Benefits of the game

 

Bang! is a great game to play after an energiser game as it requires players concentration and tests reflex reactions. It will bring your group back down and get them ready to focus on the play you are working on or the next activity. It’s an awesome cowboy western themed game and gives players the chance to characterise too.

 

Good for all ages.           Good for all group sizes.

 

How to play

 

Everyone stands in a circle with the person leading the activity in the middle (The cowboy). The cowboy will spin around slowly  and, at random, point their pistol hands at one person in the circle and shout ‘Bang!. The person who has been pointed at quickly ducks down. The people on either side of them need to point their ‘guns’ at each other and say ‘Bang!’. The fastest player wins and stays in the game. The slowest player must sit down and is out of this round. The game continues until there are only two players left.

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The Final Showdown (Dun, Dun, Duuuuuun)

The final two players stand back to back in the centre of the circle. The cowboy leading the activity counts and on each number the players take a step away from each other. When the cowboy shouts ‘Bang!’ The last two players have to turn around, point their guns and shout ‘Bang!!’ at each other. The first player to do so is the winner.

 

Tips for playing

• If a different person, who has not been pointed out, shouts ‘Bang!’ or point their guns, they’re out and have to sit down. 
   

• Encourage the cowboy to keep the game moving along quickly to test reflexes and encourage players to concentrate more.
   

• If playing with a big group, as players are eliminated from the game get existing players to step in and make a smaller circle. This makes it clear to players who they are against in the game and where to point their guns.
   

• Use cowboy voices to make it more theatrical and fun
   

• Make it themed for holidays by changing the word ‘bang!’ to something else. Make sure you keep the point the same though.

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Love 2 Learn English also writes plays and shows for children/schools with no licence fees. Simply pay for the script and use it how you want.
Check out the Scripts & Monologue pages here.