Play tag (strategic): Poule, Renard et Vipère (Chicken, Fox and Snake)

Play a tag game is some of the kids games which you will find in many countries but Poule, Renard et Vipère (fox, chicken and snake) from France is a strategic version which might be new to you.

Requirements:
– Space (large garden or a sport field)
– Some visual help to mark the 3 teams
– Marking material for prisons and guard room

Skills trained:
– Speed
– Reflex
– Team play
– Strategical thinking

Tip: Use variation for 3 teams of  Pick your team with “Rock, Paper, Scissors” to avoid having someone being chosen last.

How to play

Split up in 3 teams (Chicken, Fox and Viper) with a even number of kids. 

(Copyright: Play-with-your-kid.com // Design by Miriam Houba)


Everybody starts in their teams guard room. Once the game starts it´s the goal to catch the members from the team they are able to catch while be careful not to be cached. It makes sense to set a maximum time (15-20 minutes).

You will need to find a optical signal to make it easy for the kids to spot someone from the other

Winning conditions

– The team with the most prisoners after the time is over wins.
– Set a number of prisoners which needs to be cached (for example 2/3).
– A team cached all members from the team they are able to catch.

The teams: Chicken, Fox and Viper
Chickens can be caught by foxes.
Foxes can be caught by snakes.
Snakes can be caught by chickens.

Rules

• It is possible to catch a member from one team while being able to be cached by the remaining team.
• If a kid cached someone it cannot be cached while guarding his prisoner to his teams prison.
• A kid in the prison can be freed by a team member with a simple touch.
• Once freed a kid walks back to the guard room of his team and cannot be cached on that way. One arm should be hold up to signal that to everyone.
• Prisoners can build a chain (the only importance is that one kid stays in the prison with one foot) and everyone is freed if one kid is touched by a team member.
• Nobody can be cached in the guard room. To keep the game fun no kid should stay longer in the guard room then 10-15 seconds.

Strategical thoughts

The more prisoners a team is having the bigger the risk as their opponents can be cached from less kids. This might lead to temporary alliances, changes in the progress to win and the need to consider ending a alliance in order to win.

Don´t catch me, because I will help you and catch members from the team which can catch you.

Variations
Change the team names to match the occasion .

Similar games
Cops and robbers (including a Russian version)

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Have fun playing the game – and don´t forget: Play with your kids!

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