Duck, duck, goose facts for kids

Sonar Technician Seaman Joy Chase plays duck-duck-goose with local school children during a community service project

Duck, Duck, Goose is a classic children's game. It is often one of the first games kids learn in pre-school or kindergarten. The game is simple and fun, involving players sitting in a circle while one person walks around, tapping heads. The goal is to choose a "goose" who then chases the picker. If the picker makes it back to the empty spot, the "goose" becomes the new picker. This game is known by different names in various places, like "Rumaal Chor" in India.

How to Play Duck, Duck, Goose

An animated schematic of how duck, duck, goose is played.

Playing Duck, Duck, Goose is easy and fun for groups. Here's how it works:

• Form a Circle: All players sit in a circle, facing inward.
• The Picker: One player is chosen to be "it." This player walks around the outside of the circle.
• Tapping Heads: As "it" walks, they gently tap each player's head. For each tap, they say "duck."
• Choosing the Goose: "It" continues tapping and saying "duck" until they choose someone to be the "goose." When they tap that person's head, they say "goose!"
• The Chase: The "goose" quickly stands up and tries to tag "it." "It" runs around the circle, trying to get back to the empty spot where the "goose" was sitting.
• What Happens Next:

* If "it" reaches the empty spot and sits down without being tagged, the "goose" becomes the new "it." * If the "goose" tags "it" before "it" sits down, the "goose" gets to sit back in their spot. The original "it" has to start the game again.

Fun Ways to Play: Different Versions of the Game

Many games have different versions, and Duck, Duck, Goose is no exception! Here are some other ways people play this classic game.

Daisy in the Dell

This version was described in a book from 1919. In "Daisy in the Dell," children stand in a circle and hold hands. The person who is "it" walks around the outside of the circle. They say, "Daisy in the dell, I don't pick you... I do pick you." The person they "pick" then becomes the next "it" and the game continues.

Duck, Duck, Gray Duck

This version is very popular in Minnesota, a state in the United States. The main difference is what the picker says. Instead of just "duck," the picker might say different colored ducks, like "blue duck," "red duck," or "purple duck." Then, instead of saying "goose," they say "gray duck." The rest of the game, including the chase, is played the same way. A similar game in some regions was called "Anka Anka Grå Anka," which means "duck duck gray duck" in Swedish.

Drip, Drip, Drop

This is a fun, wet version of the game, often played in warmer places.

• One player is "it" and carries a container of water.
• "It" walks around the circle, pouring small "drips" of water on each person's head.
• Then, "it" chooses someone and pours the entire container of water ("drop") on their head!
• The "dropped" player then chases "it" to try and tag them before "it" can sit in the empty spot.
• If "it" is tagged, they stay "it" for another round. If "it" makes it to the spot, the "dropped" player becomes the new "it."

Vroteier (Rotten Egg)

"Vroteier" is a similar game played in South Africa, meaning "rotten egg."

• Instead of tapping heads, the "it" player carries a small item, like a handkerchief.
• "It" walks around the circle of sitting players.
• They secretly drop the item behind one of the players. Players are not allowed to look behind them.
• Players can feel behind them with their hands to check for the item.
• If the player finds the item: They jump up and chase "it."

* If they tag "it," "it" has to sit in the middle of the circle and becomes a "rotten egg." The player who did the chasing becomes the new "it." * If "it" runs all the way around the circle and sits in the empty spot without being tagged, the player who was chased becomes the new "it."

• If the player does NOT find the item: If "it" makes it all the way around the circle and finds the item still behind the player, that player also becomes a "rotten egg" in the middle. The original "it" picks up the item and starts the round again.
• The game can continue until only one person is left who isn't a "rotten egg," or until the "rotten eggs" want to play a different game!