Songs and Games
Songs and Games

Quiet Games

Back to Back
Divide girls into pairs and have them sit back to back. One girl describes an object while the other girl tries to draw it, based on what she is being told. Another variation would be to allow the girl drawing to ask questions about the object. Some ideas for objects: acorn, bone, oddly shaped rock, gumballs, seed pod, etc. VARIATION: Gather items found on the ground such as rocks, sticks, or leaves. Pair the girls up and have them stand back to back. Give one girl an item and have them describe it to their partner. The partner guesses what the items are.
Blind Hike
Blindfold the girls or have them close their eyes. Have them form a line, holding hands. Lead them on a hike. They cannot talk while hiking, but they can find other ways to communicate if they need to step over something or around something. Have them listen to things they would not hear if they were talking.
Cloud Pictures
Have the girls lie quietly on their backs and watch the clouds go by. See what the girls see in the clouds.
Color Swatches
Cut small square of construction paper and hook them together. Give each girl a set of color swatches to use during a walk. They should try to find something in nature to match the colors. After the walk, talk about what each person found for the different colors. You can also use paint chips from your local paint or hardware store.
Relaxation
Have the girls relax like a rag doll. Start by rolling the head back and forth, next roll the shoulders, shake out each arm gently making the arms and fingers loose, sway the torso back and forth as if in a gentle breeze, have the girls slowly move to sitting position, shake out each leg gently till the legs and feet are relaxed Slowly lay back, close your eyes and listen to the sounds around you as you relax.
The Spirit of the Season
Each season has a different "feel". To capture the spirit of the season, go to your favorite outdoor place with a sheet of paper and pencil. Make yourself comfortable and then close your eyes and listen. Now look around. How do your surroundings feel and smell? Write down words as they come to mind. Now cut the words up and arrange them to make sense, adding linking words to make a poem of the spirit of the season.
Tell a Story
One person gets in front of the group and tells a story in pantomime. For example, walk through a swamp, then walk through hot sand without the shoes.
Tell a Tall Tale
What's the wildest story you can think of? Choose a player to start the first line of a story. For example, "Once upon a time, there were three pink monkeys riding in a taxi." The next person adds to the nutty story, making it even more bizarre. Give everyone a chance to add to the story.