Bear, Fish, Mosquito
Materials required: None, though cones to mark the mid-field and boundaries are helpful.
No preparation time is required.
This game is appropriate for all ages, though you must emphasize gentleness when tagging.
At least 10 minutes is needed to play this game.

    In this WOODS classic, a "food chain" is built into a tag game. In the food chain, and game, using a "rock, paper, scissors" method, bears eat fish, fish eat mosquitos, and mosquitos "eat" bears.
   First divide everyone into two equal teams. The teams go to opposite ends of the field and decide together upon their first choice animal (which the whole team will be), and a backup animal in case both teams have the same animal. After each team has decided, they come back to the middle standing in two lines facing eachother about two big steps apart.
    At this point, everyone shouts in unison (doing it with motions representing each animal is fun) "Bear, Fish, Mosquito....[animal]!!!" where [animal] represents the teams first choice. If the two teams have chosen the same animal, each team should immeadiately say their second choice.
    Now, if one team shouted "bear" and the other shouted "fish," the bears (because bears eat fish) will now try to tag the fish while the fish try to run to their endzone (on the same side of the playing field) for safety. Once everyone has been tagged or made it to the safe endzone, everyone returns to their side, except that those who were tagged get absorbed into the other team. The game continues like this until everyone is on one team or is too tired to play anymore!


Activities