SOURCE: /mnt/d/GoogleDrive/Cercetasi/carti-camp-jocuri/Activities and Games Scouts NZ/Scouts Wide Games.pdf
CONVERTED: 2025-01-11
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SCOUTS – Wide Games
Wide 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.
Customs Officers
Equipment
 A piece of wood or a small cardboard box (illicit goods)
 3 or 4 powerful torches or spotlights
Method
 This game is a variation of the Spotlight game.
 Locate a park with trees and bushes that will provide cover for the players.
 Appoint three or four Customs Officers who hide within 20 metres of the illicit goods and are
armed with the torches or spotlights.
 The players scatter around the playing field using whatever cover they can find and on “Go”,
start to creep up to the illicit goods.
 The Customs Officers use their torches to spot and correctly name the players as they attempt
to collect the illicit goods and spirit them away.
 The spotlights or torches must be aimed and switched on for 5 seconds only, and not waved
about in the hopes of spotting someone.
Field Card Game
Equipment
 An old pack of playing cards.
 Local map or a hand drawn map of a local park
Method
 Define a playing area at a campsite or a local park.
 Hide the 52 cards right across the playing area.
 Devise some clues to help the Scouts work out the playing area where the cards are hidden, but
not where the cards are placed.
 The Patrols work out the size of the playing area from the clues provided and set to work
looking for the cards.
 After a set amount of time, the Patrols return to base and add up the values of the cards found.
 The Patrol with the highest value wins.
July 2015 Scouts Wide Games.doc

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Flag Raid
Equipment
 Two flags and poles.
 Lengths of wool to tie around the wrists of each player, plus spares.
 A park with bush, trees or scrub on it for hiding in.
Method
 Divide the troop into two teams.
 Each team sets up a base about 100 metres apart and hangs the flag on a tree or pole so that
it’s clearly visible.
 All players tie a piece of wool around their wrist – this is the lifeline.
 Each team has to allocate players to be defenders and attackers.
 On “Go” the attackers creep up to the other teams flag and attempt to take it and bring it to the
Scout Leader.
 If an attacker is tagged by a defender, the lifeline is removed and the attacker returns to the
Scout Leader to get another lifeline.
 The intent is to use their tracking skills to get the flag, not an all out assault.
 The team who is first to take a flag to the Scout Leader wins.
Hares and Hounds
Equipment
 Two or three whistles, bells or billies and lids (noisemakers).
Method
 This game is best played on a partially bush clad reserve or scrub land on a dark night.
 Appoint two or three hares and give them a noisemaker each.
 Send the hares off with instructions to keep moving around the playing area, but they have to
make a loud noise for 10 seconds every three minutes or so.
 After 5 minutes, send the remainder of the players (hounds) after the hares. The hares are
caught once they have been tagged.
 When the hares have both been caught, appoint two or three new hares and start again.
 This is a good game for getting young Scouts used to the dark, and to start learning how to
work as a team to hunt down the hares.
Have You Got The Body?
Equipment
 Cotton wool or other ID feature,
 50 or so cardboard cards or disks etc.
 A Venturer Unit or members of another Scout Troop.
Method
 Recruit up to 10 strangers to help with the game. It would be a good chance to involve a
Venturer Unit or a Rover Crew. These strangers are the ‘body snatchers’.
 The ‘body snatchers’ are given a discrete identifying feature so the Scouts can work out who
they are. A wad of cotton wool sticking out of one ear would work, or a Unit T shirt partially
covered with a jacket etc.
 The ‘body snatchers’ go directly to the park or where the game is being played and circulate
individually around the area.
 The Scout Patrols (in uniform and not with it covered up) have to identify the ‘body snatchers’
in the park or street and ask them “Have you got the body?”.
 Having been asked the question, the ‘body snatchers’ then give the Patrol a card to show they
have asked the question.
 Everyone returns to the base at the end of the allotted time.
 The Patrol with the most cards wins the game.
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Hunter And Avengers
Equipment - Nil
Method
 A large park, camp site, reserve or farm is needed for this game.
 Divide the troop into two teams, ‘Hunters’ and ‘Avengers’.
 On “Go” the ‘Avengers’ disperse and hide.
 After 5 mins, the ‘Hunters’ are sent out to capture the ‘Avengers’.
 When an ‘Avenger’ is tagged, he or she is escorted to the prison.
 An untagged ‘Avenger’ can break into the prison and free the prisoners by ‘high fiving’ them.
 The game ends at a set time, or when all the Avengers are in prison.
Lighthouse
Equipment
 One or two Glo sticks
 A large clear plastic soft drink bottle.
Method
 Break a Glo Stick and place it inside the soft drink bottle.
 Place the bottle on a hillock or modest sized hill. This becomes the lighthouse.
 Divide the troop into one third ‘defenders’ and two thirds ‘attackers’.
 The ‘defenders’ go and hide around the hill with the aim of protecting the lighthouse.
 On “Go” the attackers plan a strategy and then set out to turn the light off. This is done by the
‘attackers’ covering the light with a jacket or bag or otherwise removing the light from view.
 After a set time and if time permits, choose a new set of ‘defenders’ and play again.
Lost Leader
Equipment
 A small roll of wool per Patrol – each Patrol has a different colour.
 Torches will be needed if dark.
Method
 Cut the wool into 10cm lengths or longer so that each Patrol Leader has about 50 pieces. Keep
one piece back for the Assistant Patrol Leader.
 Send the Patrol Leaders out with the wool strips and ask them to lay a trail through the streets
or a nearby park or both and then hide within several metres of the last strip of wool clue.
(meant to be blood maybe?)
 After 30 mins, give the Asst. Patrol Leaders a sample strip and explain that the PLs have gone
missing and that each Patrol needs to find their PL ASAP to make sure they are OK.
 The Patrols should collect the clues as they find them so no rubbish is left lying around.
 Brief the PLs about making sure the clues don’t blow or wash away etc. Also discuss putting the
clues at different heights by tying them to low branches etc.
Photograph Hunt
Equipment
 Photographs of 6 to 8 different locations in the neighbourhood of the Scout Hall or the
campsite. A different set for each Patrol and printed on one page.
 Pencil.
 A street map of the neighbourhood with map reference grids.
Method
 There is quite a bit of preparation involved in this game.
 Take photos of notable items or objects within a kilometre of the hall or base. (gate posts,
House letter box, street signs, odd shaped trees and shrubs, tennis courts, traffic islands, shop
windows etc.). A different set for each patrol if possible.
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 It would be best to write several street names on the back of any photo where the location may
not be readily apparent so as to give a guide to the general locality.
 Hand out the sheet of photos to each Patrol or team. They have to identify the site and visit it,
and write the map reference on the back of the photo.
 If the troop has one or more GPS, use those in place of a map for one or two Patrols.
Sardines
Equipment - Nil
Method
 Select one person from the Troop and send them off to hide in an area that can hide 10 or more
people – a patch of scrub or a gully etc.
 After 5 minutes, send the troop out to find the person.
 As each of the players find the hidden Scout they quietly hide with them.
 The game ends when the last Scout finds them all.
Spotlight
Equipment
 A powerful torch or spotlight that throws a beam at least 30 to 40 metres or further.
Method
 The aim of the game is for the players to creep up to within 4 metres of the ‘spotlight’ holder
without being seen.
 One person is appointed as the ‘spotlight’ person and stands at the home base.
 The players disperse around the playing area and on “Go” start to creep up to the home base
using all available cover.
 The ‘spotlight’ person must not sweep the beam around the playing area. They must aim it at a
particular spot and after 5 seconds switch if off again, wait 10 seconds and switch it on again
and so on.
 If the ‘spotlight’ person sees a player and can identify them, he or she calls out their name
while the light is still on them. At that point the player is out. The Scout Leader may need to
confirm that the name is correct.
 Depending on time, the game may continue until a person gets to the Spotlight’ without being
named, or continue until all players have made it home or are out.
String Break
Equipment
 Materials for a fire, or a hobo stove type burner.
 Materials to make a ‘torch’ to carry the flame 100 metres or more.
 A box of matches per team.
 Two stakes per team.
 A length of twine about 1 metre long per team.
Method
 The aim of each team is to travel to and burn through a taut string belonging to the other team.
 Form the Scouts into two, four or six small teams if numbers permit.
 Pair the teams up and place them about 100 metres apart.
 Each team lights a small fire from which they can light and relight a ‘torch’. They could make a
hobo stove burner out of a salmon or tuna tin, a strip of corrugated cardboard and could use
cooking oil as the fuel.
 Each team hammers in the stakes about 80cm apart and ties the twine between them. Place
these about 3 metres from the fire.
 Each team makes a ‘torch’ out of brush or other materials that when lit, will burn long enough
to transport the flame 100 metres.
 On “Go” the team have to light the fire, make a ‘torch’, set the torch alight, travel to the other
team’s string and burn it through.
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 The first team to part the string wins the game.
 Be mindful of any fire restrictions.
 Talk about planning and delegation of tasks before starting the game.
Wounded Spy
Equipment
 Mix some chicken mash or untreated saw dust with red dye to resemble blood. The mix must be
non harmful to birds and animals etc.
Method
 Could be played in patrols.
 Could be played in a park where the Scouts can roam at will.
 If played in the streets, make sure the Scouts are easily identified as Scouts by the public
(uniforms and scarves clearly visible).
 The spy heads off with a Ziploc bag of ‘blood’ and drops half a teaspoon full every two or three
metres or so along the route. A bigger smear every now and then could be read as a fall etc.
 The trail could be laid so that it ends up back at or near the base.
 After fifteen minutes, send the patrol members after the wounded spy. The Patrol members are
to be told the spy is wounded and to look out for blood etc.
 Once the spy is spotted he or she can be captured by tagging and brought back to base.
 The spy needs to be given a time to be back at the base or hall in case the Patrol members lose
the trail.
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