We often claim that everything done on Pioneer Trek has a purpose, and one of these purposes is to have good old-fashioned fun.
The pioneers certainly had fun when they could. There are occasions on Trek when you will find extra time on your hands.
These "gaps" often occur between meals and scheduled events, or when there is some
unforeseen holdup in the scheduled events. Rather than sending your restless family off to find
trouble, you can initiate one of several activities. The following is a list of some games and
activities that can be used as "gap-fillers".
Winkum
Pairs of players form a circle with the girls sitting and the guys kneeling behind them (or vice versa).
There is one empty spot where there is the person behind but no person in front.
The person kneeling without anyone in front winks at one of the sitting people. The person
sitting then tries to run to the empty spot while the person kneeling tries to detain her.
If the person escapes, there is a new winker. If the person sitting does not escape--
the same person winks again. The people kneeling behind must keep their hands down to
their sides until the person sitting in
front moves. The people behind cannot watch the winker, only the head of the
person in front of them.
Do You Love Your Neighbor?
Players stand in a circle formation with one person in the middle. The middle person is "IT".
IT asks one of the people in the circle, "Do you love your neighbor?" If the player answers
"YES", the players on each side of him must switch places before "IT" can take their place.
If the player answers "NO" he must then say whom he does love. He will say something like
"'NO, but I love everyone wearing blue." Then, everyone wearing blue must switch places before
IT can take their place. The person left without a place is the new IT.
States
Players sit in a circle and everyone chooses a state (or a fruit or a famous person, etc.).
Go around the circle twice, having each person name their state so that the players can
memorize them. IT stands in the middle with a hat or bandana and approaches a player
who must name another state (belonging to another player) before IT hits them on the head with
the hat or bandanna. IT must hurry to the person whose state was named and try to hit them before
they can name another state. Whoever is hit on the head before naming another's state is IT.
If a player says his own state or a state not included in the game, he becomes IT.
Tangle
Players stand in a tight circle. Have everyone put their right hands in the middle and
instruct them to join their left hands with someone else's right hand. No one should join
two hands with the same person. Now, without letting go, the group must become "untangled".
Mingle
Have the group wander around in a close area while you yell "Mingle, Mingle". At a good point,
yell out a number under 10. The young people must then get in groups of that size. Anyone not in a
group of that size is out and must wait till the game is over to participate again. Continue
mingling and yelling out numbers until only two remain. These are the winners.
Person to Person
Everyone has a partner. Players mingle about the area until the leader calls a command.
When a command is given, the players must find their partner and follow the command.
For example, if the leader calls "Nose to hand", players must find their partner and touch their
partner's nose with their hand. Any combination of body parts (within reason) may be called.
The last pair to find his partner and follow the command is eliminated.
Play is continued until only one pair remains.
Strengths and Fears
Each person in a circle shares one of their greatest fears. When everyone has shared a fear, you
should go around the circle again and ask everyone to share one of his greatest strengths.
Champion the Cause
Begin with everyone in a circle. One person shares a peak experience that they have had—
something that has meant a great deal to them for some reason or another. When he/she has
completed sharing the experience, the other members of the group share their observations about
that person's outstanding characteristics. This is continued until everyone has had a chance
to be "championed".