Number of players: 5+
Ages: 5+
Space required: playground or large room
This is a pretty involved playground or park game, but once everyone gets a few of the nuances down, it can keep the players busy for a while. It requires a lot of teamwork, and a lot of strategy.
To begin mark out a small section of the playing field as a den for the person who is “it” or the Red Lion. The other players gather at another end of the playing field and designate one of their people as a captain who directs the actions of the others.
This person calls “loose!” to the Red Lion who can now run out of the den whenever he chooses. The other players venture near the den taunting him with the lines “Red Lion, Red Lion, come out of your den! Whoever you catch will be one of your den!”
When the lion thinks the players are close enough to catch, he makes a sudden move and catches any player he can. The player is not officially caught until the Red Lion holds him long enough to say “Red Lion” three times. After this, the lion and his prisoner have to hurry back to the den, because the other players may now turn on them. The process is repeated again, but the lion and the captive have to lock hands, and catch another player by putting their arms over his head.
Here’s where the game gets a little complicated. Each time they go out, the way they capture more people depends on the captain. If the chief calls “Cow catcher” after the group goes out to hunt, they must all go out in a long string, each hand in hand, and capture a prisoner by having any two people in the group slip their hands over the head of a captured player. If the captain yells “tight” the lion’s team must completely surround the captured player. If the captain yells “doubles” the lion’s team must go out in teams of two to do their capturing.
Any time the Red Lion and his captives are out on the hunt, other players may attempt to break their grips. If this happens the players must return to the den immediately. The game ends when all the players have been caught, and the last player caught becomes the Red Lion for the next game.