Hobbies And Interests
Name-It Ball
Players form a circle and one player starts with a soft rubber ball. This player invents a category; "Famous Scientific Theories," for example. He then tosses the ball to another player in the circle and the person must name an item from the category. An appropriate answer in the example might be "Theory of Relativity." Players must exit the circle if they cannot name an item, if they repeat an item or if they take too much time. Name-It Ball lets players practice the logical skill of categorizing distinguishing characteristics.
Two Truths and a Lie
A campfire is a perfect time to tell stories about the past and converse with friends. It is incredible how many interesting and unique experiences people have throughout their lifetimes. In the game "Two Truths and a Lie," players take turns telling the other players two surprising truths about their past experiences and then add one lie about an experience they never actually had. The other players must guess which of the three experiences is a lie. This game invites players to learn more about one another and puts a logical twist on storytelling by making listeners match behavior to the storyteller's personality.
Astronomy in the Marketplace
Looking up at the night sky to see the stars is a favorite pastime of campfire patrons. You can make a logical game out of the sky by playing "Astronomy in the Marketplace." This game asks players to go around one at a time naming consumer products named after astronomical objects. There are a surprisingly large number of products that have been named in this fashion, such as Comet cleanser, Ford Galaxie, Subaru, Milky Way and Galaxy carpet. After naming each product, discuss with the group what exact quality of the product is being emphasized by the use of the astronomical image.
Machines
As a team, players around the campfire must act out the motions of a large machine. Each person will act out a particular mechanism of the machine. The actors cannot talk while the non-acting players watch and then guess what machine it is. You can choose to allow the actors to discuss their parts before acting or force them to collaborate on the whole show without discussion. This game causes players to think through the individual mechanisms in a large machine.