Pom Pon
A.K.A. British Bulldog (to those in the North)
A.K.A. Fox and Geese
A.K.A. Chicken and the Fox
A.K.A. Red Rover
A.K.A. BP
A.K.A. One Foot in the Gutter
A.K.A. Spider and Flies
A square or rectangular playing area is chosen and boundaries are set.All players except the person who is "it" begin behind oneof the boundaries. "It" goes to the middle of the playing area.
When everyone appears ready, "it" calls, "Pom pom!"That is the cue for everyone to leave their safety area behind the boundaryand to run across the playing area to the other boundary. "It"tries to tag as many people as possible. If a player is tagged, s/he joins"it" in the middle to help. The game ends when all players havebeen tagged. The last player to get tagged becomes "it" for thenext round.
Contributed by Sarah Buhman
In Australia, this same game is playedunder the name "Red Rover",but with these rules instead of the rules I have listed elsewhere. Of course, the It person says "Red Rover, Red Rover, send _____ rightover" instead of just "go".
It can also be called Fox and Geese, with IT being the Fox, and all otherbeing Geese until they are caught.
OR
BP
"It" stands at one end of the playing field, everyone else at theother.
"It" chooses a category, eg fruits, cars, girls etc. The playershuddle together and each nominate a name for themselves (eg watermelon,pineapple, guava etc). The elected spokesman then calls out all of the names to"It". "It" chooses one and turns it's back. The elected onesneaks up behind and writes "BP" on "It"'s back with his/herfinger and runs back. The spokesman tells "It" when to turn around(when everyone is lined up again) and "It" tries to pick who wrote BP.If "It" guesses correctly the BPer starts running and "It"starts running and tries to catch the BPer . If the BPer gets to the other sideeveryone else runs too, and tries not to get caught. If "It" doesn'tpick the BPer everyone runs and "It" tries to catch someone to be"It" next time around.
Contributed by Jodi Cox of Australia
OR
Spiders and Flies
This game was one that we played in gym class, and it really does need to be played with manychildren.
There are boundaries where you are allowed to run, the space usually determined by how manychildren there are. In the middle of the space stand the "It" people, the spiders. In this instance, let'ssay that there are three spiders. They spread themselves out in a line across the running space. Ifthe gaps are too large between the spiders, the space may need to be narrowed or more spiderschosen. Then the spiders remain stationary, swinging their arms out in all directions.
The spiders yell, "We are the spiders."
The Flies yell, "And we are the flies."
"We're gonna get you!"
"You just try!"
So the flies run past the spiders, trying to avoid getting hit by the flailing arms. If they get caught,they have to stand in that spot and become a spider. The game repeats until there are only as manyflies left as the original spiders. These flies become the new spiders.
Another variation would be to create a web on the floor by using masking-tape. The spidres canthen move, but only on the lines of tape, and cannot jump across from line to another, but followuntil they get to a connection. This would probably be a much faster version, depending on how bigand intricate the web is! (Which should be big since they don't want to bump into each other.)
Contributed by: Christine Begle
OR
ANOTHER FOX AND GEESE
(Similar to the basic game, except that you play onpaths in the snow instead of just running across a field)
The game was (and is by my 6 & 9 yr olds) played outside just after a new snow. First you made snowtrails like a spiders web; a fewcircles and several radial lines. Two kids are the foxes. The rest are geese. The geese scatter out but must stay on the paths. The foxesthen try to tag any of the geese, mostly by trapping them between the foxes. Both the geese and the foxes can run around, but all mustfollow the paths. Any who fall off a path are out. When a goose is tagged they are out. The last two geese alive become the foxes thenext round.
Contributed by Don Batie
OR
Similar to the others except you have a base at each end, sort of like an end zone. If you leave the base, you have to make it to the other one, unless someone is still at the base you left to tag you back insafe. As each kid is caught, they too become it. The game is over when all have beentagged. You are safe in your base at all times. The first person caught then becomes the new "it" for the next game.
Contributed by Kevin P.
Related Games: Sharks And Minnows,Octopus Tag, Red Rover
