Also known as “Tease the Bear,” this centuries-old classic continues to bring fun to kids throughout the world. It dates back at least to the renaissance, when Dutch artist Pieter Bruegel painted a picture of children playing the game.
Number of players: 10+, ideally, but could be played with as few as 5.
Ages: 5+
Space required: an open basement, big living room, small + back yard.
In this game, one player is chosen to be the bear, and sits in the center on a stool. The bear chooses a second player to be her keeper. The keeper stands by the bear, each of them holding an end of a short (two feet or so) rope knotted at both ends.
The rest of the players stand around in a circle enclosing the bear and the trainer. The object of the game is to tag (baste or tease) the bear without being tagged by the bear or the trainer. The players can only “attack” the bear when the keeper says “my bear is free!” If a player strikes before the call, that player becomes the bear, the current bear becomes the trainer, and the trainer returns to the circle.
The keeper does her best to protect the bear by dodging around him to prevent the attacks of the other players dodging in from the circle. If the keeper or the bear tags a player, that player becomes the bear, following the same procedure mentioned above.
If you can’t find a piece of rope to work, there are plenty of options. The game can be played with the bear and the keeper clasping hands, which makes dodging the attackers very interesting. Another variation is to draw a circle for the bear and the keeper. Or, you can use a “two step” rule, limiting the bear and the trainer to moving no more than two steps.