Ingredients:
- Minimum of 8-10 players
- 2 flags or 2 identical random object to act as “flags”
- T-shirt
- Bandana
- Hand towel
- Small cloth toy or doll
- Sport cones
- Rulers
- Tree branches, sticks
Recipe for Fun!
Perfect for family get-togethers - this classic outdoor activity is easy to set up, and it’s incredibly fun to play. This is a great recess game that can be modified and played indoors in a school gymnasium. Kids of all ages can participate!
STEP 1: Help your kids break up into two teams.
STEP 2: Pick 2 similar objects to be “flags.” Use literal flags, or just use 2 random objects, as long as they’re of similar size and shape.
STEP 3: Identify a large, open area to play with plenty of room to run around and places to hide the flag. Check out the bushes and trees that will give you places to hide as you search for the opponents’ flag, which can make the game more fun as well.
STEP 4: Identify the jail – the area where a player goes if they get tagged by an opponent, i.e., a park bench, a stand-alone neutral tree.
- If your teammate is tagged, you can run over and tag them to "free" them again.
- Jails are usually in the center of each team's territory, the same distance from the center line.
STEP 5: Once the boundaries are set, each team will designate 1-2 players as "hiders" who will run off to secretly tuck their flags away. The other team members will stay together, out of sight (in the house or garage, at the center line, etc.), and make sure no one is looking where the flags are hidden.
- For safety and fairness, make sure that both hidden flags are still partially visible and not totally concealed.
STEP 6: The first team to find their opponents' flag and take it back to their own territory wins!
BONUS TIPS:
Use a timer and divide the game into segments and keep score of how many times a team finds their opponent’s flag.
Hiding Hints:
- Hide the flag close to the jail.
- Have some players defend a fake flag location.