SOURCE: /mnt/d/GoogleDrive/Cercetasi/carti-camp-jocuri/Activities and Games Scouts NZ/Scouts Night Games.pdf
CONVERTED: 2025-01-11
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SCOUTS – Night Games
Night 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.
Night games are particularly suitable for playing in the evenings at camp.
Alphabet Hunt at Night
Equipment
 A torch for the Leader and each Patrol.
Method
 This is best played in the dark and outside.
 The Leader prepares a list of objects to be collected starting with A
 The Scouts have 5 minutes to hunt around as a patrol and find an object starting with A.
 Points may be given for the first back and so on.
 The Leader then mixes up the letters called out so the Scouts cannot anticipate what is next.
 Smart Scouts however will note objects they see while hunting and be able to go quickly to
them should the letter be called.
Escape
Equipment
 A torch for each Leader and Patrol Leader
Method
 The objective is for the Scouts to escape out of a compound (specified area) and make their
way to a named objective without being spotted and identified by the Guards (Leaders and
PLs).
 The Leaders and PL are spotted around the field and use the torch to identify the Scout spotted.
No waving the torches about.
 Once spotted the Scout returns to the compound and after 3 minutes starts again.
 Scouts who managed to reach the objective stay there.
Glo Stick
Equipment
 Several Glo Sticks
 A stake and 1 metre of string.
Method
 Drive a stake in the ground in the middle of a field and tie the ‘unlit’ Glo stick to it so that it is
clearly visible once glowing.
 One patrol guards the Glo stick and has to stay outside a 10 metre diameter circle around the
stake. Use a rope to mark the circle.
 The guards must stay outside the circle.
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 The Scouts aim to enter the circle and bend the Glo stick so it lights up.
 The Patrol that achieves this becomes the guards if time permits.
Grab
Equipment
 Nil
Method
 The object is to get the Scouts familiar with the dark and also get fit.
 The Scouts are sent outside for five minutes to find an object that can be used for the game.
Examples would be small branch or twigs, soft drink bottle, bottle tops, or a rock etc.
 When all back at the assembly area, the Scouts place the objects in the middle of a circle
marked with rope.
 On “Go” the Scouts who are in their Patrol Corners must run around the hall with one hand
touching the wall or the chairs in front of the wall until they get back to the their corner, and
then run to the circle and claim one object.
 The Leader meanwhile has removed one object. The Scout who ends up without an item is out.
 The game starts again until there is only one person left with an item.
Knotting Fight
Equipment
 A lashing rope for half the Patrol Members.
Method
 Best played outside on grass and can be played in the dark.
 The Patrols form up in two lines facing each other with the patrols in tallest to smallest order.
 The Leader calls out the name of a knot the Scouts have been taught.
 One Patrol is given the ropes and on “Go” each member has to tie the knot around the waist of
the Scout opposite. That Scout can resist and delay the tying of the knot but cannot move more
than a metre.
 Points are allocated for each knot correctly tied. Swap the ropes each time.
Query Hunt
Equipment
 Nil
Method
 The objective is to find a specified number of objects in a given time and in the dark (no
torches).
 The time might be 10 mins and the objects could be: Something round, something squareish,
something with a hole through it, something weighing 1 kg, something green, and so on.
 If some of the Scouts have cell phones with a camera, they could take a photo of something
such as a gateway, a street sign or a monument.
 Points can be awarded for the best effort.
Sacrificial Flame
Equipment
 Small billy of water
 Plastic mugs for each Scout.
 A candle and a soft drink bottle
 Matches
Method
 The aim is to creep up on the sacrificial flame and put it out without being tagged by the
sentries (One or part of one Patrol).
 Cut the soft drink bottle in half, stick the candle in it, light the candle and place the bottle
where it is clearly visible in the dark.
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 Appoint up to 4 sentries to intercept the patrols and tag the members. Once tagged they are
out.
 Each patrol has a small billy with say up to one litre of water in it.
 One Scout carries the billy, the others fill their mugs and attempt to creep up undetected and
try and put the flame out.
 A patrol succeeding in extinguishing the flame supplies the next sentries.
Sheep Dog Trials
Equipment
 Whistle, chairs or benches, or branches etc.
Method
 The objective is to guide the sheepdog into the sheep pen. May be played in multiple Patrols if
each has a different whistle or signalling device.
 Place the chairs and benches in the middle of the playing area so they represent a sheep yard
or pen.
 Agree with the Patrol on the signals to be used with the signalling device.
 The Sheepdog is placed at one end of the area and blindfolded.
 The Patrol is located at the other end of the play area and sound the signals to guide the sheep
dog into the pen.
 Once the dogs have entered the pen, they swap with another Patrol member.
Sleeping Pirate
Equipment
 Laser pointer, stool or chair, a drink bottle and a blindfold
Method
 Can be played in the dark.
 Have the Pirate seated and blindfolded in the middle of the playing area with the drink bottle
between his or her feet.
 The Leader points to one or more Scouts who have to creep up and collect the drink bottle and
return to their place without being shot by the laser beam.
 The Sleeping Pirate needs to listen carefully and point the laser beam at any sound heard.
 Scouts hit by the Laser become the Sleeping Pirate.
Searchlight
Equipment
 A powerful torch or spotlight
 Wool for ‘lives’.
Method
 A PL or a Leader is placed in the middle of field and acts like a searchlight, sweeping the
spotlight around the field in a circle every 15 seconds. The timing of the sweep must be
consistent to be fair to the Scouts
 A small object (ball) is placed about 10 meters away from the Leader.
 The Scouts are given 3 lives before the game starts.
 Two or three sentries are placed about the field to intercept the Scouts illuminated by the
searchlight as they try to collect the object.
 If spotted by the sentry, the Scout has to get back to the starting point before getting tagged.
 If tagged, the Scouts surrender a life. When they have none left and are out.
 If someone manages to get the object, they become a sentry.
 The use of camouflage is encouraged.
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