Playing a game can be so much fun and a really nice way to spend your time. But often you have a hard time to pick one because there are so many interesting and different games all over the world. Maybe “Fire, Water, Earth, Air” will be the right game for you, since it is fun, active and can be played with different variations. Whether you need a good game for a children’s birthday party or want to try a new game for PE, this may be the right choice for you. This beloved game has filled the lives of many children with joy, laughter and happy memories. In general, “Fire, Water, Earth, Air” transcends countries, cultures, and generations. Through its simplicity and engaging rules, it is easy to understand and does not get boring. The good thing about it is that you can modify it, so that it fits your preferences, needs and surroundings.
There are different requirements that one will need to play the game. You will need one or more walls, at least one bench (depending on the number of players), and multiple objects to hold onto them.
The game is intended primarily for children but can be played by people of all ages because it is so varied and a good way to do something for your body. You can play this game as long as you like since it technically has no end. It is a game that you can only play in a group, so there should be at least 10 people. Of course, you can play with fewer players, but if you have more people, all of you will have more fun.
“Fire, Water, Earth, Air” has its origins in Germany, where it is better known as “Feuer, Wasser, Erde, Luft”. It is played for many different generations and is still very popular to this day.
To play the game, the group has to pick one leader. This person will choose randomly one of the four elements (fire, water, earth and air) and say it out loud so that other people can react quickly and act differently according to the element. This is the leader’s only task.
When the game leader shouts “fire”, everybody has to look for a free space on the wall and touch it with one part of their bodies as fast as they can in order to escape the imaginary fire and smoke.
When the leader says “water”, then the players have to make sure to climb onto the benches and not touch the ground in order to be safe from the imaginary water floods.
When the leader announces “earth” everybody has to lay flat down on the ground, so they will not be hit by the “rocks”.
And if the leader decides to say “air”, the other players have to grab the nearest objects as fast as they can so they do not get blown away by the imaginary storm.
So the goal of the game is to react faster than the other players and execute the right movement. When you are the last person to execute the right move, you will be eliminated from the game. The same will happen if you do not react according to the respective element, e.g., laying down, when the game leader announces “fire”. The winner is the person who is the fastest and does all movements correctly.
The interesting thing that can give the game a twist is that you can add any announcement you like and make up new movements for them. You can name them things out of nature, for instance, “sun” (all players put their hands up in the air) or “lightning” (all players curl up, sit on their knees, and try to make themselves as small as possible).
https://www.familie.de/kleinkind/kinderspiele/spielanleitung-feuer-wasser-erde-sturm/
https://www.vlamingo.de/feuer-wasser-blitz/