A Resource Manual for Sport Leaders

Tag Games

Tag Games
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TAG GAMES
BASIC TAG GAMES
Teaching Cues:

Stay balanced on balls of feet; feet shoulder width apart (a wide, sturdy building not a skinny tower);
lower centre of gravity (crouched like a gorilla) Use fakes head; shoulders; arms pretend to move one way then go the other (try to get away from your shadow) Change directions quickly quick feet; plant outside foot (dart like a cat) Be aware of what is happening around (like Mom use the eyes in the back of your head) Tag lightly pretend you are trying to tag a butterfly without killing it. Running technique cues listed in Speed Development

Suggestions for Tag Games

Can be made more challenging by tucking flags into waistbands that must be removed to be tagged It can be identified by having them tag with an object or wear something to identify them cap or
pinnie (could also be used for flags and are easy to make) Variation can be provided by changing method of locomotion (run, jump, hop, shuffle, backwards, skip, gallop; speed walk) Starting out with slow locomotion like a speed walk and progressing to faster locomotion make tag games excellent warmup activities.

TAG GAMES THAT REQUIRE GRABBING AN OBJECT

Teaching Cues: When it is best to snatch? (when other player is off balance when they first arrive) How might we get a player off balance? (fake a snatch) Pretend to grab your brothers candy. When is worst time to snatch? (when you just arrive and have to slow down and change direction) How do we try to stay on balance? (low; balls of feet; feet wide)- wide building, crouch like gorilla

Variation: An additional skill can be added to many snatch-type games by including a low hurdle to jump over.

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KEEP AWAY GAMES

Teaching Cues:

When is object passed? (when defender gets close, but not close enough to get object away) How do we get defender to come closer? (wait or move with object yourself) How do we get defender to change what they want to do? (fake and do opposite fake left, pass right;
fake high, throw low) What can we do to get in the open? (get in position behind defence so they cant see without turning head then move quickly to open spot) On defence how can we be more successful? (change speeds; fake a movement to try to get offence to throw opposite then be ready)

NOSE AND TOES TAG

Skills:

Equipment: None

B, N, R

Locomotion: Running Movement: Agility, dodging, balance Social: Inclusiveness, accept rules

Organization: 2 designated as it others scattered in general space Activity: Players can avoid being tagged if they are standing on 1 foot holding their nose with 1 hand and their foot with the other. If tagged when not in this position they become the new it. It is not allowed to push them off balance, but can wait momentarily to see if they lose balance. Change it often if tags are not occurring. Add the rule that in addition to touching toes and nose, the player must be moving (hopping, twisting, sinking).

Variation:

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SHARKS AND DOLPHINS

Skills: Locomotion: Movement skills: Cognitive: Social:

Equipment: None

B, N, R

Running Evading, agility, space awareness, effort awareness Imagination Respect for rules, interaction, listening, emotional control

Organization: Divide children into dolphins or sharks Dolphins lined up on one line and sharks with back turned lined up on other Activity: On a silent signal from adult leader dolphins swim forward toward sharks, silently (bobbing up and down) When leader calls get back the sharks chase the dolphins (for lunch) back to their line Tag must be made with both hands hinged at the base of the palm like jaws Ensure they all get to be sharks and dolphins

RABBITS AND HOUNDS

Skills:

Equipment: None

B, N, R

Locomotion: running Movement: evading, space awareness Social: accept rules, interaction, respect

Organization: Partners - 1 child is the hound the other the rabbit; mark boundaries Activity: Rabbits and hounds start by facing each other approximately 10 feet apart. On chase from instructor, hound tries to catch the rabbit After the rabbit is caught (or designated time) reverse roles. Tagged player does a specified number of tasks (jumping jacks, kangaroo hops, side shoulder rolls (if learned), frog jumps, jack-knifes, etc.) to give rabbit time to get away.

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WHAT TIME IS IT MR.WOLF?

Skills:

Equipment: Markers

B, N

Locomotion: Running Movement: Evading, faking, agility, space awareness, effort awareness Social: Inclusiveness, accept rules, listening, emotional control

Organization: Mark out 2 lines approximately 20 metres apart. 1 or 2 children are at one line (wolfs den) the remainder (chickens) are behind other line. Activity: Chickens move toward wolfs den calling What time is it Mr. Wolf? Wolf answers 3 oclock, 5 oclock , etc. whatever time is called the chickens move forward that many steps. When the wolf says, lunch time the chickens turn and run back to the safe line, while the wolf(s) tries to tag them. When tagged, the chickens help the wolves. Change method of locomotion: hopping (2 feet, 1 foot), skip, etc.

Variations:

LEAP FROG TAG

Skills:

Equipment: None

B, N, R

Locomotion: Running, jumping Movement: Evading, space awareness, body awareness, flexibility, support, landings Social: Co-operation, inclusiveness, accept rules, interaction

Organization: Assign 2 or 3 frog catchers others are frogs. Scatter within designated play area. Activity: Frog catchers chase the frogs. When caught the frog is frozen into a frog position until released by another frog leapfrogging over top. Vary the method of locomotion all leap like frogs, skip, hop, etc.

Variation:

Teaching Cues: Fake a dodge to get away occasionally. Both feet must leave the ground during the leap frog. Keep your body strong and balance when someone is leaping over.

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BLOB TAG
Also known as chain or amoeba tag Skills:

Equipment: None

B, N, R

Locomotion: Running Movement: Evading, space awareness, effort awareness Social: Co-operation, inclusiveness, accept rules

Organization: Mark boundaries of desired play area. Select 2 children to be the beginning of 2 blobs (the chasers). The other children scatter to personal space in play area. Activity: On go the blobs chases the others. Tagged players join hands with the blob. When the blob becomes 3, only the outside players can tag. When the blob becomes 4, they split into 2 mini-blobs of 2 players each and continue to chase remaining untagged players until all are caught.

Teaching Cues: Remind blobs to co-operate and trap untagged players.

PAC MAN TAG

Equipment: Area with a lot of lines (like in a gym) or drawn in dirt Skills: Locomotion: Running, skipping, galloping, shuffle step Movement: Dodging, faking, agility, balance Social: Accept rules, interaction

N, R

Organization: Identify 2 or more as Pac Man (depending on size of group) with cap, arm band. The rest of the group move to various locations, but must remain on a line. Activity: Pac Man tries to tag the others. Players can move any direction but all, including Pac Man must remain on the lines. Caught players must stand on 1 foot to a count of 20 elephants then they are free to rejoin. No one can get passed a caught player. Change Pac Man often. Vary method of locomotion to skip, shuffle, gallop, etc.

Variation:

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SHARK IN THE TANK

Skills:

Equipment: Stop watch

B, N, R

Locomotion: Running Movement: Evading, body awareness, agility Social: Co-operation, inclusiveness, listening

Organization: 2 or 3 players are the sharks, the rest are the fish. Marked playing area to be the tank. Activity: Fish must stay in the tank. Sharks are timed to see how long it takes them to catch all the fish. When they do, chose new sharks. Vary the method of locomotion.

Variation:

SHEEP AND WOLVES

Skills:

Equipment: Markers

N, R

Locomotion: Running Movement: Evading, agility, space awareness, effort awareness Social: Co-operation, support, interaction, accept rules

Organization: Mark out playing area Select 2-3 players to be the sheep and 2-3 players to be the wolves. All the others find a partner sheep, link elbows and find a personal space. Activity: On go the wolves chase the sheep. If a chased sheep links elbows with paired sheep, then the outside sheep is let go and gets chased by the wolves. If a sheep gets tagged prior to linking they exchange roles with the wolf. Exchange sheep and wolves periodically if sheep are not being caught. Change method of locomotion.

Variation:

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CAT AND MOUSE

B, N

Equipment: Large disk (like frisbee) with picture of mouse on one side and cat on the other Skills: Locomotion: Running Movement: Evading, effort awareness, space awareness

Organization: Divide group cats and mice Mark out a safe area for cats (cat house) and safe area for mice (mouse hole) Cats and mice are scattered in personal space. Activity: Instructor flips the disk into the air. If it lands with mouse up leader calls mice run and the cats chase them into their holes. If it lands with cat up call cats run and mice chase cats to cat house. Vary method of locomotion.

Variation:

GOTCHA!
Skills:

Equipment: Markers to establish boundaries for each pair Locomotion: Running Movement: Dodging, faking, space awareness, agility Social: Discipline, respect for opponent

N, R

Organization: Partners within established boundary. Start with approximately 10 feet by 10 feet. Activity: Both partners are it. They try to tag, while at the same time avoid being tagged. When a partner is tagged they take 4 steps (or hops, or jumps) and play continues. Make play area smaller or larger.

Variations:

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STAR WARS
Skills:

Equipment: 4 markers

N, R

Locomotion: Movement: Cognitive: Social:

Running Evading, space awareness, effort awareness Decision making Co-operation, interaction, emotional control

Organization: Mark out large rectangular play area with cones. Select 1 player to be Darth Vader, who is it; 2 Stormtroopers (helpers) these 3 stand across middle of play area. Divide other players into 2-4 groups (depending on number of participants): Luke Skywalkers, Chewbaccok, 3CPOs, R2D2s. Groups stand side by side at one end line facing it group. Designate an area just outside play area as the trash compactor. Activity: Darth Vader calls one group out at a time, to run across the play area to the other side, without being tagged by Darth and the Stormtroopers. Tagged players must go to the trash compactor, and while sitting out a round, perform tasks such as: jumping jacks, push-ups, sit-ups, make bridges, long jumps, etc. Players must stay in boundaries of play area or they automatically go to trash compactor. Darth and Stormtroopers must go back to centre each time prior to calling out another group. Change method of locomotion.

Variation:

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IN THE DOG HOUSE

Skills: Locomotion: Movement: Cognitive: Social:

Equipment: Markers

N, R

Running Evading, space awareness Decision making Inclusiveness, co-operation, teamwork, support, accept rules

Organization: Mark out 2 doghouses in opposite corners of the play area. Divide participants into 2 groups with the name of dog breeds Example: spaniels/poodles. Each starts behind own end line, with a doghouse in the corner. x x x x x Captured poodles

Captured spaniels

Dog House x x x x x

Spaniels

Tagging Area

Poodles

Dog House

Activity:

Objective is to capture all of the other team and put them in your doghouse. A dog can be captured and taken to the dog house if an opposition dog crosses the opponents end line or by tagging an opposition dog in the play area. Only the freshest (last to leave) can capture opposition dogs and take them to doghouse. Dogs can not be tagged when taking a captured dog to the doghouse. Captured dogs can be released when a dog from their team gets close enough to the doghouse to tag their hand as they extend from the doghouse. Captured dogs can extend beyond the doghouse by joining hands or feet and stretching out into the tagging area as long as at least one dog has a foot or other body part in the doghouse.

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DOG CATCHER
Skills: Locomotion: Movement: Cognitive: Social:

Equipment: 4-6 pinnies, markers Running Space awareness, evading Decision making Co-operation, interaction, support

B, N, R

Organization: Select 4-6 players to be the dog catcher. Identify them in some manner (pinnies; caps). Rest of players are dogs and scatter into personal space. Mark out an area in the centre of the play area for the dog pound. Activity: Dog catchers try to catch as many dogs as they can put them in the dog pound. Captured dogs can be released by other dogs running through the dog pound and giving high fives to captured dogs. Dog catchers can only have 1 guard on the dog pound. Exchange dog catchers and dogs.

HURRICANES
Skills: Movement: Social:

Equipment: None Evading, agility, space awareness Co-operation, support, team work

B, N, R

Organization: Groups of 4 3 of 4 hold hands. 1 of the 3 is designated the eye of the hurricane. The fourth player is outside the circle and is it. Activity: It tries to tag the eye and stop the whirling hurricane. When the eye is tagged, they become it. Ensure everyone gets a chance to be the eye and it.

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BODYGUARD TAG
Skills:

Equipment: None

B, N, R

Locomotion: Running, skipping, shuffle, galloping Movement: Evading, agility Social: Teamwork, co-operation, discipline, respect

Organization: Divide players into groups of 4 1 movie star, 2 bodyguards, 1 robber Activity: The robber tries to tag the movie star, while the 2 bodyguards protect him/her by keeping bodies between robber and movie star. Bodyguards must keep hands on hips. Change method of locomotion to skip, gallop, hop, shuffle.

Variation

TAIL TAG
Skills:

Equipment: Old tie or belt for each participant Locomotion: Running Movement: Evading, agility

B, N, R

Organization: Participants scattered in general space each has an old tie, belt tucked in waistband. Activity: Each tries to steal the tail of the other. Last person with a tail is the champ.

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