Wide Games
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[edit] Fools Gold / Steal The Potatoes
- Need lifebands, one color per team
- Potatoes, tennis balls or something to use as gold nuggets
Split into teams and determine a base for each team. The teams supply of gold should be placed down in the base and a safe zone set up (2-3 meters around the gold). The safe zone may not be entered by members of that team - if opposing teams manage to get this far, this is their safe zone until they choose to escape with your gold (you may also set a time limit on this). Also, be sure to set rules about the number of defenders who can stay hovering around base.
Every player ties a life band around their wrist (strips of paper or wool). Anyone may attack by taking a players life band. Once your life band has been taken, you must give up any gold you are carrying - you are no longer in play and must return directly to your base to receive another life band. The main aim of the game is to infiltrate the enemies base and steal the gold, then carry it back to your own base. Team with the most gold at the end wins.
[edit] Raiders
- Lifebands
Divide into 2 teams. One team is given the lifebands, and establishes 2 bases. They need to transfer the bands one at a time (one per person) from one base to the other. The second team, the Raiders, is given a single base to operate from; their goal is to capture the life bands. If a player from the first team is captured by a Raider they give up their life band and must return to get another. When a Raider has captured a lifeband, they must return to base before the can capture another. Game continues until all bands have been captured or are transferred to the second base. Team with the most bands at the end wins.
- Variation: Wizards Giants and Elves - Each team gets lifebands and token of their choice. The tokens determine who win; Giant beats Elf, Elf beats Wizard, and Wizard beats Giants. Each team member goes out and tries to get a life band off the other team and return it to base. The loser returns to base to collect another life band. If tokens are the same nothing ever happens.
[edit] Find the leader
- For older campers.
Players are divided up into small teams of around 4, with the basic task of finding various leaders in a predetermined play area. As a general safety rule to make sure teams stay together, is that all members of a team must be present before the leader gives their signature.
[edit] Town Hunt
Leaders hide themselves around a local town or village, either lounging around dressed inconspicuously or taking part in daily life. Enterprising leaders may find themselves down a manhole helping workmen or behind a shop counter. Once a team has found a leader they receive their signature (assuming every member is present). Team that gets the most signatures in allotted time wins.
- Variation: Instead of just collecting signatures, teams collect clues from each leader, helping them solve a puzzle or find some secret treasure.
- Variation: Where's Waldo? - leaders dress up like Waldo from the books (red and white striped top, scarf and bobble hat).
[edit] Leader Hunt
Using a limited area of field or woodland, leaders can and should move around freely. Signatures can be collected multiple times, but after each time the team must return to base camp and have their form countersigned by someone there.
Variation: leaders are equipped with a whistle and must blow on the whistle once every few minutes.
[edit] Human Pac Man
Leaders hide in the wood, each with a different set of colored markers. Players are divided into equal teams (2-4 teams is best) and team colors decided - these should be easily visible as either t-shirts, head or arm bands. The aim of the game is for teams to find the leaders and collect color markers, bringing them back to their base - BUT, one team is also designated as the hunters at any one time. If the hunter catches any player they escort them to the jail, where they must stay until the role of hunter changes. At random points, leaders will signal a change in roles. The easiest way to do this is to call out a new team color who will become the hunters.
It's fun watching reactions when a player is being escorted to jail and the roles change!
Jon was here
[edit] Coastguards and Smugglers
This is one of the simplest wide games and the basis for many of the more complex wide games. It is effectively an embellished version of Tag.
- Players are divided into two teams, a small team of "Coastguards" and everybody else becoming "Smugglers". The number of coastguards depends on the terrain. In open spaces smugglers need the advantage of manpower while in woodland, etc where there are a lot places to hide coastguards need it!
- Coastguards establish a base which becomes the`jail’. Smugglers are given time to get away and hide.
- Coastguards have to catch all the smugglers and play ends when this is done. In the event of this not occurring (as it does frequently) points are made on the number of smugglers still remaining in jail at the end of a time limit.
- Smugglers once the game has started have the simple (or not so simple!) task of remaining uncaught. Once captured they can only be released from jail by being touched by a smuggler who is still free.
- Coastguards can use what ever technique they want to try and capture smugglers, eg hunting as a pack, in pairs or singularly (Educational to find out which works best and why!). Capture is by touch (as in "Tag"). Once a coastguard has caught a smuggler the smuggler must go back to jail (players showing any resistance or cheating can be expelled from the game for not playing fair!).
- Coastguards also have one trick they can use to stop `jail breaks’... jailers, one or two coastguards left to hang around the jail. But its worth while either limiting the number of jailers and/or only allowing jailers within a certain distance of the jail.
This game is best played in wooded areas or bracken heaths where stealth and the opportunity to hide is available. Very difficult to hide on a flat field with cut grass... but still possible!
[edit] Smugglers and Spies
- Evening game, outdoors
- Not suitable for MIXED groups
- Equipment: Tiny pieces of paper with the following smuggled items and point values written on each:
Chocolate - 50 points. Quantity: 10
Sugar - 75 points. Quantity: 8
Animal pelts - 100 points. Quantity: 8
Gunpowder - 150 points. Quantity: 6
Designs for new secret weapon - 300 points. Quantity: 3
Map to buried treasure - 500 points. Quantity: 1
Divide the group into two teams. Have each team put on its armbands. One team becomes the smugglers - the other the spies. After the rules of the game are given, each team retreats to separate ends of the playing area (3-20 acres with open woods is ideal for the game.)
The smugglers each receive the tiny pieces of paper, which they are going to try to carry into enemy (spy) headquarters. The spies set up their headquarters inside a 10' by 10' square area that has its definite boundaries. The scorekeeper sits inside spy headquarters.
After each team has been given the opportunity to devise a strategy, play begins. The spies fan out away from their headquarters and try to intercept smugglers as they attempt to take their goods inside.
When a smuggler gets caught (tagged), he must stand still and permit a one minute search of his person by the spy who caught him. If the spy cannot find the piece of paper within one minute (paper has to be hidden in external clothing layers), the smuggler is free to try to advance again into the headquarters. If the spy does find the 'loot', he takes the piece of paper into spy headquarters and gives it to the scorekeeper, while the smuggler returns to his headquarters to receive another piece of paper.
If a smuggler penetrates inside the spy headquarters, he gives his goods to the scorekeeper, and is escorted back to his own headquarters by a staff person or leader supervising the game.
The game continues for a set period of time. When it ends, goods (points) are totalled, and a winner is declared.
[edit] Capture the Flag
A camp classic. Best played in large outdoor area with both woods and fields. The area needs to be split into two sides (for two teams) and all boundaries clearly marker including dividing line (we always used a road) which we call no mans land.
The goal: for your team to find the opposing team's flag and return it to your side.
To begin, break into two fair teams. Pick which team will be "home" on which side of the playing area. Explain the goal and rules:
- 1. Flag must be hidden in a place where it is visible from 3 sides and can be reached by all players (ie. not up high in tree)
- 2. No guarding your own flag
- 3. Any time you go onto the opposing side's area you can captured by any opposing team member that tags you.
- 4. If you are captured you must drop the flag if you have it and proceed, escorted by the person that tagged you, to the opposing team's "jail"
- 5. The jail can be guarded by up to 4 team members. Players locked in jail must sit in designated area. They must remain there until end of round or a rescue by team member who must get past guards to tag you before any opposing team members or guards can tag them.
- 6. If rescued from jail, all prisoners get a "free walk" back to their own side, they must proceed there before continuing play.
- 7. The round is over when either team retrieves opponents flag and returns it to their own side, thus scoring one point. At this point take attendance, choose players to hide flags again, and begin the next round.
Variations:
- For small teams, introduce a "Checkpoint Charlie" at the center-line where prisoners can be exchanged.
- For a night version, use lanterns to indicate the center line and rough position of the team bases. Flag must be completely exposed.
Some useful tips for leading this game:
- Play will vary greatly depending on size and character of playing area. I think most fun when fairly large and mixed terrain. It is important to make the sides fair. Too large and people will not encounter one another.
- We always had campers find a buddy, a fellow camper that they stay with throughout play. This increases safety and helps when it comes to attendance.
[edit] Bear, Fish, Mosquito
Bear, Fish, Mosquito is a large scale version of Rock, Paper, Scissors. This game is best played in a wide open area with a large group Divide the group into two equal teams.Each team must decide if they are going to be bears, fish, or mosquitoes. The key here is don’t let the other team hear! Each team lines up next to one another with their backs to the opposing team, leaving around 2 meters between Team A and Team B.On the count of three, each team turns around and displays what they are. o Bears hold their hands up near their ears and say “grrrr” and “eat” the fish. o Mosquitoes make pointed fingers in front of their noses and say “buzzzz” and “bite” the bears. o Fish hold their hands together in front of them, wiggle them back and forth and “eat” the mosquitoes. The losing side must race back to their safe zone without being touched. If tagged you must join the other team. In an event of tie, pick again.
