A great way to get comfortable with leading a meeting is to start with a quick game or
two. Here are loads of ideas to get you started, compiled by Young Leader Advisers Lauren and Sophie.
You can get in touch with Lauren and Sophie directly for advice and information by emailing youngleaders@girlguidingcornwall.org.uk.
Socially distanced
Simon says – girls must copy each instruction given by you; if it begins with ‘Simon says’, if it doesn’t and they do the action they are out till the next game.
Captain’s coming – girls do the action of the command called by you. You can start with a few and add more each time. Below are some of the commands you can call:
Port – run to the left of the area
Starboard – run to the right of the area
Scrub the decks – pretend to clean the floor
Climb the rigging – pretend to climb a ladder
Captain’s coming – stand to attention and salute
Man overboard – pretend to jump out of the boat
Land mine – curl up in a ball on the floor
Captain’s wife – curtsey
Jellyfish – lie on your back and shake arms/legs
Shark attack – pretend to make a shark fin on your head
Beans – girls do the action of the different beans that you call out:
String beans – stretch up high
Runner beans – run around
Jumping beans – jump up and down
Broad beans – make yourself wide
Baked beans – lie down and sizzle in the pan
French beans – shout ‘ooh la la’
Traffic lights – girls do the action that matches the colour you call out;
Red – stop
Amber/orange – walk
Green - run
Copy my clap – sit in a circle or just spread in a space. Start by clapping a simple pattern that the girls copy after. Each girl can have a turn at a different pattern for everyone to follow.
Twenty-one – sitting in a circle each girl can say up to 3 numbers at a time to count to 21. Whoever says 21 is out of the game and start from 1 again. The last girl left is the winner.
Legs 11 – the girls need to sit in a circle with both legs out in front of them. Moving around the circle counting each leg until you get to 11. Whichever leg is number 11 is tucked away and start from 1 again. The girl with the lest leg left is the winner.
Buzzy bees - The children buzz as they move around then you shout ‘Buzzy bees the letter…’ with any letter of the alphabet. The girls must then become something that starts with that letter, e.g., letter T could become a teapot. You could play it where more than one of the same object means they are all out and the last person in is the winner.
Opposites – give the girls instructions like sit down, stand up, left arm up, right leg out etc but they must do the opposite.
Higher or lower – you will need a pack of card. Hold up a card and the girls have to guess if the next card number is higher or lower, if the guess incorrectly they are out of the game!
Fruit salad – Standing in a circle give each girl a fruit name (you can have more than one girl as the same fruit), then call out the different fruits. If their fruit is called, they need to run around the outside of the circle. If you call fruit salad, they all run in a circle and come then come back.
Virtual fillers
Knife/fork/spoon game – each girl will need a knife, fork and spoon. You start off as the leader and count to 3. On 3 the girls hold up one piece of cutlery as well as you. The girls who have the same as you get a point.
Scavenger hunt – this can be played in many ways. It could be sending them off to find different colours of things or things where the first letter of each item makes a word.
Pass the pen – everyone needs a pen for this game. One person starts with the pen showing in the camera and saying the name of the person they are passing the pen to. They then pretend to pass the pen in the direction of them across the screen. Keep doing this until everyone has had a turn.
Copy my clap – Start by clapping a simple pattern that the girls copy after. Each girl can have a turn at a different pattern for everyone to follow.
Higher or lower – you will need a pack of card. Hold up a card and the girls have to guess if the next card number is higher or lower, if the guess incorrectly they are out of the game!
Mexican wave – one person begins the wave by raising and lowering their hands in the air just like a Mexican wave. This passes around the screen and everyone is part of the wave. You can repeat this lots of time for everyone to have a turn to start.
Captain’s coming – (as above just removing some of the actions) girls do the action of the command called by you. You can start with a few and add more each time. Below are some of the commands you can call:
Scrub the decks – pretend to clean the floor
Climb the rigging – pretend to climb a ladder
Captain’s coming – stand to attention and salute
Man overboard – pretend to jump out of the boat
Land mine – curl up in a ball on the floor
Captain’s wife – curtsey
Shark attack – pretend to make a shark fin on your head