Tiger
Quebec City
goldtiger@videotron.ca
The Beetle Game
This is an active game that can be played anywhere, by anybody.
Each "team" chooses a table to sit at. One person at
each table will be staying at the table throughout the game. The
rest of the team will be moving from table to table after each
win. Each table has one dice, scrap paper, pen or pencil that
works, and a diagram of a "beetle" . (I use scrap
cardboard from cereal boxes and laminate). The beetle is a large
oval abdomen, smaller head, feelers/antennae, two eyes, four
legs, and a tail. Each body part has a number from 1-6, just like
the dice has numbers 1-6. The abdomen is 6, head is 5, tail is 4,
legs are 3, antennae are 2, and eyes are 1. Number all the parts
clearly on the body, although as the girls get experience with
the game, they remember quite well without looking.
Each team is playing simultaneously (at the same time!). The one
person at each table that stays (Beetleguise) is the one that
draws the parts on the paper. Each team member at the table take
turns rolling the dice. You have to be quick because the first
team to complete the picture first, hollers "BEETLE",
play stops and the teams move to the next table in a round-robin
fashion. The rules are much like a cross between parcheesi and
hangman. The dice is rolled, and you need a 6 to start. Makes
sense, body first. As soon as a six is rolled, Beetleguise will
quickly draw a body on the paper, while the other members
frantically continue rolling the dice to get a five. Once the
head is on, then it doesn't matter which numbers come next, as
long as you get 4-3's, 2-2's, and 2-1's. Again, once the body is
completed, holler 'BEETLE" and play stops. Players move to
the next table and on a signal, play resumes again. You can
either keep score and award applause to the team that had
"BEETLE" the most times, or you can use this game at
tuck-time at camp and hand out little treats. Just make sure
everybody gets something!!
I find this game can be quite crazy and noisy (my favourite) as
the girls get older, but it is also wonderful to use larger dice
for 5 & 6 year olds to help them with numbers. Of course,
they won't play as fast. Adults also get nutzoid on occassion.
Try it, you'll like it.
Yahoo for games!!