Games to Play With Rowdy Kids

What's the Time, Mr. Wolf?

• A group of children stand a good distance away from the child playing Mr. Wolf, who stands with his back to the children. The kids collectively ask, "What's the time, Mr. Wolf?" Whatever time Wolf says, the kids take that number of steps forward. For instance, if he says it's 4 o'clock, the kids take four steps forward, and again ask what time it is.

  The kids try to reach Wolf before he catches them first. Wolf may sense someone approaching, so rather than state a time, he may call out, "It's dinner time." Wolf turns around and tries catching a child before she makes it back to the starting line.

  Kids either take big steps forward in hopes of reaching Wolf first, or take small steps, so they're closer to the starting line should Wolf call dinner time. If a child reaches Wolf before Wolf calls dinner time, that child does not rejoin the group of children until the current Wolf tags a replacement. Whoever Wolf catches becomes the new Mr. Wolf.

Spider and Flies

• Rowdy kids love a game of tag. In this variation, one child plays the spider, with remaining children playing flies. Whenever the spider catches a fly, the fly becomes part of the web and holds hands with the spider. The spider and her captured flies try catching more flies, who also become part of the chain.The last caught player then takes a turn as the spider in pursuit of flies.

Balloon Relays

• Balloon popping goes along with rowdy, rambunctious behavior. Children form two teams, stand in a line and race to a large basket of inflated balloons. They grab a balloon and sit on it. Once the balloon pops, the kids run back to their team and the next player repeats the action. The first team to pop all of its balloons wins. Rowdy kids who do not like popping-balloons sounds should sit this game out.

  In another balloon relay race, children form two teams and hold a sausage-shaped balloon between their knees. Using only their knees (even if a balloon falls), kids attempt to pass it down their team's line, from person to person. Should a balloon pop, the team must start from the beginning of the line, with a new balloon. The first team to pass the balloon down the line and back to the first person in line wins the game.

  Children also may use a regular-shaped balloon, and also may hold the balloon between their elbows, passing it in that manner.

Mummies

• Rowdy children may like wrapping each other up like mummies. Children form two teams, with one child from each team serving as the mummy. Children race to wrap their mummy from the neck down with a roll of toilet paper. Should the paper rip, the kids use a roll of tape to tape the paper back on. The first team to use its roll of toilet paper first--and successfully wrap its mummy--wins the game.

Three-Legged Race

• This classic relay game provides plenty of inspiration for rowdy kids. Two children each place one foot inside one burlap or potato sack. After lining up arms' length from one another, the pairs of children hop to the finish line, which should be at least 20 feet away from the starting point (rowdy kids may enjoy the challenge of a finish line that's even farther away). The first duo to reach the finish line wins the race.