Tag is always popular and it is an easy way to let kids run around using up
extra energy. You can even play a whole bunch of versions of tag all in a row, leading to maximum hilarity and exhaustion.
Tag is a game of endless variations. Kids can just create their own game at any time. Variations often go by different names depending on where you learned the game. It's all fun!
Some suggestions:
Frozen Tag - if you're tagged by 'it' you freeze until you are rescued. Use your creativity for rescuing techniques: you have to limbo under an arm; the frozen person makes a shape that you have to go through or under; you have to give the person a hi-5; both of the person's hands have to be tapped before they are unfrozen, etc.
Tag with safe zones - kids call this being 'T', whatever that means. In not-so-young-at-heart terms, this means being 'safe' from the person who is it. There are endless ways that you could come up with for players to be safe: they have to touch a certain
color, they have to link arms with another person, lay on their back like a dead rat, sing a Hilary Duff song, somehow get themselves off the ground (I call this version Floating Tag - great on a playground), touch a tree...
Toilet Tag - if you get tagged you become a toilet! Squat with your hand extended like a flusher. You have to be 'flushed' to be set free (young kids think this is hysterical). as an added challenge the toilet is getting old and the flusher has to be held down to the count of ten
Chain Tag - 'it' is now a group of two, holding hands, when someone else is caught, they join the chain, when the chain has four people in it, it breaks to make two groups of two and so on until everyone is part of a chain
Blob Tag - if you get tagged, you hold hands and join the 'blob' which keeps growing until everyone is part of the blob (you need a restricted playing space for these last two versions)
Sitting Tag - if you get tagged by 'it', then you sit in one place. If you are able to touch someone who has not yet been tagged, then they sit and you are back in the game
Zombie tag - The person who initially "it" is a Zombie. When the zombie tags someone, they also become a zombie and also help tag players who haven't been tagged yet. The game continues until everyone has been tagged. This is a good version of tag when you have players of various ages or running abilities.
Everyone's It! - just shout this for the final variation and see what happens!
Hints
It helps if you have a signal for everyone to sit between versions to hear the new instructions.
The secret to success is to switch to a new version just before the group gets tired with the version they're playing.
