Kids Conservation Corner - Tree Tag (published 3/26/10 e-news)

Outdoor Games for Preschoolers engage young ones needs for adventure, exploration, discovery and more. While the outdoor games we've selected here are fabulous with preschoolers, modified versions of these same games are great with older kids, teens and adults as well.

Tree Tag

Who would like to play a game of tag? Alright, are you sure? Okay...I'm warning you, for this game you better know a little bit about the trees around here. But don't worry, if you don't, you'll learn quickly! Ready?

How-To

Set-up the playing field. You'll need a place with open running room and a nice variety of shrubs and trees on the border or spaced throughout like an orchard, open forest, or meadow with trees and shrubs growing at the edge. Set up some outside boundaries.

Call Out Tree Descriptions. Gather up and choose a volunteer to be the starting Chaser. The Caller (you) begins the game by shouting, "You're safe if you're touching a (insert tree name or identification clue...such as "an evergreen tree!" or "an oak-tree" or "a tree that makes fruit you can eat!") This kind of tree (or trees) become the "base" where people must touch to be safe. Once a runner has tagged the wrong tree, they're fair game for the Chaser. The Caller can give out additional clues during the round if needed.

Play On. Anyone who gets tagged becomes a Chaser for the next round. Chasers must re-form near the center of the playing field after each round. For each new round, call out a new kind of tree. The game ends when everyone has been caught and turned into a Chaser.

This outdoor game for preschoolers can be used in many different ways that are able to be tailored to the experience of the group. You could make it about things of a certain color, things that have a certain texture, etc. The possibilities are endless.

Young,Jon, Ellen Haas and Evan McGowan. Coyotes Guide, 2nd Ed. Owllink Media, 2010.