source: www.youthwork-practice.com | 2000 Games, Devotions, Themes, Ideas and more for Youth Work
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Where is Professor Clueless?

Description:

“Where is Professor Clueless” is game that deals with speed, fair play, skill and patience. The age of the players may not be too young because they may need to run around the village/town alone. The more players there, the more fun the game is.

Aim:

The aim is to find Professor Clueless.

Preparation:

coins (playing money) are distributed on the lawn. The groups have to collect these coins later. Different game stations are set up in the town. At each station, the players receive a photo of the location of the next station. The photo should be selected so that it's not easy to find the location straightaway. The group may have to ask passers-by if they know where they location could be. The number of stations also decides the length of the game and the number of staff members required.

Earning money:

first of all, the children have to collect the coins that are distributed throughout the playing field and try to bring the coins a store. However, this is not so easy because the members of staff try to stop them. If a player is caught by a member of staff, he/she must handle all coins. The coins are then thrown back onto the playing field.

Shopping in the store:

anyone who manages to reach the store has had a stroke of luck. However, the next difficulty is waiting. The sellers in the store proved to be extremely tight fisted, unpredictable and make such random decisions that it can give you’re a fright.

What should the kids do? The group needs a variety of materials for the next games. There is no fixed sum for the equipment. The sellers spontaneously select the prices depending on how they feel. (Note: don’t be totally unpredictable – good negotiation skills should be rewards and “brazenness” should be penalised.)

What type of material should the group buy in the store?

This depends on the following game stations. For example, if a sponge is required for a station, a sponge must be purchased. Or if there is a station with knocking over cans, sufficient numbers of balls must be purchased. Anyone who buys fewer balls will also have fewer chances to throw. In any case, the group receives the first photo for the first station. Instead of the photo you can also use a crossword puzzle containing the solution word for the location.

Adventure:

the players must now move from station to station. If the players are too young, it is recommended that a member of staff accompanies them. There are different tasks to solve at each station. If the task has been solved well, the group receives "playing money" to match the amount of the solved task and also receives a clue to the next station (picture, puzzle, crossword). The group also receives a part of the puzzle every now and again.

Game stations (examples)

Knocking over cans
Sack race
Transport water into a tub with a sponge
Throwing darts
Solving puzzles
Recognising faraway objects with a telescope
Wheelbarrow race
Egg fall
Find a needle in a haystack
Etc.

The playing money becomes important as one of the latter stations to gain information or purchase documents and discover the secret hideout of Professor Clueless at the very end with the help of the puzzles solved before.