WINTER HOLIDAY - GAMES
Snow Shovel
Relay
Divide into two teams and give each team a pie tin, spatula and a large bag of cotton balls. Each team empties the bag of cotton balls at their feet and places their pie tin about 10 feet away. On the signal, the first player scoops up as many cotton balls as the spatula will hold, carries them to the pie tin, and drops them in. No hands are allowed on the cotton balls. Continue in relay fashion until one team successfully gets all the cotton balls in the pie tin.
Loading Santa's
Sleigh
Snowball
Toss
Each player receives three "snow balls" (ping pong balls or crumpled pieces of paper, ping pong ball sized). A small box is place in the center of a group of boys. The boys form a circle around the box and one by one, take turns tossing a ball into the box. If the ball stays in, it's the next boy's turn. If it doesn't stay in, the boy retrieves it for another try. Continue going around and around the circle. The first boy without any snowballs left is the winner.
Wrap the Package
Relay
Each team should have 4 to 7 players. The first player on each team is given a trinket; the second, a small box; the third some gift wrap; the fourth, cellophane tape; the fifth, ribbons; the sixth, seals or stickers; the seventh, a gift card. At the signal, the sides try to wrap the gift, being careful to be neat. Except for the third and fourth players, everyone must work on their own. At the end, award up to 4 points for neatness and 6 points for speediness.
Sweeping the Snow
Each team has a broom and a piece of typing paper. The paper is placed flat on the floor and the first boy in each team sweeps the “snow” to the finish line, picks it up, runs back to his line and places the “snow” on the floor for the next player. The game continues like so and the team whose players all finish sweeping first are the winners.
Christmas Plates and Clothespins
Relay
Divide the players in to teams of six or eight and stand them one behind the other in rows with about 18” between each player. Give each player a spring clothespin. Place a 6” round paper plate (decorated like a Christmas ornament) on the floor in front of the first player of each team. On signal, the first player picks up the plate using only the clothespin, turns and “hands” it to the next player. No hands – only clothespins can touch the plate, even if it drops. The last player in each line brings the plate to the front of the line and then the whole line sits down to signify they are done.
Christmas Toys
Pin on the back of each player the name of some toy, such as teddy bear, toy gun, Barbie, Chutes & Ladders, etc. Each player tries to learn what is on his back by asking other players one question that can be answered “yes” or “no.” For instance, “Am I a vehicle?” or “Am I electronic?” When a player has learned what toy he represents, he may take the name off his back and pin it to his front. He may still answer questions of players trying to figure out what they are.
Santa’s Bag
Number 10 brown paper bags from 1 to 10. Put one familiar item in each bag, preferably items related to Christmas. Fold the top of each bag and staple it shut. Each player is given a pencil and paper with numbers 1 through 10. They try to guess what is in each bag by touching and shaking the bag, and write their guess on the paper by the appropriate number. The player with the most correct answers wins.
What's Wrong With Christmas
On a table or tray place a number of Christmas-type objects, such as candy canes, bell, spring of holly, ornament, etc. Through these scatter a number of objects which are not a part of Christmas, such as a Halloween mask, green shamrock, red heart, hard boiled egg, etc. Cover all objects until time to play the game, then remove the cover and give the boys two minutes to look at all the objects. Re-cover the objects and give all a pencil and paper. Ask them to write down all non-Christmas objects. The one who remembers the most "out of place" objects is the winner.
Decorate The Tree
Cut a large Christmas tree from a sheet of green paper. Cut ornaments of different shapes and sizes from wrapping paper. Make two sets of ornaments. Have one set of ornaments arranged on the tree. Let the boys study the tree and pick out an ornament to hang. Blindfold the first person, turn him around a few times, then let him pin or tape his ornament as close to its matching ornament on the tree. The one that is the closest wins.
Snowball Relay
Divide the boys into two teams. Give each boy a plastic straw. Give a team their own small box for their snowballs (cotton balls). Place a large box about 8 to 10 feet in front of the boys full of cotton balls. On the signal "Go", have the first two players go to the box of cotton balls. Using the straw to draw air through, pick up a cotton ball and take it back to his team box. When he drops his cotton ball into the box the next players goes. If a player drops his cotton ball on returning to his team box, he must pick it up with his straw and no hands, then continue on to his team box.
Jingle Bell Chow Mein
This
game is a good one to test the skill of your boys. You'll need 2 shallow bowls, several
jingle bells and 2 full length pencils with erasers. To play the game, place all the jingle
bells in one bowl. The player uses
the two pencils as chopsticks. With
the eraser end down, the player
tries to transfer as many bells as he can from one bowl to the other. He can use only one hand.
Players form a circle. Each player is given the name of something connected with the story of Santa Claus, such as reindeer, chimney, tree, etc. The child chosen to be “it” stands in the center of the circle and tells a Christmas story. If he mentions the name of any of the things chosen, the player who has that name must turn around. At the mention of the name Santa Claus, everyone must turn around. “It” tries to tag any player before he can turn around. If successful, he takes the place in the circle and the other player is “it.”
Two or more red stockings are hung up, the number depending on the number of contestants you have for each side. Each boy is provided with a teaspoon and three apples, or tennis balls. These apples must be picked up off the floor with the spoon, carried to the stocking and dropped into it. It may be run as a relay, with each runner putting in just one apple, returning and handing the spoon to the next runner. The apples must be placed into the stocking without the aid of the extra hand.
Each player is given a small bell, one of them gold. Players walk around with closed hands and introduce themselves to other players. As they do, they extend their clenched hands, and tap one of the extended hands of the other player. If the player happens to have his bell in the hand tapped, he must trade with the player who has introduced himself. At the end of the time limit, the leader blows a whistle. The player holding the gold bell is given the Jingle Bell applause.
Christmas Handshake
Give each boy five Christmas cards or seals. On signal each boy introduces himself to five parents other than his own. Each time he must leave a card or seal with them. (Parents should not accept the card or seal until the introduction is complete and the boy can repeat their name.) The first den to finish, assembles as a den and raises their hands in the Cub Scout sign or gives their den yell.
Presents
Each boy thinks of a present he would like to give a make-believe friend (or a real friend) and then decides how to act out movements for his chosen present. (For example, if he chose a dog, he could chase his tail around in a circle, give a paw to "shake", or roll over with paws up in the air.) There are no limits on the price, or availability of this pretend present. The leader should consult with each boy as needed to choose a present and work out the movements. When all the boys have decided on the presents and movements, have each in turn act out his present and see who can guess what it is.
Trim the
Tree
Line up the dens for a relay. Attach large sheets of paper to the opposite wall and give each boy a different colored crayon. On signal, the first boy runs to his paper and outlines a Christmas tree. Then the next boy runs up and draws in a stand. The others draw ornaments or lights. The first team to trim its tree wins.
Hide the Dreidle
(Hanukkah top) one Cub leaves the room. The others hide the dreidle. The Cub returns. The others yell "hot" and "cold" depending on whether he is near or far. You can use real or paper dreidle.
Hanukkah Peanut Hunt
Buy package of peanuts. Write K on 4, H on 4, N on 4,
U on 4 and A on 4. Hide all the peanuts, lettered and unlettered, hunt for 5
minutes.
10 points for greatest number
5 points for each lettered peanut
20 points for a Cub finding enough to write HANUKKAH
Pass the Dreidle
Cubs sit in circle, start music. Pass the top around
the circle. When the music stops, the Cub holding the dreidle drops out. Last
Cub is the winner.
Eskimo Relay
Object: The team which is able to take the
longest time to get the ice cube to the end of the line.
Material: 2 teams of 5 or 6
players, 3 adult judges and 2 to 4 ice cubes
How to Play:
Place each team in line with the players standing behind each other about
3 feet apart. Give the 1st player
in each line a large ice cube. At
the signal, the 1st player turns and places the ice cube on the neck of the next
player, who must stoop over. The
2nd player tries to balance the ice cube as long as he can. As soon as it slips he must either catch
it or pick it up, then turn immediately and place it on the neck of the next
person. This continues until the
ice cube has gone all the way to the end of the line. The judges on hand to ensure that no one
dawdles. The use of hands is strictly forbidden except to move the ice cube from
one person to the next.
Find the Presents
On a piece of 8.5" square paper, draw a 7"x7" square. Draw lines every inch to make a grid of 49 one-inch squares. Across the top of the grid, write the letters A - G. On one side of the grid, write the numbers 1-7. Make four of these. Out of construction paper, make two 1"x3" presents (boxes), four 1"x2" presents, and four 1"x1" presents. Each player gets one large present, two medium presents and two small presents. Play this game like the popular Battleship game, using cereal pieces to mark the squares you've guessed.
