Otter Steals Fish

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Requirements

• Age 10+
• Players 8-16
• Time 3-5 min rounds
• Location Small clear area
• Energy High (running)
• Materials Bands (a few), Game boundary (30' rope)
• Lead by Pathfinder
• Guides 1

Story

An osprey has caught several fish and flown with them back to its nest to eat. A band of hungry otters notices the fish and surrounds the osprey's nest to steal a free meal. The osprey must defend its catch!

Action Call

As the osprey, can you stay aware of the otters all around you trying to steal your fish? Can you move quickly enough to tag them? As an otter, can you anticipate where the osprey will be and steal fish without being tagged?

Game

Safety

• Scout playing area for hazards: tripping objects, stinging insects, trash, and much more.
• Avoid collisions. Emphasize that participants must maintain control at all times.
• Tag safely. Don't tag other players too hard, and avoid poking eyes.

Mission

Make a game boundary by placing a rope on the ground in a circle about 12 feet in diameter (the osprey nest). Place 3 bandanas (fish) in the center of the circle.

One player is the osprey that stands over the bandanas to prevent them from being stolen. The osprey cannot touch the bandanas at any time.

The other players are otters that start on the outside of the circle and try to steal the bandanas. Otters may only take one bandana at a time. As soon as an otter enters the circle, they can be tagged by the heron. When they are outside the circle, they are safe.

There are several variations to this game regarding what happens when an otter is tagged by the osprey. Options:

• Two osprey nests. Have TWO identical osprey nests running simultaneously, about ten feet away from each other (each with its own osprey and three bandanas). Tagged otters immediately go to the other circle and start playing there. This works well when you have more than 10 total players.
• Five giant steps. Tagged otters take five giant steps away from the circle, then they can return and resume play.
• Frozen otters. Tagged otters immediately freeze in place until the game is over. However, if the osprey accidentally touches a frozen otter, the otter unfreezes and can resume playing.
• Sudden death. Tagged otters are completely out of the game until the game is over.

Once all of the fish are stolen, the last otter to steal a fish becomes the new osprey (or chooses a volunteer to be the new osprey).