TEAM
BUILDING
WITH POOL
NOODLES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
GO CAMP PRO
Battlestar Galactica
Group Size…
10-20
Supplies…
20 half fun noodles of a 4 or 5 different colors each
Cones or a rope to mark boundaries
4 or 5 blind folds
Setup…
Split the group in to teams of 3 or 5
Give each team a blind fold
Cone off a playing area about 30’ by 30’
Throw half pool noodles randomly in playing area
Origin…
We found this game at Camp Stella Maris. Other places may call this game
different things, but at CSM they call it Battlestar Galactica.
Game Play…
Each team will have one robot. The robot is the only member of the team
that can enter the playing area. The robot is blindfolded. The objective of
the game is to be the last remaining active robot. Once all robots are
blindfolded and in the playing area announce a color of pool noodle. If a
robot is hit with a pool noodle of that color by another robot they are
deactivated and must leave the playing area. The last remaining active
robot’s team wins that round. Repeat with new robots.
Level 1
All non-robot team members outside the circle can look in to the playing
area and speak to help guide
the robot to victory.
Level 2
Only one non-robot member
of each team can look in to
the playing area. This team
member can see the area,
but can not speak. All other
non-robot team members
must face away from the
playing area but they can
speak. The seer must
communicate without
speaking to the speakers who
communicate by speaking,
but not seeing, to the robot.
The robot remains blindfolded
for all levels. Fish of Power
Group Size…
10-100
Supplies…
Enough half pool noodles for each player to have one
Markers for bases and respawn locations
3 flags (at Vanderkamp they used plastic fish, hence Fish of Power)
Setup…
Give each player a noodle
Split the team in half
Mark off two bases and two respawn locations
Place a flag in each base and one in the center of the playing area
Origin…
We found this Capture the Flag/Sword variant at Vanderkamp Center
Game Play…
The objective of this game is to be the first team to have all 3 flags in your
base at once.
While playing if you are hit in a limb with another players noodle (sword)
you lose that limb. Losing an arm means just holding it behind your back.
Losing a leg means either hopping on the other leg, dragging the leg, or
falling to your knees. If hit in any two limbs or the torso you must respawn.
To respawn you just run to your respawn zone and count to 5. Please don’t
hit anyone in the head or attempt to hurt anyone.
You may engage in
these battles with any
RESPAWN
member of the other
team and hit them with
your noodle or be hit by
their noodle at any time
and anywhere in the
playing area.
If you pick up a flag you
BASE
BASE
must immediately begin
traveling back to your
base. If you need to
respawn while carrying
a flag you must
immediately drop the
flag. If you lose only an
arm while carrying a flag
you can choose to drop
RESPAWN
your sword or the flag. Team Sword Bacon
Group Size…
20-100
Supplies…
Enough half pool noodles for each player to have one
Cones for each team
1 flag
Setup…
Give each player a noodle
Split the group in teams of 5-10 (game seems to work best with 4-8 teams)
Make a playing area with each team has a cone about the size of half a
football field
Place a flag in the center
Origin…
We developed this game at Vanderkamp after developing Team Sponge
Bacon at YMCA Camp Seymour after playing Steal the Bacon growing up.
All our games are just an evolution of ideas and mechanics.
Game Play…
The objective of this game is to be the first team to retrieve the flag and
bring it back to your cone. The facilitator will choose which two teams will
enter the playing area at a time.
While playing if you are hit in a limb with another players noodle (sword)
you lose that limb. Losing an arm means just holding it behind your back.
Losing a leg means either hopping on the other leg, dragging the leg, or
falling to your knees. If hit in any two limbs or the torso you must lie down
where you are. You are out.
You may engage in these
battles with any member of the
other team and hit them with
your noodle or be hit by their
noodle at any time and
anywhere in the playing area.
If you lose an arm while carrying
the flag you must choose to
drop the flag or your sword. If
you get out while carrying the
flag you must drop the flag
immediately.
*Some simple mechanical
twists. Have more than 2 teams
go at a time. Have multiple
flags. Add water and sponges as
another way to get people out. Bat and Fly
Group Size…
8-20
Supplies…
1 half pool noodle
1 blind fold
Setup…
Choose the first bat and first fly
Give the bat the noodle and blind fold them
Make a circle with the other players, the trees, about arms length apart.
Choose bat and fly noises
Origin…
We played this game for the first time at Camp Stella Maris. It is basically
Marco Polo on land.
Game Play…
The objective of the bat is to hit the fly with the fun noodle. The objective of
the fly is to stay way as long as possible. If the bat makes a specific noise
the fly must answer back with their specific noise. If either the bat or the fly
comes near the trees, the players forming the circle, the trees near the bat
or fly whisper, “tree tree tree tree” until the bat or fly move away. If a round
seems to go on for too long have the trees take a step in making the circle
smaller and easier for the bat to catch the fly.
Name Bop
Group Size…
6-15
Supplies…
1 pool noodle
Setup…
Sit in a circle
One person stands in the center with the
noodle, the bopper
Origin…
We played this name game for the first time at Camp Stella Maris.
Game Play…
The objective of this game for bopper is to get out of the center of the
circle. The objective for the other players is to keep the bopper in the center
as long as possible. The players in the circle start by one person saying
another person’s name. The bopper tries to bop the person whose name
was said before they can say another person’s name. The round ends
when the bopper successfully bops some one with their noodle after their
name was said but before they can say another name. Then the bopper
and the last person bopped switch places and another round begins.