Hannah Preston, 8, plays Kick the Can with her neighborhood friends.
Tristan Andrews, 11, climbs a nearby tree.
Everyone is safe on base, including, from left, Hannah Preston, Tommy King, Ryan Quinn, Tristan Andrews, Olivia Francis, and Sophie King.
Stray onto Morningside Drive in West Towson on any afternoon in the summer and you might find yourself embroiled in a neighborhood game of Kick the Can.
It’s become a neighborhood tradition, and kids anywhere from 2 to 13 get caught up in the excitement. Parents have even been known to join in the fun.
“We have this thing called happy hour where a lot of kids get together at someone’s house,” explains 9-year-old Tommy King. “You have a lot more kids to play with and a lot of people get along with each other… and it gives a challenge to us. It’s always fun to see who gets the can.”
Backyard games are the stuff that childhood memories are made of. If you want to jump start a trend in your neighborhood, here are a few game ideas to introduce to the kids.
Capture the Flag
Two teams gather in one yard or large play area and divide it into two territories. Each team hides a “flag” in a slightly visible place. The goal is to find and steal the other team’s flag and bring it back to your team’s territory without getting tagged. Players can be tagged in the other team’s territory and put in jail. A tag from a teammate deems a jail release.
Shark!
Put hula hoops or beach towels on the ground to serve as dens for the “fish.” One child is the shark. When the shark calls, “Fishy, fishy, cross my ocean,” the fish have to move to a different den. While out of a den, the shark tries to tag the fish and they become sharks as well. The last remaining fish becomes the first shark next time.
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Kick the can
One person throws the can. The person who is “it” gets it and counts while everyone else hides. The person who is it guards the can while trying to find the other players. If he sees someone he calls out “1, 2, 3 I see Joe.” Joe has to try to kick the can before being tagged. If he doesn’t, he goes to “jail” for the rest of the game. Any other player can sprint and kick the can before being tagged to win.
Red Rover
Players hold hands and form two parallel lines a few yards apart. One side chants “Red Rover, Red Rover we dare (insert name of player on opposite team) to come over.” The player who is called out runs as fast as he can and tries to break through the arms of any two players in the opposite line. If he gets through, he takes a player to his line. If not, he joins that line. Note: no arm holding allowed.
The Witch Ain’t Out Tonight
Played after dark. One person is the witch and hides while the others count. The group then goes out chanting “The witch ain’t out tonight! The witch ain’t out tonight!” At any time, the witch can burst from hiding and catch as many chanters as possible. The caught people become witches and hide as before, continuing until one person is left. That person becomes the witch in the next round.
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Tag
Everyone knows how to play tag, but here are a few variations to liven up the game.
Walking tag – you can only walk
Freeze tag – when tagged, a player must freeze. To be unfrozen he must be tagged by another player.
Diaper tag – when a player is tagged, he remains frozen until a teammate crawls through his legs.
TV tag – a player who is tagged is frozen until a teammate touches him and calls out the name of a television show.
French tag – the person who is it tags other players on weird parts of their body, such as the ankle or elbow. The tagged player must then hold that part of his body until he tags someone else.
Pairs tag – two players must hold hands while they try to tag someone else. When they tag another player, that player must join the line.