Misc Game Leading Tips and Tricks

Hawk circle, chicken circle, penguin circle

This tool is a playful way to tell a group how "tight" of a circle to make.

• Hawk circle = participants spread their arms as wide as they can and stand fingertip to fingertip.
• Chicken circle = participants make chicken wings and stand elbow to elbow
• Penguin circle = participants put their arms at their sides and shuffle forward until they're standing shoulder to shoulder.

Paws! (Pause a game)

Sometimes you have to stop a game to teach a rule you forgot to mention, or clarify something, or act as a referee. A fun way to do this is to tell your group that, if you have to freeze the game, you'll yell "Pause" (which, of course, sounds just like the word "paws"), which means everyone must immediately stop moving, stand straight up, turn to face you, stop talking, and - most important - hold both hands dangling in front of their chest like dog paws. It looks ridiculous and often gets a laugh.