Week of April 27

Marco-Polo Dodgeball with Mr. Corey

Materials

• ~10 soft projectiles: I recommend bulky socks rolled into sock balls
• A bandana or other sort of blindfold
• 3 or more players
• A clear open space such as a room, backyard, or basement; the smaller the room, the less sock balls should be used but no less than the number of players—so at least 3

Objective

• Score the most points after each player has had a chance to be the thrower twice
• For Dodgers: 1 point is given for surviving each round un-hit
• For Throwers: 1 point is given for hitting another player with a sock ball
• You can decide if you will allow the players to remain in after being hit with balls and what their point penalties should be (see example game)
  • You can also tape paper strips to the thrower that must be taken by the rest of the players for additional points
• Dodgers must silently move around the room so as not to give away their positions to the blindfolded thrower

Rules

Inside rule recommendation: No running or power-walking

Outside rule recommendation: No sprinting

• One person is blindfolded and given the sock balls
• Everyone is free to move around the room or space however, once the thrower calls “MARCO!” players must immediately freeze in place and shout “POLO!” and wait for the thrower to throw a ball
• A ball must be thrown after every “MARCO!” call, but the thrower can take their time if they wish, no second “MARCO!” called may be made until the ball has been thrown
• The thrower, like the dodgers, is also not allowed to move after shouting “MARCO!” until they throw their ball
• If a player is hit with a ball (bounces off walls count, but not floors or ceilings) they must announce it
• Once the ball is thrown and either hits or misses its target, everyone is free to move again

Example Game Setup

• Open medium-sized living room with tables and chairs moved out of the way
• 1 thrower, with 2 pieces of paper taped around their waist or to the bottom of their shorts.
• 4 dodgers
• 8 sock balls
• Rules:
  • For dodgers: grabbing one piece of paper and successfully bringing it back to an established “home base” after holding it for 2 “MARCOS!”, nets the dodgers 1 point. No extra point is given if they are hit while still holding the paper or if the game ends with the paper still in their hands.
  • For throwers: point for hitting dodgers with the socks, and 1 for every remaining piece of paper still attached to them at the end of the 8 throws.
  • Dodgers can only hold one piece of paper at a time (must return it to their base to try to grab the second).
  • Dodgers are still in even after being hit with a sock ball.
  • Dodgers gain 2 point for never being hit, 1 point for only being hit once, and 0 points for being hit more than 1 time.

Ensures that if the dodgers are never hit, AND the thrower retains all pieces of paper, everyone gets the same amount of points

Go to the Opera with Mr. Balkovetz Part 2: Englebert Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel”