Frog Battle

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Requirements

• Age 7+
• Players 2-16
• Time 3-5 min rounds
• Location Small clear area
• Energy Medium
• Materials NONE
• Lead by Pathfinder
• Guides 1-2

Story

Frogs will sometimes fight each other to defend their territory. In this game, participants do some silly, frog-inspired "battling" of their own!

Action Call

Can you Shift thoroughly into the body and mind of a frog? Can you maintain your balance in a squatting position? Can you out-wit and out-maneuver opponents to knock them off-balance?

Game

Safety

• Scout playing area for hazards: tripping objects, stinging insects, trash, and much more.
• Remind players that they are ONLY allowed to touch other player's HANDS and nowhere else on their bodies.

Mission

Each person finds a partner. Partners face each other, standing about three feet apart, then sink into a "deep knee bend" (squatting down, balanced on the balls of the feet, heels NOT touching the ground). In this position, one participant's knees should end up about one foot away from their opponent's knees.

Each person then puts their hands up, palms facing the other person, and tries to cause their opponent to lose their balance. "Losing balance" means that any part of the body other than the balls of the foot and toes touch the ground. In other words, if a player's heel, hand, knee, butt, elbow, etc., touch the ground, they've lost their balance.

Participants can ONLY touch their opponent's HANDS, and nowhere else on their bodies. All players must keep their hands hovering in front of their chest at all times.

Each pair plays to achieve the best of three rounds, then people switch partners and play someone else.

Modify

Frozen Feet. In the basic version of the game, it's OK if players move their feet slightly to avoid losing balance. As players' skill improves, this may make battles last too long. If a Pathfinder announces Frozen Feet, it means that if any player shifts the location of their feet, it's the same as if they lost their balance.

One Hand Challenge. Restrict each person to the use of one hand only.

Three-Frog Battle. Instead of pairs, have players get into triangles of three people. Each person is now battling two people - one in each hand - simultaneously.

Rope Pull Challenge. You'll need a rope about 10 feet long for each pair. Participants squat down as normal, but in this version they are about 6 feet apart, and each holds the end of a 10-foot rope. They then use the rope, by pulling it or strategically letting rope out, to cause their opponent to either a) lose their balance, or b) completely let go of the rope. For safety, emphasize that participants should hold the rope inside their palm only, and not wrap it around their hands or wrists.