Un-British Bulldogs 

Where: indoors or outdoors 

Space needed: lots 

Number of children: 8+ 

Here’s my version of an old classic. Get all the children to line up  at one end of the hall and tell them that when you say ‘Go!’ they  have to run to the other end of the hall without being caught.  Select one of the children to be a catcher – they try to catch  the others as they run by. If you are caught then you become a  catcher too. Remember to explain that catching is done gently,  and is not a rugby tackle. When everyone is at the other end of  the hall say, ‘Go!’ again, and they have to run back to the end  they were at originally. Keep going until everyone is a catcher. 

Here’s the twist. The first time the kids just run from one end  to the other. Each time after that you will give them a different  way to move e.g. hop, go backwards, moonwalk, leap like a  kangaroo, dance like a ballerina. Everyone has to move like  that, including the catcher(s), until you give them a new way  of moving. If you don’t move as instructed then you’re out and  become a catcher. If a catcher doesn’t move as instructed then  they can’t catch anyone that turn. The last child, or children, not caught are the winners. 

SMS (Silly Messy Simple)  Game: Water Relay 

Where: outdoors 

Space needed: enough for 2 or more lines 

Number of children: 10+ 

Equipment: paper cups, jugs, buckets, water 

Split your children into teams, preferably of five of more. Ask  them to sit down in a line quite close to each other, facing the  front. Give everyone a cup. They will use this to pass water  down the line. 

At the front of each line is a bucket of water and at the back is  an empty jug. When you start, the person at the front of the line  (preferably an older child or leader) will run up to the bucket,  fill their cup, go back to their team, sit down and then pass  their cup over their shoulder. They must then pour the water in  their cup into the cup of the person behind. The second person  should then pass the cup over their shoulder and pour it into  the cup of the third person, and so on. (The children can look as  they pour!) When the person at the back of the line (preferably  an older child or leader too) has their cup filled they should run  to the jug and pour their water into it. 

When the jug is full at the back of the line, pour the water  out and record how many jugs they’ve filled so far. The person  at the front of the line is allowed to go and get another cup of  water as soon as they have passed the water in their cup on to  the second person; they don’t need to wait until the water has  gone all the way down the line. 

The aim is to get as much water as possible from the bucket  to the jug in the time allowed (you can let this run for several  minutes until the bucket is nearly empty). Usually it’s not the  fastest team that wins but rather the team that is the most  careful and spills the least water. 

Animal Game 

Where: indoors 

Space needed: space to sit in a circle 

Number of children: 6-12 

Equipment: none 

Get everyone to sit in a circle and choose one person to be the  king of the animals: the lion. They must do a lion action and  noise (e.g. show claws and roar). The person on the left of the  lion is the lowest in the animal kingdom: the mouse. They must  nibble and squeak. Everyone else in the circle chooses their  own animal action and noise. Make sure that everyone knows  what animals and actions the other players have chosen. Now  you’re ready to play the game. 

Start with the lion. They do their action and noise and then  the action and noise of another animal in the circle, e.g. monkey.  Then the monkey must do their action and noise and followed  by that of another animal, and so on. The only rules are: (1) you  can’t go back to the animal that sent it to you (2) don’t hesitate  and (3) don’t get an action/noise wrong. 

If you break a rule then you move to the bottom of the  animal kingdom, the mouse seat, and everyone else on your  right moves up one position. (Those on your left don’t move as  they are above you in the animal kingdom). The animal action  and noise stays with the position, not the person – therefore  everyone who has moved is now a new animal. There will soon  be a bit of confusion! 

The aim of the game is to get as high up the animal kingdom  as possible, hopefully to the lion position. You can play for as  long as you want. 

Note that if you have more than 12 children it can be difficult  to remember all the animals, so I advise splitting into two circles  and playing two separate games.