Game of marco polo

This game is played in the water, so it can be dangerous, especially for young children, and it is a good idea to have a lifeguard on duty. Sometimes the players become so caught up in the game that they miss signs of distress from other players, so having a neutral party to keep an eye on everyone is a very smart idea. Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a InfoBloom researcher and writer.

Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors. Mary McMahon. Please enter the following code:. Login: Forgot password? They'll want to be as far away from Marco as possible to avoid getting caught -- unless they're risky players who like living on the edge! Once he counts to ten, he can begin searching for people, but he has to keep his eyes closed. If Marco has good hearing, you may want them to spin in circles while counting to ten.

Have Marco shout "Marco" while everyone else answers by shouting "Polo. Hearing the other players respond "Polo" can help him figure out where they are, allowing him to swim or walk closer to the others. If a player above water does not shout "Polo! The game starts over! Marco will follow the sounds of the other people and try to tag them.

You can swim or just walk in the water. To stay safe, keep your hands out in front of you. You don't want to suddenly run or dart into a wall. You can even keep one hand on the edge of the pool as you move around, so you know where you are. Also, if you're walking, watch out for walking into the deep end, and make sure you're prepared to swim. The Polos must move away from Marco in order to avoid being caught. If you're running from Marco, then you should be quick on your feet, preparing to dart away at any moment.

You can also go underwater and swim in a different direction after shouting "Polo" to confuse Marco. If he's close to you, change the path you were moving in to throw him off. Before you start the game, you should decide whether you can also move outside the pool. Some versions of the game allow for this, while others allow you to be out of the pool as long as one body part always remains in the water.

This can make the game even more fun, but you have to make sure not to run outside the pool, which is very dangerous! You can also play the game using the "Fish out of water" rule.

Under this rule, if you allow players to be out of the water, then Marco has the right to yell "Fish out of water" at any time. Once he does this, he can open his eyes -- if he sees that one player is out of the water, then he is right, and that person is the new "Marco" and the game starts over. If multiple players are out of the water, then Marco has the power to choose whomever he wants to be it! Once Marco tags a person, he or she will become the new Marco, and the player will close his or her eyes, count to ten, and prepare to tag all of the Polos once more.

Keep playing the game for as long as you like -- it usually only takes a few minutes for Marco to tag somebody and for the fun to start right from the beginning! You can set a rule for what it means for Marco to "tag" someone during the game. Does he have to use his hands to tag someone, or does just touching that person, even if it just means his leg brushes up against the other player, mean that the person has been tagged?

Method 2. Set the boundaries. Blind tag, for lack of a better term, played in the pool, is like Marco Polo, except the people not it are encouraged not to make noise.

The game should stay in the shallow end. If you can, tie a line to separate the deep end of the pool from the shallow end of the pool. Decide on the rules. How long will the "it" person have to count for before the game can start? Does it count as "tagging" if the person who is "it" tags the person with his or her foot? Can the players who are not "it" go out of water at all, or do they have to stay in the pool? Decide who will be "it". You can randomly choose, you can all shout, "1, 2, 3, not it!

It doesn't matter who starts, and chances are, everyone will get a turn. Have the person who is "it" count underwater. Typically, the person should count to He or she can also count above water if that's best. When the counting is over, the fun can begin!

The other people should use this time to assume a tactical position, not cornered, but not too open, and as far away from "it" as possible. Unlike in Marco Polo, there is no shouting or talking, and the people who are escaping "it" should try to be as quiet as possible.

Play until the next person gets tagged. Since the game will be quiet, the person who is "it" should try to pick up on where people are by the sounds they make in the water.

He may also hear people randomly giggling or breathing close by. It's hard to stay completely quiet in the water! The person should just be careful not to move around too fast, and should keep his arms out in front of him, to avoid running into walls.

Once someone is tagged, the new person who is "it" can count to ten and start the game all over again. Marco Polo also packs a lot of emotional experiences into an action-packed game.

Children must also keep their frustrations in check while trying to catch another player without the benefit of seeing them. The game also is a good way for children to get practice setting rules, and holding each other accountable for breaking the rules. Skip breadcrumb navigation. Recipe for Fun! One player volunteers to be Marco Polo. The person playing Marco Polo is either blindfolded or closes their eyes and keeps them shut for the duration of their turn as Marco Polo.

The call and response repeats for 5 minutes. How to win the Marco Polo game: If the person playing Marco Polo successfully tags another player, the tagged person then assumes the role of Marco Polo.