Eagle Catches Chicks: Chinese Line Tag

A traditional Chinese playground game (lao ying zhuo xiao ji) where a mother hen shields her chicks, linked in a line, with outstretched arms while the eagle tries to tag the last chick. It builds teamwork, lateral movement and reading the group's motion.

How to play

1. Share the origin: children in China have played this for centuries, acting out a hen defending her chicks. Make groups of 6 and give each group's eagle a pinnie.
2. In each group, one student is the hen and stands in front with arms wide; four chicks line up behind, holding the waist or shoulders of the person ahead.
3. The eagle stands 6 feet in front of the hen. On the whistle, the eagle has 45 seconds to tag the back of the last chick.
4. The hen shuffles sideways and spreads her arms to block; the line swings behind her without letting go. If the eagle tags the last chick, the eagle scores; if time runs out, the family scores.
5. Rotate after every round: the eagle becomes the hen, the hen joins the front of the line, and the last chick puts on the pinnie as the new eagle. Play 8 rounds (about 11 minutes).

Rules

• The hen may only block with open arms: no pushing or grabbing the eagle.
• Safety: chicks hold waists or shoulders, never clothing or necks.
• The eagle may not cut through the line or duck under the hen's arms.

Variations

Adaptations

• Students with limited mobility: play the hen, which needs little travel, or the eagle with a pool noodle to extend their reach.
• Autism or shyness: start as a middle chick, the most protected spot, and announce ahead of time when roles will switch.
• Lower fitness: 30-second rounds with 30 seconds of rest; very fast students play eagle using side shuffles only.

Learning goals

• Coordinate movement with the group without breaking the line.
• Move laterally with quick changes of direction.
• Learn the origin of a traditional Chinese game and follow its rules.

Equipment for a class of 25

• pinnies: 5

Teacher tip

The most common problem is the line pulling in different directions and falling: have the chicks keep their eyes on the hen and move with her.

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