Being keen games-players themselves, the members of World at Play Expedition 2004 were always eager to teach new games to the children and adults that they worked with at each destination. They were particularly enthusiastic about their favourite games and more often than not made sure that they were able to join in themselves. Here is a selection of the games that they enjoyed the most. If the games are unfamiliar to you, then please download the Games Compedium for a detailed explanation!

Cat and Mouse on a Parachute

"This is by far the best thing you can do with a parachute. (Apart from not getting killed when you fall). If no other games or things existed for parachutes, it would still be worth using one for this game alone.

It takes no words at all to explain, everything can be done by demonstration. The person on the top of the parachute has to catch the person scurrying around underneath it. Easy!

Everyone gets into it. The least able can understand it and the most able still find it challenging and fun."

Richard Naylor
-Past Expedition Leader

 

"Seeing the kids' faces when you open the parachute is amazing!"

Andrea Figueras
-Past Expedition Member
   

Dodgeball / Circle Dodgeball

"What a great game! You can have big groups and add more balls to make it exciting, or use the big gym ball. It is easy for instructors to get involved and to regulate the game at the same time. With team dodgeball you're always involved and games can swing from one team to the other, which keeps it exciting!

Sebastian Hayes
-Past Expedition Member
   

Rainbow

"This game is great because it can be very easily adapted to work in lots of different locations. All you need is a ball and just find a wall, a fence, a parked car, a house - anything you like - and you can start playing, there and then!

The game needs good eye and body co-ordination so that the ball can be caught before it hits the floor. At the first few attempts, members of a team often end up injuring each other as they try to catch the ball!

The game progresses and the teams usually become more co-ordinated. Watching the improvement in how the group works as a team is really satisfying for both players and instructors."

Sion Lanini
-Past Expedition Member
   

Skis

Two planks of wood, with rope looped for feet. Ultimately simple!

Skis are a fantastic device for getting children to work as a team. If they don’t co-ordinate when to move their left feet, and when to move their right, the end result is nearly always that the team ends up falling. Which, bizarrely enough, they enjoy!

However, they soon realise that they will get more enjoyment if they manage to build up some speed… they start to work as a team… and before they know it, they are moving along swiftly. Brilliant… amazing what two planks of wood can do.

Mike Emery
-World at Play Founder
 and Expedition Organiser