Indoor or Outdoor Games
Rock, Scissors, Paper
(two players)
This game is played with three simple hand signs: a fist for a rock, two
fingers in a V-shape for scissors, and an open hand for paper.
To start, the players hide their hands behind their backs and count
aloud to three. At the count of three, they each put out a hand and make
a sign.
If both players make the same sign, there is no score. But if the signs
are different, a point is scored in this way: rock wins over scissors
because rock can break scissors; scissors wins over paper because
scissors can cut paper; and paper wins over rock because paper can cover
rock. You can play for any number of points.
Sardines
(five or more players)
One player leaves the room and hides. While he is hiding, the others
count aloud to 50. Then everyone looks for the hidden player.
Anyone who finds the hidden player quietly joins him or her in the
hiding place. One by one, the players are squeezed together until they
are packed like sardines in a can.
Pussy stands in the middle of the room or yard. The other players
stand in a corner or other spot.The player who is “It” goes from
Pussy Wants a Corner
(five players) player to player asking for a corner. He is always told
to see a neighbor. While this is going on, the corner players call to
each other and try to exchange places before Pussy can reach an empty
corner. The player who winds up without a corner becomes Pussy. Pussy
can also stand in the middle and call, “Everybody change!” Then all the
players must change corners, giving Pussy a chance to get one of the
corners.
Drop the Handkerchief
(six or more players)
One player is “It.” The others join hands and form a circle. They then
sit down and put their hands behind them. The player who is “It” has a
handkerchief and skips around the circle as everybody sings:
A tisket, a tasket,
A green and yellow basket, I sent a letter to my love And on the way I
dropped it, I dropped it, I dropped it.
“It” drops the handkerchief into a player\’s hands and starts to run.
The player must run in the opposite direction. The first to reach the
empty place sits down. The other player is “It.”
Jack and Jill
(ten or more players)
Choose a boy to be Jack and a girl to be Jill. The other players join
hands and form a circle around them.
Jack is blindfolded with a handkerchief. He calls out, “Where are you,
Jill?” and tries to tag her. Jill must answer him. But she keeps ducking
to keep from being tagged.
When Jack does tag Jill, he takes off the blindfold and joins the
circle. Jill picks another Jack from the circle. This time, Jill is
blindfolded and tries to tag Jack. When she calls, “Where are you,
Jack?” he must answer. After Jill tags Jack, she gives him the blindfold
and joins the circle. Before he’s blindfolded, Jack picks a new Jill and
the game starts all over again.
London Bridge
(six or more players)
Two players are chosen to form the bridge. Each “bridge” player picks a
symbol that will represent him—a rose, a ring, or anything else. These
two players then join hands and hold them up as high as they can. This
is the “bridge” the other players go under in single file. As the
players circle around and around, under the “bridge,” they sing:
London Bridge is falling down, Falling down, falling down, London Bridge
is falling down, My fair lady.
On the words, “my fair lady,” the “bridge\” drops and locks in a player.
Still holding hands, the “bridge” players swing the “fair lady” back and
forth as they sing:
Take the keys and lock her up, Lock her up, lock her up, Take the keys
and lock her up, My fair lady.
The captured player is taken aside and asked to choose between the two
symbols that represent the “bridge” players. The prisoner then stands
behind the “bridge” player of his choice, with his hands around that
person’s waist.
The game continues until all players have been captured. The two teams
now have a tug of war to see which one is the winner.
Simon Says
(three or more players)
In this game, the player who is Simon is the leader. The other players
do what Simon says—and does. But be careful Simon doesn’t trick you!
You must only do what Simon says and does when the words “Simon says”
are used. When Simon says, “Simon says, ‘hands on hips,’ and puts his
hands on his hips, the players must
do this, too. But if Simon just says, “Hands on hips”—without first
saying “Simon says,”—don’t do it! If you do, you’re out.
Simon can trick you another way. Simon can give an orderto do one thing
but do another. For example, suppose Simon says, “Simon says, ‘hands on
hips'” but claps his hands instead. If you clap your hands, you’ve been
tricked and you’re out! The last player becomes Simon in the next game.
The Farmer in the Dell
(eight or more players)
One player is chosen to be the farmer. The others join hands and form a
circle around the farmer. They then skip around the farmer, singing:
The farmer in the dell, The farmer in the dell, Heigh-ho, the derry-o,
The farmer in the dell.
The farmer picks a player to be the wife. This player joins the farmer
in the circle. The others continue to skip around them, singing:
The farmer takes a wife, The farmer takes a wife, Heigh-ho, the derry-o,
The farmer takes a wife.
After each verse, the last player to enter the circle selects the next
player to come in. The remaining verses are: the wife picks a child . .
. the child picks a nurse . . . the nurse picks a dog . . . the dog
picks a cat . . . the cat picks a rat . . . the rat picks the cheese.
When the cheese is chosen, all players clap their hands and skip around
the cheese, singing:
The cheese stands alone, The cheese stands alone, Heigh-ho, the derry-o,
The cheese stands alone.
The cheese becomes the farmer if the game is played again.
Musical Chairs
(six or more players)
This game, also known as Going to Jerusalem, is a good party game. All
you need to play this game are some chairs and music. For the music you
can use a record player, a radio, or a musical instrument. One person is
put in charge of the music. This person starts and stops the music as
the others play the game.
Set the chairs in a row. Arrange them so that they face in opposite
directions, as shown. You will need chairs for all but one of the
players.
When the music starts, the players march around and around the chairs.
Suddenly, the music stops. Then the players scramble to sit down on the
chairs. One player will be left standing. This player is out of the game
and takes away one chair. The music starts again and the game continues.
After each scramble for chairs, the player left standing removes a
chair. Finally, only one chair and two players are left. The player who
gets the chair wins.
Follow the Leader
(five or more players)
In this lively game, the Leader can jump, dance, make faces, turn a
somersault— just about any action he or she wants the other players to
do.
The other players follow the Leader in single file and imitate
everything the Leader does. Any player who misses is out of the game.
This goes on until there’s only one follower. Then he or she becomes the
next Leader.
Hot Potato
(ten or more players)
A ball, some crumpled paper, or a beanbag is the “hot potato” in this
lively game.
Choose one player to be “It.” The other players sit in a circle on the
floor or on the ground, with “It” in the middle.
“It” starts the game by tossing the “hot potato” to a player. The
players then toss the “hot potato” back and forth across the circle,
while “It” tries to catch it. If a player misses a catch or drops the
“hot potato,” he or she changes places with “It.” And if “It” catches
the “hot potato,” the player who tossed it is “It.”
Dog and Bone
(ten or more players)
This is a game in which the players try to take away Dog’s bone without
Dog knowing it. The player who is “It” is Dog. The bone can be a key, a
spoon, an eraser, or any other small object.
Dog sits on a chair with his eyes closed. The “bone” is under the chair.
The players sit in a circle around Dog. One person—a grown-up or the
oldest player in the group—acts as leader and stands outside the
circle of players. The leader points to one of the players. This player
tries to sneak up, steal the bone, and get back to his place without Dog
hearing him.
If Dog hears the player, he barks. The player then goes back to his
place. The leader points to another player who tries to get the bone.
This continues until a player is successful. Then all the players put
their hands behind their backs. Dog is told to open his eyes and guess
who has the bone.
Dog gets three chances to guess who has the bone. If he guesses
correctly, the player with the bone becomes Dog. If Dog fails to guess,
he is out of the game. The leader then picks another player to be Dog.
