Relaxed on the water games for special needs kids 9-17

duckduckgoose · #1 (**permalink**) 12-28-2009

So I work as a sailing instructor at a camp where the kids can tend to need a lot of assistance. Most of them are on the autism spectrum, but not severely so. Sailing is combined with canoeing as a period. About once a week it can work out that I'm the only instructor around for boating (well, I'm the only sailing instructor anyway

) and there aren't enough boats to bring everyone sailing, or the group of kids wouldn't be competant/confident enough to go out without an instructor in every boat.

We had 2 variations on essentially the one game to do when I was on my own or when the group wouldn't be up to a proper canoeing/sailing lesson (some have coordination problems and a good few have communication problems). We played "Sink the Navy" in canoes (each team has a bucket and tries to fill up the other team's boat without theirs getting filled up with water) and then in paddle boats we played a similar game except that sometimes I'd yell a command for the people in the back to switch with the people in the front or to switch boats (there were 2 paddle boats). Essentially a big water fight on the water.

Can anyone think of some other EASY to play in canoes or paddleboats games for up to 8 kids that are non-competitive and don't require a great deal of finesse? I'd really appreciate it, thanks!

smackdaddy · #2 (**permalink**) 12-28-2009

Hey ddg! Howsit? Good to see you around again.

How about this...

Two teams in canoes. Create a small course by floating 4 inner tubes in a diamond shape. 3 of those have 2 colored balls in them 1 for each team. The fourth tube is empty and acts as "base". The objective is to paddle to each of the 3 tubes grab the balls and bring them back to the base tube.

Or you can spontaneously start a barbaric game of dodge ball if the other team starts pulling ahead. Make sure to take some pics if this happens!

Oh you said noncompetitive. Okay 1 team 1 canoe and firehoses?

duckduckgoose · #3 (**permalink**) 12-29-2009

Hey Smackdaddy. Things are good but very very busy!

The game does sound a litttttle bit competitive (some kids really struggle not to have massive tantrums if they feel like they have to compete even for attention) but it could be worked around a bit so that there's no "winner"... Maybe for each one of their balls in the empty tube it allows them to have a shot at the other team with a bucket of water

Now to find out if I'm allowed put any form of bouy down in the lake! (residents can be a little.... well... lets just say they don't exactly like the camp being there)

smackdaddy · #4 (**permalink**) 12-29-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by duckduckgoose

Hey Smackdaddy. Things are good but very very busy!

The game does sound a litttttle bit competitive (some kids really struggle not to have massive tantrums if they feel like they have to compete even for attention) but it could be worked around a bit so that there's no "winner"... Maybe for each one of their balls in the empty tube it allows them to have a shot at the other team with a bucket of water

Now to find out if I'm allowed put any form of bouy down in the lake! (residents can be a little.... well... lets just say they don't exactly like the camp being there)

Then I say the prize is the entire canoeing troupe taking the buckets of water after those pesky residents. I'd pay to watch that.

csaintg · #5 (**permalink**) 12-29-2009

What about teaching the children some old chantys, and then have them pull the canoe on a rope, in time to the song. It takes a little coordination, but the kids might find they have a little hidden rhythm and that is what the chantys were about in the first place.

duckduckgoose · #6 (**permalink**) 12-31-2009

That's got potential too!

Thanks