Games Descriptions (D-F)
Dating Game
Non-Active, Icebreaker
Time - Medium (10-15 minutes)
Group Size - any
Equipment Needed - prepared paper with days of the week and pens
This game requires prepared slips of paper with each of the days of the week written across the top and space underneath to write a name, with enough copies to give to everyone playing.
Once everyone has paper and a pen, everyone has to go and find a date for each day of the week. Once two people agree on a day, they both write the other’s name down, and they can’t put anyone else’s name down for that day.
Once everyone has all of their names filled out, the leader then asks everyone to meet up with someone from a specific day, which pairs everyone off with whoever’s name they have written on their sheet for that day. The leader then asks everyone to answer a certain question within their pairs.
The game can continue for only a few days or all seven, but at least three is recommended
Days of the Week
Active, Running, Team
Time - Medium (10 minutes)
Group Size - small (14) to medium (28). Large groups can make the game drag on
Equipment Needed - Chairs set up in 7 rows
Background leaders set up chairs equal to the number in the group, arranged into seven equal rows with decent space left in between.
Everyone finds and sits on a chair. The leader designates the first row Monday, the second Tuesday, and so on, finishing with the last row of Sunday.
The leader then calls a day of the week, and the people in that row become the front row, and everyone else must arrange their days in the right order relevant to the front row.
For example, if Thursday was called, Friday would be the second row, Saturday the third, Sunday the fourth, Monday the fifth, Tuesday the sixth and Wednesday at the back.
The last person to sit down is eliminated. Last man/team standing is the winner.
Dodgeball
Active, Ball, Team, Running
Time - Medium (10-15 minutes)
Group Size - Medium to large
Equipment Needed - Chairs/bins, balls, cones if needed
Split the group into two even teams. Choose a large open space and divide it in half, setting a chair or bin or other large object up on each end facing each other across the field. Set a number of balls along the middle line.
The aim of the game is to either get everyone on the opposite team out, or hit the opposing chair or bin, which wins the game.
Each team starts on the back line of their side, then run in and try to grab balls. Balls can be thrown underarm, and a person is out if a ball hits them below the shoulders, including fumbling the ball while trying to catch it. People who are out stand on the side of their half, forming a line.
If a person catches a ball on the full, the person who threw it is out, and someone from the team of the catcher gets to come back in.
Safety Notes
Make sure to use soft balls as to not hurt people, and enforce the underarm rule to avoid breaking surrounding objects, like lights or windows.
Variations
Prison Ball - people who get out instead stand behind the opposing teams area. Teammates can lob balls over the other team, where a person who is out can catch them on the full to return to the game.
No Bin - take out the bin or chair and a team can only win by eliminating everyone on the opposing team. Can lead to longer games
Dutch Tag
Running, Active, Icebreaker
Time - Short (5-10 minutes)
Group Size - any
Equipment Needed - none
A version of tip where everyone is in at the same time, meaning anyone can tip or be tipped by anyone else.
When tipped, a player sits down and notes who tipped them. When that person gets out, they return to the game.
Disputes over who tipped first is resolved with scissors paper rock.
Variation
Sock Tag - players can only tip or be tipped on their feet
Hospital Tag - players can only be tipped on their arms or legs. If someone is tipped in any of those places, they lose use of that limb. In this version, no one is permanently eliminated
Evolution
Icebreaker, Non-Active
Time - Short (5-10 minutes)
Group Size - any
Equipment Needed - none
Everyone begins acting as an egg. An egg can find another egg, and win a game of scissors paper rock to become a chicken.
A chicken can find another chicken, and win another game to become a monkey.
A monkey can find another monkey, and win another game to become a human.
A human can find another human, and win another game to become a superhuman.
Everyone who ends as a superhuman wins the game, and an egg, chicken, monkey and human should be left over.
Floor is Lava
Active, Chair, Team
Time - Medium (10-15 minutes)
Group Size - medium to large
Equipment Needed - enough chairs for the number of players
Split the group into 3 or 4 even teams. Set up chairs in a row equal to the number of players on each team at one end of a large open space.
Standing on the chairs, a team must use the chairs to reach the other end of the space, by passing chairs from the back and placing them at the front, and slowly walking forward.
However, if any chair isn’t being touched by someone, the team loses that chair.
The first team to reach the end of the area and get their whole team off wins.
Safety Considerations
Make sure to have a leader allocated to each team to stand next to the team and make sure no-one loses balance and falls of the chairs. Also keep an eye on the chairs in case anyone is hit by a chair leg.
Fruit Salad
Active, Running, Team
Time - medium (10 minutes)
Group Size - medium to large
Equipment Needed - none
Get the group to form pairs, then form two lines with everyone standing opposite to their pairs. Get everyone to sit down with their legs stretched straight, still facing their partner.
Assign each pair the name of a fruit. Once everyone is assigned, the leader calls one of the fruits. That pair must run from where they are to the other end of the line, hopping over everyone’s legs, before running back around the outside, then hopping over the rest of the legs to get back to their spot and sitting down.
This continues, with the leader calling different fruits, as well as multiple fruits at the same time. The leader can also call Fruit Salad, where everyone must get up and run.