At Camp Phillip, we really do believe in learning by playing. And there is a really important lesson that can be learned from this game:
Campers and staff are spread out inside the rectangle of cones. Everyone waits for the wacky codeword to signal the beginning of the game. As soon as the game begins, everyone is either tagging or tagged. People who are tagged run to the outside to watch the action, as the crowd inside gets smaller and smaller.
The game that started in chaos ends with a dramatic duel as the final two players each try to tag the other first. Rounds go by so quickly, that no one has to sit out for long. Soon, everyone is spreading out inside the cones again....
This is a familiar scene during a classic game that we play at Camp. It is called Everybody’s It Tag.
It's simple, quick and fun. I have led the game enough times to notice some common strategies.
Some kids will cower in a corner, hoping no one comes near them. These kids don't have anywhere to run when someone comes toward them, so they get tagged first.
Other kids have a more Kamikaze approach. They run at other kids, hoping to catch them off guard. They don't often defend themselves that carefully, so after getting out a few other kids, they usually find themselves watching the final showdown from the sidelines.
Some kids look more like the Karate Kid. They get into a defensive stance, and stand in the middle, twisting and dodging as quickly as possible. Depending on their skills, these players sometimes do well. Their quick movements cause most other players to try to stay away from them.But, time and time again, the strategy that keeps players in the game longer is forming an alliance. These campers are already talking with each other during the rules explanation. They whisper and nod and gesture to each other, "I won't tag you if you don't tag me." When the game begins, they stand together.
