Go Play Tag

 What’s Needed

• 12 or more players, ages 6-12 years
• An open area

How to Play

• One player is “It”. When a player is tagged by It, the two players hold hands and they become It. They run holding hands, trying to tag other players.
• Each time a player is tagged, he/she joins the “It chain”. The chain can remain as long as you wish or can break into two parts once the chain is four players long.
• Only the two players on either end can tag other players.
• The game ends when all players are tagged.

Variations      

• Instead of running, the players may choose to hop, skip, or choose whatever movement they want.

Adaptation Suggestions

To adapt the game for different skill levels and abilities, decide before playing:

• Pace of play, how fast the players run or how they move.
• What to do when tagged.
• How to free a player.
• Safe tag spots.
• Whether to play with a partner.

What’s Needed

• 5 or more players, ages 8-12 years
• An open area

How to Play

• Divide the players into two teams: the “Cops” and the “Robbers”.
• If there are not an equal number of players on each team, there should be more Robbers than Cops.
• The Cops have a “Jail” which they must guard. The Jail can be a tree or any other marker.
• To start the game, the Cops stand at the Jail and count to ten while the Robbers run away. The Cops then try to catch the Robbers and the Robbers try to avoid getting tagged. If a Cop tags a Robber, the Robber must go to Jail.
• A Robber can get out of Jail if another Robber who is not in Jail touches him/her. If a Cop sees a Robber being freed by another Robber, the Cop yells, “Jailbreak!” to alert the other Cops.
• The game continues until all of the Robbers are caught, then the Cops and Robbers switch sides.

Adaptation Suggestions

To adapt the game for different skill levels and abilities, decide before playing:

• Pace of play.
• What to do when tagged.
• Safe tag spots.
• Need for a partner.

What’s Needed

• 6 or more players, ages 6-8 years
• An open area

How to Play

• Players stand in a line and form a “Dragon” by putting their hands on the hips of the person in front.
• The front person is the “Head” of the Dragon and the back person is the “Tail” of the Dragon.
• The Head of the Dragon tries to touch its own Tail and the Tail tries to avoid being caught.
• When caught, the Head goes to the back of the line to be the new Tail and the second player in the line becomes the new Head.
• The game continues until everyone has had a turn being the Head.

Adaptation Suggestions

To adapt the game for different skill levels and abilities, decide before playing:

• Pace of play, how fast the players run or how they move.

What’s Needed

• 4 to 8 players, ages 6-12 years
• A snowy open area, or a surface which can have the path marked out

How to play

• In the snow, carve a path in the shape of a wheel 4 metres (18 feet) across with at least six spokes leading from a centre point to the outside circle (see image). The centre of the circle where all spokes meet is the “Safe Zone”.
• To begin the game, one player is “It” and stands in the Safe Zone. All the other players stand on the edge of the circle.
• The player who is It tries to tag the other players as they run away. Everyone must stay on the pathways.
•  When a player is in the Safe Zone, he/she cannot be tagged. There can be only one player in the Safe Zone at any time. When another player enters the Safe Zone, the first player must leave.
• If a player steps off the pathway or is tagged he/she becomes It and a new game begins.

Variations 

• This game is best played in the snow but could also be played on a hard surfaced area using chalk to draw the wheel.

Adaptation Suggestions

To adapt the game for different skill levels and abilities, decide before playing:

• Pace of play.
• What to do when tagged.
• How to free a player.
• Safe tag spots.
• Need for a partner.

What’s Needed

• 14 or more players (must have an even number), ages 6-10 years
• An open area

How to play

• One player is “It” and one player is the “Runner”. Everyone else links one arm with a partner and stands in pairs in a large circle. The It and the Runner stand outside of the circle.

• The game begins when It calls out “Go!” and starts to chase the Runner around the circle.
• The Runner may at any time link up with one of the pairs.
• When the Runner joins a pair, he/she yells “Go!” and the player on the other end of the pair lets go and becomes the new Runner.
• If It tags the Runner, they switch roles.

 Adaptation Suggestions

To adapt the game for different skill levels and abilities, decide before playing:

• Pace of play.
• Safe tag spots.
• Need for a partner

What’s Needed

• 5 or more players, ages 6-8 years
• An open area

How to Play     

• One player is “It” and tries to tag all the other players.
• Players run away to avoid getting tagged.
• If a player is tagged, he/she must stop running and hold up one hand. The player is not allowed to move until he/she gets a “high-five” from another player, then he/she is free to run again.
• The game continues until all the players have been tagged and there is no one left to free them.

Variations 

• Friendly Tag
  • Layed the same way except the free player gives a “handshake” instead of a “high-five”.
• Good Job Tag
  • When a player gets tagged, he/she must start to do jumping jacks. The player can stop jumping only when another player pats him/her on the back and says “Good job!”
• Freeze Tag
  • When a player is tagged, he/she must stand with legs apart and can only start running again if a free player crawls between his/her legs.

Adaptation Suggestions

To adapt the game for different skill levels and abilities, decide before playing:

• Pace of play.
• What counts as a tag.
• What to do when tagged
• How to free a player.
• Safe tag spots.
• Need for a partner.

What’s Needed

• 6 or more players, ages 6-8 years
• An open area
• Ropes, pylons, or anything else can be used as markers

How to Play

• Use markers to make clear boundaries at ends and sides of the playing field.
• One player is the “Shark” and stands in the middle of the field. All other players are “Minnows” and line up at one end of the field or “Lagoon”.
• The Shark shouts “Minnows Beware!” and all of the Minnows run from the Lagoon to the to the other end of the field or the “Ocean”.
• The Shark can move anywhere within the marked space to try and tag the Minnows.
• The Minnows are safe once they reach the markers at the other end of the field or the Ocean. When a Minnow is tagged he/she changes place with the Shark and the game is repeated.

Adaptation Suggestions

To adapt the game for different skill levels and abilities, decide before playing:

• Pace of play.
• What counts as a tag.
• Safe tag spots.
• Need for a partner.