Duck Duck Goose Game

Fun and active tag game

Step by Step Instructions:

• To play this game, there should be at least 5 players
• Have everyone sit in a circle
• One player must walk around the circle and tag a person on their head and yell ‘Goose’
• This person or ‘Goose’ then runs around and must tag the player or ‘It” before they run around and sit in their spot in the circle.

How to play Duck, Duck, Goose in more detail

This is an old favorite game that many have played in their youth. The game is active, a great way to get some exercise in and very easy to do. All you need are at least five or more people to play. Have everybody participating gather together and sit in a circle. Since this is a tag game, there must be one person who volunteers to be ‘It’ first. Remember to always have enough space to run around the circle.

This player then walks around behind everyone around the circle. As the player moves around the circle, they tap each person lightly on the head and speaks out ‘Duck’ each time. The player will move around the circle tapping heads and saying ‘Duck’ until they decide to tap the next person’s head and say ‘Goose’.

This means the person in the circle is now tagged and must get up and chase the other player around the circle. The aim is to catch them before they reach the open space in the circle and take the spot. If the person or ‘Goose’ cannot catch the player, then they become ‘It’. On the other hand, if the ‘Goose’ does tag the player or ‘It’ person, then they take up their position in the circle again. The player who is ‘It’ must continue another round, or they can sit in the centre of the circle until another person is tagged ‘It’.

A fun variation on Duck, Duck, Goose: Drip, Drip, Splash:

The game can be adapted for those hot summer days. Have the player or ‘It’ person carry a bucket and drip a little water on everybody’s head. The fun part is where the player chooses the next person in the circle to be the ‘Goose/Splash’. They will then dump the entire bucket of water over their heads.

Whereas Duck, Duck, Goose can be played inside or outside, Drip, Drip, Splash must definitely be played outside. Have everyone form a circle and the game pretty much follows the exact steps of Duck, Duck, Goose. The only difference this time, the player who is chosen as ‘It’ gets a bucket of water and a sponge.

The player or ‘It’ then moves around the circle dipping the sponge in the bucket and then onto the heads of those who are in the circle. When the person chooses to ‘Splash’ the next person in the circle they can pour the bucket over their heads. The person in the circle must then jump up and chase the player or ‘It’ around the circle, similar to Duck, Duck, Goose.

Another variation to this is, the person who is ‘It’ walks around touching head with the wet sponge. They will then choose a person and will splash water all over them. If the selected person can catch the player who tagged them, then they can fetch a filled-up bucket and splash water all over them. If the selected person is unable to catch the other player, then they don’t get to douse them with the bucket full of water. They become ‘It’ and the game then carries on from there again. To make it more fun, award some prizes to players. How about a loofah or bath rubber ducky just for laughs.