This article is part of the series of training sessions that we are publishing for professionals who work with vulnerable groups to implement Socio-Sports Meetings, a socio-educational intervention based on cooperative physical activity that promotes social inclusion and facilitates the well-being of people at risk of exclusion while the volunteers dismantle prejudices and work on issues such as discrimination.
Inclusive group motor-skill games
In this session, we present six cooperative and inclusive group motor-skill games. Its objective is for participants to do physical exercise of lesser to greater intensity while having fun playing and socialising without anyone being excluded at any time. Between three and five games are usually played in a session.
Some are new, while others are traditional games redesigned to be inclusive. All types of people can play, regardless of their origin, ability or age, and they can be adapted for people with functional diversity or any other condition. The goal is to have fun and for everyone to have a good time!
1. Robots
- Type: Group game
- Material: None
- Game description:
The participants form groups of three or four. In each group, one person is a mechanic and the others are robots. The mechanics can move and run freely throughout the space. The people who act as robots can only walk in a straight line until they cannot go any further, either because they have run out of space or because they have collided with another robot.
In both cases they remain motionless, say the name of their group’s mechanic out loud and count to 10 with their fingers with their arm raised. The mechanics’ goal is to turn around the people acting as robots so that they continue moving forward. If the robots count to the number 10 and the mechanics have not reached them, they break down and fall to the ground. In this case, when the mechanics arrive, they will have to wind them up so they can get going again.
From time to time, the person in charge of the game proposes a change of roles so that everyone acts as robots and mechanics. - Variations:
– Shorten or longer the time the mechanics have to reach the robots, making them count only up to five or beyond 10.
– The robot has run out of batteries. The mechanic must go to where the facilitator is standing and shake hands with them to obtain them. The mechanic then high-fives the robot to give it energy. - Observations:
Reduce the space if it is very large and the dynamics do not work.
2. The chain
- Type: Group game
- Material: None
- Game description:
One person chases the others. When they touch someone, they hold hands to chase the rest together. This dynamic continues until everyone is caught. Only people at the ends of the chain can touch and catch. If the people they are chasing are not holding hands, they cannot catch anyone else until they hold hands again. - Variation:
Every time the chain reaches four people, it splits into two chains of two people each and continues chasing. - Observations:
Explain that the longer the chain, the greater the speed of the people at the ends and the more difficult it is to control.
3. Catch tails
- Type: Group game
- Material: Strips of newspaper or plastic bag (at least one per person)
- Game description:
The participants spread out in the playing area. Each one has a strip of paper or plastic in their trouser or jacket pocket. Each participant must get as many tails as they can and add them to the ones they have.
When a person gets a new tail, they put it in their pocket before continuing to play. Now they cannot catch other tails nor can anyone catch theirs. Even if someone runs out of tails, they continue playing. - Variation:
All the people form pairs and hold hands.
4. The spider
- Type: Group game
- Material: None
- Game description:
Everyone stands at the edge of the track. The person acting as a spider goes to the middle of the field and can only move laterally along an imaginary line.
The spider shouts: “Spider!” and the rest of the group responds: “Hairy!” After this signal, the participants must try to cross to the other side of the field without being caught by the spider. If any participants are touched by the spider, they also turn into a spider and chase the others in the same way.
The game ends when everyone is a spider and there is nobody left to catch. - Variations:
– The group shouts: “Hairy spider, who can pass?” And the spider decides who passes by appealing to a visible feature, such as by saying “Whoever has blue eyes” or “Whoever is wearing a red shirt”. Those who possess the announced feature cross to the other side without being caught.
– When the spider catches a person, they swap roles.
– Form two rows of spiders.
5. North wind and south wind
- Type: Group game
- Material: Bibs or balls
- Game description:
The people who chase the rest of the group carry a bib or a ball and play the role of North Wind. When they catch a person, they turn them into an ice statue and they must stay still where they are.
The people who make up the South Wind group, identified with a different-coloured bib or ball, are in charge of thawing the ice statues by high-fiving them.
The North Wind cannot freeze the South Wind. - Variations:
– People who participate as the North Wind can freeze those who act as the South Wind.
– People who participate as the North Wind can freeze those who act as the South Wind. When they are caught, they must slowly count to five to thaw out and continue saving ice statues. - Observations:
Observe the dynamics of the game carefully to identify the most appropriate moment to change the people who play the role of the North and South Wind. Think about the appropriate number of people to chase and save so that the game is dynamic and get everyone to participate in it actively. For example, for a group of 20 people, it may be appropriate for four people to chase and three to save.
6. Shelters
- Type: Group game
- Material: Bibs and hoops
- Game description:
Various hoops are distributed throughout the field of play to act as shelters. There are people who chase the other participants and must catch them. To avoid being caught, people can enter shelters whenever they wish. However, they need the help a partner to get out of them: they must give them their hand to help them to get out. - Variations:
– The person who is in the shelter can leave when they are helped by at least two people at a time.
– Before the game ends, all participants will have had to help a minimum number of people out. - Observations:
If the hoops slide around the ground, place them on the edge of the field, avoiding the central areas where there is more movement.
