"High Noon Water Draw" was invented when staff needed to cool kids down on a hot day and had very little time to think of something. It has become a favorite!
This is a group kids' game best played on hot, sunny summer days. Setup is easy. All you really need is two kids and two cups of water!
What You'll Need
- Kids (at least two)
- Bucket of Water, the larger the better
- Plastic Cups
- Grass Field
- Some way to mark a circle on the field, such as chalk or traffic cones
- Pad and pencil (optional)
How To Play
- Mark off a circle about 20 feet in diameter in a grassy field. You can use anything to mark off the edges including chalk, traffic cones, or kids who are sitting waiting for their turn.
- Two kids go into the center of the circle. A staff member or adult gives each a cup of water, then tells them to “Go!”
- Kids try to splash one another with the water. Whoever splashes more on the other kid wins. Both kids must stay within the circle. Staff or adult is the judge of who has won.
- Repeat until all kids are soaked and happy!
There Are Three Ways To Play (At Least)
- King of the Mountain: The kid who wins stays in the circle until another one defeats him/her, then may get back in line.
- Tournament: Figure out how many kids want to play, then pair them up. Let them into the circle tournament-style, writing down the winners. At the end, one will win! Try two-out-of-three with bigger cups for the championship.
- Challenge: Kids make up their own groups of two and get in line. Beware: they also like to challenge staff!
Tips, Hints and Suggestions
- Extra Rules: No contact: you cannot touch your opponent or his/her cup. Shake hands before and after each match. Kids must not throw their cup.
- If any rule is broken, the offender gets a cup of water poured on his/her head by the other kid or by staff. He/she may not move but must stoically bear the dousing. Be sure to demonstrate this on a rookie staff member, several times if necessary.
- Often there will be a “tie:” two kids that get each other equally wet, or both miss entirely. Break ties by re-doing the round immediately.
- High Noon is an effective conflict management tool for kids. Seriously. If two kids are squabbling on a hot day, give them each a cup of water and let them formally compete. By the time they're done getting wet, they'll have forgotten why they were fighting in the first place.
- Keep larger “staff cups” handy for special challenges, finals rounds, etc. Give them out whenever it'll be funny to do so.
- The field can get slippery after a while, so keep your eyes open for unsafe conditions and move the game if necessary.
- This game can be set up and initiated very quickly, making it a good option to fill 15 minutes on a hot day.
"High Noon" is a great game for those hot, endless summer days. Kids love water games, and with a little bit of supervision, they'll have a great time!
Other Great Hot Day Summer Camp Games
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The copyright of the article High Noon Summer Camp Water Game in Kids Games is owned by Christopher Minster. Permission to republish High Noon Summer Camp Water Game in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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