{"alias":"blogEntry","byline":"Nicola Hilliard, Creative Content Producer","standfirst":"Sometimes it can be hard to think on your feet of quick games to help fill spare time. So, we\u2019ve put together our favourite circle games for you to keep in your back pocket.","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EThey\u2019ll help to make sure you\u2019ve got that extra five minutes covered, whether at the end of a session in the playground, while waiting for everyone to join in your meeting place or before the next activity on camp.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u2019re looking for some more activities, games and ideas, check out our \u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.scouts.org.uk/activities\u0022\u003EScouts Activity\u003C/a\u003E finder.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOr, if you\u2019re wanting some games to burn off lots of energy, take a peek at our \u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2022/october/10-minute-fillers-fun-games-to-play-during-any-extra-time-in-scouts/\u0022\u003Efavourite ten-minute fillers\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/20438/a-group-of-beaver-scout-sat-on-grass-outside-and-playing-broken-telephonemin.jpg","width":7000,"height":4667,"altText":"Two Beavers sitting in a circle are whispering to each other while playing broken telephone","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"accordion","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","showExpand":false,"items":[{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EOne person is going to be the detective. Once chosen, the detective should leave the circle and turn their back to the group. Make sure they can\u0027t see or hear what\u2019s happening in the circle. The detective role could be played in pairs if people don\u2019t want to take part alone.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe person leading the came should now silently choose someone to be the murder, such as by pointing at them or by hovering their hand over a player\u2019s head.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen ready, the detective should be called back to the circle and stand in the middle. They need to try and figure out who the murderer is by looking out for who might be winking. Meanwhile the murderer will \u0027kill\u0027 people off by winking at them, without the detective catching them.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf a player is killed, they should die (dramatically if they want to!) and then sit or lie down in the circle.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe detective only has three chances to guess correctly who the murderer is. At the end, the murderer can become the next detective and the game starts again.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMake sure any actions are things everyone can do. If winking may be difficult, you could change it to sticking your tongue out at someone.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E","label":"1. Wink murder"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EEveryone should stand in a circle with an adult volunteer or young leader in the middle.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe person who\u2019s leading should spin round and shout \u2018splat!\u2019, while pointing to one person, chosen at random. The person who\u2019s been pointed at should duck down.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe two people either side of the person ducking should point at each other and shout \u2018splat!\u2019 as fast as they can. The last person to shout \u2018splat!\u2019 is out and should sit down.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERepeat this process and keep the game moving along quickly to test reflexes.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf a different person to those either side of the person ducking also shouts \u2018splat!\u2019, or the person pointed at doesn\u2019t duck down, they\u2019re out and must sit down too.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe game continues until there are two players left. The two players should stand back-to-back. When the person leading the games signals, they should slowly walk away from each other.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen the person leading shouts \u2018splat!\u2019, the two players must turn and shout \u2018splat!\u2019 at each other. The first to shout is the winner.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EClearly point at the person who needs to duck, as well as shouting \u2018splat!\u2019, to\u0026nbsp;make the game accessible to everyone.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E","label":"2. Splat!"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EEveryone should create a circle, with their feet touching, but their legs open so that a ball can roll through. They should lean over slightly, so they can defend the gap between their legs using their arms.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESomeone should throw a ball into the circle. Everyone passes the ball to each other by rolling it with their trunks (hands) and the aim is to get the ball through each other\u2019s legs.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf the ball goes through someone\u2019s legs, they need to go and get it and bring it back to the circle. They then need to put one arm behind their back, leaving only one arm to hit the ball.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf the ball goes through their legs again, they need to turn around and can use both arms again, but they will now be facing backwards.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf the ball goes through again, they put their arm behind their back again.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf they do it again, they\u2019re out and the circle needs to get smaller, until it\u2019s the last person standing.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo make it harder, add in another ball.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"3. Elephant ball"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EOne person is going to be the detective. Once chosen, the detective should leave the circle and turn their back to the group. Make sure they can\u0027t see or hear what\u2019s happening in the circle. The detective role could be played in pairs if people don\u2019t want to take part alone.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAn adult volunteer or young leader should point silently to one person in the circle who\u2019ll be the rhythm master.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe rhythm master begins to sound a rhythm by clapping their hands, patting their knees or shoulders, stomping their feet and so on.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEveryone in the circle must do the same and copy the pattern. They should make sure to keep up if it changes, as the rhythm master should keep changing the action.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAsk the detective to come back to the circle and stand in the middle as the group continues to make their rhythm. The detective gets three chances to guess who the rhythm master is.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERemind everyone that they should try not to stare at the rhythm master because they\u2019ll give away their identity to the detective. They could deliberately look at someone other than the rhythm master.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou could play this game in a quiet environment, by removing any noises. The actions need only be facial movements, or moving/waving arms or leg movements.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"4. Rhythm master"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003ESomeone should stand in the middle of the circle. They should the ball back and forth between themselves and the surrounding players.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhenever they throw the ball to a player, they must say \u2018drop it\u2019 or \u2018catch it\u2019. \u003Cstrong\u003EWhen the player receives instructions, they must do the opposite.\u00A0\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor example, players must catch the ball if the centre player says \u2018drop it\u2019 and drop the ball if the person in the middle says \u2018catch it\u2019.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf someone gets it wrong, they\u2019re out and need to sit down. Keep going until there\u2019s only one person left, who can be declared the winner!\u003C/p\u003E","label":"5. Drop it, catch it!"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EEveryone should stand in a circle. Make sure there\u2019s lots of space on the outside of the circle for people to run around.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor this game, everyone will need to remember where they were stood. You could use floor dots, chalk, masking tape or cones to mark everyone\u2019s space.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EChoose one player to be \u2018it\u2019.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018It\u2019 should move around the outside of the circle and tag a player.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOnce tagged, both players then need to race around the outside of the circle in opposite directions, trying to get back to the empty space first.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe player who gets there last will then be \u2018it\u2019 and the game continues.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf anyone doesn\u2019t like to be touched, \u0027it\u0027 doesn\u2019t have to tap people on the shoulder to name them. They could shout their name when they\u2019re behind them instead.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"6. Circle tag"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EEveryone should stand in a circle and put one hand up, as if they\u2019re about to give someone a \u2018high five\u2019. You may want to remind everyone of each other\u2019s names.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESomeone should stand inside the circle and call out the name of one of the people in the group.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUpon hearing their name, that person should try to call out another name of someone at least two spaces/people away from themselves.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMeanwhile, the person in the middle tries to high-five the hand of the person whose name was called and before they\u2019ve the chance to call another name.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf the person succeeds, the person who got high-fived stands in the middle. The tagger joins the circle, in the space the person was just stood in.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThen the game begins again and the person in the middle calls out someone else\u2019s name and tries to high five them.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf the person calls out someone else\u2019s name in time, the person in the middle has to try to high-five whoever\u2019s name was called out instead. They keep going, until they successfully high five someone who hasn\u2019t had chance to call out another name.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf someone pulls their hand away before it gets slapped, or if they say their own name or the name of the person in the middle, they go into the middle of the circle.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"7. Gimme 5!"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe first player begins by saying, \u2018I went to market and bought a ___,\u2019 adding an item they would buy. For example, \u2018I went to market and bought an apple.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe next player in the circle continues, adding an item of their own. They should say \u2018I went to market and bought [insert the name of the first player\u2019s item] and a [adding a new item purchased].\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor example, \u2018I went to market and bought an apple and a water bottle.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETaking it in turns, each player around the circle continues to add to the list of shopping items. Any player who makes a mistake is out.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EKeep going until there\u2019s only one person left, who can be declared the winner!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf a player has difficulties communicating verbally you could explore doing this activity without speaking \u2013 why not try using actions and remembering the sequences? This game could be played in pairs.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"8. I went to market"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003ESomeone should think of an appropriate message to secretly pass around the circle. When they\u2019re ready, they should whisper the message to the person next to them in the circle.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe whispered message is passed in order from person-to-person, and the last person announces to the group the message they heard. The message may have changed as it\u0027s been passed along, which can be very funny!\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter the first round, choose someone else to select the next message.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo make it more competitive, you could play this in two teams and, with the same message being given for both teams, see who gets the most accurate message down their line.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf a player has difficulties communicating verbally you could explore doing this activity without speaking. You can also play this by passing a sequence of actions, instead of a message. To play this way, everyone should get into two lines, with everyone facing one way. The first person should think of a sequence and tap the next person on the shoulder to turn around when they\u2019re ready. They should pass on the sequence to the second person.\u0026nbsp;The second person should then turn around, tap the third person to tell them to turn around and pass on the sequence of actions, and so on, until the sequence reaches the end of the line.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"9. Broken telephone"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EChoose one person to begin as \u2018it.\u2019 During each round, \u2018it\u2019 should choose a person, fictional character, place or thing. However, they can\u2019t say what the chosen item is to the other players.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEveryone else can take it in turns asking \u2018yes\u2019 or \u2018no\u2019 questions about the item as they attempt to figure out what it might be. However, only a total of only 20 questions may be asked. An adult volunteer or young leader should keep count of the questions asked.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf at any stage of the game a player guesses correctly, play ceases and the winner becomes \u2018it\u2019 for the next round.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf no one can guess the answer after all 20 questions are asked, \u2018it\u2019 reveals the item\u0027s identity, and a new round can begin.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThis game could be played in pairs if people don\u2019t want to take part alone. You could also have some cue cards with suggestions of things to choose for anyone who may need some extra support.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E","label":"10. Twenty questions"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EEveryone should sit in a circle. Everyone needs to think of three statements about themselves: two truths and a lie.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAn adult volunteer or young leader should choose someone to say all three of their statements.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EPeople who struggle with making choices could find all the options a bit overwhelming, so they might need extra support or to work with a young leader/volunteer to be able to choose something.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe rest of the group tries to figure out which one\u2019s the lie. People could write down or vote for their choice. Keep going round the circle until everyone\u2019s had a go.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"11. Two truths and a lie"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EChoose someone in your group to be the \u2018it\u2019. Without telling the group what the object is, \u2018it\u2019 should look around and choose an object that they see.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018It\u2019 should say \u2018I spy with my little eye something beginning with...(the letter the object starts with, for example \u2018T\u2019 for \u2018tree\u2019).\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe rest of the group then need to try to guess what the object is. Once the group identifies the object, the person who makes the correct guess then becomes \u2018it\u2019 for the next round.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis game could be played in pairs if people don\u2019t want to take part alone. You can also make it easier by using colours, such as \u2018I spy with my little eye something that\u2019s blue.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E","label":"12. I spy with my little eye"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EChoose someone be the caller. Everyone else will need to get into a circle and place their hands on the tops of their thighs.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe caller will say one of three things, in no particular order:\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u2018In the pond\u2019 \u2014 everyone puts their hands forwards into the circle (the pond!)\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u2018Out the pond\u2019\u0026nbsp;\u2014 everyone puts their hands in the air above their heads.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u2018On the bank\u2019\u0026nbsp;\u2014 everyone puts their hands on their thighs.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf anyone moves their hands to the wrong place or at the wrong time, then they\u2019re out of the game and must sit on their hands. Keep going until there\u2019s only one person left, who can be declared the winner!\u003C/p\u003E","label":"13. In the pond, out the pond"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe aim of the game is, as a group, to count out loud from one to as high as possible, without any two or more people saying the same number at the same time.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnyone can speak at any time, saying any number of numbers. They numbers need to be said in order from 1 upwards. However, as soon as two people say a number at the same time you must start again.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe only rules are that you can\u2019t go round the circle and take it in turns to say numbers. You also can\u2019t point or gesture at people to indicate who\u2019ll be the next person to speak. How high can you get?\u003C/p\u003E","label":"14. Numbers"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe object of the game is to pretend you\u2019re passing a steaming hot potato in your hands, making sure to let go of it as quickly as possible, so you don\u2019t get burnt. You\u2019ll need a beanbag or ball to be the potato.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStanding in the circle, pass the beanbag or ball around the circle, while music plays in the background. If anyone drops the \u2018hot potato\u2019, they can pick it up and keep playing.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen the music stops, the person holding the \u2018hot potato\u2019 is out. Keep going until there\u2019s only one person left, who can be declared the winner!\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf it\u2019s been dropped when the music stops, the person who missed catching the \u2018hot potato\u2019 is out.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EInstead of playing music and stopping it, everyone can sing a verse of a song together while you play, When the verse ends, the person holding the beanbag or ball is out. We find one rhyme that works well is: \u2018One potato, two potato, three potato, four. Five potato, six potato, seven potato, more!\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExtreme hot potato:\u003C/strong\u003E If you want to make the game harder, people who drop the ball could also be out. If you want to make it even harder, everyone should put one hand behind their back and play one-handed, or everyone can stand on one leg to play. To make it difficult, you can also ask everyone to clasp their hands together and volley the ball, rather than throw and catch it.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPotato soup:\u003C/strong\u003E For another version of this game, tell everyone you want to make potato soup. Place a large hula hoop in the middle, with everyone sitting in a circle around it. Every time someone is out of the game, they become a potato that gets added to the pot of soup, so they must stand or sit in the hoop. Everyone will enjoy squeezing into the soup together when there are a few of them!\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf anyone struggles with fine motor skills, you could use a larger ball. You could also roll it to each other, rather than throwing and catching. However, remember that accuracy isn\u2019t important in this game and people can retrieve ball as needed.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"15. Hot potato"}]},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/20283/a-squirrel-leader-is-in-the-middle-of-a-circle-and-about-to-throw-a-ballmin.jpg","width":7000,"height":4667,"altText":"A volunteer in the middle of a circle about to throw a ball to a Squirrel","caption":"","link":null},{"type":"Promo","cta":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan data-contrast=\u0022none\u0022\u003EAll activities must be safely managed. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan data-contrast=\u0022none\u0022\u003EYou need to complete a \u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/staying-safe-and-safeguarding/risk-assessments/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022Risk assessments\u0022\u003Erisk assessment\u003C/a\u003E\u00A0and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the \u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/staying-safe-and-safeguarding/safe-scouting-cards/staying-safe-safety-checklist/staying-safe-leaders/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022Staying Safe - Leaders\u0022\u003Esafety checklist\u003C/a\u003E to help you plan and risk assess your activity. \u003C/span\u003E\u003Cspan data-contrast=\u0022none\u0022\u003ETake a look at our guidance to help you carry out your\u00A0\u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/staying-safe-and-safeguarding/risk-assessments/\u0022\u003Erisk assessment\u003C/a\u003E, including examples.\u00A0\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan data-contrast=\u0022none\u0022\u003EAlways get approval for the activity and have suitable \u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/staying-safe-and-safeguarding/safety/planning-and-assessing-risk/guidance-for-supervision-of-activities/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022Guidance for supervision of activities\u0022\u003Esupervision\u003C/a\u003E\u00A0and an \u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/running-your-section/intouch/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022InTouch\u0022\u003EInTouch\u003C/a\u003E\u00A0process.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan data-contrast=\u0022none\u0022\u003EMake sure you\u2019ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help if you\u2019re short on helpers. Don\u2019t forget to make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely.\u00A0\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe game area should be free of hazards. Explain the rules of the game clearly and have a clear way to communicate that the game must stop when needed.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMake sure everyone understands what contact is acceptable, and monitor contact throughout the activity, too.\u003C/p\u003E","link":null,"colour":"#ffe627","title":"Staying safe","image":null,"imageFocus":"","imageId":0,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003EMaking the games accessible\u003C/h3\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"accordion","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","showExpand":false,"items":[{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EMake sure there\u2019s a way to include everyone in this game or activity. If anyone doesn\u2019t feel comfortable playing the game or taking part in the activity, give them the opportunity to take on another role instead. Some examples are timing the games, scorekeeping, playing or stopping music, or refereeing.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe games or roles, such as the detective in wink murder, could be played in pairs if people don\u2019t want to take part alone. People could run in pairs in games, such as Circle Tag, too.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ERemember, people who struggle with making choices could find all the options a bit overwhelming, so they might need extra support or to work with a young leader/volunteer to be able to choose something.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Creating roles for everyone"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EFor anyone who may not be able to hear the activities, consider printing them a version on paper that they can read at the same time. You could also provide written instructions electronically to allow use of magnification software. Try to use size 12 font and either \u2018Arial\u2019 or \u2018Nunito Sans\u2019, as this is easier for lots of people to read.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Printed instructions and written communication"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETake time and have patience while telling everyone what to do. Give short instructions clearly and concisely. If you need to, pause, then repeat the same instruction using the same words.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERemember to keep instructions short and precise and be prepared to repeat these. It\u2019s best to break information up into smaller \u0027chunks\u0027, so the person doesn\u2019t feel overwhelmed. You can check for understanding by asking questions, such as \u2018What do you need to do first?\u2019.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou could have a practice round of the game to make sure everyone knows what they\u2019re doing. Let young people help explain to each other what to do, too.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERemember when giving instructions, some people may not look at you or make eye contact. This doesn\u2019t mean they\u0027re not listening. Eye contact can be painful for some people and shouldn\u0027t be forced.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Giving instructions"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EIf a player has difficulties communicating verbally, you could explore doing this activity without speaking. Remember not to speak for a young person but help them to develop their communication. For example, a closed choice can be easier to make than an open question.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf a young person mis-says a sentence, you could repeat it after them in the correct form - this will help them learn for next time and is much more useful than saying what they said is wrong or \u2018correcting\u2019 them.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Verbal communication during a game"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETo select someone, the game leader doesn\u2019t have to tap people on the shoulder to name them, so make sure they know if anyone doesn\u2019t like to be touched.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Touch sensitivity"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPeople can move at their own pace, so you don\u2019t need to make it competitive unless it works for everyone. You could adapt the competitive element so everyone can be involved and without needing to run.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Making it competitive"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAvoid shouting or using whistles. Some people may not understand why you\u0027re shouting and could find this distressing, particularly if they\u0027re hypersensitive to noise.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDuring games, make sure individuals who need to can clearly see the person speaking, as they may find it helpful to read lips or body language.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf it\u2019s too noisy and anyone doesn\u2019t like the noise, the person leading the activity can remind everyone to be quieter. You could provide ear defenders for the person to wear. You could also have a noise level warning system to let everyone know when it gets too loud, allow people to take noise breaks, and shut external doors and windows to help reduce noise.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo take part in a noisy activity, a young person with a hearing impairment might find it more comfortable to turn their hearing aid off. If this is their regular practice, you\u0027ll need to make sure that it\u0027s turned on again afterwards.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou could play some games in a quiet environment by removing any noises. For example, in Rhythm Master, actions need only be facial movements, or moving/waving arms or leg movements. In Broken Telephone, you could pass a sequence of movements down a line, rather than a spoken message.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Managing noise sensitivity and hearing loss"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EMake sure any actions are things everyone can do. If anyone needs support in throwing the balls or beanbags, let them work closely with someone else to help them achieve this.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf anyone struggles with fine motor skills, they could use larger materials. You could swap out the items, such as beanbags, for something easier to handle, such as foam footballs.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA lot of these games can be played sitting or standing, either on the floor or on chairs. Make sure to adapt to whichever way works best for everyone and make sure any actions are things everyone can do.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EChoose an area that\u2019s suitable for all members of your group. You could visit the area early and remove any large or obvious obstacles. Think about the space you\u2019ll be in and the equipment you\u2019re using in advance to make sure it\u2019s accessible to everyone in the group, including wheelchair users.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe equipment and circle should be laid out in a way that\u2019s accessible to everyone, so making sure there\u2019s access for everyone to move round the outside of a circle.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Accessible actions and equipment"}]}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"17 April 2023","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[{"caption":"","title":"Scouts activity finder","url":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/activities","newWindow":true},{"caption":"","title":"Games and activities under 10 minutes","url":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/activities?category=Game\u0026time=up%20to%2010","newWindow":true},{"caption":"","title":"Join Scouts","url":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/groups/","newWindow":true}],"relatedLinks":[{"caption":"","title":"Planning your programme","url":"/volunteers/running-your-section/planning-your-programme/","newWindow":true},{"caption":"","title":"Running your section","url":"/volunteers/running-your-section/","newWindow":true}],"id":76352,"nodeName":"15 quick and easy circle games to help fill time","title":"15 quick and easy circle games to help fill time","type":"blogEntry","image":{"url":"/media/19097/db-20220921-2607-45981min.jpg?cc=0,0.03725584601394317,0,0.11905441753866035\u0026width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1dae19690be8540","caption":"Beaver passing ball to Beaver behind outside in a field","type":"jpg","size":1677667,"width":7000,"height":4667,"altText":"Three Beavers stand in line outside, the front Beaver passes a ball back to the Beaver behind"},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"15 quick and easy circle games to help fill time","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"We\u2019ve put together our favourite circle games for you to use in meetings, on the playground, in the field or on camp.","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC83NjM1MiJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2023/april/15-quick-and-easy-circle-games-to-help-fill-time/"}