GAMES

The next seven game ideas are from Utah National Parks Council, and are definitely Fun with A Purpose – each game helps develop bicycle skills!

• Use Your Beanie:
  Use chalk to draw a racetrack with a lane for each contestant.  The course can be straight, wavy, circular or any combination, as long as the lanes are at least 6 feet wide and run parallel to each other.  (School yards and church parking lots are ideal for this!)  But staying on course is just part of the challenge in this contest.  Riders must also balance a beanbag (or substitute a zip-top bag filled with rice in a pinch) on top of their helmets!  First person across the finish line without losing his beanbag wins.  For a greater challenge, see who can balance the tallest stack of beanbags.
• Toe The Line:
  Use the same course as above – but the twist is that each contestant must keep their front and back wheels on their own chalk lines at all times.  Whoever gets the farthest first while staying on their lines wins – even if they don’t get to the finish line!
• Can It:
  Set up a bunch of empty soda cans or 2-liter bottles to form a large circle on the ground.  One at a time, boys take a turn pedaling around the circle.  Anyone who knocks over a “marker” bottle or can is disqualified.  Whoever finishes “clean” in the shortest time wins.
• Tortoise Tango:
  This is another variation of the slow race – the key to winning is to make like a tortoise and take it slow and steady.  The aim is to finish LAST – a lot harder than it sounds!  Use chalk to draw 3 foot wide parallel lanes spaced 10 feet apart on a paved surface.  Length can vary, but 50 feet makes a good distance.  Mark starting and finishing lines in both lanes.  Riders must travel down their assigned path as slowly as possible, keeping their feet on the pedals at all times.  Last one to cross the finish line without putting down their feet is the winner.
• Pursuit Race:
  This is a speed race.  All riders line up around a circular course about three yards apart.  On signal, they all ride in the same direction around the circle.  The idea is for a rider to pass the rider in front of him.  As a rider is passed, he is eliminated.  The race continues until there is only one left.  Warning:  Use this only if the boys are all about the same size and skill level, and if the race can be done without injury or argument!
• Obedience Test:
  All players except one form a large circle at least 30 feet across, 6 feet from each other.  The remaining player mounts his bike inside the circle and slowly rides toward one of the other boys.  When he is about halfway across, the player he is riding towards calls out a command, such as “Turn right” or “Stop”  The rider must give the proper signal and carry out the command.  He continues to ride, carrying out commands given him by other boys, until he has had five commands.  Then he switches places with a boy in the circle.  When everyone has had a chance to ride, total scores – the one with the fewest penalty points wins.  Scores: one point against each time a rider who fails to signal, gives the wrong signal, or does the wrong action.
• Potato Race:
  Teams line up with their bikes in relay style.  A box is placed on the starting line in front of each team.  At 5 yard intervals or more in front of each team, mark four circles into which a potato or beanbag is placed before the game begins.  On signal, the first player in each team rides out and picks up the potato in the first circle, returns to the starting line and puts it in the box.  He then rides out for the second, third and fourth in the same way.  When he has put each of the potatoes in the box, he passes off  to the second player, who must return the potatoes, one at a time, to the circles.  Continue until every member of the team has had a turn.

Tire Games
Santa Clara County Council

Tire Sprint:  Racers line up with forward edge of tire at the starting line.  On signal, they push tire forward and continue to push it across finish line.  If necessary, establish lanes.

Roll for Distance:  Each player rolls his tire separately and is entitled to run to gain speed and momentum but must stop at the stopping line while the tire rolls forward by itself.

Roll for Accuracy;  Same as above, except tire is rolled at a target of 2 sticks set 3-4 feet apart and approximately 20 feet away.

Moving Target:  Players take two turns rolling tire parallel to other players 15 – 20 feet away who try to throw balls or beanbags or broomsticks through the tire as it rolls by.

Tire Wrestling:  Place two tires on the ground so they touch each other.  One contestant stands in each tire.  As the signal, they wrestle to throw or push their opponent out of his tire.  The winner is the first to cause the other to fall or step out of his tire, provided he himself remains on his feet in his tire.

Tire Bowling:  Bowl, using discarded tires in place of balls, with milk cartons or tin cans for bowling pins.  Arrange “alley” on the ground with the bowling line 20 – 30 feet from the pins.  Each bowler rolls two tires.  Score as in bowling.

Tire Rolling Relay:  Form teams and give the first player of each team a tire.   Place a stake or chair opposite each team on the turning line.  At the signal, the first player rolls his tire to the turning line, rolls it around the stake and back to the next player in line.

Through the Tire Relay:  Establish a rolling line in front of the lines of dens.  The first player of each team goes up to the rolling line with a tire.  At signal he rolls his tire forward toward his team by giving it one shove.  The players in turn then straddle-jump the tire.  If the roller did not steer the tire exactly straight, the line must shift in order to be in line with their tire.  If a player knocks the tire down in attempting to jump it, or if it falls over before he can jump it, he must recover the tire and give it to the player in front of him who rolls it for him and the rest of the team.  The original roller then takes place at the front of the line.  When the last man has jumped the tire, he rolls it to the starting line, and the action is repeated until the original roller has rolled the tire back to the starting line.

More Tire Games
Trapper Trails

High Jump.  Place one tire on the ground. Players line up and in turn start from a marked point and jump the tire.  When all players have jumped another tire is added, and the jumping begins again.  The one clearing the highest stack of tires is champion.

Broad Jump  This is played the same as high jump except the tires are placed flat on the ground with tires added lengthwise until a winner is determined.

Tunnel  Prop the tires together. Players, one at a time must crawl through without knocking down any tires.

Race: Each player places his tire at a marked starting line and at a given signal gives a strong push to his tire. The tire that goes the farthest without falling over determines the winner.

Frog Jump  Players line up in front of a line of tires. At a signal, first player jumps frog-style into the first tire and then goes on to jump into the second tire. Second player jumps into the first tire, and so on down the line. Each must keep going to clear the path for the “frog” behind him.

Maze Run.  Players take turns running into the maze. Place tires zig-zag. Players start and the first tire, runs to the second tire, then the third, and so on, without stopping. The fastest one to the finish without losing his balance wins.

Ball Goal  Stack 3 or 4 tires evenly. Players line up 6 to 8 feet from tire stacks and take turns with a large ball. Count 1 for each goal made. The winning score is 10 points.

Tire Wars  Players stand in a circle facing each other with their tires about 5 feet apart. At a given signal they shove their tires toward the center. Tires left standing determine the winners.

Knights  Two players, using cardboard dowels from clothes hangers for swords, balance on tires with feet inside rim (feet must not touch the ground). Knights battle with swords to knock opponent off balance. First to do so is the winner.

Fun Relays
Santa Clara County Council

Whirling Wheels

Equipment: 1 beanbag per Den. 

Arrange the Dens like the spokes of a wheel, facing in a clockwise direction with the Denner in the center. 

A beanbag lies at the feet of each Denner

When the leader gives the starting signal, The Denner

Picks up his beanbag,

Runs down the line of his Den and

Runs in a clockwise direction around the wheel and

Back to the outside end of the Den.

The beanbag is then passed up the Den to the Cub now at the center. 

This continues until all the Cubs have had a turn.

Pop Stick Slap Shot
Trapper Trails

• Divide the group into two teams.
• Place each net at the same end of the playing area.
• Each team lines up about six feet in front of its net.
• The first member of each team puts his tongue depressor in his mouth, gets down on his hands and knees and attempts to slap shot the ball into the net, using the tongue depressor.
• When he has scored, he takes the ball back to the starting line, tags the next player
• The next player then attempts to score
• The first team to have everyone score is the winner

Turtle Race:
Trapper Trails

• Each participant should have a properly fitting bicycle and helmet.
• Mark a course about 25 feet long.
• Ride as slowly as possible,
        keeping your balance on your bike.
• The one who crosses the finish line last, without putting a foot down on the course, is the winner.

Summer Games:
Trapper Trails

Hit the Sun  Divide the group into two teams. Teams sit on the floor facing each other, with legs extended and soles of feet touching the soles of the opposing player. Each player keeps his left hand behind his back. The leader throws a balloon into the center of the line. Players on both teams try to bat the balloon with their right hand so that it goes over the head of the opponents and lands on the floor behind. Score one point for each success.

Streets and Alleys(one of my favorites)   This is an ideal game for an outdoor pack meeting. You need a Fox, a Hound, and a caller. The rest of the group is streets and alleys. The group forms several squares by having four or more lines standing facing north (streets) and four or more lines facing east (alleys). The Fox and the Hound start at opposite corners. When the caller calls “Streets,” all the people facing north stand with their arms stretched horizontally. When “Alleys” is called, the “Streets” put their arms down by their sides and the “Alleys” put their arms up.

     The object of the game is for the Hound to catch the Fox. The Fox and the Hound can only run through clear lines. They cannot run through someone’s arms. It is best to call the game at a fairly fast pace. When the Hound has caught the Fox, they both choose the next Fox and hound. If the Hound doesn’t catch the Fox after a reasonable amount of time, the Caller can stop the game and call up two more players to be the Fox and the Hound.

Soggy Jog  You’ll need a soft, grassy area to run on, a pair of loose-fitting sweatpants for each team, a large bucket of water to set between the teams, and a lawn chair, placed about 20 feet from the bucket. At the starting signal, the first boy in each line dunks his team’s sweatpants into the water, puts them on, and then runs around the chair and back to the starting line. There he peels off the sweatpants (like a banana) and gives them to the next runner to dunk and don (inside out or right side out makes no difference), and so on. The first team whose members have all completed the task wins.

Pinaqua
Materials needed: Medium-sized trash bag, water, rope, tree limb, bandanna or scarf, broom

     Using your backyard hose, fill a medium-sized plastic trash bag with one to two gallons of water. Knot the top of the bag. Tie one end of the rope tightly beneath the knot. Toss the free end of the rope over a tree branch and either tie it securely or have an adult stand by to raise and lower the pinaqua. To play, each child takes a turn being blindfolded, spun around three times, and then taking three whacks at the pinaqua with the broom. The winner is the one who manages to break the bag and unleash the tidal wave.