Cookie Jar Scramble

  1. Ball Games

  • Large Group (10 and up)

  • Grades 1-2

  • Balls

  • Less Than 10 minutes

Development Goal

To develop cooperation and teamwork.

Before You Start

  • Start with the players (cookies) in a line on one end of the rectangle and designate one or more cookie monsters.
  • Have everyone repeat key rules and point out the boundaries.
  • Review safety rules.
  • Only aim below the waist.

Set Up

Cone out a large rectangular field and scatter dodgeballs randomly around the inside of the rectangle.

How to Play

  • On your signal, cookies have 10 seconds to run from one end to the other, staying within the boundaries.
  • The cookie monster attempts to lightly hit the cookies with dodgeballs.
  • Cookie monsters must throw the ball, (they cannot tag cookies with their hands or with a ball in hand).
  • The cookie monster is free to run if s/he is not holding any balls. If s/he is holding a ball, s/he may only pivot on one foot.
  • The cookie monster may not pass or roll the ball to him/herself as a method of transportation. This is why it’s a good idea to scatter the balls ahead of time.
  • If there is more than one cookie monster, they may pass the ball to one another, as long as they only move when they are not holding a ball.
  • Cookies are not allowed to touch a ball lying on the ground.
  • Those pegged by a ball become cookie monsters in the next round.
  • Play continues until you want the game to start over or when all the cookies have been turned into cookie monsters.

Variations

If there are more cookie monsters than dodgeballs, then those without balls are floaters who should run to where the cookies are, and call for a ball to be passed to them. Most kids will not figure this out on their own, so be sure to point that out to them so they do not feel like they are out once they become a cookie monster.