Dragon Keeper is a fun, no-prep game for the whole family. As a bonus, kids can also play it on their own. I usually play a couple of rounds with my children and then leave them to continue without me while I cook dinner or give my toddler a bath.
This game is perfect for the siblings to play at home, but it also works for parties. When we play the Dragon Keeper, we laugh a lot. There is something titillating about being sneaked up on while sitting blindfolded.
In place of a dragon, you can use any favorite toy and call the game by that toy’s name: a Dinosaur Keeper, a Truck Keeper, or a LEGO Keeper. Anything goes as long as you are open to some action and willing to have fun.
What you need
A dragon
A blindfold
How to play
One child is a dragon keeper. He sits on the floor in the middle of the room with the dragon at his feet. His objective is to prevent the dragon from being taken.
The rest of the players are trying to steal the dragon. Their start point is at the end of the room. The game goes much better in our house when only one person at a time tries to steal the dragon when the keeper is a child. However, when an adult is the keeper, it’s actually more fun when all the kids try to retrieve the dragon at the same time. They can start by discussing their strategy and combining their efforts.
The attacker(s) needs to tiptoe or crawl over to the dragon keeper, and as quietly as possible steal the dragon.
The blindfolded keeper has to use his ears to the maximum to detect any action coming his way.
He can stop an attacker by saying her name “Mary!” or “Stop!” or by pointing at her. At this point, Mary must return to the starting point, and it’s another player’s turn.
We don’t have any particular rule about the keeper not grabbing the dragon to prevent it from being snatched by an attacker. Younger kids especially, can’t help themselves. If they hear (or think they hear) someone is coming, they grab the dragon. In my home, we only want the keeper to put the dragon right back down to continue the game.
But you can have a rule that says that the keeper is not allowed to pick up the dragon. Play it by ear. Whatever works better for your family.
The player who steals the dragon becomes the next dragon keeper.
As a variation, you might have the dragon keeper sit with his back to the attackers. You can also give the attackers jingle bells to encourage them to move very slowly.
This is one of our favorite games! We just played it the other day and were rolling with laughter.
What’s in the game?
Dragon Keeper is not just a fun game, but a great source of learning, too. While you can find a variety of ways to practice attention with your kids, I find that blindfold games are by far the most effective. The kids have to use their ears not just for listening but also for seeing, which requires a great deal of concentration.
While a child who is a dragon keeper is practicing concentration, the dragon stealers are practicing coordination and problem-solving. They have to think quickly on their feet, move with grace, and learn movement control.
All in all, being blindfolded challenges your kids to think in new ways. Are you looking for more blindfold games? We have a more right HERE!
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