Shield Dodgeball

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Requirements

• Age 7+
• Players 8-12
• Time 3-5 min rounds
• Location Small clear area Large clear area Forest
• Energy Low (sitting, standing) Medium (walking, stalking) High (running) Extreme (sprinting)
• Materials Bands
• Lead by Pathfinder Whiskers Cloak
• Guides 1

Story

Pairs of players - one on offense, one on defense - strive to be the last team standing in this creative spin on dodgeball.

Action Call

Can you work together with your partner to defend your team and defeat the other pairs?

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.

Mission

Lay out a boundary rope to create a large playing area, then scatter four to ten foam balls in the playing area.

Have each player find a partner and link together by each holding one of their partner's hands (leaving one hand free per person).

Next have them choose their roles: one person is the "Shield." The Shield is immune to being hit by foam balls, CAN pick up foam balls, but can NOT throw foam balls. The other person is the "Thrower." The Thrower IS susceptible to being hit by foam balls, can NOT pick up foam balls, but CAN throw foam balls.

The Shield's job is to block balls thrown from other Throwers so their Thrower does not get hit, and to pick up balls on the ground and hand them to their Thrower. The Thrower's job is to receive balls from their Shield and throw them at other Throwers. Hitting a Shield with a ball has no effect, but when a Thrower is hit, the pair is out and they stand on the outside of the boundary, becoming spectators (and stray ball retrievers). Play continues until only one Shield and Thrower are left. Play again with new partners!

Integrity is an important part of this game - Throwers must be honest about when they've been hit.

Modify

Variations of the game.