More Games for Girl Guides!

Here are some games from an article “Games for Girl Guides” in The Schoolgirls’ Own Annual 1941 (Fleetway House: London, 1940)

Shipwrecked

The object of this game is to “rescue” a “shipwrecked” Patrol from a “rock” surrounded by “water” by throwing them a lifeline. Draw a circle on the floor with a piece of chalk, just large enough for the Patrol to stand in. Around this one, leaving a space of several feet from the first, draw another circle. For the lifeline, a piece of rope (with or without a bowline loop tied in one end). The rescuer must stand outside the second circle and aim at the shipwrecked Guides in turn, throwing the rope for them to catch. The Guide catching the rope secures it around her waist and is then ‘rescued’.

Skill Connections: Teamwork, Knots – Bowline, Throwing a Lifeline
Program Connections: Sailing Badge, Swimming Badge

A Morse Game

Guides form a ring. One stands in the middle with Signalling Flag. Signals a letter to a Guide. When a Guide has had three misses at reading the letter she drops out, or she can take the place of the Signaller.

Skill Connections: Memory, Concentration
Program Connections: Build Skills in Communication, Interpreting Badge

Kim’s Game

This game is always popular, and tests memory and powers of observation. Various objects such as a cork, a pencil, a rubber, nail, and other small articles should be placed on a tray on the floor. The Guides squat in a circle round it. Captain must give a certain number of minutes in which the Guides may look at the assortment of oddments, then they turn their backs and in a given time write down all the things they can remember.

Skill Connections: Observation
Program Connections: Naturalist Badge; There are many! For example: Learn About WAGGGS (International uniforms or enrolment pins), Learn About Safety & First Aid Badge (First Aid Kit items)

Fences

If fences are broken round a garden, small boys and dogs will enter and do a great deal of harm; therefore, Guides must make strong fences. Guides should stand in two rows, facing each other, with a piece of string. Each guide must join her piece of string to her neighbour’s with a certain knot – chosen by Captain. The side with the least breaks in its fence at the end of a given time wins.

Skill Connections: Knots
Program Connections: Understanding the Promise, Law & Motto (Reef Knot)

What Is It?

This jolly guessing game is an ideal one for a Guide party. Everyone sits in a ring, the lights are turned out, and a series of small objects passed round. Each person must remember the articles which she has handed, and when the lights go on again, write them down in their correct order. The funnier the objects, the more laughable the results. Choose, for example, a piece of soap, a bone, a kid glove stuffed with kapok or rag, a rubber hot-water bottle stopper, the cover of a matchbox and a piece of coal. You will find six things quite sufficient, and be sure to insist on them being passed round fairly quickly.

Skill Connections: Memory, Observation
Program Connections: Naturalist Badge

Noises

This is a good test for training the sense of hearing! The Guides sit in Patrols with their backs to the Captain, who makes a series of noises. She may strike a match, burst a bag or balloon, drop a pin, twirl an egg-whisk, or anything else she chooses. As they hear the noises, the Guides write down what they imagine them to be. They must not write “scratch,” or “pop,” but say how the noise is made. This also would make a good game for a Guide party.

Skill Connections: Observation, Listening
Program Connections: Naturalist Badge

Numbers – Run!

The Guides line up behind their Patrol Leaders, facing their Captain. In front of the Patrols, at a distance of about six paces, there must be a chair. The Patrols number off from the front to the rear, and then, when the Captain calls a number, the Guides in each Patrol bearing that number run up the right-hand side of their Patrols, round the chair, back down the left-hand side, round the rear of their Patrols, and so to their places. The first one in her place gaining a point. A dead heat gains a point for the Patrols concerned. Numbers should not be called in consecutive order.

Skill Connections: Active Living, Following Instructions, Teamwork