Eyes on the prize
You’ll need
- Pens or pencils
- Scrap paper
- Boxes or bags
- Large items that are easy to recognise
Before you begin
- Gather some large items that will be easy to see when thrown between two people
You could use items from around the room or bring items from home. Think about items that will be simple to recognise, like a teddy bear or a ball. If you like, you could use themed items, such as kitchen or camping things.
- Place all of the items into one of the boxes or bags.
Play the game
- Everyone should split into teams; each team should go to a different corner of the room.
- The two people leading the activity should stand a short distance apart in the middle of the room. One should hold the box or bag of items and the other should hold the empty bag or box.
- The person with the items should throw an item from their box or bag to the person with the empty bag or box. They should catch it, hold it up for a moment, then put the item into their empty box or bag.
- The people leading the activity should repeat step three until all of the items have been passed to the other box or bag.
- The people leading the game should give each team pens and paper.
- Each team should try to remember as many of the items as they can. They should write or draw them on the paper.
- The people leading the game should unpack the items and see which team remembered the most.
Reflection
This game was all about working as a team to solve a problem. What tricks did everyone use to help remember each item (for example, making a mental note of the first letter of its name)? Did one team work out the best way to memorise the items as they were thrown: did each player focus on a certain item or did everyone try to remember as many as they could? Was anyone able to help their teammates remember items that they had forgotten? How did they do it? What would everyone do differently if they were to play again?
Safety
All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.
- Active games
The 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. Take a look at our guidance on running active games safely.
Adding or taking away items from the bag or box changes the difficulty level. Different-coloured items could be used and items could be removed from the game completely to challenge the teams. Having a time limit to remember the items is a great way to test each team’s skills.
If the game is too hard, try the classic version of ‘Kim’s Game.’ Put the items on a table and let the teams look. Cover the items with a sheet and remove one when no one is looking. Remove the sheet and see which team can spot the missing item.
Players who have difficulty identifying the items by sight should be allowed to use their other senses to explore the items before they are hidden. You could choose items that make different sounds or have different textures.
All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.
This activity could be used to introduce the Disability Awareness Activity Badge. Repeat the game five times with a small selection of different items, and invite teams to identify items by sight, then by taste, touch, smell and by listening. After, discuss which versions of the game were easiest, which were the hardest and why.
Everyone could help choose the items (or a theme) for the game.