10 Fast-Paced Tag Games for Kids

Playing games is one of the best forms of recreation for kids. Outdoor games not only help in keeping your kids healthy, but it also helps in their emotional well-being. If you are looking for some fun-filled outdoor games, tag is surely amongst one of the toppers on the list! Keep reading this post as we share some amazing fast-paced tag games for kids!

What Are Tag Games?

Tag is a kind of chase game that involves two or more players. One player is chosen or selected as ‘It’ on a random basis. The player appointed as ‘It’ is then expected to chase other players until one of the players or kids is tagged as the new ‘It’. There are various different ways the game can be played in.

10 Exciting Tag Games for Children

Here we have some exciting fast-paced tag games that kids can enjoy with their friends:

1. The Blob Tag

This exciting tag variation has a pair as ‘It’ unlike the usual tag game where only a single player is selected as ‘It’.

How to Play

• Two players are selected as the ‘It’ duo.
• The pair join hands and run around together to tag other players.
• The tagged player then joins the ‘It’ group.
• When the group has four players, they split into two pairs to tag other players.
• The blob goes on forming and splitting (at even numbers) until every player gets tagged.

2. The Freeze Tag

Another exciting tag game for kids that involves the tagged players to stay still until they are untagged again!

How to Play

• One of the players is appointed as ‘It’.
• If a player gets tagged, he should remain still at the same place.
• The frozen or the still player can move again after any untagged player unfreezes him by tagging him.
• The game ends when all the other players are frozen.

3. The Toilet Tag

Kids can have loads of crazy fun playing this tag game!

How to Play 

• Anyone player is chosen as ‘It’.
• The tagged player needs to crouch as if sitting on a toilet seat.
• To be back in the game the tagged player needs to get touched on the hand by any untagged player as he says ‘Flush’.
• Change ‘It’ if one player gets tagged more than three to four times.

4. The Dead Ant Tag

This tag game notches up the thrill quotient for kids!

How to Play

• Choose any one of the players as ‘It’.
• The players are chased by ‘It’, and the one who gets tagged should lay down still on the ground and place his arms and legs close to the body, just like a dead ant.
• The dead ant or the tagged player can get back into the game when all four limbs are tagged by four untagged players.

5. The Otters and Clams Tag

This hilarious game can keep the kids entertained for a long time!

How to Play

• Three players are chosen as the otters or ‘It’ for the game and rest all the players are clams.
• When the otters tag the clam, the clam should stay frozen at the same place and yell ‘Help a clam friend’.
• The frozen clam can be unfrozen and be in the game again when two clams hold hands and stand next to it and say ‘We free our Clam friend’.
• The freeing pair of clams cannot be tagged by the otters.

6. The Zombie Tag

This tag game comes with a spooky twist!

How to Play 

• A player is chosen as ‘It’ or is called the ‘It-Zombie’.
• Whosoever the ‘It-zombie’ tags turn into a zombie.
• The uninfected humans or the untagged players can get the zombie players back into the game by tagging them.
• The humans can also throw objects such as softball, stuffed toys, squishy toys, and other such soft objects at the ‘It-zombie’. If hit by an object, the zombie should stop for 15 seconds as the human gets time to run.
• The game goes on until everyone is turned into a zombie.

7. The Chain or Amoeba Tag

Another fun tag game that gets more exciting as more and more players join the ‘It’ gang!

How to Play

• Two players are nominated as ‘It’.
• Both the players run around holding hands to tag other players.
• The tagged player will join the ‘It’ pair to tag other untagged players.
• The chain or the link keeps on increasing like amoeba until no player is left to tag.

8. The Banana Tag

Play this game in a confined space or have clearly marked boundaries for added fun!

How to Play 

• All the kids playing tag games are ‘It’, Which means everyone can tag everyone.
• The tagging zone should be knees and below, and as soon a player gets tagged, he should sit at the same place and can no longer be a part of the game.
• Only when the one who tagged a particular player gets tagged himself, the latter can play again.
• The game continues until the only player remains standing.

9. The Robot Tag

This interesting tag game is played in groups.

How to Play 

• All the players are divided into two groups – The Evil Robots and the Good Robots.
• Everyone in the evil robot group is ‘It’.
• The evil robots need to tag the good robots.
• On getting tagged, the good robots are sent to a repair area (which can be assigned beforehand) to get repaired for 30 seconds.
• Once repaired, good robots can again be a part of the game.
• The game continues until all the good robots are turned into evil robots.

10. What Time Is It Mr Wolf?

This game can be as creative and fun-filled as you want it to be. You can choose any name in place of Mr Wolf, such as Mr Fox, Ms Lion, etc.

How to Play

• The player who is chosen as ‘It’ becomes Mr Wolf.
• Two lines are drawn a few metres away and parallel to each other.
• Mr Wolf should stand on one line, facing the opposite side from the rest of the players.
• The players standing on the line on the other side should ask Mr Wolf, “What time is it, Mr Wolf?”
• Mr Wolf has two ways of answering the question; the first way is to answer by saying “It is _______ (The number) O’clock.” The players then need to take the same number of steps towards Mr Wolf. For example, if the wolf says five o’clock, then the players have to take five steps forward.
• At some point in the game, when the other players come closer to Mr Wolf, he/she can say, “It is midnight.”, and run to tag one of the players. “It is midnight” is a cue for the players to run towards their finishing line and save themselves from getting caught.
• If Mr Wolf tags a player while the players run towards their finishing line, that person becomes Mr Wolf.

The beauty about these games is that one can add new rules and variations to them. You can also ask your kids to come up with new ideas of playing these fun and interesting tag games. Also, they do not require adult supervision, but it is a good idea to be around younger kids when they play these games. Happy playing!

Also Read:

Educational Games for Children
One Minute Games for Children
Fun Hand Games for Children