Ed. Note: I didn't include this game as a pure 'Tag' game, even though it's in the title.  That is simply because Tag by definition only can have one 'It' person at a time.  

One person stands in the middle of the boundary area, in our case it was the gym. The rest of the kids line up at an end of the bounds and when the tagger says go they all run to the other side of the bounds. Whoever the tagger tags then has to stay and help him, except that the additional people that are tagged have to sit down, and can only help "It" by using their arms.  This goes back and forth until your down to the last person who then starts the next round. This game is fun when played with a lot of kids.

Contributed by Mary Vander Lugt

Related Games: Ghost in the Graveyard, Pom Pon

When I was in "grammar" school, 1930s in New England, we played a game we called "Hill Dill". It was nearly identical to what you list as "Octopus Tag".

"It" stood in the middle of the area, and everyone else lined up at one end.
"It" shouted, "Hill Dill, come over the hill", and everyone ran to the other end. Anyone tagged stayed to help "It" on the next pass. The first person tagged became "It" for the next round.

Unlike Octopus Tag, the helpers did not have to be seated.

We also played a tackle version, which worked best if the smaller children were "It".

Contributed by Dan Covill, San Diego - Thank you!

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