Group Games for Children |
Download Free Games Guide (PDF)
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If you have time left at the end of the day or you need to fill in time at the end of your coaching session, why not try a few of these games. 5-minute filler games are fun energising activities that can be played at any time and require little equipment and no planning. |
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Descriptions of Group Games |
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Buy me a Monkey |
The group makes a circle. Two participants are chosen to stand in the centre of it. One of them is acting as a monkey the other is trying to sell the monkey. They walk up to someone in the circle and the seller says ‘would you like to buy my monkey?’ The person in the circle answers by saying ‘what can your monkey do?’ The seller says something the monkey can do and the monkey demonstrates. If the person laughs then they become the monkey and the monkey becomes the seller. If they hold a straight face, the pair must try to sell the monkey to someone else in the circle instead. |
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Duck, Duck, Goose |
The children all sit around in a circle and one person is selected to be the player by the leader. This child then walks around the outside of the circle, touching everyone’s heads as they go round. As they touch a person’s head, they must say either ‘duck’ or ‘goose’. If they say ‘duck’ the child remains seated, if they say ‘goose’, the goose then has to chase them around the circle. They then have to try to get back to their place before the player takes it. The last one back to the space in the circle becomes the next player. |
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Head it, Catch it |
The group form a circle, with the leader standing in the middle. The leader throws the ball to one of the children in the circle. The leader has to shout either, ‘head it’ or ‘catch it’ with child in the circle doing the opposite. If they get it wrong then they are then out of the game. You can also include the three-strike rule in this game. |
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Everyone stands in a circle with one person in the centre to start. Each child is given a number. The person in the middle throws the ball up high in the air and shouts a number. The child, whose number is called out, then has to run into the circle and catch the ball. They then throw the ball again and shout another number. If anyone drops the ball they are then out of the game. |
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Time Bomb |
The children have to stand in a circle and throw the ball (bomb) to each other. The bomb is safe until it’s activated, but as soon as it is dropped, it starts a countdown to explosion (From 10 or 20). Once the countdown has started, it can’t be stopped and the children must continue to throw the ball to one another. Whoever has the ball when it explodes is out of the game.. |
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Sharks
| Lay out a few hoops (or draw chalk circles), these are the islands. The area around the hoops is shark-infested sea. The children must walk around the hoops with no one standing still, hanging around one hoop etc. The leader shouts 'Sharks' and all the children should take refuge in a hoop, with as many as possible in each hoop. Any children caught by the shark (the leader) are out of the game. Once the leader shouts 'all clear’, the children walk around again. Repeat, but remove some hoops so that the children really have to crowd into a few hoops. The idea of the game is that they help each other to stay in the hoop. |
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Cat and Mouse |
One person is the cat and the rest are mice. The mice run around in the meadow until the cat meows. When this happens, the mice must run and get on a piece of newspaper to be safe. The pieces of newspaper have numbers written on them and there are to be no more mice stood on the paper than the number states. Any mouse with no home becomes a cat. |
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Guess Who |
This only works if you have a large group of children (at least fifteen). Before you start to play, it’s important that everyone knows one another’s names. Someone is chosen to do the guessing and has to stand away from everyone else with their eyes closed. Everyone else has to crouch down. The leader then has to put a blanket/cover over someone and then invite the guesser to come back and guess who is underneath the blanket. They only get three guesses. |
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Traffic Lights |
An easy warm-up game to play, which is ideal for younger children. On the word, ‘red’ the children have to stand very still. On the word, ‘amber’ they walk around. On the word, ‘green’ they start to run. If any of the participants do the wrong thing they are out and can act as a judge for the remainder of the game. The leader can make things confusing by shouting, ‘Speed camera’ - slow motion, ‘roundabout’ - sit and spin etc. . |
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Sleeping Lions |
After a lively session, this is the perfect way to calm down a group of children. Everyone has to lie on the floor and be still and quiet; if they move or laugh, they are out. Depending on how long the leader wants it to last, just watch them for a while, or they can go around and pull silly faces at them, getting the children who are out to help. |
Flinch Ball |
The children stand in a circle with their hands behind their backs. The leader stands in the middle with a ball. They have to pretend to throw the ball at the child to see if they flinch. If they flinch and the leader hasn’t thrown the ball, they are out. If the leader does throw the ball and they fail to catch it, they are also out. |
Fizz Buzz |
The children stand in a circle and have to count clockwise around the circle, taking a number each. Whenever a number contains two, they have to say ‘fizz’ and whenever it contains a four they have to say ‘buzz’. To make it more complicated the leader can substitute more words for numbers or have a key word that you would say to change the direction of the game. |
I went on Holiday |
The children sit in a circle with one person starting. The first person to start has to say ‘I went on holiday and I packed my Anorak’. The second person has to say ‘I went on holiday and I packed my Anorak and my Balloons’. The third person has to say ‘I went on holiday and I packed my Anorak, my Balloons and my Cap’. |
Wink Murder |
The children sit or stand in a circle with one person appointed as the detective. The detective has to leave the group and shut their eyes whilst the leader chooses the murderer. The leader should get the group to close their eyes as they walk round and pick the murderer. When the murderer is chosen, the detective is recalled to solve the crime. The murderer will kill their victims by winking at them when the detective is not looking. Anyone who is winked at has to die spectacularly! Can the detective guess who the murderer is before everyone is killed? |
Rhythm |
The children stand or sit in a circle with one person appointed as the detective. The detective has to leave the group and close their eyes while the rhythm leader is chosen. The chosen leader then starts clapping their hands or clicking their fingers. Everyone copies whatever he/she does. The detective returns and has to try to find out who is leading the change of action. Remind the children not to stare at the leader. |
Snakes |
Starting with pairs, each player lies on their stomach with arms outstretched, holding the ankles of the player in front. The aim is to move along the floor as a snake without letting go of the ankles. When this has been mastered in pairs, increase to fours, eights and so on. The longer the snake the more fun and the greater cooperation needed. For a variation, form two or more snakes to race over a set course, with obstacles if they are good enough. |
Monkey Football |
The team all stand in a circle with their legs apart and feet touching the feet of the people either side of them. Each person bends forward and has to defend the space between their legs. This is their ‘goal’. A ball is added to the circle and everyone must try to push the ball through the other participant’s legs, whilst defending their own goal. If the ball passes between your legs, you lose a life and you can only defend your goal with one hand. If another life is lost, you lose both hands. When a third life is lost you have turn round with your back to the circle and defend looking through your legs. Fourth life lost you go down to backwards with only one hand, then no hands then finally you are out. Last man in is the winner. |
Evolution |
Group members wobble round as eggs. The eggs must meet another egg and play rock, paper, scissors. The winner of the match up then evolves into a chicken and the loser stays an egg. Chickens then have to find another chicken to play, the winner then moves up the ladder to being a Prince/princess, then a king or queen, then a champion. The loser always goes back to being an egg. |
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What's the time Mr Wolf |
In a boundary area, one person is ‘Mr Wolf’ who stands with his back to the group. Everyone else stands in a line, side by side, facing Mr Wolf. Everyone in the line shouts ‘What time is it Mr Wolf’ and then Mr Wolf will give a time. For example, should Mr Wolf shout ‘5 o’clock’ then everyone in the line can take 5 equal steps. This is repeated until the line gets very close to Mr Wolf. At any point, Mr Wolf will turn around and attempt to tag anyone running back to the starting line. Any child who is tagged joins Mr Wolf. |
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Splat |
The group stand in a circle with the ‘splat master’ in the middle. If the splat master points at you and says ‘splat’ you must duck down quickly. The people either side of the splatted person must put their arm out and shout splat. Whoever out of the three people is the slowest is out of the game. When only two people are remaining, they stand in the centre of the circle back to back. Every time the splat master says a word (these can be themed such as cars, chocolate etc), they step forward. However when the splat master says splat they turn round and try to say splat before their opponent does. The winner can become the splat master for the next game. |
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Pulse |
The group lie on their fronts in a circle. Each person puts their left arm underneath the right arm of the person on their left. One group member then starts a pulse going round the circle. They tap the floor once with their hand. This continues round the circle. If the person gives two taps instead of one the direction of the pulse is reversed. If anyone taps out of turn or forgets to tap they lose the hand that made the mistake, giving them in effect two lives (once they lose both hands they are then out of the game). When playing with a big group to complicate the game further, try to add more than one pulse in the circle at the same time.
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| Suggest a Group Game - ventureteambuilding@yahoo.co.uk |
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