Games from Around the World
The games below
were submitted by generous leaders when we were earning
our World Neighbors badge as Juniors. Many thanks to all. If you have a game
you would like to see added to this page, please e-mail us at
Lisa4@dublin.com under the heading INTERNATIONAL GAMES.
Jamaquack
(active/circle)
Jamaquacks are
rare birds from Australia. Being from down under, they always stand
bent over, with their hands grasping their calves or ankles and
shuffle along backward. They are nocturnal by preference, and when
they are out in daylight, they always try to wander off somewhere.
Only
a third of the players can be jamaquacks at a time. The rest must
form a jamaquack pen by holding hands in a circle facing the center.
Two players create a hole in the pen by dropping their hands. The
jamaquacks gather in the middle of the pen, heads together and begin
quacking and moving backward with their eyes closed, trying to find
the way out. While the birds are trying to escape, those forming the
circle do their best to jam the quacks back inside the pen by GENTLY
knee-bumping them. Once outside the circle the jamaquacks can finally
stand upright and open their eyes but they should keep quacking to
let their species mated locate the hole.
Jon Cam Pon (active)
Same
as "Rock Paper Scissors"
Lonely Little Ghost (active)
(Ireland)
A
lonely ghost would love some company. He wants to make a ghost
friend. His ghost friend won't be me.
One
child is chosen to be the lonely little ghost. He sits on a chair in
the haunted house. Indicate a certain area for that purpose. The
other children speak the verse and sneak into the haunted house. They
tease the ghost. Any child he catches or tags within the boundaries
of his haunted house becomes a ghost and joins him to try to catch
the remaining children, who return again and again to tease and try
to avoid being caught by the ghosts. The last child caught is the
winner and may be the lonely little ghost the next time the game is
played.
British Hopscotch (active)
Our
girls have enjoyed British hopscotch. It is played in a spiral
pattern- like a snail shell shape. We just take chalk & draw a
simple spiral on the pavement & divide it into 10 spaces w/1 in
the center. They toss their marker into the spiral. The first round
is hopped on 2 feet, skipping the marked space. Second round is
hopped on 1 foot, skipping the marked space. They must hop back out
also. Have fun.
Pat
patwhit@softhouse.com
Fording the Stream
Level:
JR/CAD
Participants:
10-16
Equipment:
Ball, Boundaries
Time: 10-15
minutes
Country:
Scotland
Make
two lines about 12 feet across to form the stream. Throw the ball
high over the heads of the players. The player who catches it before
the ball hits the ground may cross the stream. They then toss the
next ball. This continues until your run out of players. If the ball
is dropped, your are out of the game. If a player accidentally
touches the stream without having the ball they are out too.
Sharon
sshix@juno.com
Kangaroo
Tag
Level: D/BR
Participants:
10-30
Time: 5 - 10
minutes
Country:
Australia
All
players must hop and hold their hand up in front like kangaroos. Two
people are it (they hop too). Regular tag rules apply.
Sharon
sshix@juno.com
Korean
Twirl
Level: D/BR
Participants:
2-16
Time: 3 - 6
minutes
Country: Korea
Safety: Play in
a big open field
Have
the players stand about eight feet apart. Players hold their right
ear with the left hand and the left ear with the right hand. Now
everyone twirls clockwise. If you fall down or let go of your ears,
stop and sit. The last one spinning wins.
Sharon
sshix@juno.com
Torii
Tag
Level: JR/CAD
Equipment: 6 -
18
Time: 10-15
minutes
Country: Japan
Two
players form an arch, torii, leaving enough room for the other
players to pass between them. The remaining players form a single
line, holding hands with the players in front and behind them. The
line circles around the torii once, then passes slowly under it. When
the last player walks under the torii, the line drops hands and
scatters. The two torii players drop hands and act as taggers. If you
are tagged your are out. The last two players tagged become the new
Toiri.
Sharon
sshix@juno.com
Chinese
Puzzle Game
One
player is "it." She turns her back to the group. The other players
form a chain by clasping hands with the player in front and behind.
The leader then leads the chain in and out under the hands into any
position possible without dropping hands. "It" is called to untangle
the chain without breaking the links.
Sharon
sshix@juno.com
GORELKI
(
Russia)
This game is
popular in many parts of the world. In Togo and Ghana, Africa, it is
played without the rhyme and is called "Two Friends." In the USA the
game is known as "Last Couple Out." Swedish children call it the
"Widower's Game" and play a slight variation.
EQUIPTMENT:
None
Method: One player is chosen to be "it." The other
players line up behind her in pairs. "It" calls:
Burn
bright, burn bright
Fire
must not die tonight
Look
above the sea
Birds
are singing
Bells
are ringing
One,
two, three.
As
"it" says "three" the last couple separates and runs forward, one on
each side of the line. As the players run by "it", she runs after
them trying to tag one of the two before they join hands. Should "it"
succeed in tagging one of the players, that player becomes "it's"
partner and they become the head couple. The other player becomes
"it". But if "it" does not tag one of the players before they join
hands, she continues to be "it" until she catches a friend.
My Junior
trooped enjoyed this game.
Joyce
pepper_49@hotmail.com
BIG SNAKE
(Ghana)
Equipment:
None
Method: One player is the "snake" and goes to its
"home," a space about 10 feet square. On signal, the snake tries to
"catch" the other players by tagging them. When a player is tagged,
she must join hands with the snake and help catch the others. (The
player originally chosen to be the snake decides who should be caught
next) As players are caught, the snake gradually grows larger. Only
the players on either end of the snake may tag a runner. Should the
snake break because the players let go their hands, the snake must
return home. Once back home, players representing the snake rejoin
hands and begin the chase again. Runners encircled by the snake may
break the snake, causing it to return home and giving the runners a
chance to scatter. The game is over when all runners are caught or in
a given time.
Joyce
pepper_49@hotmail.com
PASS THE FOX
(England)
The fox is a
familiar figure in English life, and the game named for him is
familiar to everyone. "Pass the Beanbag". or "Pass the Ball" we call
it.
Equipment: An
article representing the fox.
Method: Players set in a circle. The "fox" is passed
rapidly from player to player. At the clap of the hand, the fox is
passed in the opposite direction. Players must pass the fox as
quickly and as smoothly as possible. Whoever drops or fumbles the
object must either pay a forfeit (i.e. perform a stunt) or go to the
center of the circle, depending on the way the group decides to play
the game.
Variation: Play the game with music. Instead of
clapping hands, the game leader occasionally stops the music for a
moment as the signal to pass the fox in the opposite direction.
Singing or recorded music with a quick tempo helps to keep the game
moving.
Joyce
pepper_49@hotmail.com
COCK FIGHT
(Mexico)
Equipment: Colored strips of ribbon or paper;
pins.
Method: Form a circle with the leader standing
in the center. The leader selects two players from the circle to
represent two cocks. The "cocks" stand face to face while the leader
pins a piece of colored ribbon or paper on the back of each. By
moving or jumping about, each player tries to discover the color of
the ribbon on the back of her opponent without letting the opponent
catch a glimpse of the color on her own back. The winning cock is the
one who first discovers the color of her opponent's ribbon. Two other
players are chosen to represent cocks for the next game.
Joyce
pepper_49@hotmail.com
FILL THE BOTTLE
(Australia)
(played in
teams)
Each
team, standing in a line, has a pail of water at one end and an empty
bottle and teaspoon at the other. The water from the bucket is
transferred by the spoon, passed from one player to another along the
line. The first team to fill the bottle to a fixed mark (you decide
and mark the fill line before the game) within a time limit,
wins.
I have a troop
of 6 - 2nd year Juniors now, and we did this game last October and
they had a blast. They wanted to keep going until the pail of water
was empty!
Colleen,
Leader, Jr. Troop #3133
COLLDOUG@worldnet.att.net
Shopping Basket
(New
Zealand)
Played in patrols. Each patrol takes the 'shopping
basket' for about 3 minutes. In the basket are ten packets from the
kitchen cupboard, e.g. baking powder, cocoa, soap powder, tea. The
girls have a good look at the packets.
Later
20 questions are asked, e.g. What biscuits are pictured on the cocoa
packet? What is the weight on the baking powder packet? Where is the
soap made? (The answers should be written down.)
This
is a good game for teamwork. (The highest scores will come from the
Patrols who distributed one or two packets to each member to
study.)
Sheila
Pallotta
mailto:pallotta@silcon.com
WET DAY IN CAMP
(New
Zealand)
(played in
patrols)
The
guider gives each patrol leader an envelope. They are told to
continue with patrol time and not to open the envelope until the
guider holds up a sign saying "It's Raining." When someone in the
Patrol sees the sign, they begin.
In
each envelope is a card numbered 1 to 6 and six pictures. Pictures
are placed on the card in the order in which the patrol thinks jobs
should be done in a sudden shower of rain.
All
the patrols come together to discuss results.
This
is good for team work: A Patrol working as a team will allot one job
to each Guide, therefore all the jobs will be done at the same
time!
Sheila
Pallotta
mailto:pallotta@silcon.com
Hoppe-Strikk
(pronounced
HOE-peh strik which means jump rope made from
elastic)
Game from Norway
Number of
players: 3 or more
What you need:
4 yds of elastic with ends sewed together
How to play: 2
players hold the rope at each end around their ankles
Players jump
over one side and then the other. The holders lift the rope higher
and higher. Players jump in and out. Holders can ask players to jump
backward, with their eyes shut,or on one foot. When a player misses
she is out.
This came from
a book Sidewalk Games from around the World.
Suzette
suzette@northnet.org
Junior
Leader
Thousand
Islands Council, NY