Month: November 2020

Dirty Santa- An Awesome Christmas Party Group Game!

Trevor Circle Games, Indoor Group Games, Party Group Games, Uncategorized , , 0 Comment
Dirty Santa Christmas Party Game

Christmas parties are always great fun! How about livening up your party this Christmas with a game of Dirty Santa! As the title suggests, this Christmas group game has a dirty twist to it which will have everyone in fits of laughter. It is important that players don’t take it too seriously.

The game is suitable for kids and adults and can be played at family Christmas parties, work/company parties and Christmas parties for kids.

I play Dirty Santa every Christmas with the students in my class. They love it!

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The Aim of the Game

Everyone to have hilarious fun stealing gifts from one another… and each player to receive a little gift!

Before the Christmas Party

It is important to let guests know beforehand what to expect with playing a Christmas group game, so that they can come prepared. On your Christmas invites, let people know that you’ll be playing Dirty Santa. Give them the game rules and the expectations with the gift they are to bring- cost, theme and how to wrap it.

Type of Gift to Bring to the Game

With a group of about fifteen people it will take an hour to play. With more people, they game will need to be hastened (see tip below), otherwise it takes too long. Everyone who plays brings along a wrapped gift and places it secretly under the Christmas tree. Keep the gifts to an agreed low cost. It can be fun when people make them. The gifts can be serious or funny (or with adults a little rude!). For company Christmas parties you may like to have a theme for the gifts. With kids I keep the cost to about $10.

The gifts must be wrapped well and creatively to disguise what’s enclosed. Giving multiple layers of wrapping is fun, or have a small gift in a large wrapped box will fool those with ‘big eyes’. Try adding a scent to the wrapping, such as perfume.

Getting Started with Playing Dirty Santa

Dirty-Santa-Christmas-Party-Group-Game

The host must explain the Dirty Santa game rules to the group so that everyone knows what’s expected. Keep it light-hearted.

Have everyone’s name go into a hat (alternatively everyone has a table number that corresponds with a matching number in the hat). A name/number is drawn and that person gets to select a gift from under the Christmas tree. The player opens it and keeps it visible for others to see in front of them.

The hat is passed around and another name/number is drawn. This person has a choice, either select a present from under the tree, or steal the first persons unwrapped present. If they take the present from the first player, then this player selects a new present from under the tree.

Now there are two players, each with an unwrapped present in front of them.

The hat is passed and another name/number is drawn. Once again, this player can either select a present from under the tree or steal from one of the two players with opened presents in front of them. If someone’s unwrapped gift is stolen, then that person can either steal from another player, or go fetch a new present.

The game continues until all the presents have been taken from under the Christmas tree.

Keeping the Flow

With large groups, Dirty Santa can drag on for too long. To keep it short and moving along, have all players firstly select a gift from under the Christmas tree. Once everyone has a gift, then allow for the stealing to take place. This will be manic as people rush about taking one another’s gifts! With large groups, it is important to set a time limit using a timer. Say five minutes.

An alternative, is to restrict the number of times a gift can be stolen from a player to just three times. Once the player has been stolen from three times, that player is out of the game and they place their gift out of view. This is the gift they get to keep!

With smaller groups, there is no need to hold off the stealing until the end. Allow more time for stealing. This can take place throughout the game, rather than at the end. It is still a good idea to set a limit to the number of times a player can be stolen from to three.

Steal-backs

When a player is stolen from, they are not permitted to steal the same gift back again. They need to wait for another opportunity to steal back a ‘favourite’ gift.

Now You’re Dirty Santa Christmas Party Game is All Set to Go!

Christmas time is a fun occasion for everyone! Dirty Santa is an awesome addition to Christmas parties! Combined with good food, bon-bons, festive music, dance and other Christmas party games, this upcoming Christmas will be one to remember!

Checkout some of our Wacki Indoor Group Games, Circle Group Games and Energizers for more awesome Christmas Party Group Games to liven up your Christmas!

5 Awesome Educational Group Games for Teachers (Get These)

Trevor Educational Group Games, Indoor Group Games , , 0 Comment
Classroom Educational Group Games for Teachers

As a classroom teacher I love to engage students in learning through purposeful or educational group games. It beats rote learning or learning from text books. Here are a five great educational group games that you may like to try in your classroom.

Use these games to engage students in learning their times tables, quick recall or spelling words.

Pac Man

A great game for learning the times tables or for reciting quick answers to content taught in any subject. For example; recall of capital cities of the countries of the world.

To play, students find a spot around the room. The teacher calls out a country and players call out that country’s capital city. The first to call it out correctly can take two steps in any direction in the room, aiming to reach and tag another player. If tagged that player is out of the game. Repeat this process until only one player remains in the game.

Times Tables Relay Game

Form up teams. Each team has a circle drawn on a white board. Write random numbers (about 9) around the inside edge of the circle. Teams line up the other side of the room to their circle. Decide upon a times table (say the 7 times table). The first player from each team must race up to their own circle and place one answer to the 7 times table on the outside of their circle. Then that player races back to tag the next player in their team. This player races forward and provides another answer, or corrects an answer. Keep going until one team completes all the answers to be the Champions!

Bonus: & Tips to Rock Your Times Tables

Shoot the Sheriff

This fun classroom game can also be applied to general knowledge or number facts.

Players take up a place somewhere in the classroom, holding their ruler (as a toy gun). The players are all cowboys in a shootout. The teacher calls out a question, the first to answer (all call out) correctly, get to shoot two other players. The players shot are out. Repeat until only two players are left. They are the Sheriffs. The Sheriffs finish the game with a duel. They stand back to back. Players 5 step away from each other, turn around and call out the answer to the basic fact question given. The sheriff who shoots their answer correctly first wins.

Bumper Board

Classroom Educational Group Games for Teachers

This is like a leader board for the times tables.

Place student’s names onto individual cards and attach these in a vertical line on the wall. The aim is to be at the top of the leader board. Any player can be challenged to a battle by a player sitting one or two cards below them. Fire them off with ten questions from the times tables. The player to answer most correct gets to take the position of the player who was being challenged.

Beat the Chalk

An excellent classroom game for challenging students to their spelling. Ask for five challengers to stand three meters from the whiteboard. Call a spelling word. Players race to the white board and write the word, then step back to their start line (cannot return to the whiteboard once back at the start line). The first player to spell the word correctly remains as the Champion. Call out four new challengers to take him/her on with another spelling word.

Teachers who are able to bring the fun into learning will have better engaged students. Having a ‘toolbox’ full of indoor group games and circle games, will not only keep the kids happy, but the teacher will be having fun as well!

7 Awesome Team Building Games for Kids That Rock!

Trevor Team Building Games, Team Group Games, Youth Camp Games , 1 Comment
Water Bomb Volleyball Teambuilding group games

Every year, as the school Physical Education teacher, I would run a whole school Tribes Team Building Day. All the students would be divided into groups of ten, then they would be pit against one another with tribal or warrior challenges. Teams would be awarded points for completing or winning a team challenge. Here are some of the team building games for kids that I’ve used and have proven to be awesome fun!

Seven Awesome Team Building Games for kids

Team Tire Race

Set up a race using the whole length of the oval with a marker cone every 30m.

Each team, armed with a large car tire line up at a start line. The race starts and teams must pick up their tire and run towards the finish line.

A whistle is blown as teams pass the first marker cone. As soon as the whistle blows, teams drop their tires and players stand together on it. The first team to do so gets to stay where they are. All other teams must go back to the marker cone. Blow the whistle again to start the next leg of the race. As teams pass the next marker cone, blow the whistle. Again, teams drop their tires and stand united on them. Again, the first team to do so stays where they are and the other teams go back to the last marker cone they passed.

The race continues until a team successfully passes the finish line.

Team-Building-Games-for-Kids

Water Bomb Volleyball

For this team building group game, you will need two dozen balloons filled half with water.

Next make a volleyball net with two poles and a rope. Either side of the net place a bed sheet. Teams pick up the bed sheet with each player holding an edge, stretching it out. A water balloon is tossed onto one of the sheets.

The team must work together to use the sheet to toss the water balloon over the net. The other team must catch it with their sheet, then toss it back. Points are awarded for catches and being able to send the balloon over the net, popping it on players or the ground.

Puzzle Hunt

Create a 10 piece puzzle for each team (laminate a picture and cut it into 10 pieces). Hide the pieces in the playing area. Teams race around finding the pieces to their puzzle. First team to make the puzzle wins. Hint- so teams don’t take pieces from other teams, use different back sheet colours for each puzzle.

Icy Shirt

Place an old t-shirt into a four litre bucket of water and freeze it. Do this for each team in the game. Start the game with each team taking their block of ice. They must work out how to get the t-shirt out, then have one member of the team wear it. First to do it wins! This warrior camp challenge is quite challenging!

Helium stick

This team group game requires concentration and patience. Each team is given a long length of dowel timber, or a plastic hoola-hoop. Teams stand with their index finger placed under the stick/hoop, supporting it. Teams must lower the stick/hoop to the ground without anyone losing contact with the hoop with their index finger. Another very challenging group game!

Human Log

Teams each line up along a start line. One member must be a log. They lie on the ground. All the team members must lift the log and walk him/her to the finish line 20m away. Once they get there, they all run back to the start line, chose someone else to be the log and then carry them to the finish. Repeat this for each player as the log. Any log that touches the ground, the team must go back to the start line and recarry it. The winning team is the one that carries all logs to the finish line first!

Blanket Flip

Each team sits on a blanket. The group team challenge starts and teams stand and try to manoeuvre and shuffle the blanket under their feet in an attempt to flip it over. The rule is that no feet are allowed off the blanket. First team to do so wins!

Youth Group Camp Games

All these Team Building Games are ideal to use on youth camps. They promote team collaboration, require strategy and foster leadership.

Wacki App has a bunch of these Team Building Games for Kids (great for adults too!) Check out our unique Wacki App HERE. It’s free to download.

Check out our article on Youth Leadership Games and Challenges HERE.

5 Epic Tag Games The Kids Will Die For! (Quick Video Demos)

Trevor Energizers, Outdoor Group Games, Tag Games, Youth Camp Games , , 0 Comment
Tag Games

In English, ‘tag’ most likely comes from the Middle English word tek, meaning ‘touch, slap’. In every culture of the world you’ll find tag games. I have fond memories in junior school of chasing my peers around playing Kiss Chasey. I would likely get a slap in the face if I tried that today!

Here are a few of my favourite Tag Games that you may like to play with your students or youth group.

Tag games

Snow Ball

Great to play on a large playground with lots of climbing gear.

Have a bucket of tennis balls or bean bags. One player is ‘It’ . He/she gives the others a chance to run off. The player who is ‘It’ takes a tennis ball and chases after the other players.

When players are tagged, they must run to the bucket, get a tennis ball, becoming a tagger as well. The game goes on until all players have been tagged. Then reverse the game with the last player to be tagged, becoming the new tagger. This player returns their ball back to the bucket, then runs off to tag the other players. As other players are tagged, they also put their balls in the bucket and join the tagging team.

Hum Tag

A player is chosen to be ‘It’. He/she stands with their hand in the air and calls out loudly, “1, 2, 3 I am it!”. They then chase players within a boundary.

Escaping players can form a group of three, hold hands, take a deep breath and hum loudly. These three players are safe from being tagged whilst holding hands and humming. As soon as one of them runs out of hum, they must break hands and run off. Any player tagged must stand with their hand in the air and call loudly, “1, 2, 3, I am it!”. Then continue the chase.

Peg Tag

Great youth group game for larger groups. Each player attached three pegs to the back of their T-shirt. The game starts and all players run around and steal pegs from opponents’ backs. Give the tag game a time limit, and then all players count their captured pegs to see who wins. Can also play this game with velcro tail tags instead of pegs. I guess you would have to call the game ‘Tail Tag’ if you did that!

Giants, Wizards and Elves

Set up two teams. Each team has a team meeting and decides if the team is going to be either Elves, Wizards or Giants.

Once decided, teams face off in the middle of the court. Toes must be touching the opponent’s toes.  The youth group leader, or teacher, counts down (3, 2, 1), then all players act out (and call out) their chosen character.

The team that has the more powerful character must chase the other team to their end zone, tagging players. Any player tagged must join the team that tagged them.

Then teams have another team meeting and select a character again to repeat the process until one team runs out of players. Giants squash Elves. Elves chew legs of Wizards. Wizards cast spell on Giants.

Dragons’ Tails

Form teams with about 6 players in each team. Each team forms up as a long dragon with the player at the front being the head and the player at the back being the tail (this player tucks a long tail out of their pants). All the players in the team must hold onto the waist of the player in front of them.

The game starts and the dragons move around and try and steal the tails from other teams. If a team loses its tail, it is out of the game. If a team breaks in two, then it is out of the game. The winner is the last dragon left in the game! This is an awesome team building game requiring strategy.

Bonus Tag Game – Tic Tic Boom!

As an added bonus, check out Tic Tic Boom! This is a fast-paced group game suitable for groups of 5 to 30 of any age group. It is a fun tag game!

Wacki App Tag Games

Wacki App has a filter that will find you the perfect tag game for the amount of time you have to play, size group and age of the players. We have over a dozen tag games ready for you to try with your youth. There are plenty more outdoor group games or indoor youth group games on this website.

Download WackiApp- Fun Youth Group Games for Kids HERE and try some of our awesome Tag Games.

Awesome Circle Games for Kids (With Quick Demo Videos)

Trevor Circle Games, Energizers, Indoor Group Games, Youth Camp Games , , 0 Comment
Circle Games

Circle games for kids are fantastic for team building. They are usually smaller indoor group games requiring little or no equipment, can be set up super quick and are great fun!

As a classroom teacher, I like to use circle games to energize students between lessons. A teacher who fosters relationships with his/her students will have better engaged students. Remember, ‘kids don’t care what you think unless you care’. Small group circle games are an excellent tool for developing strong bonds between students and between students and their teacher.

Here Are My Top Five Circle Games for Kids

Circle Games for kids

Karate Chop

Aim to be the last left in the game.

Players stand in a tight circle and take up a Karate stance, then freeze. A player starts and must chop the arm of a player either side of them.

The player being chopped must try and move their hand away to avoid being chopped. Hands freeze as soon as the move has been completed.

The next person in the circle now tries to do the same. This continues around the circle. If a player has an arm chopped, their arm is then out of the game. Lose both arms and the player is out!

This fun group game requires concentration and quick reflexes.

Bunny Bunny

Aim to be the last left in the game.

A ‘Bunny’ is chosen. He/she puts up their hands as bunny ears. The players either side put up one hand (next to Bunny) to represent one ear.

To start, the Bunny calls another player’s name by saying, “Bunny, bunny Tom”.

Tom becomes the new Bunny. He puts up his two ears, with players either side putting up one ear.

Now Tom calls the next Bunny. This continues. Players get out if they mess things up or they are too slow.

This is a great energizer game that can be played between lessons!

Bang!

Aim to be the last left in the game.

A player starts by calling another player’s name. That player must duck to the ground as fast as they can. The players either side of him/her must shoot at each other calling, “Bang!” If the player who ducked is too slow, he/she is out. If he/she did duck quickly, then the player who was slowest to shoot and call “bang” is out.

Now the player who did the ducking calls the next name.

Another fun indoor circle game that requires concentration and quick reflexes. Could also use the game for teaching times tables, instead of players shooting and calling “bang”, they call out the answer to a times table.

Jockeys Up

Aim to be the last pair left in the game.

Players form pairs, then form an inner circle and an outer circle with one player from the pair in each of the circles.

Players in the inner circle are the horses whilst the players in the outer circle are the jockeys.

The team leader calls, “Horses go”. The horses stay in their circle and gallop in a clockwise direction.

Next the leader calls, “Jockeys go”. Jockeys stay in their circle and jog in an anti-clockwise direction.

Team leader may call, “Reverse” and horses and Jockeys change direction.

Then team leader calls, “Jockeys Up!”

Quickly jockeys must find their horse partner and jump on their back. The slowest pair are out. Keep the group game going until only one pair remains.

Screaming Toes

Everyone gets out!

Team leader calls, “toes”. All players must look down and focus on another player’s toes.

Team leader counts, “1, 2, 3”. Players look up and must look straight at the person whose toes they were focussing on. If that player is looking right back at them, they must both scream as loud as they can. They are then out of the game.

Team leader calls “toes” again and the game repeats until everyone is out! This is a goofy game!

Looking for more Circle Games? Here is a selection of indoor youth group games that make great energizer games.

Wackiapp has all these circle group games, and many more! Short engaging instructional videos for you and your kids to watch, learn and play! Click HERE to check out the app.

Epic Large Group Games for the Outdoors (Quick Demo Videos)

Trevor Large Group Games,, Night Group Games, Outdoor Group Games, Team Group Games, Youth Camp Games , , , , , 0 Comment
large group games

Having groups of 100 or more presents challenges with finding a suitable group game that can be played easily, and at the same time, engage all players. Here are a few outdoor large group games that are definite winners with kids of all ages.

Secret Hunter

Large Group Games Capture the Flag

A large group game similar to Gang Up Chasey.

A Secret Hunter is selected.

Everyone runs off, and if they like, can hide.

The Secret Hunter will hunt (tag) players. These players then join the Secret Hunter’s team and become Hunters.

More and more Hunters band together seeking out players.

The last player tagged wins the game! Perfect for big open spaces where kids can run.

Secret Hunter is guaranteed to wear them out!

Capture the Flag

For very large groups play this game with four teams. Each team has an area to defend and an ‘no go zone’ to place their flag (this can be a ball in a marked circle- 3 metre diameter). Each team also has a jail for holding their captures.

The aim of the game is to capture all four flags.

If players get tagged whilst in another team’s area they must go to that team’s jail. Only a player from their own team can rescue them from jail.

Capture the Flag is an action strategy large group game where everyone is involved.

It also makes a great night group game that kids would enjoy playing when on a youth camp. When I was a teenager we played Capture the Flag at night in sand-dunes in the bush with just two teams! The guys manning the base would have torches for spotting the enemy.

Everybody’s It

 A very simple large group game that is perfect as a warm up. Everybody runs around tagging one another. If tagged, the player stands still with their arms out in a ‘tree pose’. Active players can also save other players by ducking under a tagged player’s outstretched arm. The game has no end, just lots of energized kids!

Treasure

This one is a favourite of mine! The kids love the game and they will play until they drop.

The aim is to steal all the ‘treasure’ from the other team.

Two teams, each with their own zone. In each zone there is a marked circle (about 2-3m diameter). Place three pieces of treasure in each circle (use anything- shoes, gator balls, coconuts).

Each zone also has a jail and a safe base (use a hoola-hoop for these or a mat).

Teams wear team colours.

Allow players time to meet to discuss strategy, then start the game. Players must defend their treasure and at the same time try to steal the treasure from the other team. If caught they are put in jail. To be rescued from jail, a member from their team must get to the jail and link arms with their captured team mate. They can then walk them safely back to their team zone.

Players can also use the safe base as a vantage point to get closer to the treasure. This is an action packed exciting Large group game for the outdoors.

Large Group Games Final Thoughts

The key to running successful large group games is having all players fully engaged in the game and not standing around.

Check out Wacki’s collection of outdoor large group games HERE.

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