Battleship Kim’s Game
• A table per team
• A piece of chalk per team
• Ten items per team
Each patrol gets a table set up on it’s side in their corner as a barrier, so that the other patrols can’t see behind it. On the floor they draw a 7×7 grid, and mark horizontal axis A to G and vertical axis 1 to 7. They then take ten items and place them at random on their grid. The patrols are now given five minutes to look at each others grids and try and memorize the locations of as many items as they can. After five minutes they each retire behind their barricades. Each patrol in turn fires three shots. For a shot they must say the name of the patrol they are firing at, the grid reference and what item is at that grid reference. If they are correct then they capture that item. Each patrol only gets 3 shots per round. After a set number of rounds, the patrol that has captured the most items are the winners. Please note that this is a memory game, no pencils and paper allowed.
Circle Line
• 6 cards with lists of railway stations on them in two columns
• Pen and paper for each player or 1 per team
In London there is a circular underground line called would you believe it „The Circle Line“. The object of the game is for each player or team to make their way all the way round the circle line. You start each player or team off at a different station. They then have to look at all the cards until they find their station in the first column, they then have to move across horizontally on that list to the second column which is the destination station, this they write down on their paper. The new station is now the one they are looking for in all the lists in the first column. To prevent players from cheating you can put in a few red herrings ie stations that are not on that line and which will send them in the wrong direction if they do not play correctly.
Direction Finder
From: Alastair Honeybun
• Chalk
• A Blindfold
A „road“ is chalked out on the floor with sharp bends and level-crossings. Each Cub is allowed to stand at the start and study the road before being blindfolded. He then walks blindfolded as far as he can between the lines, taking the corners correctly, and stepping over level crossings. When he makes a mistake he is stopped and his name chalked on the spot.
It’s Under A Cup
• A number of plastic cups
• Objects to fit under cup (e.g. a ball, a ring, a key etc.)
Two teams one each side of the hall. Each team is numbered 1 to N with boys with the same number on each team of similar size. The object are placed in the centre of the hall in a row and the plastic cups placed over them. The leader now calls out an object and a number. The two boys with that number have to rush to the row of plastic cups, find the correct cup and take the object to the leader. The lad who gets the object to the leader wins a point for his team.
Kim’s Game
From> ‚Scouting Games‘ by Sir Robert Baden-Powell
• A selection of objects
• A pen per player
• Paper per player
The Scoutmaster should collect on a tray a number of articles-knives, spoons, pencil, pen, stones, book and so on-not more than about fifteen for the first few games, and cover the whole over with a cloth. He then makes the others sit round, where they can see the tray, and uncovers it for one minute. Then each of them must make a list on a piece of paper of all the articles lie can remember-or the Scoutmaster can make a list of the things, with a column of names opposite the list, and lot the boys come in turn and whisper to him, and he must mark off each of the things they remember. The one who remembers most wins the game.
Kim’s Game (Variant)
• Two bowls or buckets on chairs per team
• 10 mixed items per team
Teams or patrols stand in single file facing the front of the hall. At the front of the hall facing each team is a bucket or bowl on a chair. In each bowl there are ten items (the same items for each team). At the back of the hall opposite each team is an empty bucket or bowl. The scout leader calls out an item and the first man in each team has to run to the front, get that item place it into the other bucket at the back of the hall and then run back to the back of his team. The first team with their man back get a point.
As you continue playing this the objects will be distributed between the front and the back buckets. If the scouts have good memories they will remember what items are in what buckets. This will save them time. If an object is called by the leader and it is in the back bucket then it has to be placed in the front bucket and vice versa. The reason for the bucket being on a chair is so that the scouts can’t look in to see what is in the bucket.
Memory Testing
Groups are lined up. The leader tells them they must not move until he says „Move.“ He then gives a number of orders, i.e. left-turn, about-turn, right-turn, about-turn. This brings them back to the original front, but can be varied. He then gives the word „Move.“ Winning group is the one who has the most boys facing in the right direction at the end of the turns.
Variation: This can be varied by substituting the (?) paces forward and (?) paces backward.
Mimed Kim’s Game
• A sheet of paper and a pen or pencil for each cub, or per six
The cubs sit in a circle with paper and pen in front of them on the floor or just in front of the sixer. Akela sits in the circle with the lads and takes imaginary objects out of a sack in front of him and mimes the object. Cubs can either write the objects down as they are mimed, or wait until the end and then write them all down.
Suggested items to mime: Hammer and nails, Necklace, Tea cup and saucer, Teapot, Telephone, Powder compact, Soap and flannel, Shoes, Watch, Hoola-hoop, Paper clip, Earrings, Hair spray.
Post Office
• 2 chairs per team
• Coins adding up to 50 pence per team
The boys stand in their patrols or sixes, in straight lines across the middle of the hall. In front of each patrol is a chair, this chair is the post office. On this chair at the beginning of the game is an assortment of coins. We use coins that add up to 50 pence. Each teams post office,has the same number and value of coins. Behind each patrol is placed another chair, this chair is the ‚BUREAU DE CHANGE‘. The leader calls out a sum of money, say 20 pence. The front man in each team then runs to the post office and has to leave 20 pence on the post office chair. Any extra coins must be taken and placed on the BUREAU DE CHANGE chair. On finishing his move the player runs back and joins the back of his team. The first man back gets a point for his team. If a value is called which is higher than the value on the post office chair, the boys must run to the BUREAU DE CHANGE to collect the coins they need. Great fun can be had by calling out 49, a lot of them will start counting the coins out, but the smart ones soon realize that they only have to leave one coin at the BUREAU DE CHANGE to get 49 at the post office. Calling out the value that is already at the post office also causes a laugh.
Ruba Dub Dub
• 24 x 35mm film canisters, these should be opaque and all look the same. Into twelve of these you place a marble, fishing bell or anything that will make a noise when the canister is shaken.
The boys sit in a circle and take it in turn to pick up two canisters at a time and give them a shake. If they both rattle then a prize or point is given to the boy who picked them. These canisters are then removed from the game and the next boy has his turn. If both canisters do not rattle then they are both replaced where they were picked up from and the game continues. The game gets more difficult as more are removed as there are then more empty ones left in the game than ones that rattle. You could make it more difficult by having a larger number of containers to begin with. You could also guild the lilly by putting numbers on the canisters but I have not found this to be necessary. You can use this as a team game, the winning team being the one with most points or as individuals against all the rest.
Silhouette Kim’s Game
• About twelve different shaped items
• A sheet or back projection screen
• A slide projector or strong light (Note: clear bulbs are better than pearl)
A number of objects are held, one after the other, behind the screen, eg. scissors, bulldog clip, flower. After all the objects have been seen, a short time is given for the lads to write down or tell to the leader, the objects that they saw in the correct order of viewing.
Track Memory
A group sits with their feet up and other groups study them. After three minutes, one of the groups makes some footmarks in a good bit of ground. The other groups approach one at a time and try to decide who made it.
Other memory games (described in other chapters):
• Kim’s Wide Game – Wide Games
• Patience Relay – Races and Relays
• Compass Skills Patience – Races and Relays