Neshaminy Service Unit This web page was updated on September 11, 1998
In Competitive Games, you finish with winners and losers.
In Cooperative Games, players learn to work together as a team. Everyone gets to enjoy playing and being a necessary part of the team. These types of games are a good tool to use to turn your Girl Scout Troop of individuals into a cohesive unit that can work and have fun together.
The Troop Leader sits on the floor with her eyes closed. Girls form a cirle around her. (Girls should be very close to the leader.) Each girl makes a fist with her thumb pointing down and holds it above the Troop Leader's head. The Leader reaches up and grabs a thumb. This person becomes "It". If you need 2 game leaders, the Troop Leader can grab 2 thumbs.
Pick four corners or spots in the room (if outdoors, pick for nearby spots). Give each spot a name (Apple, Orange, Banana, Grape; Squirrel, Frog, Bird, Snake; or just 1, 2, 3, 4). Hang a sign in each corner with a picture of the name you have chosen.
Gather the girls together and point out the four corners and their names. Choose a girl to be "It". "It" stands in the middle of the area or room, covers her eyes, and counts to 20 while the other players run to the corners. Keeping her eyes closed, "It" calls out the name of a corner. Everyone in that corner is out. "It" closes her eyes and counts again. Game continues until only one person is left. This person becomes "It" for the next round.
Strategy:
"It" may have her eyes covered, but she can still hear! This becomes a cooperative game when the players realize that they need to work together and move to the corners QUIETLY so that "It" has fewer clues about what corner everyone is in!
Recommended Age Level:
Daisy, Brownie, Junior (I have taught this to older girls so that they can teach the game to younger girls.)
Set up a rectangular area that provides room to run. Pick one player to be the octopus. The octopus stands in the middle of the area. The other players are fish. The fish form a line at one of the short ends of the rectangle. The Octopus says, "Little fish, little fish, swimming in the sea; who thinks they can swim past me?" When the octopus finishes the rhyme, the fish run to the opposite side of the playing area, trying not to be tagged by the octopus (they must stay within the boundaries, and they stop when they get to the end of the playing field). The octopus tries to tag the fish as they move past, but CANNOT move her feet (she CAN stretch and reach).
The fish that are tagged join hands with the octopus and become tentacles. Again, the octopus recites the rhyme. The fish run toward the opposite side. If the octopus has no tentacles, the octopus continues to try to tag the fish. When the octopus has one tentacle, both the octopus and the tentacle use their free hand to try to tag fish. When there are 2 or more tentacles, only the tentacles on the ends can tag. The octopus still keeps her feet in place, but the tentacles can move their feet. Fish cannot "swim" through or under the joined hands of the octopus and tentacles. Play until only 1 fish is left. This person becomes the octopus for the next round.
Variation:
Instead of forming a line, the tagged fish freeze in the place where they were tagged. Octopus and all tentacles can use both hands to tag, but cannot move their feet.
Recommended Age Level:
All ages, even Adult (yes, even we can have fun!)
Pick one person to be the sheep and another to be the hyena.
The rest of the group joins hands to form a circle around the sheep, facing outward (the sheep is in the middle of the circle, and the players have their backs to the sheep so they can watch the hyena.)
The hyena attempts to break through or under the joined hands to get to the sheep. The members of the circle do their best to protect the sheep.
Five to ten players stand in a circle. Each places her hands in the center and takes hold of the hands of two other people (these must not be the people standing next to her). The group must work together to untie the knot without releasing hands. Do this by lifting joined hands over heads, stepping over hands, etc.
Choose one player to be "It" and another to be the "Leader". "It" turns her back to the other players. The players form a
chain by holding hands (players don't all have to face the same way). The "Leader" of the line (who must be on one of the ends) leads the chain in and out under the players' hands. The players follow behind the leader, forming "knots". "It" must then give instructions to the chain on what they need to do to untangle the chair without breaking the links.
Note:
This works best with a large group. You will need an even number of people (If you have an extra person, s/he can be the Leader/Referee who say "go" and keep track of the action). It can be played indoors if there is a little room to run.
Each player picks a partner and links arms (one person's right arm through the other person's left arm, the opposite arms free).
These couples space themselves out in the playing area.
Split one couple. One person is the Cat(who will chase the mouse), and the other is the mouse (who runs from the cat).
The object of the game is for the Cat to catch the Mouse.
When the leader says "Go", the Cat chases the Mouse. If the Mouse is about to be caught, she can link arms with the nearest couple (making a threesome). Since a group can only have 2 people, the person whose arm is not linked with the Mouse must let go and this person becomes the new Mouse. The new Mouse runs away from the Cat and can link arms with a couple when about to be caught; again, the person in the couple whose are is not linked with the mouse lets go and becomes the new mouse.
When the Cat finally tags the Mouse, they trade places (Mouse becomes Cat, Cat becomes Mouse) and immediately the Cat tries to catch the Mouse.
The game usually continues until everyone loses track of who's who!! (Not hard to do!)
Suggestion:
The first time you play, have the cat and mouse walk as you demonstrate how to play. Once everyone is sure of the rules, speed things up. Game play can be very fast!!
Recommended Age Level:
Some Brownies, Juniors, Cadettes, Seniors, Adults (if we don't hurt ourselves!)
Copyright © 1998 by L. Wagner
