GAMES

Are you Smarter Than a Cub Scout

Cubmaster Dave

Cubmaster Dave wrote me to say, his pack played "Are You Smarter Than A Cub Scout" at their April Cubs & Bugs pack show and it was a huge hit.  He made index cards with questions about insects.  A few parents played against the kids.  The kids with a little prep  They knew all the answers with the parents failing miserably.  This game could used with many themes to educate the boys while having a ton of fun.

He used these insect questions:

1.       What percentage of animal species are insects?         95%

2.       How long can a scorpion live without eating? 1 year

3.       Do both male and female mosquito’s bite?
                         No, only the female bites.

4.       What is the most popular pet in Japan?
Beetles, they can be bought in many department stores.

5.       How long will a cockroach head live and keep moving after you cut it off?   12 hours

6.       How many groups of insects are there?    32

7.       Which can lift more in relation to their weight, an ant or a bee?       An ant can only lift 20-50 times their
own weight. A bee can lift 300 times their own weight.

8.       How many teeth does the average mosquito have?    47

9.       How far can flees leap? 800 times their body length

10.    How many times per minute does a bee’s wing flap?  11,000 times a minute.

11.    What is the world’s largest spider? The male goliath bird-eating spider – with a leg span of 11 inches.

12.    What is the only insect that can move its head without moving any other part of its body? Praying Mantis

Note from CD – I am sure you could create some great Native American questions.

A New Way to do Ring Toss

Mike, webmaster for www.usscouts.org

I was just looking at one of those CD-R containers – you know the kind that holds 100 CDs – and thought I wonder how this thing could be used for something else instead of just pitching it in the trash.  Flash – idea!  

ü  Collect about five or six of these things. 

ü  Separate the bucket half (top) from the spindle/base part (bottom) and you now have two things that can be used at a Cub Scout carnival. 

ü  You could nail or glue about a number of these on a square of plywood. 

ü  The tops could be for a bean-bag or golf ball toss

ü  The bottoms could be use for any sort of throw the ring type game.  

Cheap, low effort and recycling all rolled into the makings of some fun – doesn’t get better than that.

Tillikum

Baltimore Area Council

ü  This is an earth, water, and fire challenge game

ü  Tillikum means “friend” to the Chinook tribe of the Northwest

ü  The right hand is clenched into a fist at waist level.

ü  On the Go! Signal from the chief, the fist is slowly raised to shoulder level as the syllables “til-li” are spoken.

ü  Bring the fist quickly down to waist level again.

ü  As the fist reaches waist level, the syllable “kum” is spoken and the fist opens to do a hand signal.

ü  When both make the same signal, it is a tie round.

ü  Each win is a point and five points wins the game.

o    Earth drinks water and wins.

o    Water puts out the fire and wins.

o    Fire scorches the Earth and wins.

Washo Hoop and Spear

Baltimore Area Council

¨       You’ll need some level ground for this game that was popular with almost all Indian tribes.

¨       Some tribes used hoops with netting while others had hoops marked for scoring.

¨       The Washo Indians made their hoops by bending and tying a twig or sapling into a circle 12 inches in diameter.

¨       Cub Scouts can use an old baby carriage or tricycle wheel for a hoop and a broom-handle spear.

¨       Two Cub Scouts compete.

¨       The first boy rolls his hoop past his opponent who throws his spear.

¨       Stopping the hoop with the spear counts one point.

¨       Boys alternate in rolling hoops and throwing spears.

Pokean or Jackrabbit’s Hit

Baltimore Area Council

Materials: Three feathers about 10 inches long. Old sock, rubber band, 3-inch-diameter cardboard circle, paper punch, masking tape, old rags or pantyhose (for stuffing)

Punch 3 holes in the cardboard circle. Insert feathers, bending their points and taping them in place.

Cut off 5 inches from the toe of the sock and stuff with old rags or pantyhose.

Insert the cardboard and feather disk into the top and fasten with a rubber band.

How to play:

Players take turns trying to keep the shuttlecock in the air by hitting it with the palm of one hand.

The first one to hit it 10 times without missing wins the round.

As players get better, increase the number of hits needed to win.

Zuni Stick Kick

Baltimore Area Council

·         Cut two colorful Zuni sticks 12” long from an old broom handle.

·         Draw a circle with a 30’ radius on the ground.

·         On signal, two players begin kicking their sticks around the outside of circle.

·         First stick around and across starting line wins.

·         Vary by using two colored socks to kick.

·         If stick touches circle or spectator, the player loses.

Chasing the Antelope

Baltimore Area Council

ü  Choose one Scout to be the antelope.

ü  His mission is to run away from the hunters

ü  After the antelope has been tagged then the person that tagged him is now the antelope

ü  It is fun to have a costume for the animal

ü  And you do not have to be an antelope

ü  You can be a bear or a deer or anything that you want or have a costume for.

ü  This game is a good reserve for extra time!

Bear in the Pit

Baltimore Area Council

·         Cub Scouts form a circle.

·         One player inside the circle, with his hands tied behind his back is the Bear.

·         While the others hold hands tightly, the bear tries to get through the ring by force or by dodging under their arms.

·         When he does get through the ring the others chase him and the first one to tag him is the next bear.

Bean and Knife Relay

Baltimore Area Council

Since the Indians ate a lot of beans and used their knifes daily for hunting here’s a relay!

¨       Have an empty cup at one end and a cup full of beans at the other end.

¨       They put as many beans as they can on the flat side of the knife (I would use a table or butter knife or even a small spoon) and

¨       Then walk to the other end and put the beans in the empty cup.

¨       At the end the team with the most beans wins.

La Palma (Bolivian Indian)

Heart of America Council

The Indians of Bolivia used the tail bones of a donkey or llama (you can use a stick) for this game.

ü  Set the stick up on end in a hole in the ground. Now draw a straight line away from the stick.

ü  Measure out a distance of 3' from the stick.

ü  Drive in a peg.

ü  Do this so that the pegs are all 3' apart and in line.

ü  You will need about six pegs, also a supply of tennis balls.

ü  The boys then take turns in trying to hit the stick from the first peg.

ü  Those who do, move on to the next peg.

ü  Those who don't, stay at one peg until they hit the stick.

ü  Boys must throw in their correct order throughout the game.

ü  The first boy to complete the six throws from the pegs wins.

ü  This can also be done on a best time basis.

Indian Hoop Roll

Heart of America Council

Make large hoop out of a slender branch, about 1' diameter, by tying ends together. (or use Dollar Store hula hoop)

Weave stringwork in the hoop leaving a bull's eye in the center.

Boys line up

Hoop is rolled down before the line.

Object is to send lance (stick) or ball through bull's eye in center of string-work.

Who Is The Fastest Brave?

Heart of America Council

ü  One of the players is to be chosen as the Brave and he has got to be very nippy (nippy? HOAC’s wprd not mine CD) and fast.

ü  The group forms a big circle.

ü  In the middle place five (2 liter) plastic bottles.

ü  The Brave goes into the middle

ü  His job is to keep the bottles standing upright while the other players try to knock them over by throwing a ball at them.

ü  Whoever manages to keep the bottles standing for a given time is quick enough to be the brave

Variation: Try this game using all sorts of balls, (tennis, football, basket ball, etc.).

Who's The Best Indian

Heart of America Council

Here is a thought - read the story of “The Cricket” in One last thing (at the end) and then play this game  CD

ü  Players sit in a circle (outside is best).

ü  Each takes his turn telling something he can see, hear, feel or smell from where he sits.

ü  No repetition is allowed and if a player repeats what another says, or cannot think of something, he is out.

ü  The game continues until only one is left.

The Ears of the Wolf

Heart of America Council

Version 1

ü  A blindfolded boy stands in the center of a large circle.

ü  Beside him is a log or some other solid object.

ü  Other boys are given a piece of sticky paper in the color of their group.

ü  These boys circle on hands and knees trying to crawl up silently and place their stickers on the log.

ü  If the boy in the center hears a sound he calls "Wolf" and points in the direction of the noise.

ü  The boy caught must start over again.

ü  Points are given to the group which places the most stickers on the log.

ü  A time limit should be set.

Version 2

Equipment Needed: 1 blindfold, 1 eraser (or other appropriate object)

One scout in middle of room, blindfolded with legs crossed and object(eraser) in front of him.

Objective is to sneak up and take object and get back to the edge of the room.

If Scout in center hears a noise, he points at the noise

If you are pointed at, you go back.

Indian Toss Ball

Heart of America Council

Make ball by fastening a strong 10-inch cord to an old tennis ball or softball.

Each boy lies flat on his back with his shoulders resting on a starting line.

Holding the cord of the ball in his hand and arm at his side, he swings the arm up and over his head and throws the ball behind him as far as he can.

Boys mark their point where the ball lands.

Farthest throw is the winner

Maybe have a target somewhere and also give appoint for closest to the target.

Comanche Give Away

National Capital Area Council

This Comanche games starts with the leaders, or chief drawing a circle on the ground. 

The players stand inside the circle, the leader outside. 

He throws small sticks (craft (popsicle) sticks are the right size) one at a time into the ring in rapid succession. 

The players try to grab as many as they can. 

This game taught warriors to be alert and quick.

Indian Dirt Ball

Heart of America Council

Divide Cub Scouts into two teams and give each boy a yardstick or rolled up newspaper.

Place a tennis ball in the middle of the playing area.

On the sound of the whistle each team will try to maneuver the ball to their goal, with their yard sticks, to earn points (usually 1 point per goal) while the other team tries to steal the ball and make a goal of their own.

The ball cannot be batted across the playing area.

The ball must be rolled across the floor to the goal.

Strict rules are needed for this on the handling of the yard sticks or newspapers.

American Indian Stone Toss

National Capital Area Council

Materials:  Six flat rocks about as big as your hand.   Eighteen stones about the size of walnuts

Only play this game outdoors.

Arrange six flat rocks, roughly one foot apart in a row on the ground.  Put a smaller stone on top of each flat stone.  Give each player six small stones.  Each player, in turn, should stand behind a throwing line twelve feet away and toss his six stones.  Observer must stand out of the line of fire. 

Score five points for each stone knocked off. Highest score wins the game.

Indian Hide Out

 National Capital Area Council

One Indian hides while the rest count to 100.  When the group finishes counting, they set out to hunt.

Whenever anyone finds the hider, he watches for a chance to join him, while still hiding from the rest. 

As each new hunter finds the group, he also crowds into the hiding place. 

When the last hunter discovers the hiding spot, the game starts over. 

The first hunter becomes the hider.

Beat The Rap

National Capital Area Council

Items needed: A leader, a timer, a scorekeeper, a gavel, and 12 thumbnail sized rocks.

The contestants, one at a time, pick up as many of the dozen rocks that have been placed on the floor as he can in 10 seconds. 

He may use only one hand, and the rocks must stay in that hand. 

The timer calls “go” to start and “stop” at the end of 10 seconds. 

The scorekeeper keeps a record of the rocks picked up and held at the end of that time. 

Winner is the one that held the most rocks.

Turkey Feather Relay

National Capital Area Council

Divide the group into relay teams. 

First player on each team holds a long turkey feather. 

At the signal, each throws his feather, javelin style, toward the finish line.

 As soon as it comes to earth, he picks it up and throws it again from that spot. 

When it finally crosses the finish line, he picks it up, runs back to, and hands the feather to the next teammate. 

Each team should use different colored feathers. 

The first team to all cross the finish line and to return to the starting position flaps their arms and gobbles like triumphant turkeys.

Children's Native American Games

The site www.apples4theteacher.com has a large selection of Native American games, all guaranteed to have been played in our land for “untold generations.”  The games were not imported into the US, they were developed by our Native Peoples.  The instructions, background, history, and guidelines for playing (including victory songs for some) are quite extensive. 
Go to http://www.apples4theteacher.com/native-american/games/index.html or click on a link below.