Jacob and Rachel
This is a great indoor or outdoor party game based on the Biblical couple Jacob and Rachel. The earliest mention of this game I could find was 1903, but I’m sure it goes back much, much further, particularly in Jewish tradition. It’s a great Old Testament story that can add a sense of history if told beforehand.
Number of players 6+ (the more the better)
Ages: 4+
Space: Big living room or rec room, outside
All of the players but two form a circle with their hands clasped. The two remaining players stand in the center. One of them is Jacob, and he’s blindfolded. The object of the game is for Jacob to catch Rachel, the other player in the center, from the sound of her voice. It’s Rachel’s job to avoid Jacob.
Jacob begins the game by asking “Rachel, where art thou?” Rachel replies “Here am I Jacob,” and immediately scoots off to some other part of the ring to avoid Jacob’s hands as he gropes to tag her. Rachel can do anything to avoid being tagged by Jacob, but she can’t leave the ring. Jacob can repeat his question whenever he wants to, and Rachel must answer every time. This adds a challenge for the Rachel player, since she must try to move away from the last place she spoke as soon as possible. The other players in the circle can distract Jacob by making extra noises or other distractions.
When Rachel is caught, Jacob joins the players in the ring, then Rachel is blindfolded and chooses another Jacob, and this time it’s her turn to catch Jacob, of course, changing the question to “Jacob, where art thou?”
When both boys and girls are playing the game, the names can be used normally. If all boys or all girls are playing, the same names are used, but someone’s going to have to play someone of the opposite sex.