#354: Knock Your Socks Off

Get a pile of friends together and play the game Knock Your Socks Off.

How to play Knock Your Socks Off:



Rules: Divide the group of players (6-16 players works well) into two teams. Everyone needs to be wearing socks. The two teams get down on their hands and knees as this is a crawling game--you cannot stand up or stand on your feet at any point during the game. Choose an area for the game such as the living room--if you leave the boundaries of the game area, you are automatically out.

When the game starts, the two teams begin crawling around, trying to pull the socks off the other team's feet. The goal is to get all the socks off the other team. Once a sock is off a foot, it stays off. Once a player has no socks left on, they move to the sidelines to cheer on the other players (they are out of the game).

No kicking! And no grabbing at your own sock if someone is pulling it off. And no knee-high socks or stirrup pants--they are so unfair!


Make this a family activity: Break into teams. Parents against kids or boys against girls or just mix it up! Watch out: Mom tickles!

This activity promotes speed, agility and a little healthy competition.

#334: What Time Is It Mr. Wolf?

Number of players needed for 'What Time is it Mr. Wolf': 4 or more.

One player is the wolf and everyone else stands far away at a starting point. The wolf keeps their back to the other players (and cannot peek). Everyone asks together, “What time is it Mr. Wolf?” The wolf says a time and everyone moves towards the wolf that number of steps. For example, if he says “12 o’clock”, everyone takes 12 steps.

After everyone has moved forward, they ask the time again. If the wolf replies “Time to eat you!” everyone runs back to the starting point. The wolf tries to tag players. If a player is caught, they are out. Keep playing until all players are caught. The last player caught by the wolf, becomes the wolf for the next game.



Variations: Eaten players join the wolf.


Make this a family game: Who gets to be the wolf first?

This activity promotes counting skills and speed.

#285: Badminton

Get some people together and play badminton.





Make this a family activity: Make teams and play!

This activity promotes teamwork and eye-hand coordination.

#221: Basketball

Let's play basketball.



Make this a family activity: Make a family team.

This activity promotes physical activity, coordination and teamwork.

#161: Red Light, Green Light

To play Red Light, Green Light, you will need 4 or more players and lots of room.




One player is the ‘light’. They stand away from the group with their back facing the group. When the light says “green light” everyone moves toward the light. When the light says “red light” everyone must freeze. The light quickly turns around after saying "red light". If anyone is still moving, the light calls them by name and sends them back to the starting point.

When a player makes it to where the light is standing without being caught, they are the light for the next game.


Make this a family activity: The whole family can play this game.

This activity promotes the ability to quickly process verbal commands and improves listening skills.

#141: Tag

Number of players: Best with 4 or more.

One player is ‘it’. The ‘it’ player tries to tag (lightly touch) one of the other players making them ‘it’. Once another player becomes ‘it’, the used-to-be ‘it’ player has to get away from the ‘it’ player just like everyone else or they will be tagged and become ‘it’ again.

Variations:
Freeze tag: When a player is tagged, they become frozen (can’t move). Frozen players stand with their arms spread out until someone who isn’t frozen can run under their arms to unfreeze them. Play until everyone is frozen or until the ‘it’ player gets too tired.

Blob tag: When the ‘it’ player tags another player, they also become ‘it’. ‘It’ players hold hands to make a blob and try to make all the players part of the blob. The last player tagged is the new ‘it’ player for the next game.

Can’t tag your butcher: You need at least 5 people to play this version. Once a player becomes ‘it’, they can’t tag the player who made them ‘it’.

Shadow tag: ‘It’ tags shadows by stepping on them instead of touching players.

Flashlight tag: It must be dark for this one. Agree on where the game boundaries are (fenced yard or basement). Each player gets a flashlight. Nobody but the ‘it’ player turns theirs on. The players run around and the ‘it’ person turns on their flashlight for 1 second here and there to see if they can tag a player by shining the light on a part of them. Once tagged, that player can help the ‘it’ person by shining their flashlight on players.


Make it a family activity: The whole family can play tag, and I think Dad should be 'it' first.

This activity promotes physical activity and observation skills.

#136: Soccer

Let's play soccer!





Make it a family activity: Break into teams and play!

This activity promotes teamwork, physical activity and coordination.

#125: Tug-of-War

Number of players: 2 or more.

You will need a line (even if it is just a towel or a stick on the ground) and a long rope.


Divide into two teams. One team stands on one side of the line, holding onto their end of the rope. On the other side of the line, the other team holds onto the other end of the rope.

PULL! Whichever teams pulls the other team over the line, wins.


Make this a family activity: Great for family reunions, or even a contest for family members. If everyone works together can they beat big ol' dad?

This activity promotes physical activity.

#89: British Bulldog

You will need lots of space (outside is best) and about 10 players.




Three players hold hands and stand in a line in the middle of the playing area. These players are the bulldogs. When they are ready, they yell “British Bulldog” and the other players try to run to the other end of the field without being touched by the bulldogs. When they are touched by the bulldogs, they join them for the next round. Keep going until everyone has become a bulldog.


This activity promotes the skills needed to work effectively as a group work as well as being physically active.

#63: Hide and Seek

Find some friends and play hide and seek.

Wondering how to play? One person covers their eyes and counts to 20. The rest of the players go and hide. When the counter has reached 20, they say, "Ready or not, here I come!" They then go and try to find the rest of the players.

VARIATION: Players can change hiding places throughout the game.

This game promotes visual skills, counting skills and patience.

#37: Red Rover

This game needs lots of space, so find some space outside and have fun.



Players (the more the better, but 8 is a good start) form 2 lines. The two lines need to be far away from each other, but facing each other. In each line, everyone holds hands.

One team calls out “Red rover, red rover, we call _______ over.” And they call over someone from the other team. That player then leaves their own line and runs to the other line. They try to ‘break’ the line by running between two players and make them let go of each other's hand. If the player breaks the line, they take a player from this line back to their team. If they don’t break through, they join the other team.

Safety First: Be gentle!


This activity promotes group participation and cooperation as well as encourages physical activity.

#12: Duck, Duck, Goose

You will need 4-10 people to play this game. (You can play with fewer people or more people, but it isn't quite as much fun.)

Everyone sits in a circle, facing in. One player is chosen to start the game. They walk around the outside of the circle and touch each player on the head while saying "duck". If they say "goose" instead of "duck", the player who was called "goose" must jump up and run around the circle in the opposite direction than the player that called them "goose". Both players are racing for the empty sitting spot in the circle. Whoever gets there first, sits down. The player who doesn't have anywhere to sit now goes around the circle saying “duck” or “goose”.

If there is a tie (the two racing players get to the sitting spot at the same time), the person who was called "goose" gets the spot and the other player has to go around again, choosing a new "goose".

Have fun!


This activity promotes physical activity and group play.