You are on page 1of 71

CAMP

ACTIVITIES HANDBOOK
Contenido

BASIC CONCEPTS ..........................................................................................4


GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS..........................................................................9
GROUP TECHNIQUES......................................................................................12
GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER.........................................................................18
CIRCLE GAMES................................................................................................23
SMALL GROUP GAMES...................................................................................28
LARGE GROUP GAMES...................................................................................33
COMPETITIONS:...............................................................................................38
INDOOR GAMES..............................................................................................44
RESOURCES....................................................................................................48
WOULD YOU RATHER QUESTIONS................................................................56
SONGS.............................................................................................................58

2
This handbook is presented as a complement for all sorts of training,
for leaders, teachers, facilitators and animators, who work with
groups on different conditions as an extra support for their work,
that can promote social interactions and foster skills with all the fun
that is provided through recreational activities.
It includes different types of games, songs, activities and resources
along with good practices, enhancements and support information
for a positive and enriching performance in front of a group.

MAIN GOAL:
To allow a bank of activities and resources that can be used on different moments with
groups from any ages, in order to facilitate cohesion, interaction and common results,
as well as bringing joy and happiness to the groups’ dynamics.

3
BASIC CONCEPTS

4
ANIMATION:
It refers to the enthusiasm and energy injected to a Group in order to complete certain
activity(ies). It includes the animator, which is the person who facilitates the process
of engaging the participants to take an active role in the program as well as the
environment with all the conditions for the development of the activity(ies).

ACTIVITY:
Is the smallest piece of a complete program that fulfills the basic steps of a Group
interaction that includes a starting interaction and a closing one. All activities can be
divided by categories according to the objective they aim for, the number of participants
allowed or the conditions for their development.

BRIEFING:
Comes from the military and it alludes to the initial part of giving the instructions in
a clear way to be understood and as a process to start the learning or to achieve the
goal that has been set up for the group.

CHALLENGE BY CHOICE (CBC):

Refers to the time of the briefing when the activity is presented including any possible
risks or requirements, for the participants to understand they are all parts of the
group and their participation will play a defining role in the results. Based on that each
participant has the right to decide how much or how little of the experience they want
to get out of the activity and how they can engage with the rest of the group.

5
DEBRIEFING:
Also known as landing of the activity, is the final moment of some of the activities
which allow the participants to express their feelings, learnings and commitments
based on what they experienced. Not all activities include a debrief and there are
several generations and options for conducting one debriefing process according to the
goals or expectations that the group and the leader may have.

DYNAMIC:
When the term dynamic is used in relationship with a group, it refers to all the
forces (positive and negative) that operate regarding all kinds of interactions that
take place among participants of the group; which creates the learning environment.
Each individual adds something to the dynamic of the group, but the performance
of the group cannot be judged by the response of only one single person. Also, each
participant cannot be considered as a single piece because his/her behavior remains
conditioned by the relations and interactions which compose the dynamic.
The term dynamic can be also used to name certain types of group activities that
include the participation of all of the members, sometimes with recreational purposes
only, and some others with the pursuit of a specific learning goal.

FREE TIME:
This time is for participants to decide how they want to invest it. Refers to the spare
time when there are no structured activities and can be either downtime for resting
or relaxing, or an open slot for unstructured activities led by the people on their own.
Besides, this may include self-play actions as video games, pairs or small groups
activities like board games, or large group activities like a soccer/volleyball match.

6
GROUP:
Refers to the number of participants which are the basic element that allows the
learning process with the support of the leader and all the conditions that are part of
one specific environment. The group is a type of social organization and constitutes the
most important element of every activity It also represents the ultimate goal of every
shared activity which looks for cohesion and better performance as a micro society
that shares frequent and regular communication.

GAME:
It is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and
sometimes used as an educational tool. Games are distinct from work, which is
usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more often an expression
of aesthetic or ideological elements. However, the distinction is not clear-cut, and
many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator
sports or games) or art (such as jigsaw puzzles or games involving an artistic layout
such as Mahjong, solitaire, or some video games). Games are sometimes played
purely for enjoyment, sometimes for achievement or reward as well. They can be
played alone, in teams, or online; by amateurs or by professionals. The players may
have an audience of non-players, such as when people are entertained by watching
a chess championship. On the other hand, players in a game may constitute their
own audience as they take their turn to play. It is important to mention that, part of
the entertainment for children playing a game is often deciding who is part of their
audience and who is a player.

RECREATION:
Activities that are planned and organized on a program for the positive and purposely
usage of the time of a Group. The recreational plan may include several activities
to take the participants through all the process of getting together, organizing and
creating a structure, developing the activities and generating the expected result. It
can include several types of small or large group games, role plays, sports, crafts,
and other resources that allow participants to use their time in a way that allows the
participants to interact among themselves and feel excitement and joy while getting
the sense of investing the time available with something extra.

7
STRUCTURED PLAYTIME:
Is the selected time of the program for the participants to mingle and share among
themselves, while having a range of activities where they can fluctuate and go to,
without the requirement of staying or completing any of them. These activities are
often quiet and don’t require participants to do strong physical activity or travel long
distances such as board games, ping-pong, charades, crafts, circle games, shooting
hoops, catch or hide and seek. Then, the options are contained in a room or playground
where the boundaries are clear and the stations are available for everyone to join. The
main goal for participants is to share so they are allowed to move and socialize with
others as they please while keeping the rules and agreements.

TECHNIQUE:
Refers to the different strategies used by the leaders to achieve the goals with a group,
while taking into account all the associated conditions regarding the environment
and the group itself. Techniques can be very diverse according to the factors that are
specific to each learning process or particularities of each group. Games, Recreation
Activities, Challenges, Initiatives and others, can be considered as techniques while
fostering Group Dynamics.

8
GENERAL
CONSIDERATIONS

9
Safety comes first:
One of the most important elements of working with groups and to have several
options that can accommodate to the group’s needs. Sometimes certain activities may
not be the best fit to a situation even though they are meant to be used in a particular
case, the type of activity to be selected must take into account the group dynamics
and any particular situations regarding the place, the number of people, the weather
and all the available resources.
When choosing an activity, always find the safest option, if anything seems to be risky,
don’t do it, and find possible enhancements to the activity, to allow every participant
to get the best out of it.
Also, during the briefing include all possible instructions and describe all situations
to participants for them to have a full context and be able to make the decision of
how much or how little of the experience they want to get off (Challenge by Choice).
If participants or a portion of them don’t want or can’t, it is important to have other
roles they can perform to be part of the activity. In general terms preparation is key.

Every Group is different:


All possible resources are great tools to work with a group when the leader has the
ability to read the dynamics and use adaptability to get what the participants need at
certain cases. Sometimes there will be situations that require to be more formal and
serious whereas others that will be more about fun, always use your common sense
and if a situations are hard to asses, rely on the group and ask what would it be better
for them, allow them to explore their creativity and come up with plans and ideas that
satisfy their particular needs.

10
Be a Great Leader:
A Great Leader is a person that represents a social role model, always being able to
follow the rules while keeping an open eye for situations when adjustments need to
be made in order to achieve the group goals. Also, takes the time to provide enough
information and support to set the group up for success, always leading by example.
The leader will set the tone and represent the energy of the group, by working with the
participants to create a positive and safe environment to enjoy the program.

Have Fun:
Most people when they get exposed to a group, tend to feel out of their comfort zone,
maybe because there are new/different people or because of the activities and goals
that connect the participants. The main difference between having a great time or the
worst experience of their lives, is how people perceive the interactions as something
fun. Usually silly things will lead to fun and ultimately fun leads to learning. As
Leaders we want people to learn stuff and the easiest way to make that happen, plus
creating a memorable experience for must of the participants will be creating a Safe,
Interesting and Fun environment for everyone to feel included and available to create
the sense of belonging to that community they are now part of.

Sometimes you will have to adapt the plans to the group’s needs or expand your mind
around one particular situation regarding one or few of the participants. Be open and
empathetic to support the group and make sure you put your energy into having fun
with them. If you join them and enjoy what you want them to do, instead of just asking
them to do it, they will be more likely to enjoy it with you.

11
GROUP TECHNIQUES

12
ICE BREAKERS:
CAPTION THIS:
Each participant is asked to find a picture on their phone then find a partner. Each
shares the photo they’ve chosen then the person who sees the shared photo writes a
caption for the photo. You can add details about the type of caption ie. breaking news,
humorous, scary, etc. the photo owner then shows the picture to the whole group and
the partner reads their caption.

BROKEN TELEPHONE:
The idea is to get a message across the group from person one to the last participant.
Some options to do so are: whisper something to the ear of the first person and allow
the group to do the rest, then ask the last person in the line (circle, group) to say out
loud what they were told. Another idea is to have person one to draw something on a
piece of paper and show it to person two, then the second person will start the whisper
line and the last person will draw what they are told. If it’s a large group consider
breaking it up into smaller sections and create a fun competition.

TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE:


The group will have some time to think and everyone will come up with 3 statements
that two must be true about themselves and one must be a lie. Then start going
around and let every person in the circle to tell these statements to the rest of the
group. The other participants will try to guess which is which and then the person will
share a bit about the truths or the lie as they prefer.

13
JEDI NUMBERS:
Ask the group to stand in a circle. Set a numeric goal for the group to reach (start with
a number that matches at least half of the group, or anything above 15). Explain to
the group that once the activity begins, participants can only say a number – no side
conversations or strategies! Once the leader says, “Go,” someone (whoever decides to
start). Try to reach the goal in a random order. If two or more people say the same
number, the group needs to start over. Ask participants to select different numbers
each time to make sure there is not a pattern.

SPEEDY RABBIT:
For this game everyone stands in a circle and the leader is in the middle. With the
group, come up with some motions and poses that include three people every time,
and make sure they practice and learn all of them. Then the leader points to 1 person
in the circle, and then that person, and the two people on either side of them need to
make the pose that was said. If someone messes up, makes the wrong pose, moves
when they weren’t supposed to, or any other action, they become the new leader. There
are tons of these poses and you can make up your own, but a few are:

Speedy rabbit: The 2-side people face out to make the shape of the ears,
and the middle person puts his or her hands in front of them like paws.
Screaming Viking: The 2-side people make rowing motions on the outside,
and the middle person bangs their fists on their chest yelling.
Girl Scout: The 2-side people put their arms up on a diagonal and lean in
to make a house, and the middle person crouches down and says: Do you
want a cookie?
Charlie Angels: The 2-side people will lean in the person in the middle,
facing out and holding their hands like they were guns. The middle person
will put his/her arms straight up and the hands like holding a gun as well.

14
ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS:
Maybe one of the most adaptable activities that can be played either with two people
or with large groups, just by using hand motions and body postures. The classic
version will have people show their straight palm for “Paper”, their first for “Rock” and
two fingers up (index and middle fingers) for “Scissors”.

Traditional: People will play by pairs and at the count of three both of them
will show their choice. The one that wins two out of three rounds will move
on to the next level and the other will be out or play with other players.
Split: Players will start in a line on the ground (can be an imaginary line)
with their own feet together heel to toe, and toe to toe with the opponent’s
feet. Every time they play their front foot will move accordingly. if they win
their front foot will move back toe to heel (one step back), if they lose their
front foot will reach forwards to the opponent’s new front foot. The one that
loses balance first will be out or play other opponents, the winners of each
pair will play each other to find the one that tops all the rest.
Evolution: People start crouched down to resemble eggs and as they bite
other egg participants they will grow into chickens, hens, roosters, and
eagles, performing moves and sounds that represent each level, which will
be decided at the beginning of the game so everyone can see which level
they are. Every time one participant loses one set (two out of three) they will
return to their previous level, even if they get back to eggs. People will keep
playing until there are not more people left on their same stage. The idea is
to be first to win against somebody else at the last level and get off the food
chain. Once people make it to the last level and win, they move to the side to
cheer up the rest of the group while they wait for a new round. The evolutive
line can be adapted using any type of characters as the group prefers.
Biggest fan: using the same classic style, whoever wins a set (two out of
three) will find other winners to play and the one the losses that set will
stand behind the winner and cheer him/her up. As the game progresses, the
winners will have the rest of the group cheering for them.

15
STAND UP/SIT DOWN:
Participants start out sitting on a chair. The leader will then ask them specific questions
such as: Do you have a sister? Are you wearing something blue? Do you like chocolate?
etc. If their answer is “YES”, they will stand up and as the game progresses, they will
continue to switch position every time there is a positive answer. if the answer is “NO”
they remain at the position they are. You can allow participants to lead the game
taking turns to be the one asking the questions.

SCREAMING TOES:
everyone will be in a circle looking down to their own feet. Then they will have five
seconds to find someone’s feet and stare at them. When the countdown is complete,
people will lift up their face and look at the same person they chose. If they are also
looking back (people looking at each other without changes), then both will yell out
loud and switch spots in the circle. The game can have two groups and the yellers
will stich circles. You can also add styles for participants to act when walking around
between spots.

CRAZY FARM:
A person will start telling a story while standing inside of a circle created by the group
sitting on chairs. There must be a chair per participant and everyone must be seated,
except for that one narrating the story. The story will be about a farmer and his crazy
farm; every narrator is free to adapt the story as they please based on their own
creativity. Every time the narrator mentions a hen(s) the group will move one spot (or
the instructed number) to the right, every time the narrator mentions a rooster(s) the
players will move one spot (or the instructed number) to the left. That means if the
narrator says 4 hens it will mean 4 chairs to the right, and 3 roosters will be 3 chairs
towards the left. Make sure the narrator keeps numbers small enough to keep track of
the game, avoid anything higher than 10. When the narrator says ‘Chicken Coop’ or
‘Hen House’ all participants must find another place to sit down, they are not allowed
to stay in the same chair or move to the two chairs next to them on both sides. At that
time, the narrator will take a sit on any empty spot and whoever ends up standing at
the end of the tornado inside of the ‘Crazy Farm’ will become the narrator and will
keep telling the story, until another ‘Chicken Coop’ or ‘Hen House’ appears so the new
narrator can sit down again and one more person will take the role.

16
TOILET PAPER:
This game is played with regular toilet paper that comes with pre marked lines for
squares. Participants will form a circle, standing next to each other and facing to the
center where the leader will be. Then go around the circle asking one by one how many
squares they want and give them what they ask for. Do not tell them anything about
what they will use it for and keep a limit, usually between 5 and 50 squares it’s fine.
Count out loud the number of squares and give them the paper. Once everyone is ready
with the paper they wanted, ask them to talk themselves, saying one fact, story or
something about them per each square they got. The first square must be their names.

MATCHSTICK CHALLENGE:
For this activity you need to be indoors and with the windows closed, but making sure
there are not elements that can easily get on fire. To play the game you will use regular
matches. The group will stand in a circle facing in. Every person will take a match out
of the box and light it up, then will have the time they can safely hold it to introduce
themselves to the group. The leader will be in the circle with the group and will start
by leading the instruction on his/her own, introducing him/herself and then passing
the box to the next person.

17
GET TO
KNOW EACH OTHER

18
WHOSE CARD:
Every participant will have a card and some time to write their name on it. (if they have
name tags already, use those), To start the game ask them to pair up with another
member of the group and introduce each other. Then they will switch cards and find
another person which has a different name on his/her card. Participants need to spot
and name the person whose name is on the card and switch cards and partners again.
They will keep doing so until they get their card back.

BALL TOUCH:
For this activity you can use a ball or any other element that is safe and easy to play
with, that will not break if it falls down on the ground. Participants will make a circle
and they will say their names by turns as they pass the ball around. Once the whole
group is done, then ask them to do it again, but this time they cannot pass the ball to
the person next to them on both sides and making sure nobody touches the ball twice
before all participants touch it once. Allow them to come up with different strategies
and challenge them to do it faster next time.

ZAP:
Participants start in a circle with the “Zapper” (person who starts the game) in the
middle. The Zapper will turn around and “ZAP” (point with both hands as an arrow)
at someone in the group while saying ZAP. The Zapped person sits down and the two
people on each side of the Zapped person will say each other’s names. the last one to
say the name or says a wrong name, sits down and is out for that round.
The Zapped person comes back up and the game keeps going on until the last two
participants. Then the Zapper completes a duel using RPS (Rock-Paper-Scissors),
categories challenges, or any other options they please. The winner of the duel will turn
into the new Zapper. Continue the rounds until most people learn everyone’s names.
If you want to make it more challenging ask participants to switch spots every round.

19
ASSOCIATION GAMES:
Is a good tool to learn each other’s names by creating associations with different
elements. Usually played in circles to allow all participants to see all the faces.

Name and letters: Ask participants to say their name and say something
they like (food, color, animal, place) that starts with the same first letter of
their name. You can also include actions or moves and ask the rest of the
group to repeat after so everyone will be an active learner.
Name and hobbies: One first participant will say his/her name and one
hobbies, then the second person will repeat what the first one said and then
introduce him/herself; the third person will start by repeating the first two
and adding his/her information creating a repetitive chain. The goal is for
all the participants to be able to learn everyone’s names. As leaders try to
explain the activity but challenge yourself to go last and show your skills and
interest in the group.

NOODLE SWAT:
The group will start in a circle with one person in the middle holding a pool noodle.
This person in the middle starts toward someone else’s toes. That person must try to
say the name of someone else in the circle before their toes get swatted. If they do,
the person in the middle must try to tag the person named. If they get tagged before
saying another name, then they go to the center of the circle.

COMPASS:
Participants stand in a circle with the leader in the center. The leader will walk around
and choose one person by standing in front of him/her. Then the leader will say “You,
Me Left or Right” and will point at one of those four people. Based on the choice of
the leader, the participant must say the name of the person that has been indicated.
If they hesitate or incorrectly identify someone, then they become the person in the
middle. If they say it right, the leader will find someone else in the circle.

20
DROP THE BLANKET:
Group is divided in two half and a blanket is placed between. By turns, one participant
on each side will approach the blanket and at the count of three the blanket will be
dropped revealing the two players. The one that says the other person’s name first will
be the winner and the other participant will now join the other group. The goal is to
gather the two teams together. Consider creating several groups if you have a large
number of participants.

I STAND IN COMMON WITH…:


Participants will stand in a circle and they will have a way to mark the spot where they
are standing, maybe using plastic dots, shoes or pieces of tape. There will be one more
spot (marked) in the center for the leader that starts the game by saying: “I stand in
common with….” and then adding something that is a true fact/feature about him/
herself and applies to other members of the group, for example: people that has brown
hair, pizza lovers, people wearing jeans, etc. If the fact/feature does not apply to them,
they will remain on their spot., but for the participants that have that fact/feature in
common must switch spots amongst themselves. The person in the center will use
that moving time to relocate him/herself in the circle so one new participant will be
in the center spot to continue leading the game. Some enhancements could be telling
participants they cannot move to the spot right next to them on both sides, or having
two spots in the center for two people to talk and find commonalities before so they
can share with the group. In this case, use a question for the groups or give something
to talk about, while the people in the middle introduce each other and decide what
they are going to say.

21
GUESS WHO:
Participants must learn their names first for this game. To start, one member of the
group will sit down facing a wall or just away from the rest of the participants. Then
one person will be placed behind his/her back and this person is not allowed to speak.
The player will ask Yes/No Questions out loud and the group will answer with only ‘Yes
or No’ to help him/her identify the person who is behind. Allow all participants to be
the guesser if they want to participate.

SPEED DATING:
Each participant will have a paper sheet and a pen, and they will write down numbers
from 1 to 10 in a column on the left side of the page. Then the group will have some
time to mingle up and arrange pair meetings for those numbers as if they were hours
of the day. That means two people will agree to meet up at a certain number and they
both will write it down on their paper at that time. Once each participant is done with
scheduling their 10 dates they will sit down and wait for everyone else to be ready. At
the time all participants are ready the leader will tell them to find their first date and
start talking in an open conversation with follow up questions. Every date will last for
5 minutes, so they need to balance the time to have the chance to listen to each other
on each date. Five minutes later, the leader will announce them to find their second
date, and so on until they finish. At the end, ask them follow up questions like: Who
would they like to get to know better? What did they learn about other people? What
was the question they were asked that they liked the most and why?

22
CIRCLE GAMES

23
NINJA:
Participants start in a circle and at the count of three they all say “NINJA” and take
their warrior positions. They all need to be arm reach distance with the two participants
at their sides. Participants will use their hands as sabers trying to reach to the hands
of the other players. Only the hits that go from elbow to fingers count and once one
receives the hit will lose that limb, which will be shown by putting that hand on the
back. Each participant will have two sabers (two hands) and when they lose both they
are out for that round. When the first person starts, will try to hit one of the two
players on his/her sides to get them out of the game. By turns, everyone will have the
chance to take one step in any direction and make one move to get another player out
of the game or to escape from being attacked. The rest of the time, the whole group
except those two (the ninja and the one being attacked) will be frozen waiting for their
turn. As participants lose their sabers the circle will get smaller and smaller down to
the last two ninjas.

DEFENDER:
For this activity use a soft medium size ball (dodgeball or rubber ball) There will be
two people in the center to start, one is the player and the other one is the defender.
The group will form a circle and will pass the ball around to try to hit the player out.
Always remember to be gentle and careful and try to aim chest down (no face shots).
The defender´s role is to try keep the player safe using his/her own body as a human
shield and his/her limbs to reject the ball. Also ask everyone to maintain a soft pace
to keep the ball inside of the circle which will provide more time to play, instead of
chasing after the ball if it keeps going far away due to super strong pitches. Also,
reinforce that it is a team effort and the more they move the ball around and allow
everyone to be part of the game, the easier it will be to complete the task. The person
that hits the player will take that role, the previous player will become the defender
and the defender will take a place in the circle.

24
AROUND THE WORLD:
the group will be sitting on the floor in a circle and the leader will start the game by
saying “we are going on a trip AROUND THE WORLD” and we need to take some
things to complete the whole trip. Then will start asking each participant to bring
something and the leader will tell them if they can go or not based on their answers.
The key for the game is that they have to add elements that start with the next letter
on the name of the game A-R-O-U-N-D T-H-E W-O-R-L-D. For example: Apples -
Raisins - Oil - Narrowboat - Diamonds-... The challenge is to get the key of the game
and complete the whole name.

POMEGRANATE - CASSAVA ROOT:


the group will be standing in a circle and the leader will start the game by handing
two objects, one to each person by his/her side. To the person in the right will give
him/her any object and say: ‘THIS IS A POMEGRANATE’ then that person will ask: ‘A
WHAT?’ and then the leader will repeat: ‘A POMEGRANATE’. Then that person will turn
to the person to his/her right and handle the object by saying the same line: ‘THIS
IS A POMEGRANATE’ and this one person will ask: ‘A WHAT?’ and at that time the
second person will ask the leader again: ‘A WHAT?’ and so on and so for until the
pomegranate object is handed back to the leader. At the same time, the leader will give
another object to the person on his/her left telling him/her: ‘THIS IS A CASSAVA ROOT’
and the people on that side will do the same thing handing the object forwards with
the name and ask back to the leader: ‘A WHAT?’ to get the answer and move forwards.
The person that gets confused or provides a wrong answer will be out for that round.

DUCK, DUCK, GOOSE:


Participants will form a circle while sitting on the ground. One person will start the
game by standing up behind the circle and walking around in one direction, tapping
people gently and respectfully on their heads or shoulder and saying: ‘DUCK’ to each
new participant on the line. Eventually when tapping one player will say: ‘GOOSE’
instead of ‘DUCK’ and that person will stand up and try to catch the one that was
choosing, before he/she completes a lap and sits down in the empty spot. If they do,
then they can go back to sit at their spot in the circle, if they don’t then they will
become the one that leads the game and continue to call: ‘DUCK’ ‘DUCK’ ‘GOOSE’.
One variation is to ask participants that are selected as ‘GOOSE’ to run towards the
opposite direction, turning the game into a race. Always make sure the area is safe
and participants can run without the presence of any obstacles.

25
INDIAN CHIEF:
One person will leave the group to a place where they can not see or listen to what
is happening with the rest. Then the group will be sitting on the ground and they
will choose a leader to start the game actions. This person will do different actions
repeatedly for several seconds each like, leg taps, claps, snapping the fingers, hugging
him/herself, etc. The group will follow the moves as soon as they realize of the changes,
without being too obvious. The person that left before, will be asked then to return,
step in the middle of the circle and try to guess who is the Indian Chief that is creating
the commands. once they discover it. They join the circle and the one that was the
Chief will go out while the group selects a new one.

BIRDIE ON A PERCH:
The game will start with the participants creating pairs that will last for the entire
game. Try to get the pairs to be balanced in height and weight as much as possible.
Then each member of the pair will take one role “Bird” or “Perch”. Then all the group
will be divided into two circles that will play side by side, or if there is a large number
of players, the two circles can start with one inside of the other one. One circle will
have all of the “birds” while the other one will have all “perches”. Both circles will spin
around in opposite directions while singing a song asked by the leader of the game
(happy birthday, national anthem, little kid’s songs or something most people would
know the lyrics). Eventually, while the participants are moving the leader will call off
an action and the participants need to find their pair and complete the task/s that are
given at each time. The last team that completes the action, will get out for the game
and will help to identify other last teams for the rest of the rounds, until one pair wins
the game by being the last standing.
Each time one round finishes, the participants will go back to their own circle.
The basic instruction will be: ‘Birdie on a perch’ and will be represented by on of the
members that is the ‘perch’ will kneel down with one knee on the ground and the
opposite foot flat on the ground with the knee up, so the ‘bird’ (other team member)
can come and sit on that leg rising up his7her own feet off the ground.
The leader can add some other commands at the same time to make the game more
challenging like: ‘knights and horses’ where one person is the horse that will remain
standing up and the other is the knight that will jump on the horse’s back and brandish

26
a sword; and ‘crying baby’ where one person will be the caregiver that will stay on his/
her feet and the other person will be a baby that jumps and hugs the caregiver, which
need to “carry the baby” in front.
Other options can include having pairs to switch roles like ‘perches on the birds’
‘horses to the knights’ or ‘baby helpers’ which will require them to do the other role
or switch teammates which will create new pairs for the rest of the game, ‘switch
birds’ ‘switch horses’ and so on. only the person in the role moves while the other
person awaits to be selected by someone else. Last people to pair up will be out.
After a few commands, the two circles will gather and spin again until a new instruction
is given.

BATS AND MOTHS:


This activity can be played by a large group or with smaller break up groups. The idea
is to create a circle with all the participants except the first two volunteers. The group
will be silent and using their hands and arms gently, will redirect the players inside of
the circle if they are stepping out or losing balance. One person will be the ‘bat’ and
will be blindfolded for the game; the goal of the ‘bat’ is to use the echolocation ability
to find its dinner in the shortest possible time. To catch the ‘moth’, the ‘bat’ will clap
his/her hands once. The other player will be the ‘moth’ which will try to avoid being
eaten (tagged) by the ‘bat’, however its physical body always reacts to the super ‘bat’s’
power. So every time the ‘bat’ claps, the ‘moth’ must clap back twice in response.
The idea for the moth is to last the longest possible. When the ‘moth’ gets caught, it
turns into the ‘bat’ for the next round and one more person becomes the ‘moth’, on
the other hand the previous ‘bat’ joins the circle. This game works better indoors with
lights off or during the night time to make it a little more mysterious.

27
SMALL
GROUP GAMES

28
TAG:
are great, fast-paced chasing activities that get participants moving. They are easy to
play, without props or preparation. Traditionally, tag games will have one person or
group of people that start being “IT” who is tagging others, and whoever gets tagged
is either out of the game for that round, becomes IT or gets frozen until something else
happens according to the pre-settled rules. Consider setting boundaries for the game
when playing in certain areas.

Bridge: When one person has been tagged will remain on the spot and spread
his/her legs and wait until somebody else crosses under to be back on the
game.
Mirror: For this version once one participant gets tagged, needs to take a
particular position similar to a statue and remain there until another person
shows up and mimics his/her position to get them back on the game.
Frozen: In this case, the game starts with two players, one is IT and the
other one will be the runner that is the chased member of the team. Everyone
else will be spread on the play field but frozen until they are activated. Then
the runner will gently touch one person´s head to get him/her started so the
two of them can go activate others, they all run trying to get everybody to
be active. If someone gets tagged, goes back to being frozen on the spot. The
game continues until everyone is active.
Link: In this case it is very important to set clear and safe boundaries to make
sure everyone plays fair. One person starts being IT and chasing everyone else.
Once IT tags someone they link arms and go after the rest. Every time one
person gets tagged, they link arms with one of the ends of the chain and so
on and so for until everyone gets connected to the line. If one participant while
trying to escape steps out of boundaries, that person will also join the line.
Virus (Infection): IT starts chasing the rest of the group and every person
gets tagged, becomes also IT as a virus. The goal is to get everybody infected.
Everybody is it: This is a very fast game that starts with everyone being IT.
Once a person gets tagged is out for that round/game, and every time certain
number of participants are out usually half’s) the play field is reduced to make
it more challenging. If a participant runs out of boundaries trying to escape
remains off for that round/game.

29
CAMOUFLAGE:
Similar to the ‘Go Hide and Seek’ game, a place with some elements that can provide
shelter and sight barriers is required. The game will start with one person to be
the seeker that will have his/her eyes closed or blindfolded while counting a certain
number of seconds, during that time the rest of the people will go and hide. Then the
seeker will have to remain in an area (around 5 feet) to look around and spot / call
out the rest of the group. The goal is to be the last participant to be found, and the
ones that are called out will be out for the round. After some time, there will be new
instructions to make it more fun: ‘Come Closer’ participants will have 15 seconds to
move closer towards the seeker before he/she starts again calling out people. ‘Show
a body part’ (one finger, one shoe, one belt or lace), for two seconds each player will
stick out what has been instructed slowly enough to remain hidden in place. ‘Switch
Spots’ participants will find other players and switch their places. ‘Give a High Five’
the seeker will close his/her eyes and keep one hand up for 20 seconds while the rest of
the remaining participants come and give him/her a high five and return to their place
or go to a new location. Add as many challenges as you please to keep the energy up.
The last player will have the right to choose either becoming the seeker or selecting
somebody else to be the seeker.

GIANT, WIZARDS, ELVES / BEAR, FISH, MOSQUITO:


This game is similar to ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’ where participants will have the option
of playing one of the two options: Giant, Wizards and Elves or Bear, Fish, Mosquito.
The idea is to come up with moves and sounds to represent each choice in the game.
For example: ‘Wizards’ can extend their arms and index finger as a magic wand and
make an “ShSh” sound to pretend they are casting a spell or ‘Mosquitoes’ can make
random moves with their index finger with a “ZZZZ” sound to pretend there is a
flying creature. Whatever the result might be, practice each option and make sure all
participants know very well all the three options.
The Group will be divided into two groups (if there is a very large group, consider
creating more groups always in even numbers: four, six, eight…). Each team will form a
line with all its members and the two lines will face each other about ten feet away (3
meters). Behind those lines and about 35 feet long distance (10 meters) there will be a
second line for each team that will be called ‘home’ and represents a safe space. The

30
lines can be painted, marked with cones or with any other element that makes them
visible for everyone. After the instruction, the teams will have some time to decide
their choice and at the count of the leader, they will get back in their line. Then the
leader will count to three and each team will show their option. The winning team will
chase the opposite team that needs to run to their ‘home’ before being tagged. The
participants that get tagged will join the winner team and then go back to play until
one team absorbs all of the players.
Who wins the round depends on the choices:
For Giant, Wizards, Elves: Giants beat elves, because giants are able to “squash” elves.
Elves beat wizards because they outsmart them. Elves chew at their legs. Wizards beat
giants because they are able to zap them with a magic spell.
For Bear, Fish, Mosquito: Bears eat Fish, Fish eat Mosquito, Mosquito eats bears.
If both teams show the same character, no one wins. Rounds keep repeating until one
team wins (the other team is completely captured).

SHOCK WAVE:
The group will be divided into two teams that will line up facing each other. Participants
will be holding hands behind their backs making sure they can not be seen. At the
end of the lines there will be one element as a trophy. The first person on each line
will receive the instruction to gently squeeze the hand of the next person which will
pass the pulse to the next and the next and so for, until the last member of the team.
When the last person gets the grasp, will step forwards and take the trophy to score.
The person that grabs the trophy will move to the front of the line and the rest of
the participants will move one spot closer towards the trophy. The rounds will keep
on going until the first person comes back to the front of the line to win. If there is a
false pulse, the opposite team will move their last member to the front of their line.
As strategies to start the leader can squeeze both hands of the first two people of the
lines, the leader can show a card with the sign Go, or have a green and red card to
show as a starter. Leader can also flip a coin or use other silent elements.

31
BLIND SHAPES:
This game will work out better with groups between 6 and 10 participants so you may
consider splitting up the group into smaller teams. Also blindfolds for every player and
ropes or webbing are necessary for the activity. First ask the participants to help each
other to wear the blindfolds and then stand together in a circle. Then the leader will
pass around a rope or webbing which every person will hold with both hands. Then ask
the group to create different geometrical figures or shapes with the rope, while being
blindfolded. Allow them to talk and come up with their own strategies and debrief
about the possible learnings and discoveries of the activity.

PASS MASTER:
This activity is to be played with two or three different groups. The idea is that each
group must do a line and pass different objects (balls, coins, hula-hoops) however for
them to pass there is going to be a sequence to follow that the leader will establish
and the beginning of each round. Example: They may pass first to their left side, the
next person downside, the following one upside, and the sequence ends to their right
side. In case the sequence is done, but there is still people in the line participants must
restart the sequence until the last person received the object, then this person must
run to first person who started passing the object around the line, and the fastest line
will got a point, now the last person who was the one receiving the object, will be the
first one to send it in the next round. Leader can change the sequence at each round.

32
LARGE
GROUP GAMES

33
CAT AND MOUSE:
This is basically a family of games, very similar to TAG where several options can be
accommodated by applying variations to the basic game which consists of a circle
with all participants holding hands except two that will start on opposite sides facing
each other: The ‘cat’ will be outside of the circle and the ‘mouse’ inside. The goal of
the ‘mouse is to escape out of the circle without getting caught whereas the ‘cat’ is
trying to get the ‘mouse’ as soon as he/she leaves the hole. The ‘cat’ cannot come
into the circle but they can reach into the circle to grab the ‘mouse’. The circle players
have to try and keep the ‘cat’ away from the ‘mouse’ by holding up their hands to let
the ‘mouse’ in and out of the circle and at the same time block the ‘cat’s’ attempts
to grab the ‘mouse’ by standing in their way. When the ‘mouse’ is caught, he/she
becomes the ‘cat’, the one that was ‘cat’ will join the circle and another player will be
the new ‘mouse’. Another option could be when the round is over, to ask for two other
members of the group to play the roles. If the ‘cat’ does not catch the ‘mouse’, then
another ‘cat’ (a second one) could be a good help.

Chase: In this version the ‘cat’ will chase and tag the ‘mouse’ who will be
supported by the group as well, but in this case the ‘mouse’ will run around
the circle or thought it to escape from the ‘cat’ but the ‘cat can also come into
the circle to catch the ‘mouse’. Again, when the ‘cat’ tries to cross the circle
borders, the other players will get close to each other to trap the ‘cat’ inside
or avoid him/her to get in, according to the situation.
Streets and Avenues: the same basic concept but in this game, the group will
create a grid instead of a circle, so participants will be in lines that represent
rows and columns (5 lines of 5 people each) spread up to arm reach in both
directions. The ‘cat’ will start on one side and the ‘mouse’ will be on the
opposite one. The participants will start on “street” position, holding hands
horizontally with the people on the left and the right, and at the call of the
leader, they will move to avenues, which will be holding hands vertically with
the ones in front and behind. The leader will try to guide the group to protect
the ‘mouse’ by changing the directions of the lines as the cat approaches so
each of the runners will have to find a way around the moving tracks.

34
Family field: For this version the group will sit on the playing field by pairs.
The ‘cat’ and the ‘mouse’ will start at the same starting spot, but the ‘cat’ will
count to ten to allow the ‘mouse’ to start his/her race. Then the cat will try
to catch the ‘mouse’ running between groups. Every time the ‘mouse’ wants,
he/she can sit by the side of one of the pairs and the person sitting on the
opposite side will become the mouse, so now they have to run away and try to
find another place to escape. If the ‘cat’ succeeds in tagging the ‘mouse’, that
person that was ‘mouse’ will be the new ‘cat’ and the previous ‘cat’ will sit
down in a group to make the person on the other side, to start running again.

CAPTURE THE FLAG:


Is also a traditional type of game that requires two teams that will be on opposite
sides of a playing field, separated by a middle line. Each team will hide a flag or other
type or marker on their zone, which usually contains trees and natural obstacles like
stones or ditches. The goal is to capture and bring to their own land, the marker of
the opposite team. The players of each team will be identified with particular signs
like bandanas, vests or face paint to facilitate the game. When the players are in the
opponent’s area, they are susceptible to be tagged and according to the settled rules
they can be out of the game for that round, be sent back to their own territory, get
frozen in place, go to jail or become part of the opposite team. Also, certain people like
to include rules of distance for protection of the marker and the jail, add opponent’s
safe zones, or have time restrictions for each set. Other ideas may include specific
behavior to rescue team members that have been tagged and special conditions for
placing/hiding the team mark (flag).

EAGLES AND NESTS:


Is a very similar option to Capture the Flag, but in this case the field is a grass open
area. something bigger and with no obstacles. Each team will have the same amount
of eggs (3 to 5 balls according to the number of players on each team), each side will
have two nests (made out of ropes or hula hoops), placed on the end of each side
of the field, one for the team eggs and one empty nest for the opponent’s eggs. The
goal is to collect all of the eggs of the other team before losing all of their own. That
means they need to have all of the opponent’s eggs plus at least one of their own
ones. Participants are not allowed to pass, kick, throw or hit the eggs (balls). Once a
player takes one egg, must keep it on his/her hands at all times until it gets placed on
a new nest. Team members are not allowed to touch or move their own eggs on their

35
own areas after the start of the game, if one egg gets dropped on the ground of the
same team, it must remain at that spot and the team members cannot place it back or
move it anywhere else on the field, only members from the opposite team can take that
egg. However, if the egg crosses the middle line, even if they are in the opposite nest,
then the other team can always bring back home their own eggs, if they can make it
through the opponent’s defense line.

SIMON SAYS:
This one can be an indoor or outdoor possibility to have fun with large groups. One
player takes the role of “Simon” and provides the group with instructions (usually
physical actions such as “raise your right hand” or “stick out your tongue” etc.),
which should be followed only when prefaced with the statement: “Simon says”.
Players are eliminated from the game by either following instructions that are not
immediately preceded by the phrase, or by failing to follow an instruction which does
include the phrase “Simon says”. It is the ability to distinguish between genuine and
fake commands, rather than physical ability, that usually matters in the game. The
goal for Simon is to get all the other players out as quickly as possible; The goal for
the rest is to be the last player in the game to be the winner and become the new
Simon. More than one participant can be out at the same time, which will help Simon
to remain being the winner. Participants that get out can simply sit down on their
spot to wait for the next round. Also, the leader may include other activities to make it
more exciting, for example asking the last 8 contestants to come up front and conduct
a short interview about their lives, or having duels of categories or RPS (Rock, Paper,
Scissors) with the last two participants.

SHARK AND MINNOWS:


Is a version of “Tag” for large groups that can be played in an open field with clear
boundaries. All of the group will be minnows (small fish) and will start on one end of
the field, except one person that will be the Shark and will start in the middle. When
all the participants are in their positions, the Shark will count to three and after that
the minnows will try to reach the other end; as the game progresses, the minnows
will cross from one side to the other without getting caught. When the Shark catches
one minnow, this will become a new Shark and will stay in the center. The objective
is to be the last minnow to be tagged. The winner can select to be the next Shark if
he/she prefers, otherwise, the first minnow that was caught will be the Shark in the
next round.

36
SHIPS AND SAILORS:
The group will be in an open space where they can move freely without obstacles.
The leader will add commands as the game progresses. After all commands are clear,
the people that do something wrong will be out for that round, it can be missing an
instruction, doing an action that belongs to another command, being left out in group
command or being last to perform the instruction, everything counts as wrong. When
a participant gets out, will go to the front and help the leader to identify the people
that get out in the next commands.

Instructions:
• Ships: everyone goes to the right.
• Sailors: everyone goes to the left.
• Salut captain: Everyone will stand straight up with a hand on the side of their forehead as
a military salute, they need to keep their stand until the leader says “At Ease”.
• At Ease: Participants will bring the hand down and be at rest waiting for the next command.
If the leader provides another instruction before releasing the “At Ease” command, the players
that move will be out.
• Man overboard: participants form pairs, one will get on all fours like a dog with knees and
hands on the ground and the other one will stand up and put a foot on his/her partner’s back,
while keeping one hand on the forehead pretending to look for somebody in the water.
• Hit the deck: all players will get down with the elbows and toes on the ground like doing
planks workout.
• Dinner table: Participants will gather in groups of four members each, then they will sit
down on the ground creating a square and pretending to be eating. They must keep doing
the action until they hear the next command. If they stop the four of them will be out. Also,
if there are participants in groups with less than four members or any extra player over four,
will be out of the game.
• # men rowing: The leader will say a number followed by “men rowing” and that amount of
people will get together and make a line facing the same direction, pretending to be a rescue
boat. Then they pretend to row until they hear the next command. Ex: Six men rowing, three
men rowing. Any participants in groups with less members than instructed or any extra player
over the selected number will be out of the game.

37
COMPETITIONS:

38
GYMKHANA:
Even though the term is very wide and can be applied to many types of activities,
these games are basically a competition between a few big groups, usually from two
to four teams playing different types of races to score the highest amount of points
as possible. The teams spend time creating the identity and frequently have special
costumes, flags, chants, greetings and sometimes pets, so when they show up it is
easy to identify each team. Some alternatives include:

Shoe Race: In this game the groups will line up one behind the other, at the
starting point keeping the same order for the rest of the competition. Then one
by one, they will run to reach the end line and leave their shoes there, then
return to the back of the line and tap on the shoulder of the next person to let
them know when to get the second person in to the run.
There are two common options for this race:
1. The first person comes back and everyone else by turns does the same
thing, they all go to the end line to leave their shoes and come back barefoot
to the back of the line until the whole group is barefoot and the first person
is head of the line again. That means all the shoes will be at the end line and
the players will start to go there to wear their own shoes and come back to the
line and so for, until everyone gets back on their own shoes.
2. The first one leaves his/her shoes at the end line and returns back to allow
the second one to go. This person will take off his/her shoes and immediately
wear the first person’s shoes before coming back to the end of the line, then
the third one will wear the second person’s shoes and so on and so for, they
keep going back and for until everyone gets back on their own shoes.
Burlap Sack Race: Each member of the teams will have to complete one track
or lap on the selected area, jumping inside of a burlap sack. The goal is to be
the first team to finish the race. One enhancement could be having the teams
splitted in half’s with one half on one side and the other one on the opposite
side, so the participants must switch every time they get to one of the ends.
The game will finish when all the members of one team are on the other side
or back at their original side, according to the preferred rules.

39
Egg / Ping Pong Race: Each participant will have a plastic spoon and there
will be one egg or ping pong ball per team. The participants will hold the spoon
with their mouth while keeping their hands behind their backs all the time. The
goal is to get the ball across the whole course or complete the relay with all the
members. If they drop the egg/ball, the team will be out or if allowed, the judge
of the team will provide a new one.
Crab Race: Participants line up by pairs linking arms and they will be tied
up with laces or bandanas by their ankles. Each pair will complete the track/
course/lap and the switch to another pair until the whole group is done. The
idea is to finish faster than the other teams.

Songs Competition: The teams will have some guides of the amount of songs,
and maybe the genres or artists. Then they will have time to rewrite their songs
using the rhythm of the originals and learn them as a team. The final show
will be the presentation where the teams sing their songs and the judges will
define the podium.

Signs Competition: Every team receives or creates posters with a visible letter
on each. Containing each letter of the alphabet just once. To play, all the teams
will be on the same spot but not all of them will play on every round. The
judges will say a word and the teams will form that word using their posters
to create an active sing. The teams will choose one person to hold each letter,
and as many letters as they need to complete the word. If there are not enough
players, one person can hold up to two letters if those letters are together in
the word but not repeated. If a letter is repeated and they go together, the
person that holds that letter will have to jump on the spot all the time until the
judges say it is clear enough. If a letter repeats two or more times in the word
in different positions, the person that holds that letter will have to move and
show the letter on every spot it needs to be, bouncing back and forth until the
judges think is clear enough.

40
Aiming Competition: This can be played with any kind of throwing objects to
hit targets or to reach score points getting closer towards something similar to
playing darts or rings with a bottle.

Spelling Bee Contest: The classic activity of having people spelling words to
get points. In this version, all the participants must take at least one of the
words

Construction Contest: This type of activity can include structures with


construction paper, wood blocks, Lego pieces, cards, wood sticks, plastic/paper
straws, tubes, pencils, clay or any other element that the leaders or the group
consider interesting for the purpose.

Silver Rush: There are four groups in an area divided with two ropes, each
area will be the safe zone designated for each group. Then inside the zone the
groups will have a hula-hoop in which they are going to some balls, or material
to keep. The idea is to cross lines and collect the other groups balls adding
them to the ones they already have on their zone; however if they are tagged
on enemy’s zone they must stop as if they were statues, and they can only go
back to the game if they are touched by their teammates. It is important to
mention that if their mates released them, both have to go back holding hands
to their safety zone, or they can be tagged. The idea is to provide participants
with a limit of time and then when time is over, the leader will count and
determine the winner of the round based on the major quantity of balls each
group poses.

41
APACHE RACE:
This kind of activities are similar to the Gymkhanas and some people may consider the
Apache Race as one type of it. In this case the groups are smaller (family size = 6 to
12 people) and the challenges will be played by two teams at a time in short activities.
This kind of format has basically no limits in terms of games to play. It can include
a big range of board games, small and large group games, competitions, skits and
almost every possible challenge that is safe and fun to play. These activities can be
played by one representative of the team or for any number of players, according to
each station, even the whole team on some occasions. the races will get the teams to
play amongst themselves creating different rotation options to make sure they get the
chance to play most of the other teams at least on one station
Some options can be:

Throwing darts to water balloons to add score.


Blind knight: One player on each team gets blindfolded and both of
them get placed inside of a ring (rope on the floor) then two pool
noodles are added to the ring and the knights will try to find one and
hit the other knight. the one that hits the other one first wins the round.
Several rounds can be played to get the total score.
Singing: Write down words in pieces of paper, fold them and place
them in a bowl or bag, one member of each team will draw one paper
at a time and take the word to their team. The whole team needs to
sing a piece of a song that contains the word. Speed, tone and general
performance and uniformity will count for the final score. Several
rounds can be played.
Exercises: Participants will complete a circuit of exercises including
jumping jacks, wheelbarrows, rolls and pushups.
Frisbee throw: Complete a circuit or score with hoops or cans.
Answer Riddles: Each team will have the chance to ask riddles to the
opponents and get correct answers to earn points.
Blow balls with straws: there will be a track for each team and enough
supplies for all team members to complete the challenge. Each person
must take their ball (cotton balls, paper balls or ping pong balls) across
the tracks using a straw. The first team to finish will get all the points.

42
SCAVENGER HUNT:
This activity is about reaching a goal / “treasure” by groups in which there are going
to be some clues around the facilities with challenges to perform and follow. All of
this in order to go through different stations until they arrive at the last location
where the treasure will be waiting for them. The clues need to provide directions
of where the next location will be, however the idea is to take advantage of the
different transitions from one place to another by challenging them to move at the
time they are performing a silly, dynamic and all together activity. Example: “Time
to hop to the next station while singing team’s favorite camp song”.

EGG DROP:
In this activity there are going to be different groups assigned to an egg per group.
The goal of the activity is to cover or protect the egg with different materials in
order to leave the egg fall down from a considerable high. Materials are going to be
restricted to a method of acquisition that can be directed to fake money, rocks, coins,
etc. The idea is to provide each group with a certain amount of the exchange coin or
money that makes them think carefully what materials to acquire.

COUNSELOR DRESS UP PARADE:


Participants will be divided into groups depending on needs. Each group will be
assigned with a leader to dress up with any pieces of clothes or items they can find
in a certain limit of time, then the idea is to have a top model parade in which
leaders are going to walk modeling the random and funny designs product of the
groups creativity. You can rate them by creating different categories as: The funniest,
the most creative, the weirdest, etc..

43
INDOOR GAMES

44
Broom soccer: The participants will play with the simil of soccer but using
a dodgeball or a medium size rubber ball. Each participant will have a broom
mop or stick based cleaning tool to hit the ball, they will not be allowed to use
any body parts for the game. The goal zone will be marked with two chairs.
Balloon basketball: Similar to basketball but using a balloon instead of a
ball, the two teams will try to score by putting the balloon in a trash can. As
they cannot bounce the ball on the ground and they cannot walk holding the
ball, they have to pass it all the time to other team players. no hits are allowed,
only throws to get the ball across. The idea is to avoid personal contact and
keep most of the rules of the original game.
Blindfold obstacle course: This game focuses on increasing the trust between
participants and team work. For this game some members will be blindfolded
and the rest won’t be. The idea is that the members who are not blindfolded
provide directions to the one who are, for both sides to go from location A
to location B. It is important to highlight that, the guiders can only direct
blindfolded members orally and they cannot touch them during the process.
Pyramid stack race (Cards or cups): Each team will be assigned to a table
and the materials will be provided at the beginning of the competition. They
must create a pyramid using as many cups/cards as they can and the structure
should remain still on its own, when the time is up.
How Well Do You Know Your Counselor: This game is similar to a TV
family contest show structure. So basically from families or participants in
general divided into groups will be sitting down and going to a certain place or
making a signal as fast as possible to have the chance of answering a question
about general information from their leaders, each question depending on the
difficulty of it will provide them points to compete against each other, at the
end the participant or groups with the majority of the points win.
One minute to win it: The TV show contest model aired years ago in
Colombia in which participants are going to compete for points by challenging
themselves into some mini-game to be done before one minute. Example:
Blow 20 cups with a balloon in less than 1 minute. Move and eat a cookie from
their faces with no-hands in less than a minute. transfer the majority of water
possible from a bucket to another with a sponge. It is pertinent to clarify that
depending on the mini-game you can adapt the time limit.

45
Karaoke: Classic recreational activity in which participants will follow and
sign the lyrics of a song in English of their preference with only the rhythm
behind. They can sign individually, by pairs or more.
Trivia night: It is a competition based on some general facts information by
groups, with different questions, depending on the difficulty and complexity of
the questions itself, the point could be more or less, at the end the groups with
more points after the round of questions normally by categories ends, there is
a winner. It is important to set up a signal that allows the leader or facilitator
to identify who reacts first in order to answer the question.
Dodgeball: Sportive game in which there are two teams playing against each
other. Teams will have a designated area in a divided court, each area will be
separated by a middle line. On the middle line there will be balls lined up (the
balls need to be soft foam or rubber based) to make sure they are available
for both teams at the beginning of each round. After a signal participant
might run to catch one or more balls and go back to the original position to
activate the balls in order to be able to start throwing them to the members
of the other team. The purpose of the game is to hit with a soft ball on the
body members of the opponents team in order to get them out of the game,
however head is not valid as a point, also if the opponent catches the ball
instead of being hit, the rival who threw the ball will be out and the catcher
can bring a member back. The purpose is to hit every member from the other
team in order to win. Other rules can be used to make the game more fun, for
example: people that are hit will sit down on the spot instead of moving out,
in that way they can act as shields for their team even though they are out
and they cannot throw balls to the opposite side. Sometimes a ‘Jailbreak’ can
be called and all participants will be back on the game. Other options could be
having styles like ‘Civil War’ where participants can lose limbs (hands, arms,
or legs) where they get hit, but be able to play limping or with a hand on
their backs, however if they get shot in the chest or stomach, they are out. In
this case, once they are out, they are completely out of the game. If there is
a basketball court or you can find large cans or bins, they can play basketball
dodgeball, with all the same rules but instead of ‘jailbreaks’ all the team
members that got out will be back if somebody on their team shoots a hoop.
Another option is to play that the person that gets hit, instead of being out,
will become part of the other team until one team gets all the participants.

46
Skits: This are smaller pieces of theater that leaders or participants can
perform, this are normally make at Campfires in order to bring a funny aspect
to the night, also it is important to take into account that these type of tether
pieces normally cross the boundary line between performers and spectators
allowing the performers to include the rest of the attendants into the role play
if they may want to.
Talent Show: This activity is a space for participants and leaders to demonstrate
these skills or abilities that they have, in here it does not matter which skill
they want to present, they are free to go ahead as far as it is logical with
the structure of the immersion. Leaders will provide any materials needed by
participants at the talent show that they consider necessary and it is under
the possession of the staff team. However, specific objects or material outside
of the normal ones found in camp must be brought by them (example: musical
instruments).
Impro Up: This activity it’s a good option to call for creativity with participants
and also to use their English skills at any level. Basically there will be an area
designated as the stage, in which participants are going to act crazy small
sketches that come from leader imagination, so the leader will choose around
3 to 5 members of the groups to act and perform a random, funny situation
as they can or may think, they must move, talk and interact. However, when
the leader says freeze, they are going to stay quiet in the last position they
were performing, after that leader can take out participants, include or include
new ones, also during this time the leader will change the context and the
characters involved in the play. Finally, when the leader uses the command
“The show must go on” all participants have to jump into the stage and
perform the first thing that comes to their minds interacting among them,
without any directions from the leader.

47
RESOURCES

48
OTHER TIMES
FAMILY AGREEMENTS:
Full Value Contract: After talking to all the family about the opportunities they
have to share and learn at camp, invite them to come up with a contract that
includes all the values that they want to embrace as well as the behaviors that
will show those values in action. Then Make sure every sign in the paper of the
contract and place it somewhere that will be easily seen by all members.
Community Commitment: Similar to the full value contract, the participants will
create a community commitment, highlighting the aspects that will represent
the community including the important values and features. They can create an
identity like the community of the ring from the Lord of the Rings story. The
commitment can be represented on a shield, a flag or any other element choose
by the family
Tree of values: For this activity the family will need paper and paint. Consider
being in a place that is protected and easy to clean after so it does not end
up stained. In a big sheet of paper, draw a grass line and underneath ask one
participant to draw the roots of their tree. Then draw the trunk and write inside
of it the name of the family. After that, ask all the participants to get some
paint on the palm of one of their hands and print it on the paper as part of
the branches and leaves. After they are done painting the tree, invite them to
have a conversation about the personal goals that each participant has with the
experience and then talk about the concept of family at camp trying to identify
the values that are more important for the group as guidelines for their own
process to achieve their goals. Once the tree is dry, ask the family to write down
the key words they want to be part of their tree to remember what they will
harvest at the end of the program.
Head, Hands & Heart: This tool allows participants to set up their goals for the
experience they will share and it can be posted in their rooms or kept by the
leader to be read during their daily check out before bed time. Even though the
goals are personal and each participant will choose one goal per category that
they want to achieve during the time together, the whole group will try to work
together to obtain it and, in that way, support their family member to gain that
result. The categories are: Head: A new knowledge they can use in daily life.
Hands: a Technical skill or physical feat. Heart: Personal Growth or development.

49
STORY BUILDING:
These are great tools for practicing language skills and also a key resource during rainy
days.

Spinning talest: The group will be in a circle (on a big table or laying down
on the floor). Each participant will have a sheet of paper and a pen. The leader
will count some time for each participant to write their own name and start a
story on his/her paper, and when the time is up, all the group will pass their
paper to the right or left as the leader prefers. Then a new set of seconds will
be used to read and keep going with the story before they have to rotate again
and again, spinning around until the papers return to the owners. Invite the
writers to be creative and try to enrich every story as it is. Read all the stories
out loud and have fun.
One word only: The group will be sitting in a circle and going around each
participant will be only allowed to say one word at a time. The idea is to come
up with a story just with the words that keep being added.
Story cubes: These are dice that contain images of different things and
participants need to come up with stories based on what they got when they
roll the dice. If you don’t have the tool, use regular dice and draw things on a
piece of paper. One dice will indicate the category and the other one the image
they need to use.
The 5 W’s: For these stories, each participant will start with a paper and will
write down What happened in the story. Once everyone is done. They will fold
that piece of the sheet and pass it to the person next to them which will have
to write the When was the situation, even though they have no context at
all. The third rotation will have the Where did the story take place, the fourth
member will add How did it happened, and the last participant will write the
Why to the situation. Every time one person finishes one new section, they
fold the paper again so nobody will see the rest of it. At the end allow the
participants to read the paper they ended up with and narrate the story to the
rest of the group.
Mafia: The main story is about a town where there is a murderer that kills one
person every night, even though the plot might be changed for each group.
This activity will start with one person to be the narrator. Then the narrator
will ask the rest of the group to “go to sleep” which means that everyone
closes their eyes. During that time, the narrator will select three people by

50
gently tapping them on the head, shoulders or feet if they are already in
bed. The idea is to choose the following profiles. 1: The mafia/murderer, 2:
The Sheriff/Judge/Cop and 3: a Healer also known as Angel, Doctor or Savior.
The narrator will try to confuse the group walking in different directions and
announcing a little later when each profile has been selected.
Then the narrator will start the story and at some point, everyone will “go
to sleep”, then the mafia will be awakened and will choose somebody to kill
before going back to sleep. Then the narrator will call the Sheriff and ask
him/her to shoot somebody dead in the pursuit and go back to sleep. After
that, the Healer will be woken up to save someone and go to bed again.
Then the narrator will continue the story and start a new day with the news
from last night. The idea is that the villagers get to identify who the mafia
can be. Some people will include a session to point at people and eliminate
the one that they consider more dangerous, this is particularly helpful if
the sheriff is dead. If somebody was shot during the night or elected by the
crowd to die, but they were chosen by the healer, they will remain on the
game. Once one participant is dead, can keep his/her eyes open all the time,
but they are not allowed to say anything. The game will keep going until the
mafia is discovered or there are not more players.

NIGHT HIKE:
Pirate patch: This is a fun trick to know for night programs where there
is not light available. Ask participants to close and cover one eye at the
beginning of the activity while they still have some light, maybe because
there are lamps or flashlights. Then turn off the lights or make sure they
all get to a darker place to experience the change. Explain that our eyes can
save some light on their own, by using the piece of the organ called cones
that are sensible to it. Our night vision is not as powerful as other animals,
but we can adjust to darkness with some time and practice. When we are
about to enter a dark place, if we cover one eye and keep it closed for at least
ten seconds after the light is gone, when we uncover that eye, it will see a
bit more clearly than the other one and then they will balance each other to
allow us to see a bit better.

51
Pirates knew about this fact well, and as they used to attack and board other
ships during the night, when it was easier for them to navigate without being
seen, they practiced by wearing eye patches. Is not that they lost their eyes
in combat, they were just ready to assault. As the other ship had all their
candles and lamps on, they were the guide light for the pirates to reach their
victims which were basically blinded by their own lights. Most of the crew
was hidden under the deck with one eye covered until the time they reached
the other boat and then took off the patch to have that extra advantage.
After telling them that and making sure the place is dark enough to have
a difference, ask them to uncover the eye and close the one that remained
open, then switch a couple of times and after to open both of them. Ask them
to share what they noticed.

Red light: Is used for several forces including firemen during rescues, because
it does not get people blind as it happens with clear light (white or yellow)
also the shadows are less confusing with red light. So find some flashlights
that include red light or use a red film (cellophane paper) with rubber bands
with regular flashlights. With this you can conduct a small experiment to
identify differences.

Life savers mints: Is used for several forces including firemen during rescues,
because it does not get people blind as it happens with clear light (white or
yellow) also the shadows are less confusing with red light. So find some
flashlights that include red light or use a red film (cellophane paper) with
rubber bands with regular flashlights. With this you can conduct a small
experiment to identify differences.

Color blindness: When the group is in a dark place, give them small pieces
of colored construction paper and ask them to guess what color they think
each paper is. Then ask them to save the papers so they can identify the
color when they get back to a place with light. Explain that our eyes cannot
identify colors as they are just wavelengths of light, so if there is not enough
light there will be no colors even though we can still identify shapes and
shades.

52
JOURNALING:
Freestyle: Get participants with the habit of writing about whatever they
want at the same time every day. This usually works better before bedtime.
Around ten to fifteen minutes every day to reflect on the day and write their
thoughts down.
Prompt of the day: During the journaling time, have a prompt for the
participants to reflect and write about. Ex: Something I learned today,
Heartfelt letter, Letter to my future/past self...
Roses, thorns and buds: Allowing some space for everyone to feel comfortable,
ask them to write about what they liked more about the day which will be
the ‘rose’, what they did not like or they found more challenging about the
day, that is the ‘thorn’ and what they are excited about the next day that will
represent their ‘bud’. IF the group feels like sharing, ask them to socialize
their answers.

JOURNALING:
Count off: (letters or numbers) This is a strategy normally used when the
leader needs various groups from a one single large group. So, in this case
the leader will ask participants to make a circle and then by order in the
circle he/she will start assigning a number or letter in order and then at the
end of it, will ask all people to pair up with the same number or letters. This
strategy helps when there are a number of groups required in specific.
Likes or dislikes: Participants can be fragmented from big groups into
smaller ones by performing different rounds on If an object, animal, food,
famous icon, etc they like or do not like, so it allows the chance of people to
meet others with similar preferences, however as far as the couple of rounds
go on, the importance of diversity will be also highlighted.
Salad Song: The leader will sing a song about a salad; the song mentions
an action to do with the salad and then participants will repeat and perform
the action. Examples: Eat eat eat the salad, chop chop chop the salad. After a
couple of actions, he/she will ask for a number of salad members to be and
t0 provide some ingredients for the salad which they are going to designate
for the members of each group; and finally, the leader asks them to make
groups based on the ingredients. on, the importance of diversity will be also
highlighted.

53
Partner up: This refers to the classical method of telling participants to form
groups with the people they would like to work with. It applies to couples or
any other number of participants that the activity requires.
Partner up and then split apart: Normally at this type of activity you will
need a group to be divided into two, so to avoid people only going to team
up with the ones they already know, the leader first tells them to make pairs
and then he/she splits them to create new groups with people they do not
share as often.
Number of siblings: Leaders can also ask participants to find people for their
groups that share common things like the number of siblings. This will have
the main groups that will be accommodated to get them even. (single child,
one sibling, two siblings, three siblings, four siblings and five or more), this
type of sorting can be modified based on the group and the activity needs.
Personal Features: Sometimes certain features or characteristics can play
an important role to achieve the goal of the activity. Gender, height, age or
others can be considered according to the needs.
Peanut butter jelly sandwich: Strategy normally used to divide a group into
smaller groups by designating some of participants being bread, jelly and
peanut butter. Sometimes two slices of bread will be asked if the activity
requires four teams or groups of four members.
Music/movie characters: Participants are divided into smaller groups by
providing them some famous characters (super heroes, singers, Disney
characters, etc.) The participants will choose the one they prefer and form
groups. The leader can ask them to perform as the character, they can even
be assigned with a song in order to listen carefully who they are mates by
singing aloud and identify the same song.

54
MAIL BOXES:
Family warm fuzzy notes: These are some appreciation notes between the
members of a family as a manner to recognize all the positive aspects of the
members. This is a good memorial connection for good experiences at camp
and also allows the family to make stronger their fraternal relationship.
Appreciation boxes: Each participant of the program including leaders, will
have a mailbox since the beginning of camp. People around camp will be
able to leave positive notes on colleagues on their mailboxes including small
candies or gifts in order to highlight those good aspects or memories during
the program. This is a really significant souvenir that participants can take
back home for them to connect with camp good memories any time they
want in the future.
All stars: at the end of the program, there will be a time to show appreciation
and give praise to the participants for their performance during the time they
spent together. There will be stars made out of paper, can be printed or die
cut, for the participants to share amongst themselves, other shapes can also
be included. The leader will present the categories to be highlighted. These
categories need to be broad enough that everyone will get at least one star,
for example: someone that was friendly, someone that taught you something
new, someone that faced and overcame one fear or challenge, a new friend,
etc. Each participant will have as many stars as the number of categories
and will decide who deserves to get their star in each category. The idea is to
find different people per start, in that way the group will mingle and make a
significant closing.

FAMILY CHALLENGES:
Who can name all participant’s names?
Who can tell a fact (categories: food, color, last name, etc.), about everyone
in the family first?
Eat all the food on their plates as family?
Complete other meal challenges: chopsticks, no hands, non-dominant hand,
no silverware, super spicy, etc.
All the family shows first to morning reflection (maybe wearing something as
a family dress code.

55
WOULD YOU
RATHER QUESTIONS

56
• Always have the same song stuck in your head or have the same dream every night?
• Travel to the future or travel to the past?
• Stay your current age or be 10 years older?
• Have your own plane or your own boat?
• Be totally covered with hair from head to toe, or be completely bald?
• Always have to say everything you are thinking or never speak again?
• Only be able to whisper or always have to shout?
• Have a head twice as big or half of small?
• Jump into a pool of chocolate pudding or chocolate ice cream?
• Breath in outer space or under the water?
• Have a unicorn horn or a squirrel tail?
• Shoot spaghetti out of your fingers or sneeze meatballs out of your nose?

Amongst all the options you have here, please remember good leaders are able to
adapt to changing conditions, turning every situation into great opportunities for new
learnings and lifetime memories. Make sure you always have an ace up your own
sleeves and play it as your wild card, keep with you some tricks or quick games
to pump up your group. Do not underestimate the power of the small actions and
meaningful moments, use conversation starters, jokes, random questions, plays, dice
games, quizzes, board games, cards, whistles or even just people, to create magical
moments to increase the sense of belonging and providing every participant the best
of experience, every time, all the time.
Sometimes, your participants can be the best source of ideas for fun, and if you
encourage them to lead the pack, they will probably discover or improve some of their
skills that may change their lives. Allow them to have fun and make sure you have fun
with them. Remember “people do what you do, not what you tell them to do”.

We hope this handbook will assist you to be a wonderful role model and to make a
transcendent impact on your groups.

PD: Whatever you do, please don´t forget to keep it safe!

57
SONGS

58
60’S PARTY:

This is a repeat after me song! And a do-


as-I-do song! Squishy Squishy Squishy Squish (stamp
out imaginary jellyfish with foot)
Swimmie Swimmie Swimmie Swim!
It’s a sixties party from a sixty’s movie
(index fingers up and down) Da-na-na-na-na na-na-na-na na Da-na-
na-na-na na-na-na-na na
See the surfers on their surfboards (hand
as though shielding eyes from sun, looking It’s a sixties party from a sixties movie
back and forth) See the tanners on their towels

Da-na-na-na-na na-na-na-na na! (jump to Ouchie Ouchie Ouchie Ouch! (pat hands
the left and act like you are standing on a on arms as though burned)
surf board) Squishy Squishy Squishy Squish! Swimmie
Da-na-na-na-na na-na-na-na na! (jump to Swimmie Swimmie Swim! Da-na-na-
the right side and act like you are standing na-na na-na-na-na na Da-na-na-na-na
on a surf board) na-na-na-na na

It’s a sixties party from a sixties movie It’s a sixties party from a sixties movie
See the swimmers in the water Swimmie See the lifegaurds on their towers
Swimmie Swimmie Swim! (move arms as Flexie Flexie Flexie Flex! (Flex arms)
though swimming) Ouchie Ouchie Ouchie Ouch!
Da-na-na-na-na na-na-na-na na Da-na- Squishy Squishy Squishy Squish! Swimmie
na-na-na na-na-na-na na Swimmie Swimmie Swim! Da-na-na-
na-na na-na-na-na na Da-na-na-na-na
na-na-na-na na
It’s a sixties party from a sixties movie See
the jellyfish on the beaches

59
HEAD AND SHOULDERS:
Knees and ankles, baby, 1-2-3 (x2) Head and
shoulders Knees and ankles (x3) baby, 1-2-3 Scoop the ice cream, baby, 1-2-3 (x2)
Scoop the ice cream (x3) baby, 1-2-3
Knees and ankles, baby, 1-2-3 (x2) Knees
and ankles (x3) baby, 1-2-3 Around the world, baby, 1-2-3 (x2)
Around the world (x3) baby, 1-2-3
Pick the apple, baby, 1-2-3 (x2) Pick the
apple (x3) baby, 1-2-3

PIZZA MAN:
Hey hey bo-diddly-bob
I gotta get back to my block with a pizza
in my hand
I’m gonna be a pizza man [hold a pizza
simulation] Michael Jor-dan Chevy van Pizza man
Pizza man I’m gonna be a pizza man
I’m gonna be a pizza man Hey hey bo-diddly-bob
Hey hey bo-diddly-bob I gotta get back to my block with nun-
I gotta get back to my block with my car chucks in my hand I’m gonna be like
keys in my hand Jackie
I’m gonna drive a chevy van [Driving Chan [fighting simulation]
hands simulation]
Chevy van Pizza man Jackie chan Michael Jor-dan Chevy van
I’m gonna be a pizza man Pizza man
Hey hey bo-diddly-bob I’m gonna be a pizza man.
I gotta get back to my block with a
basketball in my hand
I’m gonna be like Michael Jor-dan
[bouncing a ball simulation]

60
A ROOSTA SHA:

Chorus
A roosta sha, a roosta sha, a roosta sha-sha
A roosta sha, a roosta sha, a roosta sha-sha
The Chorus is repeated, adding a new action and then
performing all together as they are adding to the song:

- Thumbs up.
- Wrist together.
- Elbows back.
- Knees Bend.
- Bump Up.
- Head Up.
- Tongue Out.

CHILLI CHILLI:

Hands up (put hands in the air) Chili chili


Chili chili chili
Hands Down (put hands down near knees)
Chili chili Chili chili chili
Turn Around (spin around on the spot)
Chili chili Chili chili chili
Touch the ground (reach towards your feet)
Chili chili Chili chili chili
C’ mon (name a leader or participant),
Don’t be afraid,
Show us how you boomerang!

61
The called-on person does a dance move
Boomerang Chili chili Chili chili chili Boomerang
Chili chili Chili chili chili
Early in the morning:
Early in the morning
When I’m fast asleep
I heard a little birdy
That goes tweet tweet
and the little birdie
Has a funny name
it’s called...
ayga ayga.. Fleega Flyga
Ishka Ishka Nyga nyga
ayga ayga Fleega Flyga..Biiirrrdie
Black Socks:
Black song hey never get dirty the longer you wear
them, the stronger they get
Sometimes I think I should wash them, but
something inside me keeps saying not way not way
not way
(Here you can add a new piece of cloth a repeat the
chorus)

62
BLACK SOCKS:

Black song hey never get dirty the longer you


wear them, the stronger they get
Sometimes I think I should wash them, but
something inside me keeps saying not way
not way not way

THE BEAVER SONG:

Beaver one Beaver all, let’s all do the Beaver


call (Beaver sound)

Beaver 2 beaver 3 lets all climb the beaver


tree (Beaver sound)

Beaver 4 beaver 5 let’s all do the beaver jive


(Beaver sound)

Beaver 6 beaver 7 let’s all go to beaver


heaven (Beaver sound)

Beaver 8 beaver 9 STOP! it’s beaver time !!

GO BEAVERS GO BEAVERS GO GO, GO


BEAVERS!!

63
COOLAY:

Jay coolay (Jay coolay)


Jay Jay coolay (Jay Jay coolay ) Jay cofisa (Jay cofisa)
Cofisa longa (Cofisa longa) Longa ti longa (Longa ti
longa) Jupe a lay lay (Jupe a lay lay) x2

(the idea is to sing it first really low and then you


increase the

PIRATE SONG:

When I was (number) I (action) before I went to Sea


I jump aboard a Pirate ship, the captain says to me
we are going
this way, that way, forward, backward over the Irish Sea
A bottle of juice to give boost and that’s life for me!!
Sequence to replace on the chorus:
young- Sucked my thumb
2- Tied my shoe
3- Climbed a tree
4- Shut the door
5- Rode a bike
6- Picked up sticks
7- Went to heaven
8- Had a date
9- Found a dime
10- Did it again

64
BABY SHARK:
Chorus:
Baby shark do do, do do do do Baby shark do do, do do do do Baby shark do do, do
do do do Baby shark

Repeat with using appropriate actions:


Mama Shark
Daddy Shark
Grandma Shark
Surfer Dude
Going to swin
See a shark
Swimming fast
Shark attack
Lost a Leg
Lost an Arm
911
CPR
It’s not working!!!
It’s too late
Going to heaven
Maybe not

65
MOSQUITO SONG:

Flee Fly
Flee Fly mosquito
Mosquito
Calaman Calaman, Calaman lotion
Ohhh no noo nou no the lotion
Itchy itchy scratchy scratchy
All over my backy backy
Pssssssstt Uhhh I got that bug !!
(the idea is to perform the song normally, then slow motion and the super speed
motion, depend on the preferences)

BOOM CHICKA BOOM:

I said a boom chicka boom


I said a boom chicka boom
I said a boom chicka Rocka chicka Rocka chicka boo
Uh huh
Ohh Yeah
One more time
But this time
(creative style) Style!!
Examples of styles: Loud, Whisper, Southern, Valley Girl, Opera, Attitude, British,
Rocket, Harley, Janitorial, Teacher.

66
ADDAMS FAMILY GRACE SONG:

Tananana (two snaps)


Tananana (two snaps)
Tananana Tananana Tananana (two snapps)
We thank the life for giving
the food we are receiving
the food, the fun, the friendship
The Camp family
Tananana (two snaps)
Tananana (two snaps)
Tananana Tananana Tananana (two snapps)

SPIDER-GRACE SONG:

Saying grace saying grace


Thanks for food before it stamps face
Thanks the life and the cooks
For the food and how it looks
Yeah!

SUPERMAN GRACE-SONG:
Thank you lord for giving us food
Thank you lord for giving us food
For the friends we meet!
For the thing wee need!
Thank you lord for giving us food

67
PRINCESS PAT:
The princess pat, Lived in a tree,
She sailed across, The seven Seas,
She sailed across, The channel two,
And she took with her,
A rick-a-bamboo, A rick-a-bamboo,

Now what is that?


Its something made, By the princess pat,
Its red and gold,
And purple too,
That’s why it’s called, A rick-a-bamboo,
A rick-a-bamboo

MANGO SONG:
Chorus:
I have a Mangoo
and I peel the mango
and my body feels relax feels relax feels relax
Then you add new actions for the mango and simulate them:
-Chop the mango
-Cut the mango
-Eat the mango
-Punk the mango
-Etc.

68
ALIVE, ALERT, AWAKE AND ENTHUSIASTIC:
I´m alive, alert, awake and enthusiastic wuw!
I´m alive, alert, awake and enthusiastic wuw!
I´m alive, alert, awake
I´m awake, alert, alive
I´m alive, alert, awake and enthusiastic wuw!
Tarzan of the Apes:
I like bananas coconuts and grapes
I like bananas coconuts and grapes
I like bananas coconuts and grapes
That’s why they call me TARZAN OF THE APES!
Then repeat, but substitute one by one the fruits for stretching muscles sound as
physio culturists.

PENGUINS COMPANY:
Chorus:
Have you ever seen a penguin’s company
If you look at me a penguin you will see

Penguins attention, penguins begin (part of a body) Examples: Right Flipper, left leg,
etc.
After you mention the chorus you add a part of the body to it and continue until
you cover almost every part of the body you consider.

Penguins REST !! (Everybody lay on the floor)

69
THE GREAT BIG MOOSE:
There was great big moose
Who likes to drink a lot juice
And I say woah!
way oh way oh way oh way oh
The moose’s name was Fred
He likes to drink his juice on bed
And I say woah!
way oh way oh way oh way oh
He drinks his juice with care
And then he splits some on his hair
And I say woah!
way oh way oh way oh way oh
Now he’s a sticky moose
is full of juice
And I say woah!
way oh way oh way oh way oh

LITTLE CABIN:
Little Cabin in the woods
Little camper by the window too
Saw a rabbit hopping by
knocking on my door
Help me help me Help ! he said
before the hunter shoots me dead
Bang
Come little rabbit come with me
Safer you will be.
(the idea is to repeat the full verse, but each time you repeat you omit the first part
and instead you humming it until you humm the full song

70
71

You might also like