Materials

• None

Setup

1. Divide the group into smaller groups of 8–10 people if you have a large number of players.
2. Ask each group to form a circle and stand close together.
3. Explain the rules and goal of the game: to untangle into a single circle without letting go of each other’s hands.

Game Play

1. Each player reaches across the circle and grabs one hand of a different person (not the person standing next to them).
2. Then, each player grabs a hand of another different person with their other hand. Each person should be holding hands with two different people, creating a “human knot.”
3. The group must now work together to untangle themselves without letting go of anyone’s hands. They may need to twist, step over, or duck under each other.
4. Continue until the knot is untangled into a single circle or two smaller circles.

Notes

• Safety: Remind players to move slowly and be careful not to pull on each other’s arms. Watch out for twisting too tightly or stepping on each other’s feet.
• Variations for Younger Players: For Cub Scouts or younger players, start with only a few people in each knot to keep it simple. Older Scouts or adults can guide the younger players if needed.
• Large Groups: If your group is very large, create several smaller knots and see which group untangles the fastest.

For more resources and information, see https://scoutermom.com/999/human-knot-game/