Ok, maybe you will never be king of the world but you can be king of the family picnic! Even corporate picnics can benefit from a few games that serve as team building exercises or give the team a chance to dethrone the manager!
With that in mind, two picnic games that you may want to consider playing at your next picnic are King of the Hill and Red Rover. Both games are fun tests of strength that are sure to bring smiles to the faces of both children and adults alike. The best thing about these games is the cost to play…NOTHING! No expensive picnic supplies need to be purchased. However, you may want to make sure that you get a good nights rest the night before as these two picnic games will surely be a test of your physical fitness!
Red Rover
Red Rover is an oldie but goodie. Best played with ten or more people (just make sure you have an even number) this game is an intense physical contest! First, divide players into two equal teams. If possible, try your best to evenly distribute larger participants so that the playing field is relatively even. Next, each team will need to choose a leader. After leaders are chosen, each team should then line up parallel to each other with approximately fifteen to twenty feet between them. Team members then clasp hands, or if they wish, grasp wrists (some feel that grasping wrists makes a stronger chain). When everyone is ready the leader of team one selects a player (let’s call her Sarah) and proceeds to yell: “Red Rover, Red Rover, let Sarah come over!” Sarah will then begin to run (full speed) towards the other team. Sarah’s goal is to break through the opposing team’s chain. If she is successful, she then chooses a member of the opposing team to bring back to her line. If Sarah does not “break through” she must then join the opposing team. The game continues until one team captures all but one of the other team’s players.
King of the Hill
This simple yet VERY physical game is best played with adult supervision. King of the Hill is all about protecting one’s territory and can quickly get out of hand if rules are not set and followed! To play this game you will need four to six participants. Next, obviously, you will need a hill! Most picnic areas have all types of terrain, hopefully, a grassy hill will not be hard to find. Make sure that the hill you choose to play on is free of rocks, sticks and sharp objects. After all, you don’t want any injuries at your picnic! To begin the game, one player must be designated “King”…or to be politically correct….”Queen.” The designated person of royalty then climbs the hill, stands at the top, and must begin to protect his property! The goal of the other players is to dethrone the King by climbing the hill and dragging him down to the bottom with them. Remember, set rules! No hitting, hair pulling, kicking or biting should be allowed..no matter what! It is a good idea for the adult supervisor to call “time-out” if play gets too rough. The game continues until an “invader” successfully forces the King or Queen off of the hill. Once the King or Queen has been dethroned, whoever scrambles to the top of the hill first immediately takes over and play continues.
Red Rover and King of the Hill are physical games of strength and are great fun to play at picnics (especially if you have a lot of rambunctious boys at your gathering!). These games are just two more examples of the many activities you can do at your picnic without adding more items or cost to your picnic supplies list. Just remember to always play safe and play fair and your picnic will surely be an event to remember!
Tags: corporate picnics, family picnic, games of strength, picnic, picnic games, picnic supplies, picnics, team building
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