This is a quick paced, circle game where students have to pay attention and be ready.
Duck
11+ Players
Grades 1-5
Balls
5-10 Minutes
Goal
The goal of Duck is to touch the ground before the other participant by being quicker and paying attention.
Before You Start
Demonstrate safe ball throwing, especially if playing indoors. Throw underhand with an emphasis on keeping your hands ready to receive the ball, and trying to make eye contact with the person you are throwing it to.
Set Up
Players circle up with enough room to throw and catch a ball.
How to Play
- One player starts with the ball and says “Duck” to begin the game.
- The player throws the ball to anyone standing in the circle, except for the two individuals directly adjacent to them.
- Once someone else catches the ball, the two people standing on either side of them try to touch the floor before the other person.
- The player who touches the ball first stands back up and stays in the game.
- The player who touches the ground last sits down. This makes it harder for those players who are still playing and they must pay attention to those who are still standing.
- If players touch the ground at the same time they play a round of Rock, Paper, Scissors to decide who “won”
- After a player sits down, the person with the ball says “Duck” and passes it to someone else.
- Play continues in this way until there are only two players left standing.
- The last two players stand back to back and a facilitator counts down from 5 with players taking a step away from each other with each number. Whenever the facilitator wants, they yell “DUCK” and whoever touches the ground first, wins!
Variations
- Have the player that “lost” give themselves 3 positive affirmations, do 3 jumping jacks, go touch a wall, etc but they can come back in the game.
- Play for a certain amount of time rather than until 1 player wins.