SOURCE: /mnt/d/GoogleDrive/Cercetasi/carti-camp-jocuri/Activities and Games Scouts NZ/Scouts Tag Games.pdf
CONVERTED: 2025-01-11
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SCOUTS – Tag Games
Tag Games
Introduction
These games are from the “Fun and Games” book written by Jack Dowling and first printed by The Scout
Association of New Zealand in 1972 and “Fun and Games 2” for all sections, edited by Diana Balham in 1987.
More recent games have been added as well. These game sheets are to help new leaders get started. There are
many more listed on the internet that may be used if desired.
The games have been sorted into categories, with this category being Tag Games that are quite physical, use
up energy, but also require concentration. The games are listed alphabetically.
If you have a favourite game in this category that you would like to share with other leaders, please forward
the game instructions to reception@scouts.org.nz so it can be considered for adding to this document.
Bean Bag Touch
Equipment
 A bean or wheat bag or similar
Method
 The players stand in a circle one pace apart.
 One player (‘It’) stands in the middle of the circle, holding the bag.
 ‘It’ throws the bag to one of the players in the circle and then runs out of the circle.
 The player catching the bag runs into the circle and places the bag on the floor or ground in the
middle, and then chases and tries to tag ‘It’.
 ‘It’ has to avoid getting tagged and get back into the circle and touch the bag within say 30 or
40 seconds in order to survive.
 If ‘It’ is tagged before touching the bag, or runs out of time, he or she is out and the ‘tagger’
becomes ‘It’.
 If ‘It’ is not tagged and manages to touch the bag, he or she remains in the centre and throws
the bag to someone else.
 The team with the most players left after 10 mins is the winner.
Bodyguard
Equipment: None
Method:
 One player is appointed as ‘It’.
 ‘It’ then appoints 3 bodyguards to stop him or her being tagged.
 On “Go” the Troop members attempt to tag ‘It’.
 If ‘It’ is tagged, the tagger takes the place of ‘It’ and appoints 3 new bodyguards.
 The advantage of this game is that all Scouts are involved as no one is out.
Bottle-O
Equipment
 Two plastic soft drink bottles
 A set of keys or similar.
Method
 Form the players into two teams, one at each end of the playing area, and number them off.
 Place one bottle at each end of the playing area. (no tops needed)
 Place the keys in the middle of the playing area.
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 When a player’s number is called by the Leader, one player from each team runs to the
opposite end of the hall and stands the bottle upside down.
 The player then runs back to the middle, attempts to retrieve the keys and take them back to
the team to win a point.
 The player that misses the keys may chase the other player and tag him or her and win the
point, assuming that the bottle is still balanced on its top.
Box Tag
Equipment - Nil
Method
 Draw a square in each corner of the room. This is the home base / safe haven for each Patrol or
team and is also a haven for players from other teams.
 Appoint the PLs as the ‘taggers’.
 The players have to run from their home base to the next square or haven and around the
playing area until they have returned safely to their home base/haven.
 The PLs attempt to tag the players as they leave or enter each haven.
 Anyone tagged is out. Anyone getting safely home wins a point for the team.
Chain Tag
Equipment Nil
Method
 One person is appointed as ‘It’.
 ‘It’ roams the playing area and tags a player.
 The player holds ‘It’ by one hand and then together they attempt to tag another person. Only
the last person in the chain may tag the players.
 The ‘tag’ is only valid if the chain is unbroken.
Dog and Bone
Equipment
 A scarf or other object that is easy to pick up and carry.
Method
 Form the players into two equal teams, number the players and place them at opposite ends of
the playing area.
 Place the scarf or object (the ‘bone’) on the floor or ground.
 The Leader call out a number and the two players race to the object and attempt to pick it up
and dash back to their team.
 The player who misses the object then attempts to tag the other player before he or she gets
back to their team.
 A point is allocated to each team if the player gets back to them with the object without being
tagged.
Laps
Equipment
 4 chairs or stools
Method
 Place four chairs at the corners of the playing area so as to make a large square.
 Space the Patrols or teams around the hall so there is the same amount of space between
them.
 On ”Go” the first member of each Patrol races clockwise around the circle and back to their
place in the Patrol or team.
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Rodeo
Equipment - nil
Method
 Each team establishes a stable (a place to keep captured horses)
 Appoint one person from each team to be the cowboy who is to capture a specific number of
horses. Make it a reasonable number such as 1/5th of the horses available to keep the game
short and snappy.
 The rest of the troop are the wild horses and roam at will around the playing area.
 On “Go” the cowboy dashes out and captures horses belonging to the other team(s) by tagging
them. Once tagged the horses the cowboy must take the horses to his or her stables.
 The first team to get the required number of horses into the stables wins.
Rope Tag
Equipment
 One length of about 10 to 15mm diameter rope
 A small bag of sand or a beach ball in a bag, tied to one end of the rope.
Method
 One leader stands in the centre of the playing area and starts whirling the role around so that
the bag on the end is almost touching the edge of the playing area or walls of the hall.
 The bag at the end of the rope must not be higher than the knees of the Scouts.
 The Scouts have to enter the playing area and jump over the rope.
 Any Scout hit below the knees by the rope is out.
 We suggest the leader stand still and pass the rope around his or her body rather than twirling
around for obvious reasons.
Twin Tag
Equipment nil
Method
 Appoint two players at the ‘taggers’.
 They join hands and endeavour to tag any single player in the play area.
 Once tagged, the single player joins hands with the twins.
 When a fourth player is tagged they break into twins again and both twins continue to tag the
players, creating new twins whenever they get to four taggers.
 Continue until there are no single players left to tag.
 The last player to be tagged is the winner.
Note
Does your troop have a tag game that is modern and quite different to any on these pages? If so, email the
details to reception@scouts.org.nz so we can review the game and consider adding it to these pages.
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