I remember when my sister and brother and I were growing up we was outside all the time from Sunup to Sundown running and playing with our friends. One of the games we played a lot was Colored Eggs or different versions of tag. Including regular tag, freeze tag, and sometimes we would even make up our own tag games.

Then when Charlie and Suzzane was little I played the same games with them. We didn’t need a lot of toys or fancy equipment. We just needed a few friends, some room to run, and our imaginations. Now that I am older, I look back on those days and realize that some of the simplest things we did as children were also some of the most fun.

Now, I have a question for you. If you could make up your own tag game, what would it be, and why? I think I would make up a Winnie the Pooh tag game. Can you imagine running around pretending to be Pooh Bear and his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood? There are so many ways you could use those characters to create a game that children would enjoy.

Charlie says he might make up a Marvel tag game. Knowing how much fun you can have with superheroes, I can see how that could work! Everybody could choose a favorite superhero, and you could make up special rules for how the heroes tag one another.

Then there’s David. I can just see him trying to figure out how to turn Oompaloma’s from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory into a tag game. Laughing out loud! Or knowing David, I wouldn’t put it past him to come up with something involving garden gnomes, too. That’s the wonderful thing about using your imagination. There really isn’t a right or wrong answer as long as everybody is having fun and staying safe.

With Halloween coming up, why not create a spooky Halloween tag game? You could have ghosts, witches, black cats, and pumpkins. The person who is It could be the friendly ghost trying to tag everyone before they reach the haunted house. Of course, you can make it as silly or as spooky as you want!

Or how about a Thanksgiving turkey tag game? One person could be the turkey trying to avoid being tagged while the other players pretend to be farmers. You could even have everyone gobble like a turkey when they get tagged. I can already imagine the laughter!

And don’t forget Christmas. You could play Reindeer Tag, where one person is Santa and the others are reindeer trying to deliver presents before they get tagged. Or you could make up an Elf Tag game where the elves have to get back to Santa’s workshop before time runs out. There are so many possibilities when it comes to tag. You could even create a different game for every holiday and make it a family tradition.

If you #homeschool your children, this is a wonderful opportunity to think outside the box. Physical education doesn’t always have to mean buying equipment, purchasing a special curriculum, or finding an expensive activity. Sometimes all you need is a little imagination and enough room to move around.

Have your children help invent the game. Let them decide who gets to be It, what happens when someone is tagged, and how a player can become safe again. You can even have them write down the rules and explain the game to the rest of the family. They’re getting physical activity while also practicing creativity, communication, problem-solving, and following directions.

You could even make it a weekly challenge. Every week, one family member gets to invent a new tag game, and everyone else has to play it. Imagine what your children might come up with when they know they get to be in charge of the rules! Today is Sunday, and with fall here, why not take advantage of a beautiful afternoon and head outside for a little family fun?

Here’s one idea I came up with: Fall Leaf Touch Tag! Before you start, have everyone find a fallen leaf in a different color. You might find a yellow leaf, a brown leaf, a red leaf, or even a green one. Choose a safe area to play, and decide that everyone is safe when they reach a designated spot while holding their leaf.

You could even make it a challenge to find a leaf in a color nobody else has chosen. If you live somewhere the leaves haven’t changed colors yet, use whatever leaves you can find. The point isn’t to make everything perfect. The point is to have fun together. Just remember to use fallen leaves rather than pulling leaves off living plants, and keep the play area clear of traffic and other hazards.

You could also turn it into a nature lesson. Ask the children to look at the leaves, notice their shapes and colors, and talk about why leaves change as the seasons change. Before you know it, you’ve combined outdoor play, physical education, and a little science lesson!

Here’s what I love most about an idea like this. It doesn’t cost a lot of money, and you don’t have to plan an elaborate outing. You just have to be willing to get outside and play. In a world where so much of our time is spent looking at phones, computers, and television screens, sometimes we need a reminder to look up and see the people right in front of us.

Talk to each other. Laugh together. Make up silly rules. Let the children take the lead. And don’t be afraid to look a little ridiculous while you’re playing. Those are often the moments that become the best family stories later. You might start out playing Touch Tag and end up inventing a game your family plays for years.

And who knows? Maybe one day your children will look back on those afternoons the way I look back on my childhood and remember the games they made up with the people they love. That’s what making memories is all about.

Your Turn! If you could invent your own tag game, what would it be? Would you choose Winnie the Pooh, Marvel superheroes, garden gnomes, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or something completely different?

I’d love to hear what you would create and why. Let your imagination run wild, get outside when you can, and remember that sometimes the best family activities are the ones that don’t cost a thing.

Would you like to meet my family at Pecan Park today for a game of tag?

Until next time, may your days be filled with reasons to be grateful, thankful, and blessed.

Grateful. Thankful. Blessed.

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