Games: Races

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THE AFTER EIGHT RACE

You will need: a box of After Eight mints (or similar)

This is a golden oldie! Each team choses a volunteer to go to the front and compete in this race. Give each competitor an After Eight, which they should place on their forehead. On the signal to go, the players have to move the mint from their foreheads into their mouths without using their hands. This means they have to shake their heads, using their facial muscles and tongues to manoeuvre the mints down their faces. If the chocolate mint falls to the ground they must start again (with a new chocolate). If they use their hands they must start again. The first person to eat the chocolate wins!

If you want to get the whole team involved you can play this game as a relay. When the first player has successfully eaten the mint the second starts with a mint on their forehead, and so on.

 

MARCO POLO

You will need: blindfolds; large playing space

Blindfold a member of each team and stand them in the centre of the space. Mix up the other members of the teams and spread them out around the space. Say that only the blindfolded players can move about, while everyone else must stay still. Give each team the name of an explorer, for example Marco Polo, David Livingstone, Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan or Leif Erikson.

The blindfolded person has to shout the first name of their explorer (ie “Marco!”), while the rest of their team replies with the last name (ie “Polo!”). The blindfolded person should then move about to locate the players in their team by sound alone. They can shout their explorer’s name as many times as they like, but everyone will be shouting at once! The winner is the team that finds all of its players first.

Keep an eye on the game for safety and remind the players that they are not allowed to impede the blindfolded players in finding their teams. You might want to set a time limit, after which the team with the most located players is the winner.

 

ALPHABET RACE

You will need: paper and pens; a timer

Give each team a sheet of paper and a pen, then ask them to write the alphabet down the long side of the paper. When everyone is ready shout out a category, for example food, drink or holiday destinations. Each team has to write down something from that category that starts with each letter.

Shout out two or three other categories, then give the teams a set amount of time to complete the game. At the end, count up the number of words the teams have come up with. You might have to adjudicate on whether some suggestions are allowable! The team with the most acceptable answers is the winner.

 

FLAP A FISH

You will need: fish shapes cut out of newspaper; newspapers; chalk or masking tape

This is another classic game. Mark out a line at one end of your playing space with the chalk or masking tape, then line each of the teams up behind it. Give the first person in each team a paper fish and a newspaper. They should put the fish on the floor in front of them and, on the signal to go, wave the newspaper next to their fish to waft it along the floor. They have to carry on wafting the fish to the other end of the space before picking the fish up and running back to their team.

The rest of the team repeats this in turn. When everyone has had a turn they all sit down. The first team to do so is the winner! This game works best on a smooth floor rather than on a carpet.

 

THE Y-FRONT CHALLENGE

You will need: very large underpants

Line the teams up one behind the other, then give the first person in each team a pair of underpants. On the signal to go they should put the underpants on (over their clothes, of course!) and take them off as soon as possible before handing them to the next person in the line. This continues until the final person in the line has taken off the pants. This person runs to the front of the line and play starts again. When the original first player is back at the front of the line the team sits down. The first team to do so is the winner.

You could also play this as an upfront challenge, with one player representing their team. The challenge is to put on and take off the pants as many times as they can in a set amount of time.

HOLY TRINITY BROMPTON’S YOUTH AND CHILDREN’S TEAMS.