Ahhh, it’s finally Spring. Time to put down that video game controller, go outside and have some fun. What’s that you say? You don’t have anything to do? Playing outside is boring? Gather all your friends and let’s have a rousing game of “Ghost in the Graveyard!”
Hundreds of years ago when you parents were just kids, everybody played outside all the time. There were no video games, all televisions were black and white and there were only 3 channels to choose from. Way back then (in The Dark Ages), kids had to make their own fun and they played games like Tag and Hide ‘n Seek. But the best game of all is Ghost in the Graveyard.
So, gather up all your friends – the more the merrier – and head outdoors!
Set the boundaries for your game. Your playing field can cover your own backyard, a few neighboring yards, or better yet – the graveyard across the street.
Choose a home base that’s big enough for all the players to touch or stand on at the same time. It can be a large spooky tree, your swing-set, the back porch, – or maybe a large tombstone?
Choose the first person to be the Ghost. Use any method you like – Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Mo, or My Mother Told Me, or Rock, Paper, Scissors.
The Ghost is “It” in this game and everyone else is a Ghost Hunter. The object of the game is for the Ghost Hunters to find the Ghost, warn all the other players, and try to make it back to home base before the Ghost catches them.
Here’s how you play:
All Ghost Hunters stand on home base and count to 50 (or 100 if you’re playing field is larger).
While everyone is counting, the player who’s the Ghost runs and hides.
When the Ghost Hunters are done counting, everyone shouts, “Star light, star bright, I hope I don’t see a ghost tonight!”
Then all the Hunters move out in search of the Ghost.
The first Hunter to find the Ghost shouts, “Ghost in the Graveyard!” to warn all the other Hunters, then everyone rushes for home base.
If the Ghost catches you before you reach home base, then you’re the next Ghost!
(Hint: Smart Ghosts hide well and wait until all the players have moved past him before springing out to try to tag someone.)
Of course, it’s always possible that the Ghost will catch more than one person. When that happens, all the people he catches become the next Ghost and they all hide together to catch the next wave of Ghost Hunters.