Dodge the Rolling Balls
This game requires a bunch of dodge balls, but it's really fun.
First, split your large group into small groups (if you have around 50, split them into 5 groups of 10).
Next make one big circle or square with all the people, and send one of the groups in the middle. The surrounding groups sit down while the group in the middle stands up.
Now the surrounding groups will roll all the dodgeballs towards the group in the middle, which will try to dodge all the balls coming at them in every direction. Once they get hit they are out. The last person standing is the winner.
After you have Group 1 go, have Group 2 take a turn, and so on. At the very end have all the winners come up to determine the super, ultra, mega winner.
Starburst Toss
Good small group outdoor game. Draw a target on the ground w/sidewalk. Have 3 or 4 packs or bags of Starburst candy divided evenly amongst everyone. Each person throws one Starburst into the target and closest to the middle can retrieve all of them. Continue as long as you'd like.
 Criss CrossDivide into 4 teams. Send each team into a corner. The object of the game is to see which team can get to the opposite (diagonal) corner the fastest using the designated method that the leader calls out (eg. if the leader calls out "hopping," the teams must hop to the opposite corner). This will create quite a "bottleneck" or "traffic jam" in the middle each time. Keep score of which team wins each crossing. First team to 5 wins. Good Crossing Methods:Hopping Wheel barrel (one person holding a partner's legs while they walk on hands) Crab Walk Sprint Backwards Walk Skipping Crawling You get the idea!!!
Opposite Arm Dodgeball
This game is played just like it sounds. Set up any dodgeball game that your kids like. However, make them throw with their opposite arm. It helps keep your jocks from dominating the game and also encourages the kids who are afraid of getting hit.
Land Mines
Materials needed:
blindfolds
water balloons for outside
styrofoam cups for inside.
Set up a "mine field" by randomly placing the water balloons (or cups) in a marked section of ground. A concrete slab or basketball court works well for this. Grass also works, but you will need to set boundaries.
Divide students into teams of 4 or 5. Give each team a blindfold. Put the blindfolds on one member of each team. The point of the game is for the team to get across the mine field with the fewest casualties the fastest.
If a person touches a mine he/she is out (if it bursts water on them, it just makes it more fun). A quick twist can be that if a person is out, then the ref makes it known by pouring a glass of water on their head. The team members must be their eyes and tell them which way to go. The blindfolded people crossing the field must stay within the set boundaries, and only one person per team may be on the mine field at a time (so they can't lead them by touch). Team members help each other by shouting directions. Works best if mines are close together and if teams are close together. Sponsors may yell out random directions to try to throw them off.
The trick is (don't tell the kids this until after it's over) for the person in the mine field to pick out a certain voice and listen to that one voice.
Field Noodle Hockey
This game is simple to play, but your kids are gonna love it.
You need a couple/three beach balls, and two goals to play. Also, you will need one-half of a Nerf Noodle for each student. (Just buy one noodle for every two students and then cut them in half. Viola!) Now you're set to play.
Play just like hockey. Students use the noodle to slap the beach ball into the other team’s goal. Most points wins. (If you have a large group and limited play space, set a 5 minute timer on each game so you can cycle a large number of players through as quickly as possible.)
Variation: If you want to make it even more fun, throw in more than one beach ball. That way the teams will have to defend and attack at the same time.
Human Foosball
Supplies: A soft ball for kicking and something to mark the boundaries with...masking tape (for inside) and spray paint (for outside).
Play just like the table game only with real people linked in rows. Split the kids into two teams, have a captain decide who goes in which rows and how many in each row. Each entire team faces one direction and has to stay that way. They link arms by holding the person's elbows next to them. The whole row has to stay within their boundaries like in the game, but they can slide back and forth, left and right.
When you play inside you can mark the boundaries with masking tape, or if you play outside you can use paint (if acceptable) or tape or flour. If you play in a building, you need to remove pretty much everything from the room. If you play outside, it is best if you play between two buildings so that the ball stays in the game. If you play in a field, have lots of folks around to toss the ball back into play.
Make sure everyone is wearing shoes, it can get a little fierce with the kicking. Stress safety and not getting out of control. Also, USE A BALL that is SOFT - we use a stuffed soccer ball, or you could use a Nerf ball.
Variation: Use more than one ball at a time.
Large Group Games
These large group camp games are perfect for periods when you have to lead games for more than one group, or have to lead very large groups by yourself. Who hasn't had 60 children, twenty minutes, and virtually no preparation time? Fear no more!
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Large Group Attention GettersThese tips and tricks are great to get the attention of large groups, particularly during flagpole or other assembly times. They are in no particular order...
- Establish a camp "quiet" sign, such as hand raised, hands on top of head, peace sign, etc. Whenever a staff member uses the sign campers must do the sign, and be quiet, until everyone is quiet.
- Camp Staff raises hand and calls out, "When the hand goes up..." and campers return, "...The mouth goes shut!" You may need to repeat a couple of times until everyone is quiet.
- Group leader tosses a ball up into the air. While the ball is in the air, everyone screams. When the ball is in the person's hand, everyone is quiet. You can make the scream/quiet transition very fun. Fake throw, drop the ball, etc.
- One staff members calls out across group, "Hey, Bob!" Bob responds, "Hey, Mary" "Hey, Bob, is it really loud in here?" "It sure is..." and so on. You can improvise (using real names) as you see fit. But everyone quiets down pretty quickly as they watch the dialogue with facination...
- Talking softly in a stage whisper. Usually saying something which everybody must follow so you can see who is listening.
- Clapping in a pattern and waiting to see who follows.
- Snapping fingers until everybody is snapping fingers.
- Holding up two fingers and counting to twenty. The kids know if I reach twenty before they are quiet there will be consequences.
- Just to be quiet and do nothing and see how long it takes for them to figure it out themselves.
- Just start clapping, campers will start to follow, and eventually everyone is clapping with you.
- Shout out "FIIIVE" (and hold up hand), "FOOOOUUR" and so one, everyone must count backwards with you, and after one, everyone says, "shhhhhh..."
- When the group is busy talking on just yell out, "Hey!!!" Then the group hollers back, "Hoee!!!" As soon as the group is looking at you start saying something or they will go back to talking.
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