Poor black kitty! (Armer schwarzer Kater!)

In the traditional German kids-game “Poor black kitty!” (Armer schwarzer Kater!) one child will try – acting like a cat – to make the other kids laugh/smile. That´s basically it. Don´t worry, we will explain the rules!

How does it work? The rules!

Number of kids: Minimum of 3
Tools required: None

1.) One kid needs to start as the black kitty and is acting like a kitty.
2.) The other kids should sit in a circle (on the floor or chairs).
3.) Depending on the size of the circle the cat moves inside or outside the circle.
4.) Which kid the black kitty picks is up to the kid playing the black kitty.
5.) The goal of the black kitty is to make one kid laugh/smile.
6.) It is OK for the other kids to give commesn.
7.) The kitty now makes (3 times) a miaou sound; after every miaou the selected kid has to answer “Poor black kitty!”.
8) If the chosen kid can say 3 times  “Poor black kitty!” WHILE it is petting the black kitty, it has won and the black kitty needs to pick another kid.

The black kitty is allowed to do

The black kitty is allowed to move and act like a normal kitty would do. Making miaou sounds, touch the kids with a paw, smell and rub his body against the oder kid/chair like a kitty would do.

That´s how the chosen kid should say: “Poor black kitty!”

The chosen kids simply needs to pet the black kitty and say 3 times in clear voice (without interrupting): “Poor black kitty!”.

Adjustments

Of course you will need to translate “Poor black kitty!” and the “miaou” to your language. If there is a kid which easily laughs/smiles, maybe it is best to set a limit for him to be the black kitty. And if the black kitty is so unlucky that noone laughs or smiles, there should be a limit as well.