Camping in the outdoors is a great way to bond with your close ones or make new friends. You are cut off from the materialistic world. But sometimes there is so much time that you are clueless what to do with it. The standard ‘Antakshari’ game just doesn’t work anymore. Not everyone like it. If you keep variety of fun games, all will have a blast! And it’s a great way to bond.
Glossary
It - The person in charge
Victim – The person targeted
While there are a number of games that you can play in the outdoors, I decided to list down some of my favorite that’s always fun to play. So lets play!
- Bibardly Babardly Boo
This is a fun, sure shot, entertaining game. It tests your observation and presence of mind. This game at least requires 6 people.
Rule 1: Form a circle with one person (It) in the middle. The ‘It’ will shout ‘Bibardly Babardly Boo’ looking or pointing out to anyone in the group. Before the ‘It’ could complete the sentence, the person who is pointed out (victim) has to say ‘boo’. If he can’t then he has to come in the middle and the game continues. Simple? Yes, for sure until you introduce some new rules!
Rule 2: The ‘It’ can point out anyone and ask, what you doing?
The target has to say what he is doing. It could be anything beyond your imagination. Eg – I am standing in Patagonia watching a lion fly! It has to be a complete sentence, no single words please. Any gamble and the victim have to come in the middle. The fun begins when the ‘It’ can ask any of the 2 – Bibardly Babardly boo or what you doing? Now let’s add one more rule!
Rule 3 – ‘It’ can take the name of any person in the group. That victim has to duck down and the 2 people besides (1 on both the sides) clap and shout splat!
Now the ‘It’ has the power to ask any of the 3 to anyone!
The Adventures Of Trekking On Vikatgad Fort, Matheran
- Mafia
Mafia is classic political game where you have to show your convincing skills to others. Sit in a circle and have one volunteer as your host. Everyone’s eyes closed, the host will secretly tap 2 people who will be the mafias and rest all villagers. The mafias then mutually decide and kill a villager. The person who is killed is out of the game and sites silently besides the circle. The real fun begins now.
Everyone blames each other for, who can possibly be the mafia. The top 3 people who get the highest votes will have to convince villagers why they are not mafia and ask them to change their votes. The person who gets the highest vote will be considered as mafia, regardless of whether he is or not, and will be out of the game. The game continues till all the real mafia’s are out. This game works best with a large number of people.
- STD
This is again a fun game to play. Sit in a circle and keep a bottle in the middle. Spin the bottle. The top part of the bottle pointing towards a person has to ask a question, the bottom part of the bottle pointing towards a person (victim) has to answer the question (or vice verse).
The victim has to choose S, T or D
S – Both the person has to stare each other until one breaks down. Or you can have your own variation.
T – The ‘It’ (Questioner) can ask any question to the victim and the victim has to answer it honestly.
D – The ‘It’ has to give a dare to the victim and the victim has to complete it.
Spin the bottle again once the victim had completed the task!
- Dumb Charades
Image Credit : https://goo.gl/jR0RWh
I see Gujju’s playing this game everywhere! Again, this works best in a large group. Divide the group into 2 teams. There is team A & B. A person from team A comes out and goes to team B. Team B secretly tell’s ‘It’ a name of a movie. The ‘It’ then goes to its own team and explains the movie name. But there is a twist! The ‘It’ can’t speak. He has to act to tell the movie name!
- The Mysterious Statues of the Night
Sometime, there are no lights at the campsite except the little fire and your torch. This is a perfect game in such a situation! You need more than 4 people in this game. Turn off all the lights and lanterns. The person who is ‘It’ must have a torch. All the participants become statue at different directions in the dark. Statues can move through the dark, but must be completely quiet. The ‘It’ will walk around trying to catch the statues moving. If a statue is caught moving, heard bumping into something, or talks, he joins the ‘It’ in eliminating the other statues.
- Spud
This game requires a soft ball. Every camper is numbered from 1 to the number of players. Players form a close circle with one camper (It) in the center holding a ball. The camper throws the ball straight up in the air and shouts out a number. Everyone scatters around except the camper (victim) whose number was called. He has to catch or retrieve the ball.
Image Credit : http://goo.gl/nIhMKY
As soon as he has the ball, he shouts “S-P-U-D” and everyone freezes. The camper with the ball can then take up to 3 giant steps towards any camper he wants. He then throws the ball at the camper. The target camper (victim) can move all parts of his body to dodge the throw-except his feet. If the victim is hit, he gets S otherwise, the thrower gets S. Everyone gets back in a circle for the next round. When a camper reaches S-P-U-D, he is out of the game. Or, after a set time, the person with the least letters is the winner.
- Pac Man
This is a simple, short and fun game. Make everyone pair up with a partner and link their arms. Make all the pairs spread out. Pick a pair and choose one to be a Pacman (victim) and other a ghost (It). Hand the ghost a towel. The ghost has to catch the Pacman by touching the towel. If the ghost does this then Pac Man becomes the ghost and chases after the new Pac Man (old ghost). Now there is a twist. All these partners that are linked up are Pac Mans helpers. At any time the Pac Man can link arms with any one pair of people. For example, there is a pair with partners 1 and 2. Pac Man comes along and links arms with partner 1. This means that partner 2 releases and becomes the new Pac Man. This game continues until the Pacman is not caught.
- Red Rover
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Divide the participants into two teams, each forming a long line, holding hands, facing the other team. There should be a distance of around 20 feet between 2 teams. The teams take turns calling out, “Red Rover, Red Rover, let <participant name> come over!” That participant leaves their team’s line and rams into the opponent’s line to break through the held hands. If they break through, they get to take someone back to their team. If they don’t, they join the new team. When a team only has one participant left, that participant tries to break through the other team. If they do not, then their team loses. If they do, they gain a player and play continues.
- Blind Man’s Bluff
This game is yet another variation of classic ‘Pakkda Pakkdi’. The person who is “it” wears a blindfold and tries to catch the other players. Be sure to play this in an area safe from obstructions and other hazards.
- The Shrinking Land
The shrinking land is a great game for outdoor team building. Spread a carpet on the floor and ask everyone to stand on the carpet. The people must cover at least 75% of the carpet. Now ask everyone to turn the carpet upside down without anyone getting off the carpet! There is no set way to do this. It requires team work and everyone should work together to find various ways to make it possible. Remember, no one is supposed to get off the carpet!
- The Strong Chain
The strong chain is an extreme physical game. Form a circle holding each other’s hand. Hold it tight and the grip should be good enough. Now apply all your energy and pull each other with your hands, move back and forth. When every person in the circle does this, it becomes a total chaos and everyone moves instantly from one place to another. You need to hold hands tightly and make sure that you don’t leave it.
The moment someone breaks the chain, the 2 people whose hands got separated will be out of the game. The game continues until the last 2 persons are left in the game.
