Please note that Tig/Tag games have their own page as there are so many of them!
Balancing Beanbag
The Children must balance the beanbag on a part of their body, e.g. head, back of hand, neck etc. For a team game they will have to travel a certain distance and then run back.
Hat Race
Equipment: Paper Hats & String
Children are paired off in their teams. Each child wears a paper hat attached by a piece of string about 30 cm long to their partner’s hat. The pairs then race to one end of the hall and back without holding on to or losing their hat.
Marathon
There are 3 or 4 teams who all sit in a straight line from the middle, facing out the way. When the leader shouts “GO”, the persons at the top of their lines, have to run and try and catch the person in front of them, without being caught by the people behind them. i.e. team 1 chasing team 2 chasing team 3 etc. The children must run in a circle round the lines, and when they are caught, they sit down at the start of the line, and the next person from their team start chasing whoever is running for the team they are chasing. The game ends when there is only one team left running.
Stealing Shoes
Equipment: 9 shoes (this amount can vary, but with 4 teams this is ideal)
The 9 shoes are placed in the middle. The object of the game is to steal 3 shoes. In order to do this, one runner is selected from each group, and on the word “GO”, they race into the middle and grab a shoe, they have to return with their shoe to their group, then they can either grab a shoe from another team, or go for any that might be left in the middle. You are not allowed to throw shoes, and the other people in your team are not allowed to block their team’s shoes from being stolen.
Sweet Pickup
Equipment: Straws and Chocolate Buttons
Relay race – children run up to a pile of chocolate buttons on a chair and try to pick up a chocolate button on the end of their straw. It is then theirs to eat!!
Three Mice
2 teams (one either end of room), 3 mice in middle. Relay: One child from each team runs to pick up a mouse and drop it on a chair, they then try to get the 3rd mouse. Child with 2 mice wins. Allowed to steal mice!!
Tree, Tunnel, Bridge
This is a relay race. The children are divided into teams. When the leader shouts “GO”, the first child in each team run to the back of the hall and then on their way back, they stop and stretch their arms out (pretending to be trees), the second child from each group, runs around the tree, then to the back of the hall, and on the way back, they stop with their legs open (pretending to be a tunnel). The third child from each group has to run round the tree, under the tunnel, up to the back of the hall and then on their way back, they crouch down on the floor (pretending to be a bridge). The rest of the group have to go round the tree, under the tunnel, jump over the bridge and then run back to their team. When everyone has done this, the bridge gets up and touches the back of the hall, then the tunnel, then the bridge. The team that finishes first (and sits in a straight line) are the winners. It is a good idea to make the 2nd person in each group, a tall person, as people have to go under their legs!!
Relay Races
Children are divided into teams and have to run one at a time to the other end of the hall and back. Variations include: Running, Hopping, Skipping, Jumping through hoops, Crawling, Running Backwards, and…
Bump relay:
Team sit on a long line of chairs (lined up like a bench). 1st one leaves seat, rushes around back to last seat and bumps player forward. Team wins when whole team is back to original places.
Messy Relay:
Transport flour/water/rice crispies etc in a paper cup held in mouth. No hands. Transfer contents to bowl at end of team line. Winner = greatest volume transported in a given time.
Long jump relay
Player 1, from standing position, jumps forward as far as they can. Player 2 then jumps from where 1 landed. Etc. Winner = team to make longest combined jump.
Mummy race:
Teams wrap up an opposing team member with toilet paper to make a “mummy”. Then the two mummies race for own team.
Centipede relay.
Team lines up facing down hall. Whole team, simultaneously, takes one large pace forward. 1st player takes off and runs around team 3 times, ends up at rear, shouts “GO” and team paces forward again. Winner = 1st team to reach end of hall.
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Tape-head
One team member has his head taped up with masking tape (sticky-side out) and then has to run to a spot, at the far end of hall, and picks up small light objects (e.g. paper shapes, plastic cutlery, lego) with head only – No Hands! Then runs back to team and they remove the items…go again, time limit.
Blanket relay
Teams carry their lightest member on a blanket around a course.
Driving pigs to market
(pig = lemon or potato) Pig is driven with a pen or stick around a course and back…hand over to next team member.
Air-bed surfing
Lightest person in team lies on airbed. Rest of team lie down like a line of logs and roll air bed across their bodies. Winner = first to reach end of hall.
Coin-book-ball relay
Team member balances book on head, coin in eye and ball between knees – race to end and back. Next player repeats.
Hands full relay
Assemble identical pairs of objects (one for both teams) place on table at far end of hall.1st player runs up picks up any object runs back, hands over object to 2nd player who runs up, selects 2nd object (still holding onto 1st object) runs back, hands over both objects to 3rd player…etc.
Mad relay
Have daft instructions written on slips of paper in a hat on a chair, at end of room (same set of instructions for each team). 1st player runs up selects a paper – does instruction – then runs back to tag next player (e.g.’s Run around chair 5 times shouting “I’m a muppet!”. Run to nearest person and scratch their head. Run to leader and shout “you’re no spring chicken” etc). Variation – slips of paper can be inside blown up balloons. – players then burst balloon to get instruction
Sucker relay
Each member has a straw and picks up a little square of paper by suction – runs to end and back – transfer same bit of paper to next player.
Balloon pop relay
Each team member must run up to a chair blow up a balloon and pop it.
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This text was originally created and published as part of a document for Church of Scotland Summer Mission (Holiday Club) teams by Steve “The Juggler” Thomson. This version was updated by many more iMPACT members who I thank for enhancing it with even more wonderful information!
