GEORGIA 4-H

Recreation Leader

Your job as recreation leader is to help everyone become a part of each 4-H meeting or activity. Your job is to help people have fun.

As your club's Recreation Leader, you will ...

• Make recreation a vital part of every meeting.
• Lead games when asked.
• Help others learn to lead as well as play games.
• Work with other 4-H members and officers in planning programs.
• Help plan parties and other events with other club members.
• Be a real "spark" of enthusiasm and inspiration to others.
• Be prepared at any time with a song, game or stunt.
• Serve as chairman of the recreation committee.

A recreation committee can help more 4-H'ers have an active part in 4-H events and activities. It's also a great way to help younger members feel important. Your committee's involvement will depend on the tradition of the club. Here are tips to help you have a super committee.

• Work with the 4-H Club President and your volunteer leader or county extension agent to select members.
• If your committee will have the opportunity to be really active, include these people:
  • An adult volunteer leader
  • Some older 4-H members
  • Some younger 4-H members
  • Someone who can play the piano
  • Someone who can lead songs
  • Someone who likes to lead games, stunts, skits, etc.
  • Someone who can teach others to make arts and crafts articles
  • If desired, someone who can lead musical games and square dances.
• Possible activities the recreation committee could plan and conduct include:
• Special parties for the year
• Arts and crafts shows
• Musical programs and talent shows
• Work with county recreation leader to plan county-wide recreational activities, dances and games days.

• Show enthusiasm!
• Plan your program so it is appropriate for your club. Remember to use quiet games at school club meetings.
• Keep your head -- planning develops confidence.
• Know your games -- have equipment ready.
• Explain briefly -- demonstrate.
• Speak clearly -- stand where everyone can see you.
• Get attention -- use definite signals for starting and stopping.
• Overlook mistakes -- games are for fun.
• Know when to stop or change games -- stop while everyone is still enjoying.
• Enlist help of others to share responsibility -- involve the committee!!

As you plan recreational activities, be sure to consider these things:

• Facilities (size of room, chairs bolted down or moveable, electrical outlets, lights, etc.)
• Size and age of group
• Sex (boys and girls, all boys, etc.)
• Physical handicaps, if any
• Time schedule
• School or building rules
• Noise level if involving members in recreation on school time

Your "4-H Fun Kit" can play a big part in how well you plan and lead recreation. It can save you time and energy. Your kit will have the equipment and ideas you need so you won't spend time hunting them up.

Start your kit today! Be sure to include an idea file and lots of equipment in your kit. A cardboard box or light-weight travel bag can be a perfect container for your fun kit. You will want the kit to be large enough to be useful but not too large to take to the 4-H activities and meetings. Organize your kit so you can find material easily.

Here are some suggestions for your "4-H Fun Kit."

• Idea File (Your file can be a manilla folder or small file box.): Keep a file of recreation ideas, activities and games you have used and ideas you would like to use. Sources for ideas can be magazines, newspapers, books and extension publications. When you learn a new game or activity, write it on an index card and put it in your file. Be sure to include ideas for:

family activities
picnic activities
musical activities
club recreational activities

• Equipment -- These items can help you be prepared for lots of fun:

Start your kit today. As you lead, direct and take part in other recreational activities, you can add more "fun" ideas.

Guessing Games

Guessing games are good to use as members enter the room. It's fun to award small prizes such as lollipops or 4-H pins, etc. On a large table, have the following, with cards or instructions with each.

1. A glass jar of beans. (How many?)
2. A small ball of cord. (How long?)
3. An orange. (How many seeds?)
4. One-fourth or a newspaper page. (How many words?)
5. A stick. (How long?)
6. A large dictionary. (How many pages?)
7. Part of a deck of cards. (How many?)
8. A can of water. (Quantity?)
9. Photo of a child or animal. (Age?)
10. A block of wood. (How thick?)

Bumpety Bump Bump

One person is "it" in the center of a circle. The circle shouldb be composed of from 20 to 30 people. Each person in the circle must know the name of the person to the left and the right of him. The person who is "it" points to someone in the circle and says, "Right bumpety bump bump" and quickly counts to 10. If the one to whom "it" points does not respond correctly before "it" counts to 10, then he/she is the next person to be "it" and exchanges places with him. The same procedure is used for left bumpety bump bump. (In larger circles or if the game does not seem to be moving fast enough, more than one "it" can be selected.)

Alphabet Introductions

After everyne has been introduced, so some of the names are known, one person who is "it" may go up to any player and say "D" (or any other letter), and count quickly to 10. The one pointed to must name someone in the circle whose name begins with that letter, or the person pointed to becomes "it." Also, he or she must do this before the other member reaches 10. In a large group, it is wise to have at least one "it" for every 10 or 15 people.

Drop the Blanket

This is a great way to get everyone better acquainted. Before starting, make sure visitors are introduced, so everyone has at least heard everyone else's name. Divide into two teams and have each team huddle at opposite ends of the room. Two people (neutral) hold a blanket in a vertical position, fully opened and touching the floor. Each team sends one person to stand 1 foot (12 inches) from his or her side of the blanket. When that person is ready, the blanket is dropped. The first person to say the other person's name correctly captures that person for his/her team. The game continues until only one remains on one of the teams. In case neither knows the other person's name, they are introduced and sent back to their teams.

Alphabet Games

There are many games that can be played using alphabet cards. In groups of 25 or more, an alphabet card can be assigned to each invidual. Then the people can be asked to spell out words. If there are only 10 people in each group, then each group is given a complete set of alphabet cards. The cards can be placed on a chair in front of them. When the leader calls out a word, each individual goes up one at a time, shuffles through the cards to pick out the needed a letter, then stands in line to spell out the word. Be sure the word is spelled correctly from left to right. The inclination is to spell it from right to left, which would be backwards.

Singing Syllables

Small area needed -- group seated -- any number of players. One player (it) is asked to leave the room. Those remaining select a word, such as basketball, and divide it by syllables: bas-ket-ball. The group is divided into three sections, each given on syllable. All three sections now sing their syllable at the same time, using a familiar tune. The player (it) is then asked to return to the room and guess what the word is by walking around the listening to each group. When he or she guesses the correct word, he then selects someone else to be "it."

Be sure to check space and school rules before you use these. They are noisy!

Forehead Balloon Relay

Organize the group into relay teams of couples. The first couple in each team places a balloon between their foreheads. They move to a line 15 feet in front of the teams and return to place. The next couple in line stands opposite, so they can press their foreheads against the balloon before the first couple releases the balloon. The first team finished with all couples participating is the winner.

Give Me

The leader stands in the center of the room and asks to be handed objects when they are called for -- hair pin, blond hair, shoe, belt, 10 cents, etc. Each team should choose a runner and that is the only person who can bring the item to the center. Score points for this. Variation: substitute pictures in magazines.

Fifty-Cent Relay

A balloon, a bean bag, and a 50-cent piece are needed for each team. If the group is large, run members in couples. The man holds a balloon between his knees, a bean bag on his head, a 50-cent piece in one eye, and his hands behind his back. His partner walks along beside him to replace any of the items if they should fall. She may hold them in place while he hobbles along but, if they fall, the progress must stop until they are in place again. Each couple moves to a line 10 to 15 feet away and returns to the starting point. If they group is small, participants run one at a time. The relay is more fun for the watchers than for the performers!

G-OG-03/Reprinted September, 2000

The University of Georgia and Ft. Valley State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and counties of the state cooperating. The Cooperative Extension Service, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences offers educational programs, assistance and materials to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex or disability.
An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Organization Committed to a Diverse Work Force
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating.

Gale A. Buchanan, Dean and Director