTH
On the playground of 7x12 m put different obstacles (stools, skittles, maces, etc) as on chess board. In the yard you may use trees for obstacles. Draw a line between the obstacles. (If is "a labyrinth") The player steps on a line and tries to remember the rout. After that he/she is blindfolded. He/she must walk along the drawn way and go out the labyrinth without stumbling on the obstacles. The players go through the labyrinth in turn.
NOT DEVIATING FROM THE ROUT
The players of 2 teams form up in file. For each team they draw a 5-6 m line with the circle at its end. At the leader's command the players (one at a time) run along the line to the center of the circle. As they are in the center of the circle, they raise the right hand and begin to go round looking upwards. On having made 5 full turns on the spot the players run back along the line, trying not to deviate from it. The team which finishes the competition the first wins.
WHO IS FASTER?
The players are divided into 2 teams. They sit on the chairs (though they may compete upright). The leader gives them two empty small boxes without their inside parts. The task is to pass a box round the team with the help of the... nose. If the box falls down, the player must put it on the nose again and continue to pass it.
PUT A SHOT!
Pour 1/3 of glass of water into each balloon. Then blow up the balloons to an equal size. Draw 1.5 diameter circles on the floor with the chalk. The balloon is "a shot". The player must "put a shot" as far as possible. The player who puts "a shot" the farthest is the winner.
WHOSE BALLOON IS BIGGER?
This competition is very easy: the participants receive the balloons and begin to blow them up. The player whose balloon bursts is out of the game. The player who blows up the biggest balloon is the winner.
BLOW INTO A SMALL BOX
Take an empty small box. Pull out a half of the inside part, put it to the mouth and blow into it. The small box may fly away rather far. So you may arrange a competition of "blow shooters". More over with the flying box you may: 1) hit a small circle 2) hit a paper target 3) hit a basket, which stands on the floor.
BUTTERFLY
Each of the 2 participants takes a big butter-fly-net and a balloon. The object of each player is to catch the rival's balloon with the net as soon as possible, trying not "to loose" his/her own balloon.
DUCKY DUCKY
Everyone sits in a circle except one who is given a pillow and blind-fold. They then go and place the pillow on a persons lap, sit on it and say ducky ducky. The person should say "quack quack" this can be done only 3 times. If the blind person guesses the name the person, they should now be given the blind fold and the game run over again - after everyone has changed their places.
STUCK IN THE MUD
One person is 'IT' and has to run round touching as many people as they can. When they have touched someone, that person has to stop and stand with their legs apart and their hands out stretched, until someone crawls through their legs. If you've been caught three times, then you are out. The game ends when everyone left is standing still.
CAN YOU GUESS
Put several small items into a brown paper bag. Blindfold one person and hand them one of the items in the bag. Give them a few seconds to guess what the item is. If they are unsuccessful they are out. The last one wins.
WHISTLING CRACKERS
You give every child 3 soda crackers. When you say "GO" every child puts all the crackers at once in his/her mouth. The first one to whistle wins. (You can also substitute the soda crackers with peanut butter but make sure there are no Allergies).
TOY WALK
This is done like a cake walk. Have numbers on the ground for as many children (1-10). Walk on the numbers until the music stops. Have numbers on some small toys. If a child is standing on the number of the toy, they win the toy
BALLOON RELAY
Divide the children into 2 or more equal teams and stand them in a line. Give each team ten balloons in a basket. The first in each line takes a balloon and runs to the other side of the room/yard/area and sits or stomps on the balloon to pop it. After popping the balloon they run back to the line and tag the next person who does the same thing. The game goes on until one team has popped all of their balloons. The winning team gets a small prize (like a ribbon) while EVERYONE gets a small toy.
