Four corners (game) facts for kids

Four corners is a fun children's game. It is often played in elementary schools. The main goal is to pick a corner of a room. Players try not to get caught by the person who is "It." The last player left wins the game.

How to Play Four Corners

To start the game, you need four corners. These can be actual room corners. Or they can be marked areas in a space. Number these areas from one to four.

One player is chosen to be "It." This player is also called the "counter." "It" goes to the middle of the room. They close their eyes or leave the room. Then, "It" counts to ten out loud.

While "It" is counting, the other players choose a corner. They must go to their chosen corner quietly. When "It" finishes counting, they call out one of the corner numbers. Any player standing in that corner is out of the game. Those players must sit down.

"It" then counts to ten again. The remaining players must quickly move to a different corner. They cannot go to a corner that was just called out. The game continues like this. The last person left in the game wins. The winner usually becomes the new "It" for the next round.

If "It" calls a corner with no players, there are two options. "It" can call another number right away. Or, all players can rotate to new corners. This depends on the rules you decide on.

Canadian Four Corners

There is a different game called "Four Corners" in Canada. It is also known as "King's Court." This version is played with five players. It uses a large square drawn on the ground. This is usually done with chalk in a schoolyard.

Four players stand in each of the square's corners. The fifth player is "It." "It" stands in the middle of the square. The corner players try to switch places. They must do this without being tagged by "It." They also cannot leave a corner empty for too long. If "It" can stand in an empty corner, that player is out.

If a corner player gets tagged, they become "It." The same happens if they are left without a free corner. A common strategy is to swap corners. Players try to do this while "It" is chasing other players.