How did you play "Duck, Duck, Goose"?

Cafe Society
1

I figured Cafe Society is the closest Board to post this: Please refresh my memory. The kids all sit in the circle. One child is somehow picked to be “it”. “It” walks slowly around the circle tapping each child on the head as “It” says “duck, duck…”. When, at some random time, “it” shouts “goose”, the “goose” chases “it”. “It” has to try to run around the circle and steal the “goose’s” spot. If so, then the “goose” becomes the next “it”.

But, what if the “goose” tags “it”? I seem to recall the “goose” going to the center of the circle, but how does the game resume? Can the “it” get out of the middle? IIRC, “it” must wait for another to take its place. But, then what? Where does the old “it” go?

…Also, how does the game begin?

Thanks, duckies!

  • Jinx
2

Rules

3

I feel obligated to point out that in Minnesota, small children do not play Duck Duck Goose. They play Duck Duck Grey Duck. (Or Gray Duck, I suppose.) This is considered serious enough that it is actually covered in the 3M manual that is given to employees who transfer to Minnesota. (“Make sure your children know this so that they don’t stand out as being ‘not from here.’”)

I know this because several years ago, it was a question on “Who wants to be a millionaire?” The contestant, from Minnesota, said “Duck Duck Grey Duck” and was counted wrong. For several weeks thereafter, disc jockeys from around the country amused themselves calling random people in Minnesota and asking them about this ritual. I think there was even a thread or two about it here.

The contestant should have gotten some kind of consolation prize, but I don’t know if he did or not.

Anyway, you may now return to your regularly scheduled children’s party.

4

With firearms.

5

Haven’t you tried Google?

[sub]I kid! I kid! You know I love you, Duckie![/sub]

6

Yeah, and we didn’t say “duck” either. It was:

(going around circle, patting kids on head)
Red duck…
Yellow duck…
Orange duck…
Purple duck…
GRAY DUCK!!!

And then, as I understood it, if the Gray Duck tagged “it”, “it” took Gray Duck’s place in the circle and Gray Duck became “it”. The person who could stay “it” the longest was declared the winner.

Man… That and the giant parachute thing in gym class. I sure miss being a kid sometimes. :slight_smile:

AND FREEZE TAG! I loved gym class, until they introduced square dancing.