There are many fine versions of Tag (someone is declared 'it' and has to chase everyone else in the hope of catching one and transferring the status of 'it') from freeze tag to zombie tag but one of my all-time favourites is Dying Fly Tag.
As usual one person is 'it' and chases after the the other players who try their best to avoid being caught. However they have a further line of defence...if the catching player is very close to them they can avoid being tagged by quickly lying flat on their back and frantically waggling their arms and legs in the air: a human dying fly. If they achieve this position before being tagged then the chasing player must redirect their attentions elsewhere. If they are tagged then they become 'it'. For greater verisimilitude the chasing player can wield a plastic fly swat.
As with many of these childish games they are even more fun when played as adults.
Office Ball Games: CUPS
An e-mail reaches Blister Towers from the creator of the website/book Office Ball Games. If you visit the website, which I sincerely hope you do, you can
download a pdf book which has in depth and hilarious instructions of how to play Office Ball Games. These fall under six broad categories: Cups, Catchy, Counters, Hops, Hopsy and Golfsy. All involve the use of a stress ball and the office kitchen with many games involving trying to fire the ball past your opponent after a required number of bounces off kitchen tables, chairs and other fixtures and fittings.
The game of Cups is particularly inspired, it is a little like a combination of lacrosse and squash but played in a small office kitchen. Cups is an ideal game for two players. Each has an empty coffee cup. Player one places a stress ball in his cup then fires it against the wall (above waist height) and in the direction of his opponent. The opposing player must catch the ball after it has bounced off at least the one wall and before it hits any horizontal surface (including, as the guide says, toasted sandwich makers). If successfully caught then play continues in a similar manner. If the ball is missed then a point goes to the serving player. The website gives details on a variety of Cup grips to impart different spins on the ball and the use of psychedelically patterned cups to confuse opponents and gain advantage.
web:Office Ball Games
download a pdf book which has in depth and hilarious instructions of how to play Office Ball Games. These fall under six broad categories: Cups, Catchy, Counters, Hops, Hopsy and Golfsy. All involve the use of a stress ball and the office kitchen with many games involving trying to fire the ball past your opponent after a required number of bounces off kitchen tables, chairs and other fixtures and fittings.The game of Cups is particularly inspired, it is a little like a combination of lacrosse and squash but played in a small office kitchen. Cups is an ideal game for two players. Each has an empty coffee cup. Player one places a stress ball in his cup then fires it against the wall (above waist height) and in the direction of his opponent. The opposing player must catch the ball after it has bounced off at least the one wall and before it hits any horizontal surface (including, as the guide says, toasted sandwich makers). If successfully caught then play continues in a similar manner. If the ball is missed then a point goes to the serving player. The website gives details on a variety of Cup grips to impart different spins on the ball and the use of psychedelically patterned cups to confuse opponents and gain advantage.
web:Office Ball Games
Semi Shadow Puppetry
Strange Games welcomes contributions. If you have a weird game you play or have invented something unusual then we would love to hear about it..even if its just slightly odd.
Regular contributor Daryl Hrdlicka (inventor of Hat Ball) e-mailed us about Semi Shadow Puppetry..a very peculiar activity. Strange Games in NO WAY encourages you to go out and actually play this game, we are just reporting what might happen if you are driving late at night on a motorway, are passing a large lorry and have a torch to hand.
Daryl writes:"Semi Shadow Puppetry is an odd game that a friend and I invented. It's played at night on a multi-lane highway. We were out driving one night and pulled up next to a semi truck (articulated lorry) with a white-sided trailer. We were pretty goofy by then, so while my friend kept the speed steady next to the truck, I got out a flashlight and started making shadow puppets on the side. At times he held the flashlight so I could use both hands. This worked until the trucked pulled off, at which time we started looking around for another one to use. Found one, matched speeds, and kept playing."
Daryl doesn't say but I guess that points should be awarded for complexity of shadow created and time that it remains in view.
Regular contributor Daryl Hrdlicka (inventor of Hat Ball) e-mailed us about Semi Shadow Puppetry..a very peculiar activity. Strange Games in NO WAY encourages you to go out and actually play this game, we are just reporting what might happen if you are driving late at night on a motorway, are passing a large lorry and have a torch to hand.
Daryl writes:"Semi Shadow Puppetry is an odd game that a friend and I invented. It's played at night on a multi-lane highway. We were out driving one night and pulled up next to a semi truck (articulated lorry) with a white-sided trailer. We were pretty goofy by then, so while my friend kept the speed steady next to the truck, I got out a flashlight and started making shadow puppets on the side. At times he held the flashlight so I could use both hands. This worked until the trucked pulled off, at which time we started looking around for another one to use. Found one, matched speeds, and kept playing."
Daryl doesn't say but I guess that points should be awarded for complexity of shadow created and time that it remains in view.
Table Frisbee
As governments around the world try and combat obesity with education, shock tactics and reduced taxes on broccoli what is really needed is a new sport for the masses. Something cheap, addictive and easy to play. That something could be Table Frisbee.
Table Frisbee is a little like an updated version of spinning tops or the hoop and stick games that I used to play before I was born... the basic idea is to keep the thing going as long as possible.
For 4 or more players - all you need to play is a small table which needs to be liberally coated with washing up liquid and water and a standard Frisbee. One player 'serves' the Frisbee - sets it spinning on its edge with a backwards flick of the hand then all the players try and keep it spinning and on the table for as long as possible. This is achieved using any means possible: slapping it, prodding it with a finger or creating a wall with your stomach or any other part of your body. Anything goes as long as the Frisbee is kept in motion. See the video above for Table Frisbee masters in action.
Table Frisbee is a little like an updated version of spinning tops or the hoop and stick games that I used to play before I was born... the basic idea is to keep the thing going as long as possible.
For 4 or more players - all you need to play is a small table which needs to be liberally coated with washing up liquid and water and a standard Frisbee. One player 'serves' the Frisbee - sets it spinning on its edge with a backwards flick of the hand then all the players try and keep it spinning and on the table for as long as possible. This is achieved using any means possible: slapping it, prodding it with a finger or creating a wall with your stomach or any other part of your body. Anything goes as long as the Frisbee is kept in motion. See the video above for Table Frisbee masters in action.
King of Chairs
My last post on Blindfold Musical Chairs reminded me of a children's party game I used to enjoy playing. In common with many of these great games King of Chairs 
is even better if you play it with a group of adults.
To play form a circle of the same number of chairs as players. Each player now sits down on one of the chairs and is dealt a playing card by the game moderator. So each player is either a Heart, Club, Diamond or a Spade. The moderator stands in the middle of the circle and picks a card from the deck. Whatever the suit of the card he draws then any player who is that suit must stand up and move around the circle clockwise to the next chair and sit down. Obviously, the chair they move to may already be occupied and if this is the case then they must sit upon the knee of the topmost occupant. However, any player who already has someone sitting on their knee may not move if their suit is chosen. The game continues with the moderator turning over a card each time. The first player to travel all the way around the circle and return to their starting chair wins. Usually the game throws up the delight of even more than 2 people sharing a chair - I've seen games where seven people were balanced upon each others knees, much to the annoyance of several lower players.
For more fun you can play the Queen rule: that is whenever a Queen is turned over then any players sharing a single chair must re-arrange themselves in reverse order before play continues, so the top player sits on the chair and the others sit on their knee.
Excellent fun .... who will be the King of Chairs?
is even better if you play it with a group of adults.To play form a circle of the same number of chairs as players. Each player now sits down on one of the chairs and is dealt a playing card by the game moderator. So each player is either a Heart, Club, Diamond or a Spade. The moderator stands in the middle of the circle and picks a card from the deck. Whatever the suit of the card he draws then any player who is that suit must stand up and move around the circle clockwise to the next chair and sit down. Obviously, the chair they move to may already be occupied and if this is the case then they must sit upon the knee of the topmost occupant. However, any player who already has someone sitting on their knee may not move if their suit is chosen. The game continues with the moderator turning over a card each time. The first player to travel all the way around the circle and return to their starting chair wins. Usually the game throws up the delight of even more than 2 people sharing a chair - I've seen games where seven people were balanced upon each others knees, much to the annoyance of several lower players.
For more fun you can play the Queen rule: that is whenever a Queen is turned over then any players sharing a single chair must re-arrange themselves in reverse order before play continues, so the top player sits on the chair and the others sit on their knee.
Excellent fun .... who will be the King of Chairs?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)