Tag Games for Kids

Backroads Family Trips are packed with fresh air and outdoor activity sure to keep even the most energetic kids entertained. Our on-trip Kid Coordinators love to get kids playing with these fun variations on the classic game of Tag. Knee Tag

Knee tag, when you are stuck on scrubby grass between small airport runways - photo by David Magrone

In this game, everyone is it! Players begin standing with hands on their knees. The goal is to tag other players on their knees--but only when their knees are uncovered. Hands must be off of knees in order to move around. A player is safe when he is standing still with hands on his knees. If tagged, a player should crouch down onto the ground; he can still tag people, but can't move around. Watch carefully--if the person who tagged you gets tagged, you're back in the game! BLOB Tag Choose one person to be it. When you give the signal, it begins to tag other runners. When someone is tagged they must hold hands with it--and the BLOB starts to grow! Only the people on the ends of the BLOB can tag runners. The BLOB can break into smaller three-person BLOBS when it becomes huge. The winner is the person left untagged. Screaming Yellow Zonkers

Playing Tag

Start with players scattered in groups of two with elbows hooked together. Choose one person to be it and one person to be the Screaming Yellow Zonker. On the signal, it begins chasing the Screaming Yellow Zonker--who, naturally, is screaming as loudly as possible. If it makes a tag, the two switch roles immediately (it becoming the Screaming Yellow Zonker and vice versa). At any time, the Screaming Yellow Zonker can latch onto a group by linking elbows with one of the players--and the other partner must now start screaming and running! Spiderman Tag The group begins in a circle, arms-length apart. One player (Spiderman) starts on the inside of the circle. Another (the Green Goblin) starts on the outside. Spiderman starts running in and out of the circle between people while being chased by the Green Goblin. As soon as Spiderman goes between two players, that part of the circle is sewn up by the web (i.e. players grab hands and the Green Goblin can't go through). The goal is for Spiderman to sew up the entire circle without getting tagged. Partner Tag

Everyone finds a partner in a small area. You may only tag your partner and your partner may only tag you. Choose one of you to be it first. It spins around three times and then goes in search of his partner. No running is allowed--everyone must walk! Once tagged, players switch roles. Drip, Drip, Drench This game is similar to Duck, Duck, Goose--only you play with water! Everyone (except it) sits in a circle. The chosen one grabs a cup of water or a sponge and splashes a drop on each person as he circles around the group. Drip...drip...drip...(it dumps the remainder of the water on a lucky head)...drench! The drenchee must run around the circle trying to tag the drencher before he sits down. You can also play Drench, Drench, Tsunami with a cup and a bucket. Hint: use a lightweight plastic cup to avoid broken glass or conks on the noggin.   Do you have a favorite tag game you'd like to share?!