SOURCE: /mnt/d/GoogleDrive/Cercetasi/carti-camp-jocuri/Activities and Games Scouts NZ/Keas Games.pdf
CONVERTED: 2025-01-11
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KEAS – Games
Kea Games
Introduction
These game sheets include games found in the “Magical World of Keas” book. There are many more games
listed on the internet that may be used if desired.
If your Keas have a favourite game 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 Kea Leader for adding to this
document.
All In Tag
Equipment – Coloured bands – wool or paper.
Method
 The ITs wear a coloured band.
 All the other Keas run around and as they are tagged they go and get a band and help tag.
Aunt Sally
Equipment – Basket ball
Method
 The Kea who is IT has a medium-sized beach ball, which they throw at the others in an attempt
to hit them below the knee.
 The player who is hit is out, but if the ball bounces before touching the player, then that player
is not out.
 If wished it can be ruled that hands may be used in defending the body.
African Trap Game
Equipment - Nil
Method
 Two players form a trap. They hold their hands up in the air to form an arch.
 The other players make a long line and start marching under the arch.
 As the players march they clap their hands and chant the following verse:
Lions and leopards, lions and leopards
Hunting at night
Lions and leopards, lions and leopards
Catch the game
 At the word "game" the trap falls and the player is caught.
 The first player waits until a second player is caught and they form another arch through which
the rest of the players must also march.
 When two more are caught they form another trap.
 Players must not dash through the traps to keep from being caught.
Balloon Breaking
Equipment
 A balloon for each Kea plus a few spares.
Method
 Insert pieces of paper with instructions inside inflated balloons, e.g. "Be Santa Claus", "Be a
Christmas Tree", "Sing a Chorus of Jingle Bells", etc.
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 Keas stand in a circle and pass a balloon around until the Leader shouts “STOP”.
 The Kea holding the balloon must break it and carry out the instructions inside.
 Hand out another balloon and start again.
Balloon Games
Equipment - Balloons
Method
 Balloons can be used in many different relay races and individual competitions.
 There can be several variations on carrying a balloon from the starting line to a certain goal.
 Players can be told not to touch the balloon with their hands - and feet too, perhaps!
 While this is difficult enough for younger Keas; the game can be made more difficult for older
Keas by arranging various obstacles the balloon has to pass through before reaching the finish
or by making them complete the course by putting the balloon inside a hoop or a chalked circle.
 It is also amusing for Keas to see who can keep the balloon longest in the air. Older Keas can
keep it in the air by kicking it, or just butting it with their head.
 The Keas can sit down and then see who can keep the balloon moving. They can move
themselves as long as they remain sitting. The game is much more fun though if you decide
that the balloon can be touched only with the feet.
 This can be developed into a team game. Divide the Keas into teams and make each team into
a circle. They then see which circle can keep the balloon floating for the longest time. Again you
can decide that the balloon can be touched only with the feet.
Beast, Bird, Fish
Equipment - Nil
Method
 Keas form a large circle.
 The Leader sits in the centre with a beanbag or ball and calls out either "Beast", "Bird", or
"Fish" and at the same time tosses the beanbag or ball to new player and starts counting to
five.
 The player must apply an appropriate name correctly for the category called out before the
count of five. Otherwise, the player must change places with the Leader and become IT.
Bogey Ball
Equipment – Tennis ball.
Method
 Keas in relay teams, leader with tennis ball.
 On "go", bowl the ball over a line about 5 metres ahead, run to field it after it crosses line, then
return it to next person.
 Have definite lines on ground, and a specific position for Posse to finish the relay in. This brings
discipline, smartness and team work.
Cat And Mouse
Equipment - Nil
Method
 The Keas divide themselves into two groups.
 One group stands in a circle,
 The other group chooses one to be the cat and all the rest are the mice.
 The cat tries to catch all of the mice as quickly as possible and the mice are allowed to run in
and out of the circle without stopping, but the cat must stay outside.
o Or, both cat and mice may be allowed to run in and out of the circle.
o Or an opening is left in the circle and the cat is only allowed in and out through this,
though the mice may use the "holes" between the players.
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Catch A Thief
Equipment - Nil
Method
 The Keas are divided into two groups, ‘Thieves’ and ‘Catchers’.
 Each group stands behind a line some distance apart, facing each other.
 A variety of objects are placed on the ground between the two groups, at about one third of the
total distance from the "thieves" group.
 At a signal the "thief" Keas have to run forward, pick up one of the objects and retreat quickly
behind their own line, while the "Catchers" chase them and try to touch them before they have
crossed the line.
 Swap roles when all are caught.
Chinese Wall
Equipment - Nil
Method
 Divide the playing area in the centre with 2 chalk lines to form a wide imaginary wall about 2
metres wide.
 Appoint 1/3rd of the player as ‘defenders’ who must stay on the wall.
 ‘Defenders’ on this wall try to touch attackers as they pass over it. All Keas touched join the
wall defenders.
 Vary by having all the attackers hopping, skipping, etc.
Circle Chase
Equipment - Nil
Method
 The Keas number in threes around the circle.
 The Keas with the number called must run around the outside of the circle trying to tag the Kea
running in front.
 Keas tagged go to the centre of circle.
 All return to places before next number called.
Clap Hands
Equipment - Nil
Method
 The Keas divide into two groups, ‘A’ and ‘B’.
 Each Kea in group ‘A’ has a partner in group ‘B’, partners stand facing each other.
 At the signal the ‘A’ Keas run across and touch their partner's hand.
 As soon as their hands have been touched the ‘B’ Keas can try to catch their partners, who
must run round and dash back across their own line.
 In the next round the ‘B’ Keas run across and the ‘A’ Keas chase them.
 After counting up the number of Keas who have been caught in each round, the winning team is
the one with the larger number to its credit.
Circles
Equipment - Nil
Method
 Players scatter throughout the room.
 The Leader claps hands a certain number of times.
 If there are four claps, the Keas must get into the groups of four with hands joined and held
high. The same for three and two claps etc.
Couple Tag
Equipment - Nil
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Method
 Appoint 20% of the players to be IT.
 The ITS form into pairs with inside hands joined.
 The ITS chase the Keas who when tagged join up to make other pairs.
 Game finishes when there are no single players left.
Dodge Ball
Equipment - Nil
Method
 Divide the players into two groups,
 One group forms a large circle and the others scatter inside the circle.
 The circle player throws a volley ball or a soft ball at the inside players.
 The centre players dodge, but cannot leave the circle.
 When hit, the player and the thrower exchange places.
 Continue, making sure that everyone has a turn.
Feet off The Floor
Equipment - Nil
Method
 The rules of this game are simple - if Keas have their feet off the floor then they cannot be
caught.
 As soon as they are standing up or running, then they are in danger! The younger age-groups
love this game.
 Appoint an ‘IT’ to start tagging the Keas. Once tagged the Kea becomes ‘IT’.
Find the Leader
Equipment - Nil
Method
 Keas sit in a circle, legs crossed.
 One Kea (detective) leaves the circle while another is chosen as Leader.
 Leader starts by clapping hands on knees (or other such action) and the rest of the circle follow suit.
 Detective is called back in and has three chances to point out Leader. Meanwhile, the Leader is changing
actions, i.e., slapping floor, hitting chest, clapping hands over head, etc.
 Make sure everyone knows who the Leader is and warn Keas not to look directly at Leader. Change actions
often.
Follow Your Leader
Equipment - Nil
Method
 All Keas gallop and roam freely,
 When the whistle blows, each runs to the Posse to line up and follow the Leader.
 First Posse in line and copying Leader's movement is the winner.
Flour Game
Equipment
 Bag of flour
 Jelly Beans
 Small bowl and knife for each 5 Keas
Method
 First fill the bowl with flour and compact. Needs to be full to the top.
 Flip the bowl onto a flat surface or plate. Carefully lift the bowl up and off, keeping the flour
shape intact.
 Put a single lolly on top and in the middle.
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 All the players (works well with up to 5) gather around the bowl. One at a time will cut a small
slither from the flour cake.
 Keep going around the circle until the flour cake is knocked over.
 Whoever knocks the cake over has to put their face into the flour to get the lolly out with their
mouth.
 Can repeat as much as you like or until the lollies are gone.
Free and Caught
Equipment - Nil
Method
 Two or more ITS try to tag as many as they can.
 When tagged, Keas must crouch but can be released by a free Kea touching them.
Freight Trains
Equipment - Nil
Method
 All Keas but two, form into groups of three, one behind the other with arms locked around
waists. These GROUPS ARE THE FREIGHT TRAINS.
 The two individual Keas are the Its, and try to hook onto the end of a freight train.
 When they do the head of the train must fall off and become IT.
French Tag
Equipment - Nil
Method
 If touched, Kea must hold the part of his body where tagged and with this handicap chase
others.
 This can be played in pairs, threes or fours.
Frog Hop
Equipment - Nil
Method
 This is a game of co-ordination.
 When you say "Go", Keas must hop on their right legs until you say STOP.
 Then they must hop on their left leg and wait for more directions.
 Change legs to ‘right’ or ‘backwards’, or ‘forwards’.
 Anyone falling over or not following the directions correctly could be ‘out’ after a warm up
period.
Heads And Tails
Equipment - Nil
Method
 Keas in Posse lines clasp the one in front around the waist.
 At signal the head (Leader) tries to catch the tail (end Kea).
 All change places when caught.
I Spy
Equipment - Nil
Method
 Here is an old game that the Keas should enjoy. Have each Kea pick out an object that is in
plain sight.
 Have each player say, "I spy with my little eye something that is ... (any colour)".
 Let the Keas try and identify the object using the colour as a clue.
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 Any colour or any object can be used.
In The Pond - On The Bank
Equipment - Nil
Method
 Keas in a circle.
 On the command IN THE POND, Keas take one jump forward.
 On the command ON THE BANK, Keas take one jump backwards.
 If in either of these positions the Leader says IN THE BANK or ON THE POND and the Keas are already in
that position, the Keas must not move.
 Keas that do move are out.
Jumping Jimmy
Equipment - Nil
Method
 Keas stand in a group at one end, facing several Leaders, or 2 or 3 older Keas who are ‘Jumping
Jimmys.
 Jumping Jimmys perform all kinds of jumping movements which all others must imitate.
 On a clap, all the Keas are chased to other end of room by Jumping Jimmys.
 The new Jumping Jimmys are those too fast to be caught.
Maze Game
Equipment - Nil
Method
 All the players, except two, stand in a circle holding hands.
 The Kea who is ‘IT’ has to chase the other Kea, who can take any route they like in and out and
around the circle.
 The chaser must follow exactly whatever the other Kea does, but if the chaser does something
wrong, then the other Kea wins the game.
 Of course if the chaser manages to catch and touch the other Kea, ‘IT’ is the winner.
 The Kea who is being chased must be careful not to go so fast that the hunter is caught up
with.
Mouse Trap
Equipment - Nil
Method
 Players are in two circles one inside the other.
 The ones in the small circle in the centre hold hands while those in the outer circle do not.
 On a signal from the Leader, the two circles start moving in opposite directions until the Leader
says STOP.
 At this time the players in the small circle (which is the mouse trap) lift their hands and the
mice march in, around and out the trap. Suddenly the Leader says SNAP and some of the mice
are caught. They then join the trap circle until all are caught.
Octopus
Equipment - Nil
Method
 Two Keas hold opposite ends of a stick or a length of string or rope about two feet (60 cm)
long.
 The aim is to try to catch all the other Keas. With their free hands they must try to touch the
other players.
 Any player who is caught must drop out of the game.
 If one end of the "octopus" lets go of the string or stick, then all the "fishes" are free again.
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Poor Pussy
Equipment - Nil
Method
 All the Keas sit around in a circle except one, who is "poor pussy".
 The pussy cat on all fours will proceed from one Kea to the other, select a victim and pleadingly
say "Meow", "Meow".
 The victim must pat the pussy on the head and say "Poor Pussy", "Poor Pussy" without cracking
a smile. A player who smiles must take the place of pussy.
Red Herring Trail
Equipment - Nil
Method
 Older Keas can play this game indoors, if the room is a large one. It is a game that needs
teamwork!
 The player who is IT decides whom they want to catch and sets off in pursuit of their victim.
 However, if one of the other players crosses his path, IT must stop chasing the first Kea and
chase instead the one who has crossed in front of IT.
 As soon as one of the Keas is touched, that person becomes IT in turn.
Reds and Blues
Equipment – A blue and red wooden block.
Method
 For this you will need a wood block painted red on three sides and blue on the other three. The
players divide into two teams, red and blue and stand facing each other a few feet apart.
 Draw a chalk line one metre out from the end walls of the hall or playing area.
 The block is thrown on to the ground between the two groups. If the blue side is uppermost,
then the blue group must run behind their own line and the red group must catch them.
 If the red side is uppermost, then the red group must run for their line with the blue group in
pursuit.
 A variation is to start the game with both teams either sitting down or lying flat on their
tummies.
Return the Ball
Equipment - Nil
Method
 The Keas stand in a row facing a line drawn some distance away. They all hold their hands
behind their backs.
 One Kea takes a ball, runs to and fro along the back of the line and puts the ball into someone's
hands.
 This Kea must then try to run with the ball and cross the line, while the other Keas chase
"him/her".
 If "he/she" wishes, the Kea who is given the ball may stand still for a while instead of starting
to run immediately.
Snakes
Equipment - Nil
Method
 The players stand in line, each one holding the waist of the Kea in front.
 The first Kea in the line holds out arms sideways.
 The Kea who is IT stands facing the line.
 The object of the game is for the Kea who is IT to touch the last Kea in the line.
 The rest of the players, without letting go of each other’s waists, must move so as to prevent
this.
 The leading Kea keeps arms outspread, but is not allowed to touch IT.
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 When the Kea who is IT succeeds in touching the last Kea they change places, the one who was
IT taking his position at the head of the line.
 The game can be varied so that IT has to throw a ball to hit the last Kea, instead of touching
him.
Snowball
Equipment – scrunched up newspaper balls.
Method
 Using balls of screwed up newspaper play a tag game.
Squat Tag
Equipment - Nil
Method
 One person is chosen to be ‘IT’.
 The players scatter around the room and ‘IT’ tries to tag them.
 The players may be safe from being tagged by squatting.
 When ‘IT’ is not close by, they stand up and run again.
 Each player may use this method of escape 3 times and then escape only by running.
Team Passing V Team Running
Equipment - Ball
Method
 Team A passes ball around well-spaced circle while Team B runs a relay in file.
 Team A counts passes, must stop as soon as relay finished.
 Change over and compare the number of passes made.
Team Tag
Equipment - Nil
Method
 Keas of one Posse act as IT and try to tag as many other Keas in a given time. When all Posses
have had a go, compare scores.
Touch Ball
Equipment – Basket or volley ball.
Method
 The Kea who has the ball must stand perfectly still and throw the ball to hit one of the others
with a direct hit below the knee.
 All the other Keas may then scramble for the ball, pick it up and try to hit somebody else.
 However, the one who picks the ball up is not allowed to move.
Two's a Crowd
Equipment - Nil
Method
 This can be played in an ordinary-sized room.
 The Keas spread themselves round and one of them is chosen as ‘IT’.
 At a signal one of the other Keas starts to run and with ‘IT’ in pursuit.
 As soon as he/she stands behind one of the other Keas, that Kea must start running, while the
Kea who is IT must then chase this second Kea and so on.
Two’s a Crowd in a Circle
Equipment - Nil
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Method
 The Keas stand round in a circle and the Kea who is being chased stands in front of one of the
others, who must instantly start running and try to stand in front of a third Kea, and so on.
 When a Kea is touched they become ‘IT’ and the previous ‘IT’ must quickly try to find a safe
place.
 In this game nobody must be allowed to run across the circle but all must keep running round
it.
What Colour?
Equipment - Nil
Method
 The Keas run about freely while the Kea who is IT stands apart.
 Suddenly ‘IT’ calls out a colour and chases the children who are not wearing anything of the
colour IT has chosen.
 The players IT touches join with IT.
Who's It?
Equipment - Nil
Method
 The Keas all run about and suddenly the games organiser calls out a name. The Kea whose
name is called immediately becomes IT and tries to tag the Keas.
 There are a number of ways to continue the game, some ideas being that the Keas who are
being chased must either:
o sit down
o stand on something
o be with another Kea in order to escape being caught.
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