Other names
Inspiration
A great blue heron, after half an hour of patient hunting in the river, has just caught a beautiful tasty fish. The heron flies back to its nest to dine. However, a band of hungry otters notices the fish and surrounds the heron’s nest, eager to steal a free meal. The heron must defend its catch!
Themes
Evasion, Strategy, Agility, Wide angle vision, Audacity
Group size
8-16 players
Timing
3-5 min/round
Play area
Any clear area
Energy
High (running)
Age range
10+ years
Start formation
Circle
Equipment
Bandanas – a few, Boundary rope
Hazards/safety
- Players tripping on obstacles. Make sure the playing area is clear of hazards (brambles, roots, rocks).
- Otters bumping heads or colliding. Emphasize the need to be aware of other players and move with control.
- The heron tagging too hard or poking people’s eyes. Emphasize the need for the heron to move with control.
Instructions
Create a game boundary by placing a large rope on the ground in a circle about 12 feet in diameter (the “nest”). Place 3 bandanas in the center of the circle (the “fish”). Get a volunteer to be the “heron,” who will stand over the bandanas to prevent them from being stolen. The heron can not touch the bandanas at any time. “Otters” start on the outside of the circle and try to steal the bandanas. Otters may only take one bandana at a time. As soon as an otter enters the circle, they can be tagged. When an otter is tagged, various consequences can happen:
- They have to take five giant steps away from the circle, then they can return and resume play.
- They are out until the game is over.
- They must immediately freeze in place until the game is over. However, if the heron accidentally touches a frozen otter, the otter unfreezes and can resume playing.
- My favorite: have TWO identical heron nests running simultaneously, about ten feet away from each other (each with its own heron and three bandanas). If an otter gets out, they immediately go to the other circle and start playing there.
Once all of a heron’s fish are stolen, the last otter to steal a fish becomes the new heron (or chooses a volunteer to be the new heron).
Modifications
- Only got one bandana and no rope? The game can still work. When otters are tagged, they must take five giant steps back before they can re-engage, and as soon as the bandana is stolen, the successful otter becomes the new heron and play immediately starts again when they drop the bandana to the ground.
- Frozen otters variation: when an otter is tagged, they freeze in place for the rest of the game. If the heron accidentally touches them again, they unfreeze and can resume playing.