Four Square is a Game For Kids of All Ages

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Four Square. A Great Playground Game.

Four square is a game that can be played with four players or more and can go on for as long as you like.

Four sq is a fun game that can be played by kids of all ages. We played it all the time when I went to school. The drawback is you need a hard surface and a space large enough to hold your square.

The game is played on a hard surface like a driveway or parking lot and the actual court size should be 16' x 16' with each square being 8' x 8'.

For younger kids though it is perfectly acceptable to reduce the size of the court to match the size of the kids playing.

Other than the court, all you need to play the four square game is a rubber playground ball and some kids.

Playing the game

You need at least four players to play, however you can have more than that if you want to.

Each player or the first four players occupy a square.

The squares are ranked in order of 1 through 4 and set up so the highest ranked square is diagonal from the lowest ranked square.

When playing four square the player may hit the ball with an open hand or a closed fist. What they must not do is catch or hold the ball.

Also the outside lines on the court are considered boundaries and the inside lines that separate the players are considered out of bounds.

Starting out

The first four players set up in a square. You can pick straws to determine who goes in which square since they are ranked.

With four square if you have more than four players the rest stay in line waiting their turn to enter the game.

Play starts when the player in the number 1 square serves the ball.

To serve the ball, you should bounce it once in your square first and then hit it to any other player.

Play continues until someone makes an error and is eliminated from the game.

When someone is eliminated, they go back in line if more than four players are in the game, or if you are playing with only four players, they go to square number 4 with everyone else advancing to a higher number.

Faults

Both the receiver and server are allowed one fault in the game.

The server commits a fault when they serve the ball too low, to high or too fast to be received and returned fairly. The receiver may send it back to be served again.

The receiver commits a fault if they return the ball out of bounds or hit it in their square twice.

Again, both the server and receiver are allowed one fault and after that they are eliminated from the game.

Errors that will eliminate you from the game

Hitting an inside line is an error and considered out of bounds

If you fail to hit your ball once it hits your square.

Hitting the ball incorrectly, like holding the ball.

Hitting the ball beyond an outside line. This is out of bounds.

Hitting the ball more than once before hitting another square.

Hitting the ball more than once in your square.

The ball can touch an outside line though. That is not an error.

I sure do hope your kids enjoy this game as much as I did growing up.

Return from four square to backyard games

Return from four square to grandpas backyard fun

SBI!