Capture The Flag is a Game For Active Children

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Capture The flag. A Fun Game For Active Kids To Play.

Capture the flag is another fun game for kids to play. It is a game that can be played in your backyard and it does keep your kids active.

You just split your yard or whatever other area you are using into two halves. Each team picks one of the halves and that becomes their territory to protect.

You also need a flag, towel or rag so you have something to capture.

This game can be played at night as well. Just use a flashlight instead of a flag.

Playing the game at night does make it a whole different and interesting game though.

The object of the game is to capture the opposing team's flag and get it from the other team's territory and into your territory without getting tagged.

PLAYING THE GAME

First of all form two teams. Each team getting one of the designated territories.

Each team should get a couple of minutes to hide their flag before the game starts.

When playing with younger children each team should put their flag in an obvious and visible spot, some place towards the rear of their territory.

When you have older kids playing, you can make the game harder by making the flag a bit harder to spot if you wish, but it should be visible from at least one angle. In this case, rather than open space, some wooded area might work better. It would raise the level of difficulty and keep the older kids from getting bored.

Each team member is considered safe and can't be tagged while they are in their territory.

When playing capture the flag, you can set the rules so the player that captures the opposing team's flag is not safe in his area until he grabs his team's flag as well, which would then end the game.

The other way is they are safe as soon as they reach their territory and the game is over. It is your choice what you decide to do.

When everyone is set and the flags are hidden play can start. Again, the object is to penetrate the other territory, capture the flag, get it back to your territory without getting tagged.

Choices

I don't know about you, but I do like choices and when playing this game there are different versions you can employ when dealing with players that have been tagged.

They can be eliminated from the game all together, become part of the other team or go to jail. How you decide to play the game is your choice, but generally sending them to jail is the accepted version.

If you do decide to have tagged players go to jail I would suggest that you keep the jail away from your flag though.

Also, if using a jail in the game, you can set the rules to have the players stay in the jail for a predetermined time or you can allow jail breaks.

If you are allowing jail breaks the prisoners can be freed when they are touched by someone from their team.

Freed prisoners have to return to their territory first before they can attempt to get the flag again. Also they are generally allowed a free walk back to their area.

The person that freed them though is not given a free pass, plus that person is free to try to capture the flag without returning to their territory first.

Again, the game of capture the flag ends when a person from the opposing team captures the other flag and returns to his or her territory without getting tagged.

You can also set it up so they have to get their flag as well without being tagged. It just depends on what you decided before the game started.

Also remember, when you carry the opposing team's flag you are not safe from being tagged at least until you get to your territory if that is how you set up the rules.

You can however hand the flag off before you get tagged so the other person can carry it back.

Return from capture the flag to backyard games

Return from capture the flag to grandpas backyard fun

SBI!