Games are a great way to interact with the children and make for a great ice breaker for some of the shy children. Obviously during game time, we need to keep translation needs to a minimum, but we also need to keep rough play to a minimum as well. This generally rules out things like card games, or tackle football (and probably even touch football too). We need various sorts of games to cover each situation. These situations are:

  • One on One (indoor)
  • One on One (outdoor)
  • Small Groups of 6-12 (indoor)
  • Small Groups of 6-12 (outdoor)
  • Large Groups of 50 or more (indoor)
  • Large Groups of 50 or more (outdoor)

 

Game Ideas:

  • Scavenger Hunt! Hide some items around the orphanage while nobody is looking. This could be indoors, or outdoors, or both. The items could be very basic like a small painted rock, a feather, a key, or plastic bugs from the dollar store (seem perfect). The child (or team) with the most things collected wins!
  • Photo Scavenger Hunt! This version of Scavenger is easier to setup, but would require two team members and two cameras. The basic idea is to split into 2 groups, each consisting of a leader (child), an American team member (also the photographer), and a bunch of children, and a translator (if possible). Give a list of things, objects, or situations that they need to try to capture on film (this list should be created beforehand). The list can be creative with some tricky things to find (or do), but also should include some simple tasks.  The photographer and translator would follow their team and take pictures when they found (or did) an item or task. Allocate points to each item depending on the difficuty. The team with the most points wins!
  • Frisbee! I have a few foldable frisbees that would be great for small group play.
  • Ultimate Frisbee! Ultimate frisbee might be a good large group activity. The game is played similar to football, but there is no tackling, the offense is stopped when the frisbee hits the ground. The basic rules are that, one side gets the frisbee, and then keeps throwing it to teammates until they reach the goal. You can’t move when you have the frisbee, but if you don’t have the frisbee then you can move. If the offense drops the frisbee, the defense then picks it up, and they become the offense and try to score. If someone scores, they start a new round.
  • Musical Chairs! This could be pretty easy to setup and could work for pretty much any group size. The execution may have to be slightly different since we won’t have actual chairs, but the idea is the same. We could bring something like a bunch of paper plates, and each child could stand on a spot when the music stops. We would then remove a plate after each round until there is only one plate and two kids.
  • Name Toss! This is a great way to learn everyone’s name, and play a game too. Stand everyone in a circle. The leader says their name and then throws a tennis ball to the person to their left.  Continuing in one direction each person says their name and passes the ball until it gets back to the leader.  The leader then calls out someones name and then throws the ball to them.  That player then calls another name and throws, and so on.  Once the children are getting an idea of names, toss in another ball, and then another as it gets easier.
  • Caterpillar Race! Form two teams of equal size. Line teams up next to each other behind a starting line. Instruct team members to place hands on the shoulders of the team members in front of them and race to a finish line according to the following rules: The first person in line may hop one step forward. Continue down the line until the last person in line hops one step forward. Repeat this process to move the caterpillar along. Players must keep their hands on the shoulders of the team members in front of them at all times during the race. Players may move forward only by hopping one step forward with both feet at once.
  • Crab Soccer! This is just normal soccer, but it’s indoors only, and is played from the crab position. This will slow the game down, and also make it so some of the younger kids can play without really getting hurt.
  • Red Light, Green Light! The “it” person stands at one end of the playing field, with the rest of the players at the other end. “It” turns their back to the others and calls out “Green light!” The players then run as fast as they can towards “it”. At any time, “it” can face the players, calling out “Red light”, and the others must freeze in place. If anyone fails to stop, they are out or must return to the starting line. This not only includes when they see the player moving forward, but any movement at all, like arm movement or being off balance. The first player to reach the person who is “it” wins and becomes “it” for the next round. We could play a variation where the “it” person doesn’t say anything, they simply cover their face with a sheet of paper when there is a green light, and remove it for the Red light, kind of like peekaboo.
  • Duck, Duck, Goose! In Ukraine, this game is called “Ootga, Ootga, Goose”, but the rules are the same. It is a very easy game, and can be used for any size group. Most of the children there will know how to play this game since we have played it many times before.
  • Limbo! This one is super easy, and could even be a secondary game while another is going on. All the children have to do is get in line and walk under the limbo stick. After the entire group has gone through, just lower the stick and repeat!
  • Three Legged Races! Two teams of two, each team of two has one ankle tied to their teammate’s ankle. One point for a good effort, and two points for a great effort!
  • Ball Toss! Setup a target, like a hoop or similar, and the child tries to toss the ball into it as many times as possible. They have to shoot from behind a line and retrieve the ball after every shot. 30 second time limit. This could be done with two children at a time, if two targets and balls are available. One point per shot made. Five points for the highest number.
  • Hacky Sack! Within a 30 second time limit, the child tries to hit the hacky sack, without using their hands, as many times as possible. One point for more than 10, two for more than 20, three for more than 30, etc. Five points for the highest number.
  • Rock Paper Scissors Tournament! Basically the kids would pair off and play a game against each other in the best of 3 rounds, so the winner is the first to two.  The “winners” go to one side of the room, the “losers” to the other.  The process repeats itself and the group of winners pair off and play until there’s only two kids left. Maybe make the Grand Final the best of 5 to help build the tension. If a child losses in the first round, they get one point, if they lose in the second round then they get two points, if they lose in the third round then they get three points, etc. An additional 5 points for the tournament winner.
  • Frisbee Toss! The basic idea is to have the child throw a fribees through a target as many times as possible within a 30 second time limit. Similar to the ball toss, they would have to stand behind a line, and retrieve the frisbee them selves after each throw. The target would be hung from a tree or similar, or could be held up by a team member. One point per made throw. Five points for the highest number.
  • Penny Hunt! This is similar to scavenger hunt, but much simpler. Before play, toss a couple hundred pennies around the orphanage. Then when it is time for play, just tell the kids that they have to find as many as possible. Not only can they keep what they find, but they get one point for every ten pennies. Time limit should be between 5-10 minutes. If two children find the same penny at the same time, they tell a team leader so they both credit for finding it. Five points for the highest number.
  • Jump Rope! Children have 30 seconds to complete as many jumps as possible. One point for every ten completed. Five points for the highest number.
  • Face Painting! This is not realy a game, but face painting is pretty fun for the kids. The requirements are only be a small paint set, a few brushes, a mirror. We could paint about 100 faces with even a very small $15 kit. The paints are non-toxic and are water based, so they come off very easily. Snazaroo makes quite a few quality sets for under $15.
  • Parachute! Summer camp would be a better setting to use this, because the Gym in Jonkoi is too dusty to breath, and it would get destroyed outside, but a parachute could be tons of fun in the summer at Mercury!

 

Items Required:

  • Scavenger Hunt: 6 maps, 12-18 items.
  • Photo Scavenger Hunt: 2 Lists of items & activities, 2 cameras (already with us)
  • Frisbee: 3 small frisbees
  • Musical Chairs: Stack of paper plates, Radio (already with us)
  • Name Toss: 3-6 Balls
  • Caterpillar Race: Nothing
  • Red Light, Green Light: Nothing (optional to use one piece of paper)
  • Ootga, Ootga, Goose: Nothing
  • Three Legged Race: Two Strings
  • Ball Toss: Ball, Target (two of each if possible)(small, or foldable hula hoops would be great)
  • Hacky Sack: Hacky Sack (two if possible)
  • Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament: Nothing (paper for tournament bracket if we want to get in depth)
  • Frisbee Toss: Frisbee, Target (two of each if possible)(small, or foldable hula hoops would be great)
  • Penny Hunt: About $5 in Pennies
  • Jump Rope: Jump Ropes (At least two ropes)
  • Face Painting: Snazaroo Kit
  • Parachute: 20′ or larger parachute