This game appeals to all types of players. There is sneaking through the bush, running full-tilt from pursuers, guarding the home base, scattering from the approaching super soakers. Whatever their style, this game has it.
Setup
You will need a large playing area including both field and bush. This area will be divided into two equal halves with pylons. Within each half, you will mark off two squares about 20 ft. sq. each. One square should be in the field, the other in the bush. Within each square there will be a bucket of gold (yellow painted rocks) – enough for about 1 per player per bucket. You will also need super soakers (or some other type of water shooting device) and bucket of water for refilling.
Playing the Game
The objective is to have the most gold at the end of the game. Divide your players into two teams – one for each half. Once the game starts, each team will try to cross into enemy territory and get into the other team’s square without being tagged. Although each team is allowed to guard their own squares, they are not allowed to go into them at all. Once a player makes it into the square, they are safe within it and can take one piece of gold. However, they must still leave the square and make it safely back to their own side without getting tagged. If a player is tagged, they must simply go back to center, touch a pylon, and try again. If they have a piece of gold when they are tagged, that gold goes back to the other team’s square. If they make it back to their own side safely, they deposit the gold in one of their own squares.
There are also wildcards (about 1 to every 20 players). These people (usually the leaders) are not after anyone’s gold – they simply want to get them wet and send them to touch a pylon. Armed with supersoakers (or the like), they can go anywhere they want to and soak anyone they want to – sending them away to touch a pylon. This is useful for evening out the game if the teams seem lopsided. The super soakers can ward off attackers or eliminate the defense. They can even soak someone who has returned with a gold rock, is safe on their own side – but has not yet make it back to their own bucket.
Once the time for the game runs out, the gold is counted up and whichever team has the most wins the game.
Variation
For an added element of fun, have both teams select a captain and a treasurer at the beginning of the game. The objective of the game is to steal and then use the gold to buy objects for their captain so he can drench the other team’s captain. As the team collects gold, instead of putting it back in their bucket, they give it to their treasurer. The treasurer then takes the gold to a store (just to the side of the field) and uses it to buy certain predetermined items for their captain – such as a hat, a coat, sunglasses, a super soaker, and a bucket of water. Once the team has purchased all of the necessary items, the captain uses those items to chase after the other team’s captain (without fear of being tagged). Once wet, the losing team’s captain surrenders and the game is over.
You can find other great wide games in Six Wide Games Kids Love.