1. Stratego

This game is a timeless reference. Everyone has played Stratego on a board, so why not play it for real?

The more players, the better!

Equipment

• One scarf per person
• One piece of paper per person, with rank written on it
• two flags of different colour

Goal of the game : take the opposing team’s flag back to their own camp

Preparation

Form 2 teams of at least 10 players and give a flag to each.

For each team, randomly distribute a piece of paper to each member and indicate their rank on it.

Ranks : 

• Marshal (5*) Kills everyone except the spy 
• General (4*) Kills lieutenant, soldier and spy
• Lieutenant (3*) Kills soldier and spy
• Soldier (2*) Kills the spy
• Spy (1*) Kills the marshal (protect him!)

Only one Marshal and one Spy per team are required, then the lower the rank, the more there should be on the team (e.g., for 11 people: 1 Marshal, 2 Generals, 3 Lieutenants, 4 Soldiers, 1 Spy).

It is allowed to add ranks between Spy and Marshal depending on the number of players.

Each team sets up its camp in a location of their choice, plants their flag, and each member wears their scarf tied to the back of their pants.

Game

In each team, at least one player must remain near their camp to defend it. The rest of the team goes on the offensive.

If a player tags an opponent, a battle occurs. Both players show their respective ranks. The losing player removes their scarf and must return to their camp to put it back on. They cannot take any action until they have put their scarf back on.

If during a battle, the ranks of the two opponents are similar, the battle is settled with rock, paper, scissors.

When a player manages to retrieve the opponent’s flag, they must bring it back to their camp to win.

If they are tagged while holding the flag, a standard battle occurs, but regardless of who wins, the flag remains on the ground and must be retrieved by someone else. Only a player not involved in the battle can retrieve it.

When one of the teams brings the opponent’s flag back to their camp, they have won the game.

2. The man in black

A perfect game for a small afternoon in the woods, recommended for youths aged 8 to 12.

Requires a minimum of 4 moderators and 5 players.

Equipment

• Paper sheets (1 per player)
• 3 markers of different colors
• 1 black marker

Goal of the game : To have the most occurrences of 4 consecutive squares (vertical, horizontal, or diagonal) marked with the same color.

Preparation

Define a game time limit.

Each player creates a grid of 40 squares on their sheet (4 columns of 10).

Each moderator has either a colored marker or the black marker and hides within the predetermined playing area.

Game

The players begin searching for the moderators.

When a player tags a moderator, the moderator has two choices:

Either they choose a square to mark with their marker,
Or they let the player choose which square to mark before knowing the marker’s color, then mark that square.
One of the four markers circulating is black; it is not considered a color. Each square marked in black on the grid thus prevents the formation of a sequence of 4 squares. The players’ objective is therefore to avoid « the man in black » at all costs, as he significantly hinders their success.

To confuse the players, it’s necessary for the moderator to regularly exchange their markers.

The moderators can move and change hiding spots as much as they want.

Players cannot tag the same moderator twice in a row.

When the predefined time limit is reached, the points for each player are counted (1 point = 4 consecutive squares of the same color vertically, horizontally, or diagonally). The player with the most points wins.

3. Bottle Defense

This game is truly perfect if your group is full of energy. It requires concentration, but above all, a lot of skill and quick reflexes. In general, all kids go crazy for it! Let them try it, they won’t want to stop.

Equipment

• 1 or more balloons
• 2 or more bottles of the same capacity and shape
• Markers or other items to delineate zones

Goal of the game : To be the team with the most filled bottle at the end of the time.

Preparation

Form at least 2 teams (or 3 to 4 if possible).

Place each team’s camp at an equal distance from each other, delineated by a 3x3m square marked with cones.

Fill the bottles with water and place one without a cap in the center of each camp.

Set a playing time.

Game

The ball or balls are put into play.

When a player is holding the ball, they cannot run. They can either pass the ball to a teammate or throw it to try to knock over one of the opponent’s bottles.

It is forbidden to enter the camp zones; nobody can enter except in one case: a player can enter their own zone only if their bottle has been knocked over, and they can only stay there long enough to set it upright.

Therefore, nobody can enter an opponent’s zone or enter their own zone to counter a shot.

When the time is up, the team with the most water in their bottle wins the game.

Tips: For more fun and to vary the styles of play, don’t hesitate to change the distance between camps and/or add more balls into play.