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Posted by on Apr 14, 2016 in Games for Large Groups, Games for Small Groups | 0 comments

I Spy: The Workout

I Spy: The Workout

Another simple childhood game that can mutate into a nasty workout…

Players: 2+

Equipment: None!

Game: Remember playing this game as a youngster?  This version is actually a combination of I Spy and 20 Questions: the general concept is you have a chooser (the trainer) who thinks of a physical object that is visible to everyone, and then the guessers ask “yes” or “no” questions to try to determine what object the chooser was thinking of.  The fitness twist is that players must “pay” for each question with exercises that increase in number each question.  I like to play this as a group where it is everyone vs me.  Here’s how it might go:

Trainer: OK, gang, I’ve got my object in mind.  Let’s begin!

Client #1: Is it alive?

Trainer: No.  Everyone do 1 burpee.

Client #2: Is it made of wood?

Trainer: Yes.  Everyone do 2 burpees.

Client #3: Is it that tree over there?

Trainer: No.  Everyone do 3 burpees.

and so on…

This continues until they guess what object you were thinking of.  As you see, this can escalate quickly to a lot of reps!

 

Full-body exercises work best.  I like to do this as a warm-up game with an exercise like jumping jacks, and as a finisher game with burpees.  The length of the game is dependent on how well the trainer chooses an object and how well the players guess.  They will talk among themselves and strategize.

Pro-Tip: Every time a new question is asked, that “round” is finished.  The reps don’t “stack” onto the next question for each person.

Pro-Tip #2: Put a time limit on the game and make the group “beat you” within that time (or else!)

Variations: 

  • Teams: Split the class into 2 teams, have each team think of an object, and have the 2 teams compete to guess the other team’s object.  They will trade questions each roud until one team successfully guesses the other team’s object. It helps if the teams each choose a representative to ask and answer the questions.

 

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