Though their names and specific rules vary, traditional games are almost universally played by kids all over the country. Because we learn them at a pivotal moment in our development — just when we're exercising greater independence — these games tend to stay in our memories even many decades later. Can you name these five games?
Quiz: Do you remember these summer games?
1. In this game, one person hides while the other players count. Players search for the person in hiding, who, upon discovery, jumps out and tries to tag them before they can get back to base.
A. TV Tag
B. Ghost in the Graveyard
C. Capture the Flag
D. Simon Says
2. In this reverse-hide-and-seek game, the players look for the person who is hiding. The first player to discover the hider joins him or her. As subsequent players discover the group, they squeeze into the same spot until the final player arrives.
A. Toilet Tag
B. Steal the Bacon
C. Sardines
D. Hop Scotch
3. All the players line up in front of a leader who stands several yards back, facing away from the group. On the leader's command, the players race forward, trying to be the first to reach the leader. But when the leader turns around, players must stop in their tracks or be sent back to the starting line.
A. Mother, May I?
B. SPUD
C. Red Light, Green Light
D. King of the Mountain
4. Two teams line up across from one another, several yards apart, and hold hands. They take turns requesting individual opponents try to rush the line and try to break through. If that person fails, he or she becomes a part of the opponent's team. If that person breaks through, he or she returns to the original team with the players who broke the link.
A. Red Rover
B. Flashlight Tag
C. Tug of War
D. Blindman's Bluff
5. One person grabs each player, in turn, with both hands and whirls them around before letting go. Upon landing, the player is frozen in that position. He or she must decide what they "are" and, when asked, act it out for others to guess.
A. Freeze Tag
B. Pom Pom Pullaway
C. What Time Is It, Mr. Fox?
D. Statue Maker
Rachel Hutton
Answers: 1, B. Ghost in the Graveyard; 2, C. Sardines; 3, C. Red Light, Green Light; 4, A. Red Rover; 5, D. Statue Maker.
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