Crazy Kickball

This takes a lot of people and a kickball field.

By a lot of people, I mean more than you'd usually want for a kickball game - so more than 18 if possible.  A great game for 30-50 people.

Play typical kickball except for these variations:

• There are two balls, two pitchers, and two kickers. 
• The balls are pitched and kicked simultaneously.  If both balls go in play, the kickers take off running - one towards 3rd base and the other towards 1st base.  Either ball may be used to get out either kicker.  A fly out only applies to the person who kicked that ball.  
• The only place there are force outs are just after someone kicks and is running to first or third. 
• The runners go in opposite directions around the bases (be careful when crossing paths!), and can choose when to run or stay once they arrive at their initial base (meaning more than one person can be on a base at a time). 
• A half inning can be 4, 5, or 6 outs based on your desire for length of inning.

Fingerfencing

Known aliases: Pokey

Numbers needed:  2, 4, or any even number

Space: Any - although most fun when there is a bit of space to move around a bit

Basic rules:  A partner game, although this time, you're trying to beat your partner. A bit more fun to watch then Rowchambeau battle, so typically not done in "battle" fashion.  Begin by finding the fencing grip.  This means shaking your partner's hand, and then rotating your hands up so you can wrap your fingers around their thumb and wrist.  Continue to hold each other and point your index finger towards your partner.  These are your foils with which you fence.  The goal - be the first to hit your partner with your index finger before your partner gets you.  Feel free to dive on the floor, run in circles, move quickly, slowly, etc.  Soon, you'll be wrapped up in a battle of strength and wits!  

Note to the audience: Keep an eye on the "spare foil" - most people's non-battling hand ends up forming another foil - index finger out - as if prepraring in case their first foil breaks.  Also, keep an eye on safety hazards.

Variations: Switch hands or add limits to movement. For example, you could play on a 4x4 laying on the ground.  Or you could play on a large welcome mat.  

Birdie on a Perch

Numbers needed: At least 6, up to 30ish.

Space:  Yard or park space - room to run and fall down.  

Basic rules:  Again, this is a partner game, although this time, you and your partner are trying to beat all other partners.  At the beginning of the game, you and your partner decide who is the birdie and who is the perch.  

Role options:

Perch sets a stable base and birdie will jump on and off the perch's back.  

Perch stands and birdie runs around the perch.  

Perch stands and birdie jumps into perch's arms.

One player or an audience member acts as the caller.  The caller yells "birdie on a perch," "perch on a birdie," "down,"or "scramble!"  Based on the group's decision of which role option to use for this particular round, when the first two calls are yelled, the partners act appropriately.  For example, say we decided to choose option a.  When the caller yells "birdie on a perch!" the player who is the birdie for that round jumps on their partner's back.  When all partners are up, the caller yells "down."  If the caller would have called (or now decides to call) "perch on a birdie," the player who is the perch for that round jumps on their partner, the birdie's, back.  

The caller may call "perch on a birdie/down" or "birdie on a perch/down" as many times as they want, but the craziness really begins when they choose to call "scramble!" At this point, the birdie and the perch take off in opposite directions around the circle of other players (who are also running in opposite directions around the circle) until they return to their original location.  Options for this point of the game include returning to the last caller position (say, perch on a birdie) and the last team to get into that position would lose.  Another option includes having the perch return and stand with wide legs so the birdie can dive through their legs and grab an item in the center of the circle, where there are less items than partner pairs.