Spud is definitely on my top 10 list of games to play with a large group of children in an outdoor space or indoor gym. All you need is a soft ball to toss around and one adult or child who is not playing. To start, the person who is not playing, whispers a number into each player's ear. If you have 8 people playing you will whisper any number between 1-10. If you have 10 playing whisper any number between 1-12. Once you get a number do NOT tell your number to anyone. There will be two leftover numbers which are called ghost numbers.
One player is 'IT' and will start with the ball. Everyone stands in a circle around the player with the ball. The player throws the ball up into the air and calls a number. Everyone runs away unless it is your number that was called.
If your number was called, you grab the ball as fast as you possibly can and yell "SPUD." Once "SPUD" is yelled, everyone must stop running. The person who grabbed the ball, takes three giant steps towards any player. This person then throws the ball at the player and the player can NOT move their feet. You can not throw near the player's head. If the ball hits the player, the player gets the letter 'S'. It the player catches the ball, the thrower get the letter 'S'.
Now, the player who had the ball thrown at him/her is 'IT' and throws the ball in the air, calling a number, yelling "SPUD", taking the three giant steps and throwing the ball at a player.
If the person throwing the ball up calls a ghost number (no one has the number) then the thrower get a letter in SPUD.
If you spell out the word SPUD, you lose.
If you want to make it easier, just call the children's names and don't bother with the numbers. If the children are running too far away make the boundary lines smaller where they can run.
Head outdoors and go play SPUD!
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