WATER GAMES
Capture the Flag
Group Size: 7-20 per team
Rules: In this game there is a red kingdom and a blue kingdom. Each possesses a magical flag which is the source of all their power. These kingdoms are at war and the only way to beat the other kingdom is by capturing their flag. The only way to defend your flag is to hit the enemy with water balloons. The field is split in half, one kingdom on each side. Players are only safe on their side of the 50-yard line. Once they cross the line to the other team’s side the opposing team can hit them with water balloons. Once hit with a water balloon you go to the opposing team’s jail (orange pool) until someone from your team makes it to the jail without being hit and tags you. You can only tag one prisoner at a time and then you both have a free walk back (you can’t be hit by a balloon) to your side of the field. To win the game you must get the other team’s flag to your side of the field. Each kingdom’s flag is placed in the middle of the “no puppy guarding zone” on the map. Players may not enter their own zone unless they are replacing their recaptured flag. They may not replace the flag unless it has left the zone. The water balloons are reusable and blue pools have been placed on the field as refill stations.
Rotations: The game captain sets a timer for 15 minutes. If a team wins before it goes off, they rotate in new people. If no one has won yet at the timer’s end, they change the rules so that players are no longer “safe” on their side of the field. If a flag has still not been successfully captured after 5 more minutes, the team that has more people left on the field (those not in jail) wins.
Water Kickball
Group Size: 8-13 per team
Rules: This game follows the same basic rules as baseball. Two teams will alternate playing offense and defense. Offense will be lined up with one person as the kicker, while defense is spread across the field with a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd basemen, a catcher (home-baseman), a pitcher, and everyone else in the outfield. The pitcher will roll the ball to the kicker who can have up to 3 foul balls before they’re out and the next kicker is up. If the defense catches the ball the kicker is also out. After kicking the ball, the kicker runs to first base (or further if the opportunity arises). Runners are tagged out if members of the opposing team can retrieve the ball and either hit or tag them with it before they reach one of the bases. The goal is to get as many of your teammates back to home plate (pool) without being tagged by the other team. Each player to make it back scores 1 point for their team. This is the only way to score. Once each person on the offensive team has had a chance to kick, team roles will reverse. Once everyone on the new team has kicked, then the game is over. The team with the highest number of points at the end of both rounds wins. In this version of kickball, we will have kiddie pools acting as the four bases rather than plates with slip n’ slides leading up to the pools. In order to be counted as “safe,” the runners must be either inside of or touching the pool. The defense will assign a hose-man to stand behind the pitcher with a hose. Their job will be to keep the slip n’ slides wet…and maybe the runners on the other team too;)
Rotations: After both teams have kicked, the game captain ends the game and rotates in new players, even if it’s a tie.
9 Square
Group Size: 9+
Rules: In this game there is a king or a queen and there are subjects. The goal of the king or queen is to retain the throne. The goal of the subjects is to advance and take the throne. Start with one person in each square and a line of everyone else feeding into a corner square each time someone is eliminated. The person in the center square is the king or queen and always begins the round by serving the ball up and out of their square into someone else’s square. The recipient must hit the ball back out, over, and into another square with one hit. If they hit it more than once, if it hits the ground, or they hit it out of bounds, they are eliminated and must go to the back of the line. Everyone then moves forward in a spiral, trying to acquire and keep the center square as the new king or queen.
Rotations: No set rotations; people come and go as they want.
Giant Water Slide
Group Size: Unlimited people can stand in line.
Rules: Students line up and wait their turn to go down the slide. New sliders may not begin until the previous sliders have exited the pool at the bottom.
Rotations: No set rotations; people come and go as they want.
Obstacle Course Race
Group Size: Unlimited people can stand in line.
Rules: Have two people line up in front of their respective start lines. One game captain will give a countdown to start the race, while the other stands at the end of the course with a stopwatch waiting to record their time. The second game captain will have a clipboard to keep track of the record time. Students can either focus on racing each other, or they can attempt to beat the record.
Rotations: No set rotations; people come and go as they want.
Shark Attack
Group Size: As many people as can fit around the parachute + 6 (three sharks and three lifeguards)
Rules: In this game there are swimmers, sharks, and lifeguards. The goal of the sharks is to capture players and turn them into more sharks. The goal of the swimmers is to survive. The goal of the lifeguards is to save players from the sharks and turn them into more lifeguards. After 3 sharks and 3 lifeguards are chosen, everyone else becomes a swimmer. The sharks go underneath the parachute on their hands and knees and the lifeguards stand and circle the parachute perimeter. Swimmers sit and pull the parachute close to their body with their legs straight out underneath. Then they move the edges up and down to make little waves in the parachute. The sharks grab the swimmers’ legs and try to drag them underneath. The lifeguards try to rescue players who are being pulled under by the sharks by grabbing their arms and pulling them back out. Once everyone has turned into sharks or lifeguards the game is over. The group with the most people wins.
Rotations: The game captain rotates new players in after each round is over.
