Crows and Cranes

Divide the children into pairs. One is a Crow, the other is a Crane. Draw a line in the snow across a large, flat area, and mark a safe line (finish line) some distance out on each side. It is important to have plenty of space to move. The children line up along the middle line – Crows on one side, Cranes on the other – so that the pairs are standing/sitting/lying directly opposite each other, with good distance to the person next to them. There must be enough room to turn their skis and skate at full speed.

The leader stands at the end of the line and calls out “Crows”, “Cranes” or “Crabs”.

• When the leader calls “Crows”, all the Crows try to reach their safe line without being caught by their Crane partner. If a Crow reaches the safe line without being caught, the Crow scores one point. If the Crane manages to catch the Crow before the safe line, the Crane scores one point.
• When the leader calls “Cranes”, the roles are reversed, and the Cranes ski toward their safe line while the Crows try to catch them.
• When the leader calls “Crabs”, no one is allowed to move – the goal is to stand, sit or lie completely still.

Each pair competes to collect the most points.

The activity should preferably be done without poles, and all participants should already master basic skiing skills. This game can also be played without skis.