The Games

Fruit Salad

This game gets the children running around in circles - literally. But at least it's a bit more controlled than usual.

Get the children to stand in a circle. Choose three fruits - say, apples, oranges, pears. Or choose some other type of thing (animals, football teams, what have you).
Starting at a child near you, give each child the name of one of the fruits. Keep to the same order all the way round the circle - it doesn't matter if there are extra children at the end, just as long as everyone knows what fruit they are.
The children have to run round outside the circle. Make sure they know they have to run round outside, and which direction they have to run in.
When you call out the name of a fruit, those children run round the circle. When they get back to their place, they sit down. The last person back is out.
Mostly, you'll call out just one kind of fruit - but you can call out two. If you call out 'Fruit Salad!' all the children have to run - be warned, it can be chaotic, especially if they haven't played much before!

Tips

• Make absolutely sure the children know which fruit they are and which way round they have to run before you start.
• Don't let them run too close to the children standing still, as there can be collisions.
• Pace the game by letting the less fit or younger children rest - do this by knowing which children are called what.
• Experiment with having more than three names, especially if you have a large group.

Kneeball

A team-game where the children try to win by hitting the opposing players with a ball.

You'll need a large ball, and a way to mark out a pair of parallel lines about three metres apart. You can do this with chalk if you're playing on asphalt; the markings for some sports such as netball and tennis work well; or just use a pile of jumpers at each end, and rely on everyone's judgement to 'fill in' the lines.

Divide the children into two teams. It's useful if you have some way of distinguishing one team from the other, but not essential.

The teams spread out behind the lines. When they get the ball, they roll it at the other team, aiming to hit someone below the knee. Anyone who is hit is Out, but can go behind the opposition and try to hit them from there. You'll have to decide whether or not it's allowable for the team-members to throw the ball over the heads of the enemy to their team-mates who are Out.

Don't allow the children to aim the ball above their opponents' knees. If they do, give the ball to the other team - a free throw, in other words. For repeated offenses, make the person sit out for a limited amount of time - or make them Out.

Start the game by rolling the ball down the middle of the no-man's-land between the teams. If the ball ends up somewhere where no player can get it, put it back into play in the same way.

Tips

• Decide at the beginning if you think that it's okay for the teams to throw the ball to the back area.
• Make sure the children know the rules, especially the one about not aiming above the knee - and what the penalties are for breaking them. (There's no need to be too authoritarian about this.)
• If you don't have much time, decide in advance to play for a limited period. The winners are the team with the most players still In at the end.

Port and Starboard

In this game, you shout commands and the children have to follow them. The slowest person is out, and the last person left in is the winner. There's a theme - being sailors on a ship.

You don't need any equipment, but the game is most fun if the children have a place they can climb on to get their feet off the ground. If that's not possible, they can sit down and hold their feet up, or you can designate an area that they have to get to instead.

The various commands are given below. Before you start to play, go through them with the children, and have a short test run, too.

Commands:

Port - everyone runs to the right.

Starboard - everyone runs to the left.

Sharks in the water, 1... 2... 3... - by the time you get to 3, everyone must be standing off the ground (or have their feet in the air, or whatever you've decided).

Climb the Rigging - everyone mimes climbing ropes.

Captain's Coming - everyone freezes, and you go round and see if anyone's moving. Anyone you catch is Out.

Man Overboard - everyone sits down.

Tips

• It's okay to be tricky - for instance to shout Port, Starboard, Port, Starboard, Port, Port, Port.
• If you need a rest, let the winner of one game be the caller for the next - or choose a caller randomly.

Stuck In the Mud

A chase game that can go on for ages!
One person is It. (if the group is very large, you might want to have two people as It.) They count to twenty or so, while the rest of the children scatter. Then they give chase.
When they tag someone, that person has to stand still with their legs spread as far apart as possible. If one of the other children can wriggle through their legs, they are freed. But of course, 'It' might be waiting for them...
The game is over when everyone has been caught.

Tips

• You might want to make a rule that 'It' can't wait right next to someone who's stuck.

Two Hand, One Hand

A throwing and catching game to improve dexterity.
You'll need a small ball for this game.
The children stand round in a circle and throw the ball to each other. If someone misses a catch, they pay a penalty: first they put one hand behind their back; then they go down on one knee; then both knees; then they sit down; then they lose the other hand (and yes, I have seen someone catch the ball in their lap!). After that, they're out.

Tip

• If it looks like someone is either being picked on or left out, try giving each child a number. You call out a number and the person with the ball throws it to them.

Bounce Relay

A relay race with running and bouncing and teamwork - what more could you want?
You'll need several small balls, and a way to mark the finish line - a wall will do. Best played on a hard surface.

Divide the children evenly into teams. Get them to line up one behind each other. The front person has a small ball. They have to run to the finish line, bouncing the ball as they go. When they get there, they throw the ball to the next person in line, then run back the way they came to the end of their line, and sit down. The first team with everyone sitting down is the winner.

You could easily devise other relay races using different activities. Or take a break and get the children to devise their own!