The Robbing the Bucket Game
Robbing the Bucket is a dynamic and engaging team competition game with a focus on ethics for groups of all sizes.
Separate your group into four even teams and allocate each team a particular corner area of your hall or playing field. Hand each team a bucket filled with an equal number of soft tossable items, such as fleece-balls, squeaky toys, rolled-up socks, etc.
The bucket may be placed anywhere within the team’s area. Explain that over the course of several rounds, each team will be challenged to collect as many items in their buckets as possible.
Announce that people are permitted to ‘steal’ one item at a time from the buckets of other teams, and place them into their own bucket. Explain that each team does this by simply running to the area of any other small team and ‘stealing’ no more than one item at a time, and returning to place it into their own bucket.
There is no limit to the number of people from a team who can be involved in stealing at the same time. No one is permitted to guard their team’s bucket.
Start when ready, and watch the frenzy. Allow two minutes for the first round, do a count and announce the interim results.
Play two or more rounds of 1 to 2 minutes, providing interim score tallies. The team with the most number of items in their bucket at the end is declared the winner.
Moment of Reflection
- How did it feel to steal from another team?
- How did it feel to see someone steal from your own bucket?
- Did your team develop a strategy to gain more items?
- Did your team form an alliance with one or more teams? Why or why not?
- How might this game reflect real life?
The topics of this publication: interactions, competencies, strategy, energize, critical thinking, reflection
