GAMES

Whale on the Beach

Baltimore Area Council

Object: To get your whale across the finish line alive.

Materials: Teams of 4 to 8 boys, one adult "whale" for each team, a blanket or tarp for each team, a spray bottle for each team, water, markers for start and finish lines

How to play: Explain that in order to keep their whale alive, the boys must be gentle and quick. They must place the whale on the blanket or tarp, leaving its hands and ankles over the edges. wetting those areas with the spray bottle to keep the whale moist. When moving the whale they must keep it only 4 to 6 inches off the ground, (in order to reduce injury if dropped). Remind them that the faster they go, the more apt they are to injure the whale.

When the signal is given, the whales should become limp, not helping the boys move him. It is up to the individual whale to decide if it survived based upon the boys actions.

Drowning River

Baltimore Area Council

Object: To be the player that stays out of the stream.

Materials: 2 sticks to mark the banks of the stream

How to play: Position the sticks about a foot apart. These become the banks of the "Drowning River." Players agree beforehand whether or not to allow running jumps. Each player then takes a turn leaping over "the stream." Eliminate players who do not successfully make the jump and fall into the stream.

After all the players jump, move the sticks farther apart to widen the banks. Again, any players who fail in their jumps are out. Continue to widen the banks after each round of jumps - the winning player stays out of the stream.

CRAB RACE

Circle Ten Council

This activity requires a hula-hoop for each group of four boys.  Have each group of four climb inside a hula-hoop, back to back.  The teams must then race to a finish line.  The boys must keep their hands outside the hula-hoop while they race, holding it up only with their bodies.

SPONGE RELAY RACE

Circle Ten Council

You'll need 2 sponges, 2 buckets, 2 bowls and water.  Have boys line up in two teams and the boys at the front of each row hold a bucket of water with the sponges in it and the boys at the end of each row hold a bowl.  The first boy takes a wet sponge out of the bucket and hand it to the next boy and so on till it reaches the last boy in his row who squeezes the water out of the sponge and into bowl.  He then races it back to the front and puts it back into the bucket starts over again.  Play continues until the water is gone or a certain time is up.  The team, who has the most water in the bowl at the end, wins the game.

Blub, Blub, Blub

Baltimore Area Council

Materials: Cub Scouts. Leader

How to play: Cub Scouts sit in a circle or semi-circle. The leader walks in front of the players and suddenly points at one of them and says, "blub. blub, blub." The person pointed to must say, "blub," before the leader has finished the third "blub." If he fails, a point is counted against him. If the leader points but doesn't say anything, the Cub Scout must not say anything either. If he does say, "blub," a point is counted against him. The boy with the fewest points against him at the end of the allotted time is the winner.

Maybe you could play this with a boy doing the pointing, then after a set period of time, the boy with the fewest points becomes the next pointer. CD

Fish Gobbler

Santa Clara County Council

This is a fun game for active children.  You will need a big area where all the children can spread out.  When the caller (known as the Fish Gobbler) shouts, “Ship,” all the children run towards the wall to which he points.  On the shout “Shore,” they quickly change directions and run toward the opposite wall.  On the signal “Fish Gobbler,” the kids quickly drop to the floor on their stomachs and like arms, legs, or bodies together with one or more friends.  The Fish Gobbler moves around the room with arms outstretched like a big bird swimming toward the other players not touching them.  The children are all “safe” as long as they are all physically linked together.  Once the Fish Gobbler sees that everyone is linked to someone else, the signal “Rescue” is called.  At this moment all the children jump to their feet, joining hands, and yell “Yah,” raising their joined hands over their heads.  The game ends when the children are ready to move on to another game. Other calls could be added, such as “Sardines” (everyone runs to a central point to make the tightest group possible by either lying on the floor or forming a giant standing hug); “Fishermen All” (everyone sits on someone else’s knee or knees).

This game can be adopted for playing in a swimming pool.  Instead of running to the wall, they can swim to the wall, and join hands and legs while trying to float on the water.

Beachless Beach Party

Longhorn Council

You may want to combine this with a Raingutter Regatta and/or family picnic.

PREPARATION:

You should have two or more beaches, depending on the size of your group. For the pack meeting, each den can have a beach--part of the decorations can be done at the den meetings. If this beach party is for the den only, each family can have a beach, or combine families. Name the beaches like Palm Beach, Santa Cruz Beach, Waikiki Beach, etc.

Have each den decorate its beach – they should use their imaginations. They could choose a theme for their beach, such as palm leaves for Palm Beach. Arrange some chairs, umbrellas. If the meeting is held outside, add benches and picnic tables.

At your planning meeting have dens and leaders and whoever wants) pick games to run on the day of the event.  Some ideas for games for your Beachless Beach Party are -

Swimming Race: One player from each beach. Each player should have before him a deep pie pan filled to the brim with water, with four or five Lifesavers at the bottom. He must get these candy pieces out with his mouth. His hands must be behind him.

High Dive: One player from each beach. Each is provided with a pitcher of water. On the floor at their feet is an empty tumbler. The player has to stand and try to fill the tumbler. The player who gets the most water into the tumbler wins. In case of a tie, time is taken into consideration.

A Clam Dig: This is a team game. A box of sand will be necessary. Hide 10 small clam (or other) shells or peanuts in the sand for each team. Give each team a spoon and a bowl. Give a signal to go, first player runs across the room to the sand pile, digs out one clam (or peanut), puts it in his team’s bowl, and returns. Next player does the same.  Keep going until all ten are found.

Sailboat Race: Stretch as many strings across the room as you have teams. On each string, place a paper cone. Each player is a to blow his boat from one end of the string to the other end. He then pushes the cone back with his hand to the starting point for the next player. The game proceeds in a relay fashion.

Snorkel Race: You will need a pair of old swimming flippers for each team. If you can’t find them, use pairs of large size shoes and limit the race to children. Set a turning point at a short distance for each team. Run the course in a relay fashion.

Backyard Water Frolic: Have a den backyard water day. Include parents and siblings. Make sure children bring swimsuits or changes of clothes, and towels. Set up one area in the backyard for a water war, one for sprinklers and hoses, and one for a water slide. For the water war, you’ll need squirt guns, basters, squirt bottles, plastic pails, and sponges. Set up the hose and sprinkler in another area. If possible, poke holes in an old garden hose so there’s lots of spray to run through. Make a slippery water slide by cutting several large plastic garbage bags open to form long rectangles and taping them together with waterproof tape. Place the “slide” on the lawn, preferably on a gentle incline. Set a hose at one end to create a rush of water. Let the kids start off with a water war. Divide them into teams. At the signal “Go!” they can squirt the water guns, throw the sponges, or even haul around the pails full of water to get their opponents soaking wet. Include parents--Children will love soaking adults. (Of course you soak them too.) Caution children to avoid squirting in the face. Let the kids give the water slide a try. To prevent long lines at the slide, divide the kids into teams and have one team play in the sprinkler and the other on the slide. Switch after a time. For a snack, serve watermelon. Can they guess how many seeds are in it? Have a watermelon seed spitting contest--see who can spit the furthest or most accurately. By the end of snack, kids will be sticky--they can run through the sprinkler again.

Fishing Game

Longhorn Council

This is probably too simple to be called a craft, but the game is fun. Make a lot of fish and have your fishing derby.

You will need:

Fishing Pole: Tie yarn or string to a dowel or stick.

Bend a paper clip for a fishing hook.

To make Fish, it’s better to use stiff paper.

Fold paper in half.

Draw a fish.

Cut a hole close to the head end of the fish.

Play game –

Scatter fish on the floor

Go fishing.

Who Are You?

Alice, Golden Empire Council

Here are some more riddles to add to the game on page 10 Jul 08 of Program Helps:

1.       I have dense, oily fur and build a home of sticks with an underwater entrance. 

2.       I can travel without water 10 times longer than a human can.

3.       I have spongy skin and accordion-like stems to hold great volumes of water, and spines to protect it.

4.       I have six wax-coated feet and can be found on still water.

5.       I wear a matted feather coat to keep out wind and water, and use my wings for flippers.

6.       I live in water, and create a limestone house out of materials I filter from the water – when my limestone doors close, I can stay out of water for many hours.

7.       My leaves have a wax-like coating to limit water loss, and my buds have a chemical and protective layer to keep them from freezing.

8.       I must swim constantly to stay in one place, and I take oxygen from the water with gills.

Answers: 

1.       Beaver,

2.       Camel,

3.       Cactus,

4.       Pond Skater or Water Strider,

5.       Penguin,

6.       Barnacles,

7.       Pine tree,

8.       Trout

Over the River Game:

Alice, Golden Empire Council

Materials:  A hose with a water source

Directions: One person holds the stream of water very low to the ground and everyone lines up and skips over it. Then the stream gets higher, little by little, as everyone skips over it. When a person touches the stream of water, they are out. Last person wins.

Colors

Longhorn Council

Determine the boundaries. Begin at one end, where the player who is “It” stands. The safe zone is at the other end. “It” stands facing away from the water, on the shore. The other players stand in the water or tread water in a line close to “It.” Each of the players in the water thinks of a color and whispers it to a neighbor who is on the honor system and keeps it secret. Don’t let “It” hear the color. “It” starts by calling out colors: “Red, blue, turquoise...” Those in the water listen for their colors, and when they hear theirs, they have to swim quickly out to the safe zone. As soon as “It” hears someone move in the water, he turns around, jumps in and tries to catch the fleeing player or players. If a player is caught before reaching the safe zone, that player becomes “It.” Instead of colors, try cars, baseball teams, animals, etc.

T-Shirt Relay

Longhorn Council

Divide the group into two teams. Have a large T-shirt for each team. Each team member must put on the shirt before swimming his lap in a relay race. It doesn’t matter if the shirt is on inside out.

Gold Rush

Longhorn Council

Scatter pennies or iron washers painted gold in water between knee and waist depth. On signal, players try to get as many “gold nuggets” as they can within a specified time.

Touch

Longhorn Council

Divide group into two equal teams and line them up in parallel lines about 6' apart. The leader calls out the name of an object that is the same distance from both teams--a ball, diving board, edge of the pool, etc. In a relay fashion, all players swim or run to touch the object and return to their places. First team back gets one point.

Frogs In The Sea

Longhorn Council

This is a good game that can be played at a den meeting or in shallow water. Players form a circle around one or more players who sit with their feet crossed. The players in the circle skip (if on land) or walk (if in water) close to the frogs and try to tap them on the head as they repeat the words, “Frog in the sea can’t catch me.” The frogs try to tag the players without rising or uncrossing their feet. If a player is tagged, he changes places with the frog that tagged him.

Statues On The Wall

Longhorn Council

This is a fun backyard game. Have the Scouts stand against a brick wall (the side of a house or building). Spray water from a water hose on them and all around them. When they move away from the wall, it will have the outlines of their bodies on it. Stand back and try to guess what the shapes look like. Make up a story to go along with the shapes.

“Fifty Yard” Swim

Longhorn Council

Each boy hops on one foot carrying a paper cup of water. First one over the finish line with the most water in his cup wins.  Use a distance that fits your Den.

Bailing Out The Ship

Longhorn Council

Divide den into two teams. Each team has a container of water at the starting line, one spoon, and an empty cup. The cup has a line marked about 1" from the bottom. Place it about 20 feet away. Each player takes turns carrying a spoonful of water from the team’s container to its cup. The first team that can fill their cup to the line is the winner.

Water Balloon Bounce

Longhorn Council

You will need a tarp, sheet or blanket for each team, or teams can take turns. Players hold the tarp at the edges. 3 water balloons are placed in the center of the tarp. By quickly snapping the edges of the tarp outward the balloons are tossed into the air. A point is scored each time the balloons are successfully tossed and re-caught. Balloons must go up at least 8 feet in order to score a point. The game ends when a balloon breaks or is dropped. The team that makes the greatest number of successful tosses is the winner.

Quarter Drop

Longhorn Council

Have the Scouts form 2 teams. For each team, place a gallon jar 2 to 3 feet in front of the line. Fill each jar with water and place a smaller glass jar in the bottom of the gallon jar. Have each boy try to toss a quarter or iron washer into the jar and into the smaller jar. The team with the most quarters in the smaller jar wins.

Sink The Boat

Longhorn Council

Provide a bucket filled with water and float a small pie plate on it. Have boys stand back about 5 feet and give them 5 small balls made of aluminum foil. (Foil is easy to retrieve because it floats.) Boys take turns throwing 5 balls. Give points for each ball that lands in the pie plate and stays there when thrown from the starting line.

Submarine Dive

Longhorn Council

Draw ahead of time a number of 18" circles with sidewalk chalk. These are submarines. There should be one less submarine than the number of the boys. The Cubs hop, walk or run around the play area according to the directions given by the leader. When he calls “Submarine Dive,” each Cub tries to get into a submarine. The one Cub who is left out stays on a submarine for the next game and so gradually, the submarines become occupied. The winner is the one who gains the last vacant submarine.

Boat Race

Longhorn Council

With a stick for each team, relay teams push an object around two markers and back home. The harder the object is to control, the better. Use spoons, balls, balloons, or lemons or potatoes (they don’t roll straight). As a variation, pretend you are the wind and blow the boat around the course.

Fishing Derby

Longhorn Council

You will need magnet on a string, metal washers of different sizes and colors for different values. Draw a large circle on the floor. In this circle scatter metal washers. Divide players into equal sized teams--two or more. One player from each team wears a blindfold, is given a magnet on a string and directed by his team. On signal, the blindfolded players are directed into the circle by their team who try to get them to “catch” one of the more highly valued washers. He returns to his team with the washer. Another player is blindfolded and takes his turn. This continues until all have had a turn. The winner is the team with the highest point count as determined by the washers they “caught.”

Bait Casting

Longhorn Council

Use a fishing pole with reel and a 2-inch piece of dowel or broomstick at the end of the line as a lure. Mark four or five targets, each about three feet in diameter and about 10 feet apart. Give each player two casts per target. Score one point for each hit.

Over and Under the Waves

Baltimore Area Council

Divide teams equally and line up in relay formation. The first Cub Scout on each team is given a large ball. On signal, he passes the ball overhead to the second, player who passes it between his legs to the third, who passes it overhead, and so on to the end .of the line. The last player runs to the head of the line and passes it as before. The first, team back in its original order wins.

Crossing the River

Baltimore Area Council

With stones or stakes, mark out a ‘river’ 10 ft. wide. Divide the Den into two teams and have both teams on one side of the river. The Den leader or Den chief puts the ball in play by throwing it high into the air. Whoever catches it before it touches the ground shares its magic properties and is able to walk across the river. From the other side he throws the ball over to one of his own team while the others try to intercept the ball and gain passage across the river. Anyone stepping into the river in the excitement of the game loses a life. When he has lost three lives, he is considered drowned and is out of the game. The team that gets its members safely across first is the winning team.

Raft Race

Baltimore Area Council

Line up the Dens for a relay race. The first Cub Scout in each line is the “skipper.” He stands with each foot on a large pad of newspapers. The second Cub Scout is the “passenger” and he stands on the same papers with his skipper. On signal, the skipper bends over and grasps the papers with each hand. By shifting their weight and sliding the papers forward, the two boys maneuver themselves to the goal line without stepping off of the pads. On reaching it, the passenger runs back to his team with the newspapers and brings the next boy across the river. The first team to cross the river wins.

Leaking Relay

Baltimore Area Council

Items needed: Bucket of water, Two cups with holes in the bottom and sides (equally), and two containers about half gallon size.

Divide into two teams. First player on each team fills his cup with water from the bucket, then places the leaking cup over his head and runs around a previously marked course. When he gets back to the beginning he pours into the empty container, whatever water is left in his cup then hands the empty cup to the next player. The team that fills their container first wins.

Water Slides

Baltimore Area Council

Make a simple backyard water slide by laying a sheet of plastic down a gentle slope. Use giant staples made from hangers or stiff wire to fasten the edges, and make sure there is a safe way to stop at the end (bumpers of hay or a big, level grassy area). Run a sprinkler at the top, get it good and wet, and you are ready to slide! For safety sake, only slide lying down feet first.

Variation: Do this on level ground and do running slides, or play tug-o-war!

Water Balloon Volley Ball

Play volleyball except use a water balloon for the ball and have the teams use a bath towel to catch and throw the balloon.  Have two boys to a towel.  Play outside!!!

Sponge Wars

Fill two five gallon buckets with water.  Place 30 sponges – the number of sponges is up to the pack – in each bucket.  Divide the boys and adults into two teams.  Mark a dividing line between the teams.  Put one bucket of sponges on each side of the line about five to six feet back.  When you yell “Sponge Wars!” the teams begin throwing the wet sponges across the line onto the other teams territory. 

Rules:

ü  You can only throw one sponge at a time. 

ü  The object is to get as many sponges as possible on the other teams side. 

ü  You may pick up sponges that have been thrown on your side and throw them back as long as you only throw one at a time. 

ü  At the end of one minute the leader yells peace and all sponge throwing stops. 

ü  The team who has the fewest sponges on their side wins.

Hidden Object

Longhorn Council

Maybe after playing this they will be more able to find pollution (litter) and pick it up on hikes and camping trips.

Equipment: 1 thimble, ring or coin

Formation: Scatter

Send boys out of the room.  Take a thimble, ring or coin and place it where it is perfectly visible but in a spot where it is not likely to be noticed. Let the boys come in and look for it.  When one of them sees it, he should quietly sit down without indicating to the others where it is.  After awhile, if no one else has found it, have him point it out to the group to make sure he really saw it.

Earth, Water, Air and Fire

Longhorn Council

Equipment: 1 bean bag

Formation: circle

ü  The Pack or den sits in a circle with one Cub in the center holding the bean bag.  He throws the bag at someone and shouts 'Earth!', 'Water!', 'Air!' or 'Fire!'.  

ü  If it is 'Earth', the chosen Cub must reply with the name of the animal, before the center Cub counts to ten. 

ü  If it is 'Water!', he must think of a fish,

ü  If 'Air!' - a bird and

ü  If 'Fire' - whistle for the Fire Engine.

Note: Once a creature has been named, it may not be called again.  If the Cub cannot reply in time, he changes places with the thrower.

WATER CARNIVAL GAMES

Circle Ten Council

Floating Target

Float a pie plate in a tub of water.  Give each player ten beans.  In turn, the players try to toss their beans into the plate from a distance of about five feet.  Score 10 points for each bean that stays on the plate. 

Penny Drop

Pour water about six inches deep in a bucket and drop in a dime.  Each player is given six pennies.  In turn, players drop their pennies in the water, trying to cover the dime with the penny.  The successful player wins the dime. 

Water Balloon Race

Give each player a balloon filled with water and a 30-inch-long string.  The players tie one end of the string to the neck of their balloon and the other end to one ankle.  On a signal, all players move toward the finish line 20 feet away, dragging their balloons behind them.  A player whose balloon breaks must step out of the game.  The winner is the first person whose intact balloon crosses the finish line. 

Sand Castles

Locate a nice sandy area and bring lots of water, molds (cans, buckets, etc) and modeling tools (rakes, spoons, shovels, etc) and spend some time making sand creations.  Have each Den or each family create something.

Alka-Seltzer Shoot-Out

Drill a hole in several Alka-Seltzer (or generic) tablets.  Tie a string through them, put one on each boy’s neck and turn the boys loose with squirt guns to squirt each other’s tablets.  When your tablet is gone, you are “out”. NOTE:  This does not stain or hurt most fabrics, grass, sidewalks, skin, etc, but be careful of eyes and fine fabrics.  Once everyone is wet, the tablets will not last long, so switch to a “squirt tag” game for a few minutes - if someone squirts you, you are “it” until everyone is caught.  The last Scout caught starts as “it” for the next round.

Water Balloon Relay:

Form two lines about 8 - 10 feet apart, facing each other.  Let’s call one line A, B, C, D, ...and the other is 1, 2, 3, 4, ...  “A” takes a water balloon and tosses it to “1” who tosses is to “B” who tosses it to “2”, then “C” and so on to the last person who tosses it in a basket.  The goal is to see how many can be passed unbroken in a set time limit.

Mini-Firefighter’s Tug-O-War:

Perhaps you’ve seen those battles where teams of Firefighters try to push a barrel on a cable using the powerful streams from the fire hoses.  It’s easy to do this on a smaller scale by punching two holes in the middle of two foam plates.  Fasten the plates together back to back, then string a thick cord through them and tie it about 5 - 6 feet off the ground, as tight as you can.  Mark the center, or two “end zones”. Arm the Scouts with squirt guns or bottles (have quick refill barrels ready).  Divide into two teams and set the teams to push the plate with water pressure alone.  The team who pushes past the centerline or into the other team’s end zone is the winner.

Water Balloon Toss:

Form two lines standing 4 - 5 feet apart with Scouts facing toward each other.  Each pair of Scouts is given a water balloon.  Scouts toss the balloon back and forth from one side to the other.  Once the balloon has been tossed from one side to the other and back, the Scouts take one step backward.  When the balloon is dropped to the ground or bursts, that team is to sit down.  The winner is the team left standing the longest.

Biathlon:

Instead of skiing and shooting, or biking and swimming, this biathlon involves running and squirting!  Using squares of paper towels, draw a number or letter per Scout on each paper towel.  (Use water-based markers - it’s fun to watch them run!)  Stick the paper towels up around the yard or park.  Each Scout starts on a signal, running the course and squirting his number only on the towels.  Scour by total time, minus a second for each missed towel.

Lemon Derby

California Inland Empire Council

Besides the built-in excitement of this timed event, this quirky race comes with a twist.  Each scout must use a stick to roll a lemon to the finish line.  Unlike a ball, which rolls true, this fruit has a tendency to wobble and weave.  So the key to winning may be simply staying the course.

Squirt-Tac-Toe

California Inland Empire Council

Make a tic-tac-toe board on the sidewalk with sticks or chalk.  Each player use a water quarter to make the X's and O's. Work quickly, because when an X or O dries up, it doesn't count! The hotter the day, the quicker you have to be.

Clap and Splat

California Inland Empire Council

Toss a water balloon straight up, and see how many times you can clap before catching it.  Take turns.  If you drop the balloon and it doesn't break, you get to go again.  If the balloon breaks, you're out.  The person who can clap the most times and make a successful catch wins.

Marathon Melt

California Inland Empire Council

Divide into pairs.  Everyone has to keep one hand behind his back.  Each pair gets one ice cube. See which pair can find a way to melt the ice cube first!

Soapy Toes

California Inland Empire Council

Fill a kiddy pool with soapy water.  Dump in a bunch of marbles.  Set up chairs around the pool and dip in your feet.  See who can fish out the most marbles with his toes!

Water Yo-Yo

California Inland Empire Council

Cut a large rubber band in half.  Tie one end to a filled water balloon.  Hold the other end and yo!

Little Squirts

California Inland Empire Council

Supplies: a slopped sidewalk or driveway for this game.  Draw start and finish lines with sidewalk chalk.  On 'Go' each player places an ice club on the start line and squirts the cube with a water squirter to help it cross the finish line.

Catch or Splash

California Inland Empire Council

Fill a bunch of water balloons and choose someone to be the tosser.  The tosser stands about 10 feet in front of the rest of the players.  He tosses a balloon to the players and shouts out a number between 1 and 5.  The player who catches the balloon wins that many points.  If a player breaks the balloon, he loses that many points.  The first player to 10 wins.

Wet Potato

California Inland Empire Council

Pass around a bucket of water while music plays.  When the music stops, whoever has the bucket dumps it on his head!

Volleyball

California Inland Empire Council

Two players stand one each side of a volleyball net, holding a towel between them.  Serve a water balloon to the other side by placing it in the towel and launching it over the net.  The players on the other side must catch the balloon in their towel and then launch it back.  If the balloon breaks on your side, the other team gets a point.  If a team launches the ball out-of-bounds, the other team gets a point.  Play to 10 points.

Who Wants to Be a Chill-ionaire?

California Inland Empire Council

Pick one person to be the host and give him a squirter.  Everyone else lines up. The host asks the first person a question. If he gets it wrong, he gets squirted and goes to the back of the line.  If he gets it right, he gets to be the next host.  The original host goes to the end of the line.

Save the Soda

California Inland Empire Council

Each player gets 3 sponges and an empty 2- liter soda bottle.  Set up the bottles on the ground. Each player tries to protect his own bottle while trying to knock down the other players' bottles with the sponges.  The player with the last standing bottle wins!

Beat It Ball

California Inland Empire Council

Gather as many soft balls as you can to play this wild game.  Divide into 2 teams. Make a line down the middle of a swimming pole with a rope or string of floats.  Put half the balls on each side of the line.  Choose a timekeeper.  On "Go!" players throw as many ball as they can to the other side.  After 3 minutes the timekeeper yes "Stop!".  Whichever team has the fewest number of balls on their side wins.

Rainy Relay

California Inland Empire Council

Try to pour water from your paper cup to a partner's.  The trick?  They both have to hold the cups on their head!

Balloon Bombs

California Inland Empire Council

Players stand in a circle, an arm's length apart.  Start passing water balloons quickly around the circle (You may have to toss them). If a balloon breaks, the last person who touched it has to sit down, and pay continues over his head.  The last person standing wins.

Tug-Of-War

Capital Area Council, TX

Play in water that is chest deep for Cub Scouts.  If playing with adults, divide them equally between the teams.  Use a sturdy rope, with a colored ribbon tied to the center of the rope.  Anchor a float or other permanent marker to show the center of the play area.  Play like standard tug-of-war with the winner being the team that pulls the other team past the center float.

Duck Tag

Capital Area Council, TX

This tag game is fun for even the non-swimmers because it does not require special skills and can help them feel comfortable in the water.  Play in water no higher than waist deep and in an area with a level bottom.  Play like regular tag, except that a player is safe if he ducks completely under water when “it” tries to tag him.  A player does not have to stay under water more than two seconds, and then can safely come up without being tagged.  “It” must go after someone else when his quarry ducks under water.

Dodge Ball

Capital Area Council, TX

Play in waist to chest-deep water.  Divide players into two teams.  One team forms a large circle, and the other team gets inside.  The circle players try to hit their opponents with a beach ball or soft foam or rubber ball.  Score one point for each hit.  The inside players are allowed to swim in any direction or go under water to avoid being hit, but cannot leave the circle.  Outside players cannot advance forward to hit a player.  At the end of a specified time, teams change places.

Sharks And Whales

Capital Area Council, TX

Play in waist to chest-deep water.  Divide group into two teams, the “sharks” and the “whales.” The teams line up facing each other about 10 feet apart.  Behind each other is its home base – the side of the pool or a rope tied to buoys, or other designated area.  When the leader calls “sharks” they swim or run after the whales, trying to tag them before they reach their base.  If a whale is caught, he must join the sharks for the next round.  Leaders should alternate the calls of “sharks” and “whales”.

The team with the most players after a specified time is the winner.

Paddlewheel Push

Capital Area Council, TX

To play this water game you will need at least one foam or plastic kickboard but more boards will allow more boys to play at the same time.  Pair off, trying to match basic size and strength of the boys. Play in waist-deep water.  Opponents grasp opposite ends of a kickboard.  On signal, both boys start kicking, trying to force the opponent backward.  Boys should not stand and shove the board, but should swim and kick legs to move forward.

Candle Race

Capital Area Council, TX

This is a fun game for swimmers and non-swimmers.  Play in chest-deep water.  Players line up side-by-side in the water about an arm’s length apart, all facing the goal line. Adult leaders (only) will hand each player a small, lit candle.  On signal, all swim or walk at once toward the goal, carrying the lighted candle.  The object of the game is to complete the race first and keep the candle lit.  The player is disqualified if his candle becomes extinguished, except if another player splashes it and extinguishes it, in which case that player is out. Leaders should apply drip guards at the base of each candle to avoid getting wax drippings onto hands or into the water.  Afterwards, leaders safely handle and extinguish the candles.

Save Me

Capital Area Council, TX

This is a practice game for the “throw” rescue method. Divide into 2 teams.  Teams select their strongest swimmer, and with leader approval these boys represent their teams by competing against each other. In chest-deep water about 25 feet from the edge, weight and sink an over-size tee shirt (one for each team). Give each team a 30-foot rope.  On signal, each team’s best swimmer swims to the shirt, retrieves it from the bottom, and puts it on.  He then calls to teammates, “Save me!” whereupon the other den members cast their coiled rope to him.  The swimmer must act like a non-swimmer, and not swim or walk to reach it.  The team must keep trying to cast the rope directly within reach of the swimmer.  When he grabs the rope, the other team members pull him to shore.  First team to “save” its “victim” wins.

Water Kickball

Capital Area Council, TX

The rules are the same as regular kickball, but use a small wading pool at each base and a “Slip n' Slide” from third base to home plate. 

Baseball Variation: Batter uses a Nerf bat and the pitcher uses sponges dipped in a bucket of water.

PFD Switch

Capital Area Council, TX

Teams arrange themselves with half their players facing the other half at opposite ends of the pool or swim area.  The first racer wears a PFD (Personal Flotation Device).  On signal, he and his mate from the other end of the pool race towards each other to meet in the middle where the "dressed" swimmer removes the PFD and his teammate puts it on.

Sink The Ship

Capital Area Council, TX

Have a large bowl full of water set on a table in the room.  In the bowl place a small plastic boat.  If you don't have a boat, a Styrofoam bowl or other suitable container can be used.  Next to the large bowl have a smaller bowl full of marbles.  You could also use small rocks, or other suitable small heavy objects.

The object is to guess how many marbles (rocks, etc.) it will take to sink the ship.  Have pieces of paper and pencils available for people to record their guesses.  After everyone has had a chance to guess, gather everyone around and put the marbles into the ship one at a time.  Keep count and determine how many it took to sink the ship.  Determine whose guess was the closest and award an appropriate prize.

Feed the Seals

Capital Area Council, TX

Divide the den into two teams.  One group, the seals, gets down on their knees.  The keepers stand above them.  The keepers hold a leaf or slip (small) of paper cut like a fish, which represents the fish.  On signal, the keepers drop their 'fish' and the seals try to catch them by slapping them between their palm.  Seals are not allowed to grab fish with their fingers.  Also, seals may not move their knees, although they can bend their bodies.  Seals continue catching fish until the miss one, or the one who catches the most fish wins.