Elimination Games
Below are Samples from “The Games Box”
When you pre-order this fantastic resource you you will automatically receive a 50% discount on that purchase, a free guide on how to organise a games session and these sample games from “The Games Box” in a form that you can print out and use as individual cards.
BALLOON BATTLE
A balloon is tied to the left ankle of each player. The object of the game is to burst a rival’s balloon with the right leg and at the same time keep your own balloon intact. If their balloon is burst, players must leave the game. The last man/woman standing is the winner.
Required: 1 balloon per player
BANG BANG
All players stand in a circle. Each person states their name in turn. Everyone then makes a gun with their hands by interlocking their fingers and pointing their two index fingers. The leader calls out a name. That person has to duck and the two people on either side of her/him have to shoot each other by pointing at each other with their guns and saying Bang! Bang! If the named player does not duck in time then s/he is out. Whoever is out sits in the centre of the circle and calls the next name. When there are only two players left, they should stand in the middle of the room back to back. The leader starts counting, and with each number, the players take one step forward. As soon as the leader stops counting out a number, the two players turn around and shoot each other. Whoever shoots first is the overall winner.
CHAIR DANCE
Place chairs in a circle, one chair less than the number of players. As the music plays, the players dance/move around the chairs. When the music stops, everyone finds a chair to sit on.
The player who doesn’t find a chair needs to find some other way to get his/her feet off the ground.
A chair is removed and the music restarted. In the end, all players will have to find a way to not touch the ground. Players who touch the ground are eliminated (allow 8-10 seconds to get feet off the ground)
Required: audio player + music and chairs – one less than the number of people
DRACULA
One member of the group is chosen to be ‘Dracula’. Another is chosen to be the ‘Vampire Killer’. Participants roam round the room silently. ‘Dracula’ kills people by baring his/her teeth at them. Any person ‘Dracula’ does this to must count to 5, silently, then, clutch their neck and die with a blood-curdling scream. Anyone else who bares their teeth is out of the game. ‘Dracula’s’ aim is to kill as many people as possible before being unmasked and killed by the ‘Vampire Killer’. The ‘Vampire Killer’s’ aim is to kill ‘Dracula’ before ‘Dracula’ kills everybody. The ‘Vampire Killer’ kills ‘Dracula’ by plunging an imaginary stake through ‘Dracula’s’ heart. If the ‘Vampire Killer’ tries to kill the wrong person, that person just keeps moving. The ‘Vampire Killer’ has 3 chances to kill the right person, if not ‘Dracula’ is declared the winner.
ELECTRIC CHAIR
( Be aware this game can get rough. It is advisable to ask the group to exercise great care) The group links arms in a circle with the ‘electric chair’ placed in the centre. The object of the game is, at a signal from the leader, to get people to touch the chair. Anyone who touches the chair is dead and must leave the circle. Thus the circle keeps getting smaller. Stop and re-start the game as each person is eliminated.
Required: a chair
FREEZE/GO
Players are asked to walk swiftly around the room, without touching anyone. Any players who touch are out of the game. When the leader shouts, “Freeze!”; the players must freeze. When the leader shouts, “Go!” the players start walking again. This game may be varied by the leader calling directions like “Faster!”, “Skip!”, “Hop!” etc. The freeze can be held for varying lengths of time and, depending on the size of the space and group, players could be asked to run. False starts could be called like calling “Freeze!” again after a long pause. Any person who moves when he/she should be frozen or freezes when he/she should move is out.
Variation: In addition to calling “Freeze!”, the leader can call “Lines!” (players walk only in straight lines turning at right angles when reaching walls, people etc.) “Circles!” (players walk in circles) “Zig-zag!” (in zig-zag pattern).
GA GA BALL
All players stand in a circle with their legs apart so that each foot is touching the foot of the person on either side of them. A ball is thrown into the circle. The aim is to get players out by hitting the ball through their legs. Players can defend themselves by hitting the ball away with their hands. The first time the ball goes through a players legs, they have to put one hand behind their back so they can only defend with one hand. The next time they are out they must stand up with their arms crossed to show they are out. They are not allowed to touch the ball. If the ball passes through their legs after this point the person who put it through is out. Players are not allowed to lift the ball above waist height otherwise they are out.
GRAB THE BOTTLE
Put plastic bottles in the centre of the floor. As the music plays everyone walks around in a circle. When the music stops everyone must grab a bottle. Anyone who hasn’t a bottle is out. The number of bottles should be reduced each time. The winner is the person who stays till the end of the play.
Required: plastic bottles- one less than the number of players
GRAB THE CHAIR
One chair less than the number of players are set up in a line. Chairs are set up with seats facing alternative directions. A “leader” is chosen. The players must walk around the chairs following the leader, doing everything s/he does (i.e. clapping, jumping, etc.). Whenever the leader sits down everyone must do the same. The player left without a chair is out of the game and takes another chair with her/him. Play continues until only one player remains.
Required: chairs – one less than the number of players
LOOK DOWN, LOOK UP
Stand group in a circle. Teacher gives instructions for everyone to ‘Look Down’. On the command ‘Look Up’, everyone must look up and look directly at someone else in the circle who is participating in the game. They are not allowed to change eye direction or glance ineffectually, or look at the ceiling! If the person they are directly looking at is also looking at them, both players are out and have to sit down. Continue saying ‘Look Down, Look Up’ until you have a winner or winners. This can be played with any number of participants and can go on for a long time.
MUSICAL CHAIRS
Put several chairs in a circle with their backs facing in. The number of chairs must be less by one than the number of players. As the music plays the players walk round the chairs. When the music stops, the players try to take their places on the chairs. Any player who doesn’t have a place is out. After each round take away one more chair. The last player who remains in the game is the winner.
Required: chairs – one less than the number of players
NORTH SOUTH EAST WEST
Name the four walls North, South, East, and West. Randomly call them out. Players should run to the direction called. Last person to touch the wall is eliminated.
Variation: More than one person at a time could be eliminated with large groups.
For a comprehensive set of games cards for every age group, every occasion, in 11 different categories, look at “The Games Box” .
Harry Tawse | 
July 20, 2009 12:12 pm
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