Mouse-Trap Attack
        • 4 Spring loaded mouse traps
        • An endless supply of rolled up paper balls
We will suppose that there are four teams or patrols of six boys. They are spaced at equal distances down the length of the hall. Each team or patrol has it's mouse traps cocked at one side of the hall on the fkoor. At the other side of the hall opposite each group of mouse traps are three attacking boys from each of the other patrols. These attacking boys are armed with rolled up balls of paper. Each patrol is allowed up to three defenders for their mouse traps. These defenders must sit on the floor half way between their mouse traps and the defenders. The attackers must lob the paper balls over the heads of the defenders and set off the mouse traps. The winning patrol is the one that has the last loaded mouse trap.
 

Mouse-Trap Fishing Game
        • 1 Spring loaded mouse trap
        • 3 Bamboo canes
        • 3 Lengths of string
        • Some objects such as plastic bottles to be picked up, for each team.
You will have to bore a hole or fit a screw eye in one end of each mouse trap so that it can be attached to a length of string. Each team stands at one side of the hall and the objects they have to collect such as plastic bottles are on the other side of the river (hall). The only way that they can get the objects, is to lash the three bamboo poles together to form a fishing pole and attach the string with the mouse trap attached to the end. You will have to show the scouts how to cock the mouse traps safely or you may have to do some first aid on bruised fingers.
 

Trader
        • 4 Counters per person (red, blue green and yellow one of each colour.)
When the game starts the boys are given a set time 5 to 10 minutes in which they are allowed to trade. They trade in the following manner. A boy approaches another boy with a counter in his left fist, he does not show the other boy what colour he is holding. If they agree to trade then they give each other a counter taking care that they do not show the colour they are swapping (All trades are final). Any boys who do not wish to trade simply cross their arms, this indicates that they are not open for trading. After the trading period is ended you show the lads the stockmarket chart shown below and get the lads to add up their scores.

Stock Market Chart - Trading Chip Values
    4 Red counters          100 points
    4 Blue counters          80 points
    4 Green counters         60 points
    4 Yellow counters        50 points
    3 of any colour          40 points
    2 of any colour          15 points
    Single Red                1 point
    Single Blue               2 points
    Single Green              4 points
    Single yellow             5 points

After they have added up their scores and you have found out which scouts have the highest scores, collect the counters in and hand out one of each colour again to the scouts. Now play it again with the scouts knowing the values and see the difference in tactics. From time to time you could introduce jokers these are White counters. You place some of these on the table and the boys are told they can take them if they wish. The value of these is unknown until they add up the scores. You then tell them that they either get 10 extra points for each White counter they have or minus 10 for each White counter they hold, much like Bulls and Bears in the stock market.
You can decide if it is going to be a plus or a minus by either tossing a coin or rolling a dice.

Variation:
Alternative points chart
    Red Chip            20 points
    1 Green Chip        30 points
    1 Blue Chip         40 points
    1 Yellow Chip       30 points
    1 White Chip        20 points
    4 Red Chips         90 points
    4 Green Chips       80 points
    4 Blue Chips        50 points
    4 Yellow Chips      60 points
    2 White Chips       50 points
    3 Any Colour        40 points
    2 Any Colour        20 points
 

Trading Post
        • Sell Price list (1 per team + 1 per leader)
        • Buy Price list (1 per team + 1 per leader)
        • Raw materials
        • Paper Currency
At the start of the game, each team is given the same amount of currency. They then have to decide what they are going to buy from you in order to make something to sell back to you for a profit. Most things that you buy back should result in a profit, but you should put in some items that produce no profit or even a loss.
For example the team should buy poles and a blanket to build a simple stretcher or pen, paper and compass to produce a map of the locality, triangular bandage to demonstrate an arm sling.
From experience, the best method to organise leaders is to allocate each leader a different theme such as pioneering, first aid, navigation, etc. These leaders can then award money, or even refuse the item, fairly depending on the quality.

Refinement
Sell some items cheaply for a limited period, or buy back some items more expensively to encourage the teams in some areas.

Refinement
Make the tasks fairly difficult and sell training to the teams. You could ask the PLs to do the training whilst the leaders ran the trading post and the APLs led the teams.

Refinement
Some time back I helped organise a trading post in which we used a computer to act as a bank. The teams started by registering their company and getting a small loan to cover the registration fee and raw materials to start. The loan was charged a high rate of interest and so the teams had to repay it as quickly as possible. To prevent the teams spiralling into debt for ever we did advise them not to ask for too big a loan and we could reduce the amount of interest charged to help some teams catch up. Once the loan was paid off a team could invest the money with the bank and earn a small amount of interest on it.
The theme of running a company really helped the teams stay enthusiastic. Even if you don't have access to a computer you could do the registration and book keeping by hand and advertise a very small amount of interest (which will amount to nothing).

Refinement
From: Tony Felgate; SL. 2nd Horsham, England.
Instead of paper money we have used silver and gold wrapped sweets (silver worth 1 unit and gold worth 5).  At the end of the game the six/pack gets to keep the sweets!
 

The Games Compendium
Brought to you by your friends at Bonaly Scout Campsite
http://www.bonaly.org.uk/