How to play tag

Tag (Game) 101: How To Play (Step-by-Step) / Rules / Variations

Have you recently watched a group of kids playing a game of Tag? You might have felt that they were just having a good time running around. However, the game is much more than running about. Tag requires quick thinking and decision-making, deft movements, alertness, and, of course, a lot of speed. Simply chasing around each other can provide children hours of fun along with some great exercise.

Tag is an easy game that any child can quickly learn to play. The game involves two or more players, with the “it” chasing the others to “tag” them. Like any game, Tag also has some rules. A few basic rules are enough to keep everyone happy and the game running smoothly. Besides the classic version, Tag can also be played in a wide variety of exciting ways.

Now that you know the basics, perhaps you want to know a little more about the rules and the many variations that you can introduce to your kids. If you’re ready to know more, read on to find out how to play Tag, the rules of the game, and some fun variations!

How to Play Tag (Step-by-Step)

Tag is a traditional game that children play all over the world. Whether you call it “you’re it,” “catch and catch,” or “tiggy,” the game is played the same way.

Step 1: Round Up Players

To play Tag, you need at least two players. The more the players, the more the fun!

Step 2: Find A Place To Play

Pick a place where you can easily run in without running into objects. Head outdoors and find a wide place such as a yard or playground. If the children are younger and may easily trip or fall, it would be best to find a place to make the fall easier. A grassy or sandy area will work out great.

Furthermore, if you are playing in a larger area, set boundaries not to run away too far. For instance, if you are in a playground, you can have everyone agree to stay on the gravel and make the grass and the sidewalk a no-go zone.

Step 3: Choose A Safe Zone

A safe zone or the “home” can be a tree, a door, or a circle drawn on the ground. When a player is in this spot, he is safe from being tagged. However, the player may hang out here only for 10 seconds.

Step 4: Determine Who Is “It”

The “it” is the person who is going to chase all the other players. Once he tags a player, the tagged person becomes the “it.”

If you know how it goes with some kids, deciding who gets to go first can take longer than the game itself. To fairly determine who will be the first “it,” you can use a counting-out rhyme such as “Inky, Pinky.” Children worldwide have devised their own crazy verses – from “onika-bonika” in England to “akkar bakkar” in Pakistan.

Step 5: Count Down

Once you’ve decided who is the “it,” it’s time for a count-down. First, the “it” person will count to ten to give the players a head start to run away. After counting to ten, the “it” will yell “Go!” and begin chasing and trying to tag someone as fast as possible.

Step 6: Tagging Someone

To tag a player, the “it” needs to touch someone. The touch is a light tap on the body, usually on the back of the shoulder. The Tag should not hurt anyone, but be firm and clear enough to let the player know they have been tagged. The tagged player will then yell loud enough to let everyone know that they are the new “it.”

A game of Tag should never get aggressive. Those who push and hurt other players should be warned and removed from the game.

Step 7: Keep Going

Once a person gets tagged, the new “it” person will try to tag someone. Continue the game in this same way as long as you want to play.

Step 8: Stop the Game

Tag is a very active game, and players will get tired sooner or later. The game will continue until the players no longer want to play. The exhausted players will most of the time mutually agree to stop playing to switch to another activity.

If you are leading a game of Tag for a group of younger kids, you can always choose to set a time limit.

General Rules of Tag

What are some rules in Tag you would need to know? The rules of Tag are pretty simple and easy to follow:

You can always modify and adjust the rules as you see fit for your situation.

Variations of Tag

1. Freeze Tag

Freeze Tag is one of the most popular variations of Tag. When a player is tagged, he cannot move and must remain frozen in place. A “non-it” player can come and touch the person to unfreeze him. You can either end the game or start another round when all the players have been tagged.

2. Toilet Tag

Toilet Tag is a fun tag variation that will have kids laughing all day. The tagged person needs to crouch on the ground like a toilet with his arm out like a toilet flusher. To unfreeze the person, another player must come and push down his arm gently as if they are flushing a toilet.

3. Rocket Ship Tag

Rocket Ship Tag is another fun variation that kids love. The tagger is the asteroid. When the asteroid tags you, you need to freeze with your arms above your head and your hands pointed like a rocket ship. When someone comes along and touches you, you can blast off and rejoin the game.

4. Sock Tag

To play Sock Tag, you need a knee sock, bandana, or another spare piece of fabric for each player. Each player will tuck this lightly into the back of their waistband to make a tail. There is no “it” in this game! Everyone can tag anyone by grabbing their tails. The player with the most tails is the winner.

5. Band-Aid Tag

When a player is tagged in Band-Aid tag, they put a hand over the spot he was tagged. If the player is tagged again, they put their other hand over the new spot. The player can continue running until they are tagged a third time, and then they become the “it.”

6. Turtle Tag

Similar to Freeze Tag, the tagged players are frozen until another “non-it” player unfreezes them. However, to avoid being tagged, players can get on their backs with their hands and feet in the air. But don’t think you can stay like this for the entire game! This safe position is effective only for 10 seconds, and you must get up and begin running after that.

Shutterstock.com

7. Dead Ant Tag

If you are tagged, you must get on your back with your hands and legs up, like a dead ant. You can only come alive when four people come along and tap one limb each. Once you have become dead twice, you become the “it.”

8. Blob Tag

There are two “its” in Blob Tag, and the two will hold hands while chasing the others. When the “its” tags someone, that person joins hands to become part of the blob. The game ends when all players are part of the big blob. Or, you can split the blob once it consists of four people. You can keep splitting the blobs until all players have been tagged.

9. Sharks and Minnows

Shark and Minnows is a swimming pool game, but it can be played on the ground as well! The “it” is the shark and the rest are the minnows. The shark calls out, “Fishy, fishy, cross my ocean,” and the minnows try to race from one end to the other without getting caught.

Last Word

People have invented so many fun ways to play Tag. You can even encourage kids to come up with new ideas to play this game. It’s no wonder this speed game has remained one of the favorites of children through passing generations. Now, you are all ready to get your children occupied in a vigorous and exciting game of Tag!

10 Different Ways to Play Tag

Catherine Holecko is an experienced freelance writer and editor who specializes in pregnancy, parenting, health and fitness.

Emily is a board-certified science editor who has worked with top digital publishing brands like Voices for Biodiversity, Study.com, GoodTherapy, Vox, and Verywell.

When kids play tag, they don’t just run—they have to think on their feet. The need for quick reflexes, sudden changes of direction, and speed means that playing tag is great exercise. And tag games are easy to learn, with few rules and usually few (or no) props or equipment.

So the next time you gather a group of kids in a wide-open space, play tag! Many of these games and variations were inspired by Playworks, a nonprofit organization that helps schools foster physically active, social, healthy play.

Band-Aid Tag

There is no «it» in this tag game! All players can tag and be tagged. When a player is tagged, they put a hand on the spot where they were tagged—that’s the «Band-Aid.» Then, they can keep playing, using their free hand to tag others.

If they get tagged again, they’ll need to use their other hand as a second Band-Aid, but they can still keep playing! A third tag sends them to the «hospital» (a designated spot near the playing area). Once there, they can perform a predetermined action, such as hopping on one foot for a count of 10, to heal their wounds and then return to the game.

Sock Tag

You’ll need a spare knee sock, bandanna, or another scrap of fabric for each player. They should tuck it into their waistbands to create a «tail.» As in Band-Aid tag, there is no «it.» Everyone can try to grab each other’s tails. The one who collects the most wins the game.

If you don’t have enough socks to go around, play dragon tag, a version of sock tag in which groups of players link up to form a dragon. The player at the front of the line, the dragon’s head, tries to grab the tail from another dragon.

Blob Tag

This game starts with two players as «it.» They must hold hands and chase the others, trying to tag them. When they do, that person becomes part of their blob. You can either keep going until all players are part of the blob or have the blob split up when it consists of four or six players. In this case, all the blobs continue chasing the other players until everyone has been tagged.

Triangle Tag

Divide players into groups of four, and have three players hold hands to form a circle. Designate one of these as the runner, the target of the tagger. The tagger is the player outside the circle.

While they’re trying to tag the runner, the circle trio must try to protect the runner without letting go of each other. The tagger may not go inside the circle. After each round, switch players so that everyone gets a turn to be the runner, the tagger, and one of the protectors.

Triangle tag is ideal for smaller groups and smaller playing areas—even indoors.

Flashlight Tag

A classic! This game combines the chase element of tag with the suppress-your-giggles fun of hide-and-seek. The basic plan is for the person who is «it» to find other hidden players using a flashlight beam, but variations abound—as do other flashlight games.

Drop the Linguini

Give about a third of the players a foam pool noodle. These are the linguini noodles. The rest of the players chase the ones who have noodles. If they tag someone, they yell, «Drop the linguini!» The player who was tagged must drop the noodle. The tagger picks it up and then becomes the target of the other players. You can also play with balls («Drop the meatball!») or bean bags («Drop the cookie!»).

Footprint Tag

You’ll need sand or snow for this game, in which players must step in each others’ footprints as they try to avoid being tagged. And if you’re playing in the snow, freeze tag seems like a must-do.

Don’t Get Caught With the Cookie

Choose two players to be «it.» Give about half the remaining players balls or beanbags (the «cookies»). Put a bag or box on the sidelines—this is the cookie jar. When you say «go,» the «its» try to tag players with cookies. If they succeed, those players must run to the cookie jar and put their cookies inside.

To save themselves from being tagged, they can throw their cookie to another player. You can stop the game when all the cookies are back in the jar or allow players to retrieve the cookies from the jar at designated times.

Sharks and Minnows

This classic swimming pool game can be played on dry land too. Just have your players run instead of swim.

In this game, one person is the shark («it») and the rest are minnows. The shark says something like, «fishy, fishy cross my ocean» and the minnows must then try to get from one end of the field to the other without being tagged.

Everyone’s It!

Designate a playing area (it doesn’t have to be too big for this game) and set a timer for three to four minutes. Everyone is «it,» so everyone tries to tag everyone else. Players must keep a mental count of everyone they tag. After the time is up, you can declare a winner based on how many tags each player got.

To make it a little more challenging, you can require that players subtract a point from their running tally each time another player tags them.

How to Play Laser Tag

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Eric McClure. Eric McClure is an editing fellow at wikiHow where he has been editing, researching, and creating content since 2019. A former educator and poet, his work has appeared in Carcinogenic Poetry, Shot Glass Journal, Prairie Margins, and The Rusty Nail. His digital chapbook, The Internet, was also published in TL;DR Magazine. He was the winner of the Paul Carroll award for outstanding achievement in creative writing in 2014, and he was a featured reader at the Poetry Foundation’s Open Door Reading Series in 2015. Eric holds a BA in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and an MEd in secondary education from DePaul University.

There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.

wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, several readers have written to tell us that this article was helpful to them, earning it our reader-approved status.

This article has been viewed 398,470 times.

Laser tag is an awesome game that’s a lot of fun—especially when enjoyed with your friends. Before the game starts, each player gets a vest that is covered in sensors, which can be hit by a laser gun firing an infrared beam. When the beam hits a sensor, that player scores a point and either eliminates the opposing player or temporarily stuns them. Laser tag is almost always played at an indoor arena that is designed specifically for laser tag. There will be obstacles for cover, and the lights will be dimmed to make the game more intense. When in-game, play smart by working as a team to ensure total victory.

How to play tag

Teach Your Child How to Play Tag

Tag is quite possibly the most exciting and most played traditional game in the world. Along with its variations, tag is played wherever you find groups of children.

Even though video games and television seem to be taking the place of more physically active forms of entertainment, kids still love to run, jump and chase each other. Teaching your child to play tag will keep them moving and tie them to millions of other children around the world who try to avoid being “It”!

The rules of tag are simple, but depend on the variation of the game. Several kinds of tag will be described here, each included with the age category that it fits developmentally. But you will find that if the bigger kids playing are having fun, the younger ones will catch on and want to join in, too.

Tag teaches children to follow rules, act quickly and wisely, and to be good sports. It also helps them develop speed, agility and physical endurance.

Preschool

Children can play basic tag as soon as they are able to run fast enough to catch (tag) someone and avoid being caught (tagged). Three or more players are needed- the more the merrier. The object of basic tag is for the person who is “It” (chosen by being the last one to say “Not It!”) chases the other children until one is touched (tagged). That child then becomes It and chases the others until he or she tags someone, who then becomes It. The game continues until everyone collapses in exhaustion!

A variation that preschoolers aged 4 to 6 will be able to understand is Freeze Tag. The person who is It will chase the others. The person who is It yells “Freeze!” when he tags another. When tagged, that child must “freeze”” and stand stock still in the position they were in when tagged, unless and until another runner touches them and “unfreezes” them as they run by. The object is to freeze all the other players. The last person to be tagged becomes It.

Vegetable and Fruit Tag is fun and demands quick thinking. The person who is It chases the other players. If the tagger comes close by and is ready to tag a runner, that runner must quickly squat down and say the name of a fruit or vegetable. They are then safe and free to continue in the game. If the runner fails to do this and is tagged, they become It. The name of a fruit or vegetable can only be used once in each game, so players need to remember what has already been called out!

The more players the better- five or six is a good minimum, but less can play. Remind the children to tag gently and on the shoulder or below. As your child grows, they will be able to join in to some of the other tag games described below.

Main points to address:

Grades K-6th

School age children will love playing these variations from around the world. It will only take playing once to understand the rules.

Ball Tag is played with five or more players and a rubber kick ball or other light ball with a diameter of six to ten inches. The person who is It throws the ball at the other players. The first person who is hit (shoulders or below only) becomes It. Freeze tag can also be played with a ball.

Gallinita Ciega, or The Blind Hen, is a chase game from Mexico. You will need three or more players. The person who is It (The Blind Hen), is blindfolded with a bandana or other cloth and must chase the others (the chicks). When The Blind Hen catches one of the chicks, they must try to guess who they’ve captured. If they are right, that chick becomes The Blind Hen. If they are wrong, that chick is released and the game continues. It is best of course to play in a safe area and limit play to a set diameter so that The Big Hen does not get injured.
This game is hilarious, especially if the chicks ‘peep’ and The Blind Hen cackles!

A variation of Freeze Tag is Sun and Ice, another game from Mexico. You will need two teams, with no maximum number. The players chase members on the opposite team. When tagged, they must turn into “ice” and freeze until one of the members of their team comes to “melt” them. They then rejoin the play. Play continues until there is only one player not frozen. Then play starts again.

Sam Pal Sun is a chase game from Korea. Sam Pal Sun is the name of the border between North and South Korea. The game is played with five or more players on each team. One team has a flag, placed on the ground behind the defending team, which they need to keep the other team from reaching. Each defending team member has a “territory” they must defend and can’t move away from. The offensive team tries to get through the defending line without getting tagged. If tagged, that player must freeze until unfrozen by a team mate. If all offensive players are tagged, the game ends and restarts until they capture the flag. The flag then becomes theirs and they must defend it from the opposite team. This takes team work, strategy, speed and agility!

Buddy Tag is an American chase game. It is best played with at least eight children. One person is It and another becomes the “runner”. The rest of the players pair up and link arms. If there is an odd man, link him with one of the pairs to make a threesome. The person who is It runs to catch the runner. If the runner is caught he becomes It, and the other person becomes the runner. But to avoid being caught, the runner can join up with one of the pairs, linking arms. This forces the person on the other end of the pair to break off and become the runner. The game continues until everyone is too tired to play.

There are dozens more variations of tag that you can easily teach your child. Most require some open space and some supervision to make sure things are stay safe and fair. Getting out there and joining the fun will give you some healthy exercise. Keeping these traditional games going will make sure generations to come will experience the wholesome pleasure and excitement of tag! Have fun!

Main points to address:

Resources
Resources that can help you in your venture include:

How to play traditional and modern tag games

Gallery

Do you play tag with your own children? Do you watch your children play? Maybe you work with children and play during break times. Japanese culture has a great many variations of tag and circle games that are familiar to people all over the world, and yet some are unique to Japan, and have mysterious origins.

Classic Japanese Tag Games

In Japan, the person in a tag game who is «it» is referred to as «Oni», or demon. That person has to tag the next player. Classic and simple «Hide and Seek» is called «Onigokko» in Japan. Just like your childhood game, the «Oni» counts down while the players scatter. The «Oni» then must hunt down and touch a player, who becomes the next «Oni». Then the count down begins again.

A variation is Iro-Oni, Color Tag, where the person who is «it» calls out a color and then counts down. The «oni» chases the players attempting to tag them. If the players can touch the designated color in the playground, they are safe. If they don’t escape in time, they are touched and become the next «Oni». Freeze Tag, is called «Koori Oni» in Japan. The rules are the same as you remember. The person who is «it», or Oni, tags players and the players must freeze in place. They can be released by other players who escape the clutches of the «Oni».

Another nostalgic game widely played in Japan is referred to as «Dorokei», Robbers and Cops. Half of the group are robbers, and the other half are police. The whole group designates a jail, «rooya», where the robbers go after they have been tagged. Brave robbers can approach the jail and release their robber friends. The game can go on and on. There are many regional variations of this game.

A game that used to be widely played in Japan is similar to «Kick the Can». A can or container with rocks in it is placed in an open area. The «oni» counts down and all players scatter. If someone is tagged by the «oni», they go to the designated jail. If free players can kick the can over, making a big noise, all players in the jail are released. The few Japanese people I have met who remember playing this game are in their 60s. Maybe it’s a game you could revive with your children, neighbors or students.

Games You can Play Indoors
Some games are played in close quarters, such as «Fruit Basket». All players sit on chairs or on the floor. One child is the «Oni» in the middle. Each child has a designated fruit or word. When the «Oni» calls that word, all children with that designated word change seats, and the «Oni» tries to take over a vacated seat. The child that misses the timing becomes the next «Oni». Those of you who work in schools may have played this in your classrooms as a way to review English vocabulary such as fruits or animals.

A Game with a Mysterious Rhyme

Some tag games in Japan have unique and curious songs and rhymes associated with them. A peculiar one is «Kagome Kagome», known widely throughout Japan, and supposedly with its origins in Noda City, Chiba Prefecture.

«Kagome Kagome» is a circle game. All players circle and join hands. The «Oni» sits in the middle with his or her eyes covered. The players chant a song. When the song ends, the «Oni» must guess who is directly behind them. If they guess correctly, that person becomes the new «Oni».

The most common version is:

かごめかごめ 籠の中の鳥は Kagome kagome / Kago no naka no tori wa

いついつ出やる 夜明けの晩に Itsu itsu deyaru / Yoake no ban ni

鶴と亀が滑った Tsuru to kame ga subetta.

後ろの正面だあれ Ushiro no shoumen daare

The basket, the basket, the bird in the basket,

When will you come out? In the evening of the dawn

The crane and the turtle slipped up

Who is it behind me now?

Kagome can refer to the holes, or eyes, in the woven basket. But it could also easily be a mishearing of «kakome», surround. Some people say «kagome» is a homophone for a pregnant woman. The mystery deepens.

The lyrics get more mysterious the more you look at them. The crane and the turtle are traditionally symbols of good fortune. Their slipping up could indicate misfortune, or even death. What does that suggest for the «bird» in the «basket», perhaps the womb?

The final line, «Ushiro no shoumen daare» is peculiar as it literally says, «Who is it behind my front?» Could it be a reference to a person in a position of power? Or the severed head of an executed prisoner looking back at his own corpse? Or is it just an innocent child’s way of expressing, «Who is behind me?»

Noda City claims to be the place of origin of this song. The song is commemorated at the approach to Shimizu Park with two statues and plaques.

The «Oni» covering his or her eyes.

The child behind the «Oni» revealing himself.

At Kikuya, the traditional sweets shop in Noda City, you can savor a sweet called «Nodakko», Child of Noda. The sweets shop has the verse of Kagome Kagome on the side of their delivery van and on the wrappers for their signature sweets.

You can play the game in the park and have a sweet snack after.