Stuck in the Mud Crawl-Through Tag

Freeze tag game where tagged players are 'stuck in the mud' with legs apart and are freed only when a teammate crawls through underneath. Students practice dodging, crawling and helping each other keep the game going.

How to play

1. Mark a 60-by-60-foot square with cones and pick 3 taggers in pinnies.
2. Practice the rescue (2 min): the stuck player stands with legs wide and hands on head; a teammate crawls through on hands and knees, front to back.
3. On the whistle, taggers start tagging. Tagged players freeze in that position until someone crawls through their tunnel.
4. Each round lasts 2 minutes, then switch taggers. Play 5 rounds so as many students as possible get a turn as tagger.
5. In the last two rounds, stuck players hold a belly-down bear-crawl bridge and rescuers crawl underneath it.

Rules

• Always crawl through; never jump over a classmate.
• Stuck players keep their legs open while someone crawls through.
• No tagging rescuers or players being rescued.
• Tag with an open hand on the shoulders or back.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: a wheelchair user is freed when a classmate circles the chair, and tags with a pool noodle.
• Visual impairment: play holding hands with a guide; the pair gets stuck and rescued together.
• Fitness level: the fastest taggers keep hands behind their back and tag with a shoulder.

Learning goals

• Dodge using changes of speed and direction.
• Crawl under a human obstacle with control.
• Help classmates to keep the game active.

Equipment for a class of 25

• pinnies: 3
• cones: 4

Teacher tip

Practice the tunnel position carefully, since that is where heads get bumped. On rough blacktop, use only the hands-and-knees rescue and save belly crawling for the gym.

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