Energy release Game

1. Red, White, and Blue Tag

Who doesn’t love a good game of tag? Here’s an easy “patriotic” variation. Secretly give each boy a red, white, or blue token. Depending on the group size, have multiple taggers. This is always a better decision as there doesn’t need to be one “it”. Then the rule is simple, the boys simply run around and tag each other. When one of them gets tagged, he will have to give his token to the tagger. Once a tagger has collected all three colors, he’s won the game!

2. Minuteman Run

All players form a circle and hold hands. One of the boys stands inside the circle. He walks around the circle, tapping each player’s hands as he says this rhyme “Red, white, blue, out goes you!” The two persons he taps on the word, “You”, drop hands and race around the circle in opposite directions. The chosen scout steps into one of the empty places while the two runners race around the circle trying to get back to the remaining empty spot. The last one to get back to the other empty place becomes the chosen player and the games starts again.

3. Ring Toss

You can play this game as individuals or on teams depending on how many scouts are playing. use an American flag as your ring toss targets. Simply push the stick hard into the ground to secure it. You can usually find red and blue hula hoops at the dollar store you can also build them if you prefer. It is possible to cover the hula hoops with red, white or blue tape to make them more patriotic. Each boy takes a turn tossing the hoops toward the targets. The leader counts to the total number of successful attempts and the team / individual with the most wins the game. To make it more challenging you may want to increase the distance for tossing after each round.

4. British vs Colonist

This is another variation of a tag game which requires a large playing field (30′ x 30′). Divide the boys into two equal teams, the British and the Colonists each of them standing on one end of the playing field. The Colonists will then attempt to cross the playing field to reach safety just past the British starting line without being tagged by the British. Any tagged player is out of the game and should exit the playing area. To add complexity, the leader can decide if the British will attack by land or by sea. If the attack if by land, they must gallop like horse while if it by sea they must rock from side to side like a ship. British players who do not follow this rule are also out of the game. Once all Colonists are either out of the game or in the safe zone past the British line, the turn ends and the team reverse roles.

5. Ring the Liberty Bell

Make a ring out of a wire coat hanger, leaving the hook at the top. Attach a small bell to this hook so it hangs inside the ring. Hang the device at a tree branch. Boys take turns trying to throw a ball through the hoop five times. Distance needs to be set depending on the required difficulty. The score depends on the accuracy. For example, 5 points for ringing the bell; 3 points for going through hoop without ringing the bell; 1 point for hitting the hoop but not going though; 0 points for missing the target.

6. Kick the Can

This game combines tag with hide and seek so it’s usually a big success. Divide the group in 2 (hiders and seekers). Usually there are only a few seekers and the rest of the group are hiders. All seekers form a circle. Select one of them to guard a can placed in the middle of the circle. Then they close their eyes while the others hide. After a few minutes, they go and try to find them. Once found, the hiders make a run for it to avoid being tagged. If tagged, then the players are out. If one of them can make it to the can without being tagged, then all tagged players are untagged and the hiders win. If all hiders are discovered without being able to kick the can, then the seekers win. You can make this game more patriotic by decorating the can red white and blue first.

Quiet Games

7. Light Side vs Dark Side

One or Two Scouts demonstrated skills that they have learnt. Sometimes they do thing correctly and some others incorrectly. Thumbs up (or the Light Side patriotic emojis) when the skill was done correctly and thumbs down (or the Dark Side patriotic emojis) when it was done wrongly. If the Cub Scouts held up a Dark Side character, they had to explain what was wrong.

8. What State am I in?

All boys form a circle. One scout leaves the circle while group decides which state they want to be. When the boy returns, he has a limited number of question to ask to find out the state name. Then choose another scout to leave the group and have the rest of the scouts choose another state for him to guess.

9. Patriotic colors

Still have all boys sit, or stand in a circle. The first boy names something red, the next names something white, and the next something blue then repeat. Each time someone repeats or cannot think of anything, they are out! The last scout standing wins the game. The leader may want to introduce a count down.

10. Discover America

Place the boys in a circle with the leader in the middle. He should point to one of the boys and ask a question about America. The topics are usually history (Who discovered America?) geography (“what the longest river in America? Which is the largest city on the east coast? The leader starts to count to 10 while looking at the selected boy. To add complexity that boy is not the one who should be answering the question. Rather, the second boy to his right (that rule has to be set) should answer the question. If the correct boy answers correctly, he takes over as leader. If he does not answer before the end of the countdown or if the wrong boy answers, either is out of the game.

11. Map game

For this game, you will need a large map of America and twenty pieces of paper of similar size. Write North on 5 cards, South on 5 cards, East on 5 cards, and West on 5 cards then Shuffle them. Place the boys in a circle around the map. The map must be face down. The first player calls out a state for example Kansas. Then the player to his right picks one of the cards and has to identify a state bordering the called state, in that direction. For example, if he’d picked South, then Oklahoma is the only solution. Any bordering state to the south would be correct. The map will help checking the answers. Now, pass the map to the next player. Count one point for each correct answer and set a limit to reach to win the game.

12. States and Capitals

Create 100 stars: 50 with state names and 50 with capital on one side only. To make the game easier have the state and capital may in 2 different colors. Place all stars face down on the floor. Each boy flips over two cards (1 state and 1 capital if they are in 2 different colors). If the cards match the player keeps the set and takes another turn. If the cards do not form a pair, the player lays both stars back at the same place face down. Then the next player picks a pair of cards. All players must pay attention and try to memorize the position of each card to pick matching pair. When all states and capitals have been matched, the player with the most pairs wins. If one of the boy picks the right state and capital but fails to recognize it, then other scouts should not point it out. 

13. American Heritage 

Find pictures of famous constructions, symbols or people and tape each one onto a piece of paper. (Example: White House, Statue of Liberty, Uncle Sam, President Obama. Eagle, plus some harder ones like your state Governor.) Number each picture and then hang them on the wall. Give each boy a paper and pencil and have them list numbers down the side. Set a time limit, and ask the boys to circulate, looking at the pictures and writing down the name. The winner is the boy who has the most written down correctly at the end of the time period. Heads of Government This game is somehow very similar to the American Heritage game. Find pictures of government officials. Number each picture and then hang them on the wall. Have the scouts match up the correct name with the correct official. The winner is the boy who has the most written down correctly at the end of the time period.

14. Citizen Duty or right

This is a short quiz about American Citizen Duties and Rights. Each boy should Complete each statement by inserting the word “Duty” or “Right” in the blank. The boys getting the best score win. Answers: 1. Duty, 2. Right, 3. Duty, 4. Duty, 5. Right, 6. Right, 7. Duty, 8. Right, 9. Right, 10. Duty, 11. Duty, 12. Right, 13. Duty, 14. Right, 15. Duty

Check quiz below (can be printed separately without the answers)

American Citizen Duties and Rights Quiz

1. The________ to obey all laws.

2. The________ to equal protection of laws and equal justice in the courts.

3. The________ to respect the rights of others.

4. The________ to inform yourself on issues of government.

5. The________ to be free of arbitrary search and seizure.

6. The________ to equal education and economic opportunity.

7. The________ to serve on a jury if called.

8. The________ to vote.

9. The________ to own property.

10. The________ to vote in elections.

11. The________ to serve and defend your country.

12. The________ to free speech, press, and assembly.

13. The________ to assist agencies of law enforcement.

14. The________ to a lawyer of your choice and a prompt trial if accused of a crime.

15. The________ to practice and teach the principle of good citizenship in your home.

Team Challenge Games

15. Patriotic scavenger hunt

You can play this game as individuals or on teams depending on how many scouts are playing. The objective is to find as many items that are red, white or blue in a set amount of time and in a set perimeter and to write them down on a sheet of paper or more difficult to memorize them. The team that finds the most objects wins the game!

16. 50 Stars

Divide the group into equal teams. It can be two or more. Place an empty bowl for each team on a table. On a second table lay 50 paper stars of about 2 inches in diameter on another set of bowls. Give each player his own straw.On the signal, the first player on each team, runs forward and picks up one or more stars, with one breath, by sucking on the straw. He then carries ‘the stars to the second empty bowl and drops them in. no hands are allowed. Once this is done, the player runs to the next person in line in his team and goes to the end of the line. The first team to have all 50 stars in the bowl is the winner.

17. Citizen Test

Two teams face each other with a wide space between them. The leader asks questions of each team, one at a time. Ask about the Declaration of Independence, the Star Spangled Banner, national parks/treasures, states, your state government, the President, Vice President etc. A correct answer entitles the player to take one step forward. An incorrect answer passes the question to the other team. The team to cross the other team’s starting line wins the game.

18. Capture the American flag 

This is another variation of a tag game which requires a large playing field (30′ x 30′). Divide the boys into two equal teams One team must capture the other team’s American flag and bring it back to their own territory. If one of the boys is tagged on by an opposing team member on the way, he will have to go to jail (a patch of the field you’re playing on). Players can only get out of jail if their own team-member tags them. The game stops once an entire team is tagged or the flag is captured. 19. American Flag For this game you will need for each team one set comprising of stripes, background, field of stars, name of flag and year of flag. Divide all players into teams of four scouts. Each team will have to complete one flag. First Scout from each team runs to his pile of flag items, grabs a stripe background and a push pin and pins it to the corkboard. Then he runs back and touches off the second Scout who pins up a star field piece which matches the stripe background. Next scout matches the appropriate flag name and fourth scout pins up the year of the flag. The first team to finish the flag wins the game.