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    Action Games

     

    Most action games require space. That holds true for many of the games in this section, but almost all can be played indoors in the average apartment or home. Just make sure you put breakables and precious articles away in a safe place before the party starts.


    Bow Wow    up
    Players: 12-40
    Equipment: None
    Preparation: None
    If you play this game indoors, be sure to move back the furniture so you have lots of space.
    One player is "It" and all of the others stand in a circle, about an arm's length apart.
    "It" runs around the outside of the circle, taps one of the players, and continues running. The tapped player runs around the outside of the circle, in the opposite direction from "It."
    When "It" and the tapped player meet each other running, they must get down on all fours and bark "Bow Wow" three times. Then each must get up quickly and continue running around the circle in the same direction as before. The first one to reach the empty space in the circle gets the place. The one left out becomes "It" in the next round.
    If the same person is about to be "It" for a third time, choose another "It."
    Print version

    Catching the Snake's Tail    up
    Players: 10 or more
    Equipment: None
    Preparation: None
    Players line up one behind the other with their arms around the waist of the player in front. The first player - let's say, Donna - has her arms free. She tries to catch the last player of the line - Alex.
    The line, or "snake", twists and turns while Donna, the Head of the snake, tries to catch Alex, the Tail. Anyone who lets go of the player in front is out. So hang on tight!
    When Donna catches Alex, she goes to the end of the line and the second person becomes the head. In that way everyone has a turn at being heads and tails.
    Print version

    Deep in the Jungle    up
    Players: 12-30
    Equipment: Enough seats for all but 2 of the players
    Preparation: None
    This game is similar to Musical Chairs, but it's played with partners. Choose partners using one of the games from "Pairing Off Partners Games". Each set of partners decides to be a particular animal. You could have a pair of monkeys, for example, a pair of anteaters, a pair of lions, and so on.
    The partners who don't have chairs (the "It" couple) walk about the room together, saying the names of various Jungle animals. When their animal is called, the corresponding partners rise and follow "It" around the room. If the "It" partners say, "The jungle is quiet tonight," all players join the line. If the "It" partners say, "The jungle is noisy," everyone runs for the seats. Partners must hold hands as they run and keep holding hands as they sit. This makes for some pretty interesting problems. Of course, the "It" couple tries to get seats, and the unseated couple becomes "It" next time around.
    Print version

    Loose Caboose    up
    Players: 10 or more
    Equipment: None
    Preparation: None
    You need lots of space for this game. Players form groups of three or more. Two people are not in any group, because they will be the loose cabooses.
    The groups line up and hold each other's waists. They are the trains that the loose cabooses try to hitch onto. They run around and make sharp turns every time a caboose tries to grab hold of the last player and join the train. If the loose caboose does catch onto a train and can't be shaken loose, the first player of the train becomes a loose caboose.
    Print version

    Musical Bumps    up
    Players: 6 or more
    Equipment: None
    Preparation: None
    This "musical chairs" game requires no chairs, just music that the leader plays on a piano, or from a record or tape, or may not play at all - the leader may just clap. The players move to the rhythm. When the leader stops the music or stops clapping, everyone must sit on the floor. The last person to sit is OUT and must go to the sidelines with the leader. For a "sit" to be considered "safe," the contestant's bottom must touch the floor.
    Vary the type of music or rhythm so that some is loud, some soft, some fast, some with a jazz beat. Vary the length of each segment, too, so that the players are totally unprepared for the moment the sound stops. Use a few very short segments; they make the game exciting.
    If the music is on tape or record, change the volume control suddenly. Many players will sit down at the change in dynamics, without realizing the music is still playing and the game still going on. These players are OUT.
    When there are just two players left, they will be busy watching each other and there may be one tie after another, as they both hit the floor at the same time. If this happens, ask them to close their eyes while they move to the music. You'll soon have a winner.
    Print version

    Musical Chairs    up
    Players: 2 or more
    Equipment: Chairs, one less than the number of players;
    Music
    Preparation: Line up a row of chairs with alternate chairs facing in opposite directions. If one seat of one chair is facing north, then the seat of the chair next to it should face south
    It's old and familiar, but "Musical Chairs" is still one of the world's best party games, and some marvelous variations on it have been invented, too. Let's start with the basic game.
    As soon as the music starts, all the players begin to walk single file around and around the chairs. Suddenly, the music stops. There is a big scramble for seats. One player is left without a seat, and that player must leave the game. Then one chair is taken away, so there is still one chair less than the number of players.
    The music starts again. The players walk around and then the music stops. All try to grab seats. The player without a chair leaves the game and another chair is removed.
    This goes on until there are just two players walking around one chair. It gets pretty exciting at this point. When the music stops, the player lucky enough to get into the chair wins.
    Print version

    Musical Islands    up
    Players: 2 or more
    Equipment: A sheet of newspaper for every player except one
    Preparation: Place the sheets of newspaper on the floor, with one less than the number of players
    This version of Musical Chairs doesn't require chairs - just "safe" sheets of newspaper. As the music plays the players dance - either with partners or alone, depending on what suits the group. When the music stops, everyone scrambles to find an "island." To get onto an island, you need to stand with one foot and one hand on a sheet of newspaper and hold that position. Anyone who loses his or her balance is out. A sheet of newspaper is then removed for everyone who is out, and the music starts again. The game keeps up until only one player is left, the winner.
    Print version

    Noah's Ark    up
    Players: 12-30
    Equipment: Enough seats for all but 2 of the players
    Preparation: None
    In this variation on "Deep in the Jungle," the players can be any living creatures, and the "It" couple calls, "It looks like sunshine" and "It looks like rain."
    Print version

    Poisoned Cushions    up
    Players: 10-20
    Equipment: Cushions
    Preparation: Pile up the cushions in a circle about 5 feet (approximately 2m) in diameter
    The players stand in a circle around the cushions and clasp hands with each other. The object of the game is to push or pull the other players down onto the "poisoned" cushions, and keep off them yourself. When players touch, step on - or fall into - the poisoned cushions, they are "out," and the circle gets smaller. You may need to remove a few cushions as the circle gets smaller and tighter.
    Print version

    Sardines    up
    Players: 5 or more
    Equipment: None
    Preparation: None
    This is "Hide and Seek" backwards. Only one player hides, and the other players go hunting individually. When a hunter finds the hiding place, though, instead of announcing it, that player gets into the hiding place, too. And so it goes. As each hunter finds the hiding place, the hunter joins the hunted until they are crowded - you guessed it - like sardines. The game goes on until the last hunter finds the sardines.
    Print version

    Sherlock and Watson    up
    Players: 10-30
    Equipment: Blindfold
    Preparation: None
    Everyone joins hands in a circle, except for two players who are inside the circle. One is blindfolded and is called "Sherlock." Sherlock must try to catch the other player, who is called "Watson."
    The blindfolded player calls out "Watson!" Then Watson must answer, "Sherlock!" In this way, Sherlock can tell what part of the circle Watson is in. Watson must stay within the circle, and whenever Sherlock says "Watson!" the other must answer "Sherlock!"
    When Watson is caught, he or she becomes the blindfolded Sherlock. The previous Sherlock chooses a new Watson and joins the circle. The game continues until everyone has had a turn being Sherlock and Watson.
    Print version

    Stalking Bigfoot    up
    Players: 5-20
    Equipment: A large table;
    2 blindfolds
    Preparation: None
    Players sit in a circle. The first player says, "Ha." The second player says, "Ha-ha." The third player says, "Ha-ha-ha," and so on, each player adding another "ha." Each "ha" must be pronounced solemnly. If any player laughs or fools around, he or she must drop out of the circle, but once out, anything goes. The eliminated players are free to do anything they can think of to make the other players laugh. No touching allowed.
    Print version

    Steal the Bacon    up
    Players: 6 or more
    Equipment: A handkerchief
    Preparation: None
    Two players are chosen: one is the Hunter, the other is Bigfoot. Both players are blindfolded and stand at opposite ends of the table.
    The Hunter tries to catch Bigfoot, but of course, can't see where Bigfoot is. Bigfoot tries to keep away from the Hunter, but can't tell where the Hunter is. Each tries to fool the other by giving false signals. The Hunter may tiptoe to one end of the table and start pounding and then quickly run to the other end because he expects Bigfoot to run away from the noise. The Hunter may whisper, call out, and give all kinds of misleading signals. Bigfoot also may make sounds and then run to a different spot to fool the Hunter.
    The others in the group have fun, too, watching Bigfoot try to escape. Sometimes Bigfoot walks right into the surprised Hunter. You may want to ask those who are watching to be quiet so as not to give any clues, and to stop Bigfoot and the Hunter from running into anything. Or you may want to encourage them to give advice (including misleading advice!) and distract the players. Both ways are interesting.
    After the Hunter catches Bigfoot, choose two other players to take their places.
    Print version

    The Circle Test    up
    Players: 12 or more
    Equipment: None
    Preparation: None
    The players form a circle, linking elbows. Then all the players step back and pull as hard as they can. The object is to get other players to break the circle. When it finally breaks, the two players whose arms unlinked are out, and the circle forms again, smaller this time, but just as tight. No stopping is allowed, except when the break occurs. If the circle seems invincible, and it doesn't look as if anyone is going to unlink arms, tell everyone to take three steps into the middle of the circle (which relaxes it) and then quickly to take three steps back. This snap will often create another break.
    Print version


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