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Secret Orders
A game using teamwork, communication and leadership skills

This is an expanded version of the game of the same name from Clouds on the Clothesline, a Canadian publication.

Set Up

Divide players into teams. Place one chair in front of each team, and one chair behind each team.

On the front chair, place a number of cards with secret orders written on them.

Instructions

Tell players that each team has a set of Secret Orders to fill—in silence.

To Play

In turn, each player runs from the starting point to her player’s chair, where she picks up a card, reads the order, and then fills the order. The second team member then runs up, picks up the next order, and fills the order, etc.

After each order is complete, the person who picked up the card jumps up and down on the spot five times OR gives an Indian war whoop (to signify it is complete), and puts the card on the chair at the back of the team.

The first team to complete all the orders wins.

Orders

  1. Without talking, shake hands with everyone in your team (left handed!)
  2. Without talking, get your team into age order, oldest at the back
  3. Without talking, make your team do five star jumps each
  4. Without talking, get your team to hop to the far wall and back
  5. Without talking, have each member of your team collect a leaf from the ground and give it to the game leader
  6. Without talking, get your team into a circle, then sit down on the floor and stand up three times
  7. Without talking, get your team into height order, tallest at the front
  8. Without talking, your team must sit in a circle on chairs, facing outwards, then stand on their chairs, sit on their chairs, then stand up and put the chairs away
  9. Each team member must tie a reef knot and show it to the game leader
  10. Each team member must walk the length of the hall balancing a book on her head (no touching!) If the book falls off, she must start again.
  11. Each team member must jump rope five times
  12. Without talking, set up a table, seat your team around it on chairs, stand on the chairs, shout GUIDES ROCK!, then return the chairs and tables to where they came from.
  13. Without talking, form a circle with you in the middle. Bounce a ball to each team member, who must bounce it back to you and then sit on the floor.

Equipment

  • 1 skipping rope per team
  • 1 piece of gadget cord per person
  • tennis ball per team
  • 1 book per team
  • 1 set of order cards per team

Chairs and tables to be available

How it worked the first time we played it

In practice, my girls tended to jump up and down five times rather than give out a war whoop. I'm not sure why. Possibly because the rest of the game was supposed to be in silence. Anyway, since most of the girls simply followed the leader, we had a lot of girls jumping up and down five times, not realising that was the signal to show the end of the activity.

The girls absolutely loved this game, and, although it was not stated at the beginning that it was a race, they treated it as one. They had a ball.

Suggestions?

If you have any suggestions for further activities to include in this game, please email me.

 

 

© Gaye Wilson 2007–2013. All rights reserved.
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