The 175 Best Camp Games: A Handbook for Leaders

by Kathleen Fraser, Mary Fraser, Bernice Lum (Illustrator)

Games for kids 4 to 16, plus tips on keeping them fun and fair for all participants.

Camp games are meant to be fun. Here are the very best camp-tested games for boys and girls aged 4 to 16, with easy-to-follow instructions and illustrations. The Frasers include indoor and outdoor games for both small and large groups, with some old favorites and lots of new, soon-to-be favorites.

"The 175 Best Camp Games" also includes advice on:

Choosing the right game for the situation Starting and ending games Dealing with rule breakers Modifying games for varied abilities Assuring safety and good supervision.

This practical guide is easy to use, and the more than 175 games are divided into five chapters:

Break the Ice (Name Dropping, Life Raft) Taking It Easy (Speed Rabbit, Electricity) Getting Them Moving (Soh Koh No, Kitty Wants a Corner) Running Them Ragged (Pairs Tag, Fox in the Henhouse) Wet and Wild (Battleship, Sharks and Mermaids).

Though written with camp leaders in mind, this book will appeal to youth activity directors, counselors, counselors-in-training, coaches, scout leaders, parents, teachers and any other adult looking for creative group activities for youth that include all participants and require little or no special equipment.

Genres: Nonfiction

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Joella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I REALLY need to buy this book. If you ever needed a teamwork or leadership game, this is a good book. If you ever needed rainy day games for a scout troop, this is a good book. If you ever had to figure out what to do because a library, young womens, young mens, or primary program fell through and you just need some games to keep everyone happy, this is a good book. There are Ice Breaker games, there are "get them moving" games, and there are even "run them ragged" games. If you ever need to do training or programming of any sort that you might need some game ideas, this is a good book for you. If you are in charge of a youth conference, EFY group, Family Home Evening group, school classroom, or just have kids of your own, these games just might help keep you sane. Seriously, why haven't you all bought this book yet? I don't think I can even just borrow this from the library. I NEED to own this book. It is officially at the top of my Amazon.com wishlist to remind me to buy it for my next round of happy book spending. (The only two people that probably don't need to own this book are Nicole and Scott Anderson...because let's face it...they both probably invented half the games in this book...or at least use them on a regular basis). :)

If I could, this book would get 10 stars. Easily.

[Laura Flett · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have chosen to give this book 2 stars because the book is at best mediocre. Anyone who works with children in experiential education, outdoor education, or physical education should know the majority of these games. If they do not know the facilitation tips contained inside they really need to think about their facilitation. The big type limits the amount of games that can be found in the manual and I would personally like to see more games over big writing sprawl. To be honest, I could have written this book.

However, I will give the author some credit, otherwise I would have ranked this book one star. The book does contain some new games or variations of games that some people may not know, including myself. The variety of games that are included in this book are also very nice including dodgeball, parachute, drama, initiatives, water games, etc. The section on "junior" games, drama games and parachute games included both old favorites and some interesting new ones that I may be inclined to try out.

This book would also serve to be a great book for people just starting to work with children whether that be in after school programs, scouters, guiders, other youth club leaders, counselors, and those new to their specified profession. It is not however, designed for people that have experience that are looking to add a new game or two to their repertoire.

[Anne Bennett]

I didn't get a thorough read of this book in, but read enough to know that there's a wealth of information in here, not just a few games. The games are interesting too, interesting enough for my near-teenaged daughter to pick up and skim the book herself for several minutes.

The book is divided into sections for different kinds of games: water games, games to tire kids out, quieter games, break the ice games, etc. They offer ideas for modifying games to make them easier or more difficult, as well as great ideas for including differently-abled kids in a variety of ways. Many games also emphasize cooperation over competition, but the authors also include tips for healthy competition and managing the kid who has difficulty losing. I wondered at myself when I impulsively checked this out of the library, thinking my middle school Girl Scout troop would be far past these games, but I was pleasantly surprised. These games can work for a wide range of ages. These authors would be any camp director's dream team.

I'd strongly recommend this book if you volunteer with children: whether that's with a scouting group, church school, day or resident camp or after school care. There's a wealth of information in here, clearly written and laid out.

[Jacki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Must buy for Young Women leaders, scout and camp and school leaders. Took notes on about 5o of the games for ideas for church activities. Clear descriptions of each game and variations. Full of tips about how to orchestrate the game and get the naysayers involved. Funny to say, but I found myself smiling as I read the game rules, thinking of how fun it would be for the youth in my church class. Great book!

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fraser's The 175 Best Camp games: A Handbook for Leaders has included a wealth of new game ideas for those who are charged with the care of keeping a large number of youngsters involved, entertained, and engaged for several minutes at a time. While the book's games are specifically designed for groups, there are a few in it, such as lightening tag that can be used at birthday parties where the attendance may fall below six attendees.

[Darlene Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book for leaders working with kids. Have it on your resource shelf. Sections begin with calmer ice breakers and increase in activity level to "run them ragged". There are even wet and water based games for hot summer days. Simple format (# players, equipment, game plan, how to play, variations, modifications for different abilities and personalities) and clear instructions. A whistle on a lanyard marks good general tips for leaders.

[Andrew Galster · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you work at a summer/kids camp, you need to buy this! The grouping by activity-type and the simple layout of each activity page make it a quick reference. One of my go-to's over my 7 years of camp leadership.

[Twinkle · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were a lot of games in different categories. Lots to try.

[L.C. Tang · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this book years ago during one summer when I had the opportunity to work with children overseas. I kept this gem of a resource. As I was dusting my bookshelf today, I came across this book amongst my other books, and as I flipped through the colourful pages, it brought back the wonderful memories I had working with all the children in that chapter of my life. This book is very well organized with excellent examples, games, activities and icebreakers for not only camp but also any setting with children. The book is categorized into 5 chapters and has a great list of tips for leaders. Beautiful colourful illustrations and short points make for an easy and inviting read. I highly recommend this book for anyone who works with young people.