What it is: A pool game, kind of like a version of tag
Best for: 4 to 8 players
What you need:
- A swimming pool
How to play: First, choose one player to be It. We’ll call him Chase. When all your players are in the pool, Chase closes his eyes and counts to ten or twenty. Meanwhile, the rest of the players swim around the pool to different locations. When Chase reaches the end of his counting, he does not open his eyes but keeps them closed. Chase then starts looking (or really, feeling) for other players. The first player Chase touches is the new It.
You might think it’s kind of unfair for Chase, wandering around the pool with his eyes closed while everyone else gets to swim with their eyes open. Here’s Chase’s advantage. At any time he can call out “Marco!” Then everyone else in the pool must answer with “Polo!” That way Chase can get an idea of where everyone is. Even if Ty is standing right next to Chase when Chase calls out “Marco!”, Ty still has to answer with “Polo!”
According to some rules, players aren’t allowed to swim underwater, since they might not hear and get a chance to say “Polo!” Players are also not allowed out of the pool.
Side note, I don’t know why the game is named after the 13th-century explorer. Does this video shed any light on it?