B-P Winter Games
Winter Games by Sir Robert Baden-Powell
From Seventh Edition of Scouting Games by Sir Robert Baden-Powell, BT. 1926
Note: Many of these games were first published in 1910 and "refined" over 16 years. Many of these games will need more "refinement" to make appropriate for use in this day and age. Some games are just unsuitable no matter how much you modify it for your Scouts. Regardless, they are entertaining to read and will spark ideas on ways to have fun with your Troop.
Siberian Man Hunt
A man has escaped through the snow and a patrol follows his tracks, but, when they think they are nearing his hiding place, they advance with great caution because for them one hit from a snowball means death. The escaped person has to be hit three times before he is killed. If he has taken refuge up in a tree or any such place, it will be very difficult to hit him without being bit first. The hunted man has to remain at large for a certain time, perhaps two or three hours, and then get safely home without being caught.
Arctic Expedition
Each patrol takes a sleigh or toboggan with harness to fit two Scouts who are to pull it (or dogs, if they have them, and can train them to the work). Two Scouts go a mile or so ahead. The remainder with the sleigh follow, finding the way by means of the trail, and by such signs as the leading Scouts may draw in the snow. All other drawings seen on the way are to be examined, noted, and their meaning read. The sleigh carries rations, cooking utensils, etc. Build snow huts. These must be made narrow, according to the length of sticks available for forming the roof, which may -be made of brushwood, and covered with snow.
Snow Fort
The snow fort may be built by one patrol according to their own ideas of fortification, with loop holes, and so on, for looking out. When finished it will be attacked by hostile patrols, using snowballs as ammunition. Every Scout struck by a snowball is counted dead. The attackers should, as a rule, number at least twice the strength of the defenders.
Fox-Hunting
This game is to be played where there is plenty of fresh snow around. Two Scouts representing foxes start from the middle of a field or piece of open ground, and five minutes afterwards the rest are put on their trail. The two foxes are not allowed to follow any human tracks. If they approach a pathway where other people have been, they must turn off in another direction; but they can walk along the top of walls and use any other ruse they like, such as treading in each other's tracks, and then one vaulting aside with a staff. Both of them have to be caught by the pursuers for it to count a win. The foxes have to avoid capture for one hour and then get back to the starting point.
The Dash For the Pole
Two rival parties of Arctic explorers are nearing the Pole. Each has sent out one Scout in advance, but neither has returned. They know the directions each started in because their tracks can still be seen in the snow. What has really happened is that each has reached the Pole, and each is determined to maintain his claim to it and so dare not leave the spot. They both purposely left good tracks and signs, so that they could be easily followed up, if anything happened. These two, one from each patrol, should start from headquarters together, and then determine upon the spot to be the Pole, each approaching it from a different direction.
The two parties of explorers start off together, about fifteen minutes after the forerunners, and each follows up the tracks of its own Scout. The first patrol to reach the spot where the two are waiting for them takes possession; the leader sets up his flag and the rest prepare snowballs, after laying down their staves in a circle round the flag at a distance of six paces. When the other party arrives, they try to capture the staves. The defenders are not allowed to touch their staves, but two hits with a snowball on either side puts a man out of action. Each defender killed and each staff taken counts one points, and if the rival party gain more than half the possible points, they claim the discovery of the Pole. Before the defenders can claim undisputed rights, they must kill all their rivals, by pursuing them; even if only one or two are left. The two forerunners do not take part, but act as umpires.