When people gather in an outdoor setting, group games are usually not far behind. Many social functions, like family get-togethers, host games just for fun. Business or professional organizations often run group games as a way of facilitating interaction between the participants or building teamwork and communication among peer groups.
Scavenger Hunts
Treasure hunts and scavenger hunts are traditional outdoor group games that are as popular now as they were in decades past. Both games involve breaking up the participants into several smaller groups who compete against each other until a winner is declared. In a treasure hunt, a series of sequential clues are hidden in the area. The first team to follow the clues to the ultimate prize wins the game.
In a scavenger hunt, each team is given a list of items that they must find and collect. Match the difficulty of the items on the list to the age of the participants. A younger group might be asked to find a maple leaf, a stick shaped like a Y and a piece of candy, while adults could be asked to look for a take-out menu, a photo of someone walking their dog and a newspaper clipping of a local women’s event. Consider geocaching, a high-tech mixture of a scavenger hunt with hide and seek, when working with a group of teens.
Water Baloon Toss
A water balloon race is well suited for a summer gathering. Divide the group into teams of at least five people, and have each team stand in a straight line roughly ten feet from each other. The first person in line receives a bucket filled with water balloons, and the last person receives an empty water bottle. When the leader starts the game, the first person on each team tosses a water balloon to the next person in line, who tosses it to the next person in line and so on. The last person to receive the balloon must pop it and try to collect as much water as they can in the bottle. When the balloon pops, the first person in line can start tossing another balloon. When all of the balloons have been popped, the team with the most water in the water bottle is declared the winner.
For smaller groups, divide everyone into teams of two and have them stand roughly three feet apart, facing each other. Hand one water balloon to each team. Each team member tosses their water balloon to their teammate and then takes one step backward. When a team’s water balloon pops, they are out of the game. The last team to have an intact water balloon wins the game. Substitute a raw egg for the water balloon in cooler weather.
Relay Races
Three-legged races and potato sack races are standard fare at outdoor gatherings, but there are several types of relay races that will keep guests entertained as well. Warm weather calls for a water relay: Split the participants into at least two groups, more for very large groups. Give each group a bucket of water and a sponge or turkey baster, and set an empty one-gallon milk bottle roughly 20 feet away. When the game begins, one person on each team fills their sponge or baster with water, runs to the milk bottle and tries to get as much water in to the container as possible. Then they run back to their team and hand off the sponge or baster to the next person. The race continues in this way until one team fills their bottle.
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