FUN GROUP GAMES

Balloon Balance

Ages: 8 and up
Group Size: 6 to 30
Space: Enough space for the group to sit in a circle.
Supplies: One pre-inflated balloon for every two people, plus a few spares. Advanced materials: items for an obstacle course (i.e. a broomstick, a hula hoop or rope hoop, and any other desired props.)

Directions:
Everybody get a buddy. When each buddy team has received a balloon, ask them to balance the balloon between them, using only their stomachs. Can they balance it using only their backs? Elbows? Heads? Can they get the balloon from being balance between their hips to being balanced between their hips to being balanced between their knees without touching it with their hands? Make up challenges for the buddy teams.

Advanced:
Have the buddy teams walk an obstacle course with the balloon balanced between them (not touching it with their hands). The obstacle course might include having to step over a stick, crawl under a table, walk between two people who are standing close together, go through a hula hoop or other hoop (of rope, for instance) held in mid-air, stop at a station to sing "The Star Spangled Banner," etc.

Team Option:
Have a relay of passing the balloon from buddy team to buddy team without either dropping it or using their hands.

Processing:

• What were some of the ways you and your partner worked together?
• What were some things you had to pay attention to?
• What would it be like to play this game with someone you didn't like?
• If you had to play this game with someone you didn't like, how could you still do it?

Ages: 8 and up
Group Size: 5 to 20
Space: Enough space for the group to sit in a circle.
Supplies: Random objects (i.e. fork, shoe, pen, etc.)

Directions:
Have the group sit in a circle. One person takes an object and hands it to the person on her/his left saying "This is a duck," the object should be something that is not a duck, such as a sock. The person receiving the object then says, "A what?" The first person then responds, "A duck." The second person then replies, "Oh, a duck," then turning to the person on his/her left, "This is a duck." The conversation repeats itself again and so on. As the "duck" reaches the third person, the first person takes a new object and begins again. This continues until all of the objects have gone around the circle or everybody become too confused and giggly.

 People To People

Ages: 4 and up
Group Size: 6 to 50
Space: Enough space for the group to move around in
Supplies: none

Directions:
Everyone in the group should find a partner or triplet, depending on the numbers. Explain that when the group hears the phrase "People to people" they should all find a new parner. Begin by calling out body parts, such as "hip to hip." Partners must then stand so that they are standing with their hips touching. Continue to call out appropriate body parts. Command like "finger to shoulder" should also be given. Each time a new body part is called out, the pairs must maintain the previous connections, while forming the new ones. For example, a pair may stand with hips, hands, and fingers/shoulders touching. After a few commands, call "people to people." The game can be made more challenging (and silly) by increasing pairs to triplets or groups of four or more.

 Yes, Let’s

Ages: 8 and up
Group Size: 12 or more
Space: Enough space for the group to move around in
Supplies: none

Directions
This is a very silly game. The group stands in the space waiting for someone to call out, “Hey, let’s all pretend to try on hats.” The group then responds with great enthusiasm, “Yes, let’s!” The group then pretends to try on hats until someone calls out a new request, such as “Let’s all jump up and down.” “Yes, let’s!” The group then jumps up and down until a new suggestion is made and accepted. This is a good, short, energizer, and break game.

 Moose/Elephant/Walrus

Age: 7 and up
Group Size: 6 to 30
Space: Enough space for a group to sit in a circle
Supplies: None

Version 1
Have the group sit in a circle. One person begins by being the moose head, the thumbs of their open hands at each temple forming moose ears. The people to either side of this person do the same, except only with the one hand at the side of the moose head, forming moose antlers for the head. The moose head then pulls down one of his/her hands, becoming the antler for the new moose head. For example, if the moose head pulls down his/her right hand, the person to his/her right must put down their hand (no longer being an antler) and the person on the left raises his/her left hand so that s/he is the new moose head, the person to his/her left raising their right hand. This continues as quickly as possible with the moose head randomly picking which hand to lower. The moose head may also send the head across the circle by clapping both hands together and pointing at a new person. This game can be changed to Elephant by having the head place both arms in front of him/her making a trunk with people on either side forming elephant ears. Similarly, for Walrus, the head person forms a trunk with his/her two arms while the person to either side forms an ear. Challenge the group to come up with new animals.

Version 2
The version above is a little complicated. Another way to play the game is to form stances for two or more different animals. Have one person stand in the center of the circle and spin around. When they stop, they point at someone and call out one of the three animals. That person must then become the head of that animal with the people on either side assuming the appropriate posture as quickly as possible. If they make a mistake, the person who made the mistake trades places with the person in the middle.