Kick the can facts for kids

A discarded beverage can

Kick the Can is a super fun outdoor game for kids! It's a bit like tag and hide-and-seek. You can play it with just a few friends or a big group.

This game is all about being smart, sneaky, and quick! You need a can or something similar that you can kick. People often used empty cans, especially during tough times like the Great Depression in the 1930s. This was because the game didn't need any special equipment or a fancy playing field.

How to Play Kick the Can

Playing Kick the Can is pretty simple and exciting!

Getting Started

• First, one person or a small team becomes "it."
• You place a can (or a bucket or pail) in an open area. This could be a backyard, a park, or even a quiet street.
• The players who are not "it" run off to hide.
• "It" closes their eyes and counts to a number everyone agrees on, like 50 or 100.

Finding Players

• After counting, "it" opens their eyes and starts looking for the hidden players.
• When "it" finds someone, they need to tag them.
• Anyone who gets tagged goes to a "jail" area. This jail is usually a spot where everyone can see the can.

Freeing Friends

• If a player who hasn't been caught can sneak up to the can, they can "kick the can" or "tip the can."
• If they do this without "it" catching them, all the players in jail are set free! They can then run and hide again.
• Sometimes, only one player is set free each time the can is tipped. The first person caught is the first to be freed.

Winning the Round

• The game continues until "it" catches everyone.
• If "it" tags all the players, they win the round!
• Usually, the person who was in jail the longest becomes "it" for the next round.

Different Ways to Play

There are many cool ways to change up Kick the Can!

Calling Out Hiders

• In some versions, "it" doesn't have to touch a player to tag them. They just need to shout out the player's name and where they are hiding.
• Sometimes, "it" must also jump over the can after calling out a player's name and spot.

Race to the Can

• Another fun way to play is a race! When "it" spots a hidden player, both "it" and the found player race back to the can.
• "It" must reach the can first, put one foot on it, and say something like "Tim is in the can!"
• If "it" wins the race, that player goes to jail. But if the hidden player reaches the can first and kicks it, they are safe!

Multiple Cans

• Imagine playing with more than one can! At the start, the cans are scattered.
• "It" has to gather all the cans and stack them up without them falling over.
• When "it" finds someone, they must run back and touch the stack of cans without knocking them down. If the cans fall, the caught player can run and hide again!
• If the cans stay standing, the hider goes to jail.
• While "it" is searching, another player who hasn't been caught can sneak in and tip over the stack, freeing everyone in jail!

Kick the Tin (Northern Ireland & England)

• This version starts with one hider kicking the tin as far as they can. The further it goes, the more time everyone has to hide!
• "It" has to get the tin, bring it back, and count loudly.
• When "it" finds a hider, both race back to the tin. "It" must knock the tin three times before the hider can kick it away.
• If the hider kicks it away, they and others are set free! Players try to sneak close to the tin to free their friends.

Why Kick the Can is Special

Kick the Can was super popular with kids during the Great Depression. It's mentioned in books, like The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child by Francisco Jiménez.

Even though kids play outside less now, Kick the Can is still a classic. It was even featured in a famous TV show called The Twilight Zone in 1962, and later in a movie in 1983. It also appeared in a 2010 documentary called New York Street Games. It's a game that many generations remember and love!