Friday, June 1, 2012

The Fill-in Games: SPLAT

Even in the best of Youth programmes there sometimes evolves a slight gap, in some cases becoming a gaping hole.  Perhaps the bus or transport is late to pick the kids up, or the officer running the night is now ill or maybe as simple as that activity which was meant to run for another 10 minutes or so but you miscalculated!  The point is, how do you fill the time

Well I have become the fill-in for such gaps at the Boys' Brigade and the various Youth events that have been occurring over the last few months.  For instance a trip to bowling where the taxis decided to ignore our booking and pick up from the football game instead leaving us stranded at the Church till alternatives were found.  Hence I've decided to put forth such games on here once every week or so till I run out, which I'm sure will only lead to finding out more games!  If you've got any ideas, I'd love to hear them!

SPLAT!


The first being the dramatic favourite called SPLAT!

Equipment:  Players, aside from that it's a fill-in game so nothing.

Where to play:  A good space helps, a medium sized room, hall, hill, field and so on.  Anywhere!

How to play:  
  1. Get everyone in a circle with some shouting and herding and such with you in the middle.
  2. Now get them into something that actually looks like a circle!
  3. Show them the Splat gun - make a gun shape with you hands, putting your hands together that is, you only need one!
  4. Tell them they need to make the gun and test fire it once by saying BANG!  Once you're happy that the guns are in working order you can move on.  -  Some Guns can be too quiet so need re-tuning, time to motivate some shy people!
  5. Explain that whoever is in the middle has total control!
     
Right so, now the game.
The person in the middle shoots someone saying "SPLAT", that person has to duck to avoid flying bullets.
Then the players each side shoot each other saying "BANG".
 Whoever shoots first wins and the other is out!  They must attempt to die dramatically!  They then  sit down till the game is finished.
Then repeat until the last 2 people are left, the gaps by then getting bigger and bigger in the circle!  The last 2 are then ready for the Final Duel!  But first the extra rules to save arguments!


The rules of shooting
  • If you don't duck in time, you get hit by the crossfire and you die instead!
  • If it's too close to tell, just move on.
  • If someone fires when they're not supposed to, the bullet ricochets and kills them instead!
  • If they say the wrong thing, then their gun has misfired and they've failed!
  • Once again Dramatic Deaths!!!
The Final Duel

Only 2 remain!  (else go back!)
They stand back to back.  You then need the magic word from beyond the graves, i.e. the other players (no Ouija board involved).  This can be anything.

Then the person from the middle starts saying words, some that sound like the magic one.  For each word, the players take a step.

The say the magic word and the duel commences with the players spinning, firing and hopefully you have a Winner!  Who then runs the next game while you get a cup of tea!

It's a great game that works with 5-18 year olds easily once they get the hang of it!