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Description

On a dark night, 'hide' a whistle with 'Starlite' fishing chemical light in the playing area where its visible from at least 30m away in one direction. Send out the defenders, one minute later send out attackers. Both teams are trying to find the light & whistle. Attackers have woollen 'lives' which they need to have to blow the whistle, Defenders are trying to get the lives and stop attackers blowing the whistle.

Resources

Whistle on a cord or strong (50lb+) nylon monofilament fishing line, 2x* large Starlites with tubes, sharp knife, first aid kit, means of summoning scouts back to base (whistle / car horn), Ball of light coloured natural wool (not acrylic 'wool')

* take 2 Starlites in case one doesn't work, you'll only actually need one for the game. They do 'go off' with age. I am referring to the ones about 3-5cm long, not the big ones the size of a sausage with a hook on the end. There are various models of Starlite, sometimes they come in a pack with some sticky tape, sometimes with a tube, sometimes 2 in a pack. The ones I normally use are the SL-3 ones - 6mm diameter x 50mm long.

Instructions

'Crack' a Starlite, cut the tube to make two short tubes, slide the short tubes onto the whistle's 'lanyard', secure starlight to it with a tube at each end. Easiest if fishing line is used for the 'string'.
Create a number of lives from the ball of wool
Define playing area and any other rules (level of acceptable force, anti-goalhanging restricted area, return to base when whistle is heard etc.)
Split scouts into two evenly-matched teams.
Give one team lives (tie a length of wool around the left bicep with a reef knot)
A leader 'hides' the whistle in the playing area where it can't be seen from the base. The location should be accessible by at least 2 routes, easily retrieved, and be visible from at least 30m away.
Nominate a team to defend the whistle and send them out to find it.
A minute later send the other team out to find and blow it.
Scouts who have lost lives return to base to get a new one and rejoin. Once whistle is blown get all scouts back to base, swap roles, then repeat. Winning team is the one who's cumulative whistle finding time is the shortest. You can use 'lives caught' as a further points winning measure.
Scouts who blow the whistle are given the option to hide it, but then they cannot take part during that round and have to stay with the leaders. One or two leaders normally roam around the play area making sure things are running smoothly.
Tips - this is excellent in woodland up to 300m across, as a whistle hung in a slight crevice on one side of a tree will be invisible unless the observer is on the correct side of the tree. Sometimes the attackers find it before the defenders, that doesn't matter, it was just an easy win. A round may last 5 minutes, or it may last an hour depending on how easily found and defended the whistle is. If the whistle is at the end of a path in bushes it's too easy to defend, you need multiple ways to get to it. Defenders should be kept 15m away from the whistle once found to stop them 'goalhanging'. If the whistle is close to the base people coming back for new lives may need to be 'sinbinned' for a minute or so to slow things down. We play it on a 2 hour scout evening, but you could do a shorter time if everyone knows the rules and playing area. Moonlit nights aren't great unless there's good darkness from woodland canopy.

Tags

• wide game

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