Captain's Orders

To anyone confused about why this is listed as a socially distant option, the actions listed are simply suggestions, so in order to play non-contact, simply remove those actions from your list and enjoy! Lots of fun and freedom to make it your own!

how do you win?

We did Captain's Girlfriend (Say 'wooh wooh' in a whistling sound and twist your body)

By default it may not be a social distancing suitable game but the way the game is played can be easily tweaked to work well for social distancing.

Firstly - ensure players are standning the required distance apart.

Secondly - ensure you don't use the actions that require players working together or running near each other. This will mean the actions are limited to what an individual player can do on the spot and you may need to make up some extra actions to keep this interesting.

Suitable action recommendations - Man Overboard, Climb the Rigging, Captain's Coming, Scrub the Deck, Man the Lifeboats (as an individual, rowing), Find North (individual player points north).

This is NOT a social distanced game like you said! please resort it elsewhere.

It was a great game

We'll do these!

Starboard (run to the right side of the room)
Port (run to the left side of the room)
Scrub The Deck (squat on the ground and scrub the deck)
Climb The Rigging (stand up and pretend to climb the rigging)
Captain's coming (salute and don't move)
Polly Want a Cracker (flap arms like birds wings and run around the room)
Lost Me Wooden Leg (hop around on one foot)
We're under attack (duck from the bomb)
Mutiny (first person to jump up and down with their hands in the air is the new captain)
Sink or Swim (pretend to drown)
Shark Attack (both hands together like triangle above your head)
On the island (climb on a chair because the ship sunk)

The kids always enjoy this game. We begin it with the call, “Cap’ns on Deck” where the players line up to salute. It is almost always followed by “At Ease!” where they continue to stand in line but with a side step right into a wide stance with their hands clasped behind them. Another call is “Bring out the ladders” where players form groups of five, single file with arms on the player ahead, Congo line style. The ladder can only be added on to at the back end. Another call is “Mermaids and Sailors” where groups of two are formed, with one player dancing a sailor’s jig, while the other wiggles a bit, primps her hair and alluring says, “Hi, Sailor!” This one is particularly funny when the boy pairings work out who is the mermaid. In our version, players are eliminated if they are “odd ones out”, i.e., the left overs who can’t make a pair or group of five, etc. we usually play at least 3 rounds. Ahoy!

We used to do something similar at Afterschool Club. We played it like Simon Says, so I named it "Salty Seadog Simon Says". How you could extend this game, is: When players have begun to know this game well, print/write actions on small cards. The players make a pose (except Mutiny). The captain draws a card out of a bag and reads the pose (putting the card to one side). Whoever is making that pose stays in or out, whichever you choose. The captain then draws another card, and so on. The winner is the last one out, or whoever is still in when all the cards have been read out.

No quite the same as we do. We keep it all as single person actions and keep it moving fast. In summer we throw water at them with the scrub the deck instruction. (In not drought times)

Dear Sir or Madam,
The game is a great one, I used to play it when I was young, I'm 52. But I agree the end should not be played that way for kids, now for a couple retreat the end would be great.

Its "helpful" when the person calling instructions remembers to do something other than what the instructions say! For example say "port" but point to starboard.
The Jr High segment of our group wanted to keep on playing even though most of the were out of breath!
Great game! Thanks for the forum to add suggestions!

i like the titanic part

Great game - for children - we add Swim the Sea (act swimming) and Sharks coming - adults/helpers chase all the kids who have to sit down when tagged! Usually causes huge excitement!

Used this game at the camp I work at, great fun. We added an order where the Captain said "we're under attack" and they ducked from the bomb, worked well. Lots of fun.

It’s sad that you can’t even do a simple titanic pose without having people against it. Young men “knowing” and growing up in a church should know to control themselves enough to handle a simple position. So sad.

I used to run this game a lot for children at church and we had one called 'climb the rigging '. They had to stand on the spot and with their arms and legs pretend they were climbing. A great one to wear them out. They loved it

Shark Attack -- make a fin above your head (both hands together like triangle)

Man Your Stations -- students have a designated corner of the room (numbered off) that they must run too. Last one to their station is out.

Polly Want a Cracker -- students must flap their arms like birds wings and run around the room

Lost Me Wooden Leg -- studens must hop around on one foot

I added a new command called Arm Yer'Self. The players have to stick one arm straight out like it's a sword and say "aarrr!". The last player to do this is out.

Tatiana, there are different ways to play. Either use for an exercise so the class is moving and following direction or if looking for a winner then last one to follow the instruction or get to the place indicated is out. Keep going till you have a winner. A bit like musical chairs.

How does somebody win this game? This sounds like a blast and I'd love to play it with my students! I'm just not entirely clear on the objective:)

I added a command called Mutiny, to be called by the adult or youth leader... When they call it, the first person to jump up and down with their hands in the air is the new captain. That way others get a turn without kids having to be "out," but it isn't just an arbitrary choosing of the new captain.

good game to play !!!!!!!!

Some others:
Sink or Swim
The player have to pretend to drown.
Walk the Plank
Two players have to pair up. One stands with their arms behind their back as if handcuffed, while the other stands behind them and points as if towards an imaginary plank.
X Marks the Spot
Three players have to pair up. Two players huddle together and look at a map, the other player lies down with arms and legs out wide as the X.

When we played this as a youth group, we did "crows nest" where 3 kids had to link arms in a circle facing outward and we did "captains table" where 5 kids pretended to stand in a circle around a table and eat.

Haha..funny but interesting.

We played this exact game during my my university's orientation! We called it ships&sailors. We had Captain's coming (salute and don't move), at ease (can move around again) beached whale (lying on the ground), mermaid (lay on ground and wave prettily), 5 men pointing north, 3 men rowing a boat, titanic, 4 men eating dinner (group up and act like you're eating), Ships (run left), sailors (run right) and then we would add whatever else we wanted, but it was always a great time! A hit with all the students!

We played this in a way that ended up pretty much being Simon says, with the last person to perform the action out, and with some added actions such as the floor is lava, and their personal favourite touch the shoes of a certain youth leader. Hilarious to watch, and even better if the leader doesn't know it's coming. Game went really well, but I wouldn't use the titanic action for the same reasons as Nate.

With young people being so knowing these days we try to limit any physical contact between boys and girls. even having a spare moment to talk has caused problems in the past. so the titanic call is extreemly inappropriate for youth groups hosting young non christian youth. we have a call called find the island, everyone climbs on a chair because the ship sunk.

Thats a good idea nate. If you wanted to maybe alter the game and have a little fun. Personally the Titanic in my opinion was a love story so I think that player move is fine as it is

good game! for titanic i can see that be awkward. instead boys pretend to drown and girls paddle or something.