Predator vs. Prey
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The Game
One person is the owl (predator) in the center of the clearing. All other players are the mice (prey). The owl closes its eyes, and begins counting to 30. The mice find a place to hide within the boundaries. The mice must be able to see the owl at all times. At the end of the 30 count, the owl may open its eyes, but may not move from the center spot. As the owl sees mice, the owl can point and call out, "I see someone with a blue coat behind that tree!" It should be clear who the owl sees, because the owl will be pointing at the mouse, and the mouse will be looking directly at the owl. Once a mouse is caught, the mouse waits in the "stomach" area. Dead mice cannot help spot live mice for the owl. At some point during the round, the owl will hold up a number of fingers on one hand, from zero to five, and turn around once slowly. The un-caught mice must be able to see the number. At the end of the round, all un-caught mice are called in, and whisper the number to the owl. Mice with correct answers survived the night. |
Additional Expectations
Prey animals must be able to see their predator, because they need to know when it is safe to emerge from their hiding spot. Prey who stay in their hiding spot all the time never find any food for themselves. Each group may play only two rounds of this game, and each round should last no more than 5-6 minutes. Two or three groups can play at the same time, but only for two rounds. If a group arrives to play and there are already 3 groups playing, the fourth group should move on to something else for a while. At least one student leader, teacher, or staff member should refrain from hiding during each round, to watch where the students hide and make sure they don't wander outside the boundaries. Student leaders must remain engaged with the game and their students the entire time, and remember to incorporate the concepts behind the game. |
Additional Resources
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