SOURCE: /mnt/d/GoogleDrive/Cercetasi/carti-camp-jocuri/Activities and Games Scouts NZ/Scouts Observation Games.pdf
CONVERTED: 2025-01-11
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SCOUTS – Observation Games
Observation Games
Introduction
These game sheets have been developed to support the National Programmes. The games are from the “Fun
and Games” book written by Jack Dowling and first printed by The Scout Association of New Zealand in 1972
and “Fun and Games 2” for all sections, edited by Diana Balham in 1987. More recent games have been added
as well.
There are many more games listed on the internet that may be used if desired. The games have been sorted
into categories, and are listed alphabetically in each document.
If your Scouts have a favourite game in this category that you would like to share with other leaders, please
forward the game instructions to reception@scouts.org.nz so it can be considered by the National Scout Leader
for adding to this document.
Animal Jigsaw
Equipment
 Print a different A4 sized picture of an animal for each Patrol
Method
 This is both an observation and a co-operation game (not a competition).
 Cut up the print of each animal into 12 random shaped pieces and hide them around the hall.
 Tell each Patrol what their animal is and send them off to find the pieces.
 The Patrols will end up with bits of another Patrol’s animal and will have to exchange or ask the
other patrols to cooperate by sharing what they have found.
 Ideally the Patrols will end up in a huddle as they sort out the various pieces and find the bits
they need.
Country Outlines
Equipment
 Draw or print the outlines of 10 countries on light card.
Method
 Put the Patrols in their corners and give them one card at a time.
 Rotate the cards around the Patrols and give them 3 or 4 minutes to try and identify the
country and write the name down.
 Allocate points for the correct answers.
Missing Person
Equipment
 Pencil and paper for each Patrol
Method
 The troop stands in a circle facing inwards
 Have one person leave the room.
 Ask a second person to hide in another room and wait.
 The circle closes up to hide the fact that two people are missing.
 Call the first person back into the room and ask them to work out who is missing.
 The troop meanwhile starts slow counting backwards from 10.
 If the person identifies the missing Scout before zero is reached they get one point for their
patrol.
 Start again with people from another Patrol.
July 2015 Scouts Observation Games.doc

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Neighbourhood Game
Equipment
 Take photos of 6 or more homes, driveways, shop fronts, park entrances etc from around the
immediate neighbourhood.
Method
 Crop them so only parts of the photo (the key parts that are visible from the road) are printed.
 Print the photos on A4 paper or card.
 Give the Patrols some or all of the photos and send them off to locate the properties.
 Give them a time to be back by.
 Points for the Patrol back first with the most photos identified.
Spot the Thief
Equipment
 Get six people to put a finger print on a sheet of white paper.
Method
 Make copies of each sheet for each Patrol. Name the prints A to F. It would be a good idea to
enlarge the images to double normal size.
 Make an extra copy and number them 1 to 6 – Use these for the thief’s prints.
 Set the scene by explaining that a burglary has occurred and we have managed to find a finger
print on the scene.
 Give the Patrols in their corners one of the numbered prints which is supposedly the burglars
fingerprint.
 Then give them the full set of the prints called A to F, supposedly from the Fingerprint
database.
 Give the Patrols 10 mins to work out who the burglar is – A, B, C, D, E, or F
 Each Patrol should identify a different person.
Uniform inspection
Equipment
 One patrol in tidy uniforms.
Method
 Line one neatly dressed Patrol up in front of the troop.
 Let the troop inspect the Patrol for 1 minute.
 Ask the Patrol to leave the room and make at least 6 changes to something on the clothing of
at least 4 of the members.
 After three minutes, have the Patrol line up in front of the troop again.
 The troop gets 3 mins or so to observe the Patrol and then go to their Patrol corners and
discuss and write down what the think the changes were.
 After 10 minutes have the Patrol explain what the changes were and see how many of the other
Patrols managed to spot them correctly.
 If time permits choose another Patrol and repeat the activity.
What Is It?
Equipment
 Select 10 or 12 small items that can be identified by feel.
Method
 Have a Patrol stand in a line and blindfold them.
 Pass the items from member to member and ask them to memorise the items and the order
they received them.
 Leaders will need to make sure the items are handed out in the same order for each Patrol.
 Take the items to the next patrol, while the first patrol sits down and collectively writes out a
list of the items and in what order they received them.
 When all have finished, check the lists and see which patrol was the most accurate.
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Witness
Equipment
 A person unknown to the Scouts or heavily disguised.
Method
 Have the stranger enter the meeting and walk up to the Scout Leader and speak in an assertive
voice. Perhaps ask if that’s the leaders car outside with the light on etc and the leave the room.
 5 minutes later ask the Scouts to go to their Patrol Corners and write down a description of the
person and what was said.
 Get the Patrols to compare their descriptions and then invite the person to re-enter the room
and see how observant the Scouts were.
Hints about remembering things
There is a definite and learned skill in remembering lists of things. Leaders can teach their Scouts this skill and
improve the Scouts observation and memory recall. This is how it’s done.
Make up a story to help you remember the items. Here is an example.
The list of items might be:
 Knife
 Honey
 Scissors
 Nail file
 Lipstick
 Watch
 Toothbrush
The story might be something like this:
“Jenny picked up the KNIFE to spread the HONEY on her bread when she noticed the SCISSORS and
remembered she needed cut her nails and use the NAIL FILE before going out tonight. That reminded her to
apply her LIPSTICK, put on her WATCH and brush her teeth using the TOOTHBRUSH before leaving for the
party.”
Be aware however, that like all skills, we need to practice it so it will ‘stick’ in our memory.
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