# Hug Tag

Participants play a running tag game where pairing up in a brief mutual hold or standing back to back creates a three-second safe zone from the tagger.

**Time:** 10 minutes. UWT suggested duration for setup, multiple tag rounds, and debrief
**People:** 6 to 24. Whole-room chase game with temporary pairs

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Raise physical energy and encourage quick coordination during high-activity sessions.
**Use it when:** Use during energetic indoor gym or outdoor sessions when a group needs physical movement and has agreed to active physical contact games.
**Skip it when:** Skip in professional or corporate settings, tight meeting rooms, where participants prefer zero physical contact, or when running games pose a tripping hazard.

## Materials and tools

- 4 floor cones or boundary markers to define the play area

## Before participants arrive

1. Clear an open physical area of at least 15 by 15 meters free of obstacles.
2. Mark the four boundary corners using the floor cones.
3. Check floor traction to prevent slipping.

## Say this to open

We are going to play Hug Tag. One person will be the tagger. Everyone else avoids being tagged by moving around the space or by pairing up. If you pair up in a mutual hug or back to back, you are safe from being tagged for up to three seconds. Both people must agree. You cannot hold for more than three seconds, and the tagger cannot hover right next to you. If you get tagged, raise your hand and you become the new tagger.

## How to run it

### 1. Set boundaries and consent options (2 minutes)

Walk the perimeter cones. Explain the safe-zone mechanic: two players may create safety either by a mutual chest-level embrace or by standing back-to-back without arm contact. State clearly that anyone may decline physical contact by offering the back-to-back option or by stepping into the role of boundary referee.

### 2. Select tagger and start round one (3 minutes)

Ask for one volunteer to be the starting tagger. Spread everyone across the marked area. Call 'Go.' The tagger pursues runners. If two runners pair up, they count out loud 'one, two, three' and must separate. The tagger must give them at least three paces of space and cannot hover. If a runner is tagged before pairing up, that runner raises an arm, shouts 'New tagger,' and immediately begins chasing.

### 3. Run round two with added tagger (3 minutes)

If the group exceeds 14 participants, designate a second tagger to maintain pacing. Run the active game for 3 minutes, pausing briefly if players cross outside the boundary cones.

### 4. Cool down and debrief (2 minutes)

Call time. Bring the whole group to a standing circle inside the boundaries. Take two or three quick observations about how pairs coordinated under speed.


## Debrief questions

- What cues did you use to signal someone that you needed a safe zone?
- How did the three-second time limit influence how long you stayed in one place?

**Finished output:** Completion of active chase rounds with all participants safely returning to the group circle.

## Remote

This active chase game requires shared physical space. For a related online warm-up, run 'Screen Freeze Tag' where one caller calls two names; both named participants must touch index fingers to the camera edge within 3 seconds or become the next caller.

## Hybrid

Hug Tag cannot be played across a hybrid split. Run an alternate verbal reaction warm-up if both remote and in-person participants must play simultaneously.

## Access and participation choices

- Participants may use a back-to-back stance without arm wrapping as their safe zone.
- Anyone may opt out of running or contact entirely by acting as a boundary judge or three-second timer.

## If the session gets stuck

**Taggers camp right next to a paired couple waiting for the count to reach three.**

Remind taggers of the hovering rule. Require taggers to stay at least two meters away from any paired safe zone.

**A participant wants to play but does not want to embrace others.**

Remind the room before starting that standing back to back or touching elbows counts identically as a valid safe zone.


## Terms used here

- Hovering: Standing directly beside a safe pair while waiting for their three-second immunity to expire.

## Sources and adaptation

Observed in Playmeo activity library, attributed on page to Mark Collard.

The original Playmeo source lists basic tag rules where hugging for 3 seconds gives temporary safety and hovering is barred. UWT added explicit boundary setup, a back-to-back physical alternative for touch comfort, non-running referee roles, and debrief prompts.

[Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/running-tag-pe-games/hug-tag)

[Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/running-tag-pe-games/hug-tag/)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/fun-interactive-tag-game-for-building-connections-hug-tag/