Keep away facts for kids

Keep Away, also known as Monkey in the Middle or Piggy in the Middle, is a fun children's game. Players pass a ball to each other. The goal is to stop one player in the middle from getting the ball. It's a bit like a reverse dodgeball. Instead of hitting others, you try to keep the ball away from them. This game is played by kids all over the world!

How to Play Keep Away

Playing Keep Away is simple and fun! Here are the basic rules:

• First, draw a circle on the ground. It should be about ten feet wide.
• One person stands inside the circle. This player is called "it," the "monkey," the "piggy," or the "pickle."
• All other players stand outside the circle.
• A player outside the circle throws the ball. They must throw it through the circle to another player outside the circle.
• The main goal is to keep the ball away from the person who is "it."
• The game continues until the "it" person catches the ball. They might also get the ball if someone drops it or misses a catch.
• If a player outside the circle fails to catch the ball, they become "it." This happens unless they miss the ball before it touches them.
• Players are not allowed to pull the ball out of someone's hands.

Fun Ways to Change the Game

Like many children's games, Keep Away has many different ways to play it. These variations can make the game more exciting or challenging. Here are some common ways to change the rules:

• You can play in a larger area. The person who is "it" only has to touch the ball, not catch it.
• To make it fair for everyone, the ball must bounce once inside the circle. This stops players from throwing high passes that might favor taller kids.
• When the "it" person catches the ball, they must get outside the circle with it. If the thrower tags them before they get out, the thrower becomes "it" again.
• Sometimes, the person who last touched the ball becomes "it." This means the player who failed to catch the ball is "it," not the thrower.
• Players holding the ball outside the circle cannot move until they throw it.
• Another rule is that players outside the circle cannot move at all. They must throw and catch from the same spot.
• Players outside the circle must throw the ball within a certain time. This is usually five seconds. This keeps the game moving fast and stops players from holding the ball too long.
• You can play in very large areas with more than one "it" player. You can even use multiple balls!
• Sometimes, there is no circle. The "it" player tries to catch the ball while others pass it around.
• In a variation similar to baseball's "Rundown" (also called a "pickle"), two players throw a ball back and forth. A third player, who is "it," stays safe at a base. They decide when to run to the other base. The two players with the ball must tag the runner with the ball in hand to get them out. They toss the ball to force the runner to change direction. When tagged, the runner and the player who tagged them switch places.

What's It Called Around the World?

The name of the game changes depending on where you are.

• In the United States, it's often called Keep Away.
• In Canada, kids usually call it Pig in the Middle (Western Canada) or Monkey in the Middle (Eastern Canada). Some parts of New England and the Midwest also use "Monkey in the Middle."
• In the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, it's almost always called Piggy in the Middle.
• In Germany, it's "Dummer Hans," which means "Silly John."
• In Turkey, the name translates to "Rat in the Middle."
• In Denmark, it's known as "Butter blob."
• In the Netherlands, they call it "Lummelen" or "Aap in het Midden" (Monkey in the Middle).
• In Poland, it's "Silly Johnny."
• In Egypt, the name means "The Indecisive Dog."
• In Iran, the name "Vasati" is used.
• In Greece, it's "koroido," which means "sucker."
• In New York City, it's also called "Salugi."

The name Keep Away makes sense because you are trying to keep the ball away. The origins of other names are less clear. Monkey in the Middle probably came about because the middle player jumps and waves their arms like a monkey. The names Piggy in the Middle and Pickle in a Dish have unknown beginnings.

The name "Pickle in the middle" comes from the game of baseball. When a base runner is caught between two opposing players, they are "in a pickle."