the game "marco Polo"

[FEotU]

This has been bugging me since I saw Bart and Lisa in a pool playing it on The Simpsons; what is the game Marco Polo (assuming that's the name of the game), and how is it played?

[Tzel]

One person has to keep their eyes closed. That person is "it" and has to tag the other people. When someone is tagged, they become "it," and must keep their eyes closed. At any time, "it" may shout out "Marco," and all the other players must respond "Polo," thus betraying their locations.

[Conti]

I've always played it in the pool. One person would be "it". And they would close there eyes and everybody else would spread out in the pool. The "it" person, who either kept their eyes closed or was blindfolded, would then try to find all the players. Whenever the person who was "it" yelled "Marco!"...all the other players had to yell "Polo!".....hence, it gave the "it" person a bearing on the other players. Kinda like a blindfolded game of tag.

[Conti]

WOOPS!

you beat me to it Tzel.

[Montfort]

Marco!
(Oh, I thought the OP asked if we could play Marco Polo...)

[FEotU]

Thanks for the answers, now i can sleep nights.

[Emperor Penguin]

Polo!


:)

[ThisYearsGirl]

Originally posted by Conti
I've always played it in the pool. One person would be "it". And they would close there eyes and everybody else would spread out in the pool. The "it" person, who either kept their eyes closed or was blindfolded, would then try to find all the players. Whenever the person who was "it" yelled "Marco!"...all the other players had to yell "Polo!".....hence, it gave the "it" person a bearing on the other players. Kinda like a blindfolded game of tag.

Also, if it yelled "Fish out of water!" then any other player who was out of the water. . . lost, or something. I really don't remember.

[PlanMan]

Don't forget that the "Polos" can't get out of the pool. If someone does, and "it" calls out something like, "Fish out of water." the person who got out of the pool becomes "it." Don't know what happens if there's more than one "fish" out of the pool.

Originally posted by Conti
I've always played it in the pool. ... The "it" person, who either kept their eyes closed or was blindfolded, would then try to find all the players.

<NitPick> "It" doesn't have to find all the others, only one person, who then becomes It.

This game is great for a teenage guy - going around in a pool, with your hands outstretched, TRYING to touch others, 'specially girls!!!

[PlanMan]

OK, ThisYearsGirl, you can type faster than me... "Fish out of water!"

[Badtz Maru]

The way we played, It can open their eyes, but only underwater.

[Mousseduck]

The way my friends and I played, if It yelled "Fishes out of water" anyone out of the water had to jump straight in. The point was that the splash would help It find people.
A fun variant on the game was to sneak up behind It and bash them over the head with a pool pony, then swim off really really fast. It's a bit hard to retaliate with closed eyes.

[Milton De La Warre]

Does anyone know where and/or when this game originated? Please don't say "In the water."