1. Form groups of four people.
2. Ask three of the four to form a triangle by holding hands.
3. Designate one of these three people to be the initial target.
4. When ready, the fourth person aims to move on the outside of the triangle to tag the target.
5. All moves & tags must be made outside of the triangle.
6. Once a tag is made, or 30 seconds has elapsed, invite everyone to swap roles.

Video Transcript for Triangle Tag
presented by Mark Collard

Alright. Here’s the next exercise, folks, which in a moment I’ll invite each of your groups to do.

You got a group of three people holding hands. Effectively it’s like a triangle, so to speak, and Louis is my target. I’m not part of the circle. I can’t go over the top or underneath. My object is to go around the circle to try and tag Louis.

However, his two mates are going to do their best by holding hands at all times to avoid Louis being caught. Okay, got the idea?

Just for a quick three-second demonstration, Louis, you’re aware that you’re the target? Are you ready? And go.

(people playing Triangle Tag)

Alright, I think you got the idea. After about twenty seconds if a tag is not being made, swap over. So break into your groups of four.

(people playing Triangle Tag)

Five more seconds.

(people playing)

Swap over if you haven’t already swapped.

(people playing Triangle Tag)

Choose a random method to divide your group into teams of four people.

Ask three of the people to form a triangle cum circle by holding hands facing each other. Then ask them to designate one of their team to become the initial ‘target.’ Everyone gets a go, but someone has to start.

The fourth person is the tagger, and his or her job is to dart around the outside of the triangle and tag the designated ‘target.’

Once a tag is made, the team swaps roles so that everyone gets a go at being the tagger and target if they choose.

Sounds simple enough, but it can be very difficult at times. Within 20 seconds of high-energy pursuit, I guarantee that most taggers will be ready to quit.

I suggest that if a tag is not achieved within 30 seconds, or the tagger collapses beforehand, a new tagger is identified, and these two people swap roles.

Note, some die-hard taggers will want to reach across the circle, or dive under the arms of the triangle to mark their prey, but these are all no-go zones.

As with all tags, consider the surface of the area you are playing in – a flat, non-slip surface is best, bereft of pot-holes, sticks and stones.

You could integrate Triangle Tag as part of a well-designed SEL program to help your group make caring and constructive choices about personal behaviour and social interactions across different situations.

Specifically, this activity offers ample opportunities to explore and practice the following social & interpersonal skills:

Self-Awareness

• Linking Feelings, Values & Thoughts
• Identifying Personal, Cultural & Linguistic Assets
• Recognising Strengths, Prejudices & Biases
• Demonstrating Self-Confidence, Honesty & Integrity
• Experiencing Self-Efficacy

Self-Management

• Demonstrating Self-Discipline & Self-Motivation
• Setting Personal & Group Goals
• Use Planning & Organisational Skills

Social Awareness

• Demonstrating Empathy & Compassion
• Understanding & Expressing Gratitude
• Recognising Strengths In Others
• Respecting Others

Relationship Skills

• Communicate & Listen Effectively
• Seeking and/or Offering Support
• Build Positive Relationships
• Demonstrate Cultural Competency
• Work Collaboratively

Responsible Decision-Making

• Making Reasoned Judgements
• Anticipating & Evaluating the Consequences of One’s Actions
• Promoting Personal & Collective Well-Being

You can learn more about SEL and how it can support character education here.

Resilience

It is tough for the tagger to make contact with the nominated tagee if the unit of three in the circle are working well together. To this end, the tagger needs to be persistent and resilient in their approach. Beyond the physical exhaustion which comes quicker than most expect, discuss the benefits of building a resilient attitude and a range of strategies to do achieve this goal.

Safety

The physical demands of this activity are obvious in regards to the potential for harm, but you may wish to invite your group to reflect on the many dimensions of emotional and mental safety, too. For example, invite your group to consider how the absence of a ‘safe’ space to participate could impact the outcomes of this game, ie some may not wish to play while others may hold back.

• Shoulder to Shoulder: Form a triangle by holding onto shoulders rather than hands, ie makes it slightly easier for the tagger.
• Championship Tag: Use four people to form the, um… triangle. The ideal challenge for very athletic groups.
• Energy Plus: Take a look at Head Butt Tag, Knee Tag and Hospital Tag for three more high-energy, run-around type games.

I think one of the most difficult athletic skills to accomplish is to run quickly around tight bends or around a circle. As we have learned when driving a car, we know to slow down as we approach a turn into an intersection. But, in the world of tag games, you never want to slow down, only speed up. This dilemma will be ever present in this next exercise…

In most tag games, it’s you against the world. It’s do or die and rarely will other players protect you from being tagged – you’re on your own. But not in this next game, you’ll have two staunch defenders, working hard to prevent you from being tagged…

Coupled with one or more reflection strategies, here are some sample questions you could use to process your group’s experience after playing this highly energetic tag game:

• What did you quickly learn as you started to play this game?
• How difficult was it for you to either evade the tagger, or make a tag?
• What specific skills did you use to play successfully?