Feuerlöschschlacht

Game Overview

Each group lights a fire in their village and then guards it. The enemy fires must be extinguished as much as possible. The group that still has a fire at the end wins.

Duration: approx. 1 hr 15 min

Staffing requirements:
Children: 3–5 groups

Leaders:

• Water station: 2–4 people
• Game leader: (and to hand out ribbons) 1 person

Materials:

• Barrier tape for marking
• Ribbons for tails = lives (caution tape or fabric scraps)
• 1 lighter and newspapers per group
• Container, plastic bags, or balloon for carrying water

Game location:

• Riverbed, forest

Game Instructions

At the start of the game, each group is assigned a village. This is marked with caution tape. Within this village, they are safe from their enemies. In addition, each group receives 2 ribbons (“tails”) per player. Any extra ribbons are stored in the village.

Each group must build a fire in their village using newspaper, a lighter, and the wood they have collected.

Each player then tucks one ribbon into the back of their pants (where it’s clearly visible). This represents their life. If a player from an enemy group takes their ribbon, they are “dead.” This means they can no longer chase other players and must immediately return to their village. If other players in their group have captured ribbons from other groups, they can give one of their ribbons to their “dead” teammate. This brings him back to life, and he rejoins the game. A group’s excess ribbons may be stored in their village.

With the captured ribbons, the group can now go to the water station and buy a

container (balloon, small bag) full of water for about 2 ribbons.

Prices at the water station should be variable. This allows

the game master can control the pace of the game a bit—shortening it with special actions or extending it with price increases.

With the water they’ve purchased, the players can now attack the enemy fires and try to extinguish them. The group must decide for itself how many players to send on a ribbon hunt and how many to leave to guard their own fire. The enemy attacker may not enter the marked village and must throw their water onto the fire from outside. From time to time, new ribbons must be distributed to the groups. However, these may only be used to collect (as lives) and not to purchase water.

If a group’s fire is completely extinguished, they are not allowed to relight it (with a lighter). However, they are allowed to stoke the fire again if it has grown weak. Each group must decide for itself how much wood to collect and how large to keep their fire. Whoever still has a fire in their village at the end wins.

• Content and image: Forum Kind, Issue 10/02, page 27. Water and Fire, Outdoor Games, Physical Activity, Engagement. © Copyright www.forum-kind.ch
• Author: Adrian Eichenberger