Ye Haw!

Engage (What you need to know)

• Ages

  • 5+

• Number of Participants 

  • 7+

• Time frame 

  • Depends on the number of participants. Assume 1 minute per person. 

• Necessary Components 

  • There are no necessary components

• Purpose

  • This is a game that can be whipped out and played at a moment's notice. It is really good at filling an awkward gap in time. It’s quick, it's easy to get the hang of and explain to new players. Get ready to hear the sound “Ye Haw” a lot!

Demonstration / Guide

1. Movements include “Ye Haw,” moves it in one direction. For the sake of fun it's very important that you get people into the “Ye Haw,”  stance as well.  If you do not know what this looks like,  wide stance knees bent,  one arm swings across in a fist as a person loudly yells “Ye Haw!”  I normally have it go around the circle one full time with this just singular instruction so everyone gets used to passing the sound effects along to the next person.

2. “Wow there.” Stops the Haw and moves it in the other direction. Recommend hand gestures throwing up both hands like a shield. Say the “Ye Haw,” was moving clockwise,  with this command the “Ye Haw,”  begins to go counterclockwise.  Now it is very easy to get to a situation where one person is in the middle,  and both people on either side use “Wow there.”  This is where the next command comes in.

3. “Pew Pew.” People are expected to make finger guns and point at somebody across from the circle from them. They then shoot the “Ye Haw,” across the circle. This makes it so it is impossible for the game to get trapped in one spot. Anyone can use “Pew Pew” at any time. 

4. Last to discuss here, “There's a snake in my boot!” Everyone in the current direction of the Haw must jump to ‘Avoid the snake that's traveling around the circle’ until someone yells “Got em!” and then the game continues on with the normal “Ye Haw”  moving in the normal Direction.  there are of course others that you could add,  or just make up on the spot.

Explaining the requirements 

• Gather everyone into a circle.

• Explain “Ye haw” 

  • A person loudly yells the words “Ye Haw,” 

•  The person on their right must then also copy

• This continues until it has made its way around the circle.

• “Wow there”  

  • A new command that reverses the direction.

•  “Pew pew.” 

  • A person makes finger guns and shoots “Ye Haw,” across the circle.

• “Snake  in my boot.”

  •  everyone in the current direction of the “Ye Haw,”  must jump one after another in the same way the “Ye Haw,” travels around the circle. Until someone yells: 

•  “Got 'em!”

  • Stops the jumping