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 This is a good game for ages 5+. You’ll want a group of at least 5 people. The more people, the better.

Supplies: A ball (dodge ball type)   Setting: Outside

Game Instructions:

There are no teams in this game. Every man for himself! Decide on boundaries for the game– like imaginary lines between trees and cars or fences. Start the game by throwing the ball high in the air- maybe onto the roof where it can roll down. The person who gets the ball can take three steps with the ball in their hand. Then they must throw it. Everyone else can run around freely. If the thrower hits a person with the ball (must be a direct hit- cannot bounce on the ground), the person who was hit must sit down. As soon as the ball is thrown, it is up for grabs. Anyone can pick it up. Standing people can take three steps before they must throw it. Sitting people must throw the ball from where they are seated. If a seated person hits a standing person, the standing person must sit down and the seated person gets to stand up and run around again. If someone catches a thrown ball, the person who threw the ball must sit down. As the size of the standing group decreases, you can make the boundaries smaller so the standing people have to stay closer to each other. Last person standing is the winner!

Note: Is this game really played in Norway?  I doubt it. I think one of our uncles made it up, but we are Norwegian Americans who play it in America.

 

This is a good game for ages 5 – adult. You’ll want a group of 5-15 people. However, 8-12 people works best. It doesn’t require any equipment.

 

Game Instructions:

Everyone sits in a circle facing inward. Every player chooses a “sign”, which is some kind of movement or motion that is unique to them. The sign needs to be easily detectable by others but not too obvious to attract attention. Examples of signs are sticking your tongue out, scratching your nose, rubbing your stomach, and making two thumbs up. Everyone demonstrates their sign to the rest of the group. Now you’re ready to play.

The goal of the game is to keep passing signs to other players as long as possible without getting caught by the person in the middle. The person in the middle tries to figure out where the sign is and catch the person who currently has the sign.

To begin, have the person in the middle close his eyes and count to ten. The group silently decides who within the group will start with the sign. This person “has” the sign and it is his goal to “pass” the sign to other players without getting caught by the person in the middle. To pass the sign, the person has to perform his own sign, then any other player’s sign. For example, if Player 1’s sign is to scratch his nose and Player 2’s sign is to blink both eyes, then Player 1 must scratch his nose, then blink both eyes. Player 2 then accepts the sign by blinking both eyes. He then passes the sign by performing another player’s sign. The person in the middle looks around, trying to catch the person with the sign. To guess, he points to a player and asks, “Do you have the sign?” If yes, the person who was caught is now in the middle.

 

 

This is a good game for ages 5 – adults. You’ll want a group of at least 8 people.

Supplies: A couch and other chairs/seats for every player, small pieces of paper with the names of each player written on them.  You can play this game without a couch. You’ll just have to designate four seats in a row to serve as your couch. You can change the name of the game to Four Men on a Log or Four Men on Blue Folding Chairs.

Game Instructions:

Write each person’s name on a slip of paper and put it in a bowl. Ideally, you want the same number of males and females. If this isn’t true for your party, divide into two groups and give half scarves or a sticker on their forehead to identify them as a team. Seat everyone boy-girl-boy-girl around the circle. You will need to have four people sitting on a couch or identify 4 chairs as your “couch”. You will also need one empty chair in your circle. After you are set up, pass the bowl around and have each person take a name. It’s okay if it is their own name. They need to keep this name secret. This is a memory game and they are now that person for the game. The person to the right of the empty chair calls a name. Whoever has that slip of paper moves to the empty chair. Now there is a new empty seat. The person to the right of that seat calls another name and the moving continues. The object of the game is to get the individuals on the other team off the couch and your own teammates on the couch. The first group to occupy all four of the couch seats wins!