Camp Games
I'm going to be a counselor at a day camp fairly soon, and I'm looking for camp games. The youngest campers will be around second grade, and the oldest will be in junior high. Ideally, I'm looking for things the older kids will enjoy but the younger kids could jump in on with little consequence. Things that mostly the younger kids will like are
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Go-Tag- Everyone squats in a line, alternate players facing opposite directions. A person at one end becomes the first runner while the person at the other end becomes the first chaser. Runner can run either direction. Chaser can also run either direction, but must pick a direction and stick with it. The chaser may tap the back of a person in the line and yell "go" and sit in his place while the tapped person becomes the new chaser. When the runner is caught, he sits at the end of the line and the current chaser becomes the runner.
Fox and Squirrel. You'll need three balls. Two similar balls for the foxes and one smaller one for the squirrel. Everyone circles up. Everone starts passing the "foxes" and "squirrel." Foxes can only be passed to the player on each side (reversals are allowed) while the squirrel can "jump" (that ball can be thrown across the circle). While not required, the book suggests shouting the appropriate name of the ball being passed. The goal of the game is for the foxes to catch the squirrel by by tagging whoever is holding the squirrel ball with one or both of the foxes.
Stand Up- Two players sit back-to-back on the ground with elbows linked. Then they stand up. Continue adding players.
Knots- Players stand in a circle and grab the hands of other players (not the directly adjacent players or both hands of the same person). Then the group "untangles" itself.
Rattlers- All players but two sit in a circle. The remaining two are blindfolded and given rattles (the book suggests tin cans and pebbles). One player (the pursuer) tries to tag the other player. Whenever he shakes his rattle, the pursuee must respond with a rattle of his own. The pursuer is allowed only five shakes while the pursuee may shake his rattle as often as he wishes.
Siamese soccer- Soccer game with players tied together at the ankle (like a three-legged race).
Hagoo- Form two teams. Teams stand in lines facing each other with about three feet between the two lines. A player at the end of the first team's line steps out to "run the gauntlet." A player from the end of the other teams line steps out at the other end. Teams attempt to make the other team's "runner" smile or laugh (without physical contact). Failure means joining the other team's line. (Success obviously means gettng back in your own team's line). The game ends when there is only one team left.
Vampire- One player is the vampire (notified surreptitiously), the rest are mortals. Everyone closes his/her eyes (vampires only come out at night. The referee keeps people from falling off cliffs and running into trees. When a vampire runs into a mortal, she grabs him and lets out a shout/blood-curdling scream, etc. He too is now a vampire. The catch is two vampires who grab each other become mortals again. Game ends when everyone is either a mortal or a vampire.
Islands- Frisbees are placed on the playing field. Everyone runs around until the referee signals "islands" (or some more clever signal if wished). Everyone dashes to touch an island (a frisbee). If anyone touches anyone while scrambling for a frisbee, he or she is out. Frisbees are removed each round to make avoiding contact more difficult each time.
I remembered another game not in the book, too (name unknown). Player form circle and grab hands. An upside-down trash can (or similar item) is placed in the middle of the circle. If any player touches the trash can, he is out. Players proceed to try to drag or pull other players into the trashcan.
Just let me know if anything needs clarifying.
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