Photo: Park playground
Fun for the whole family, Monsters on the Sideline is a game for four or more players
Where to Play
Find a playground with monkey bars, other playful structures, and a clear boundary. The boundary is the sideline.
If there are other kids in the playground, invite them to play. The more the merrier.
What you Need
A tennis ball
Setup
Choose someone to play the monster, give the monster the tennis ball, and pick a good spot for a jail.
The jail can be a patch of ground, a physical structure, a tree… doesn’t matter. As long as everyone knows: That’s jail.
Object of the Game
The object of the game is for the monster to capture the other players.
And for the other players to free their friends, if captured.
And to stay free.
How to Start
Start with the monster on the sideline and everyone else in the playground.
Safety
Not a top priority.
Players are “safe” from the monster, as long as they stay off the ground.
The monster circles the playground, biding his or her time on the sideline.
As soon as someone steps off a structure, and onto the ground, the monster is unleashed. And all hell breaks loose.
Anarchy for Fifteen Seconds
When the monster is unleashed, he or she gives chase. He or she has fifteen seconds to tag as many of the other players as possible. Once tagged, a player goes to jail. And after fifteen seconds, the monster returns to the sideline.
How to Get Out of Jail
Free players physically touch captured players to get them out of jail.
BTW, jail should be surrounded by ground, so the monster is unleashed every time someone attempts a jailbreak.
Why the Tennis Ball?
To help the monster.
The monster whips the ball at free players anytime, anywhere, from the sideline or from inside the playground.
Getting hit by the ball is like getting tagged. Players can deke and dodge as best as they can, but if they get hit, then ouch and off to jail.
The Rules
Break them
Change them
Replace them
As long as everyone knows and agrees to them.
When all players are in jail, or when the monster gets tired, a new monster is chosen.
Stay reckless,
=L=