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Party fun galore with this traditional kids' game. Make sure that there is plenty of room and lots of drinks on hand for puffed-out players at the end. More is preferable.
Steps
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1Assemble the children against the wall in a line.
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2Choose "Mr. Wolf" (star of the day). Ask Mr. Wolf to stand at one end of the playing area.Advertisement
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3Play the game:
- Mr Wolf turns his or her back so he/she cannot see the kids.
- The row of children chant:
- "What's the time Mr. Wolf?"
- Mr. Wolf will turn around and answer a time (for example, 4 o'clock).
- The children advance the number of steps called out and then repeat the chant, waiting for a response and so on.
- Eventually they will be standing very close to Mr. Wolf. Mr. Wolf can, at any moment once the line of children is close, respond "Lunch Time" in a loud growl, instead of giving a real time.
- This is the cue for lots of screaming (remind them not to scream) and running because now Mr. Wolf has to chase the rest of the children and tag one of them.
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4Change Mr. Wolf. The child who was the wolf can choose another person (opposite gender) to be the next wolf.
Community Q&A
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QuestionWhat if I want to play but have no friends to play with?
Community AnswerAsk family and make friends to play with, or invite kids from your class or old friends. -
QuestionWhat if people get too close to the wolf and the wolf doesn't say "lunch time"?
Community AnswerThe people continue going forward and past the fox, but this makes it easier for the wolf to catch you. The wolf should call "lunch time" before people get too close. -
QuestionMy 17-year-old son keeps playing this with his friends every weekend at my home. These friends of his are around the ages of 10-12. Does this have any sexual meaning?
Community AnswerAny children's game could be altered to include something inappropriate, but there is nothing inherently sexual about this one. If you're worried, perhaps you shouldn't let your son play with these younger children unsupervised.
Warnings
- Also give the smaller children a chance to run; as they may be seen as an advantage to the bigger children.⧼thumbs_response⧽
- Small children may be easily frightened by this game. It is usually okay for children around 5 and over (school age) but gauge the suitability of the game from what you know of the children. One or two scared children is probably usual - they can sit on the side and squeal, while eating an ice cream, or maybe a healthy snack instead.⧼thumbs_response⧽
- Make sure that you have an adult supervising at all times. Adults and senior citizens are right for this job as they are responsible.⧼thumbs_response⧽
Things You'll Need
- Large space
- Mr. Wolf
- Lots of players
- Accepting neighborhood
About This Article
To play “What’s the time Mr. Wolf?” start by gathering a group of friends, and choose one person to be Mr. Wolf first. Have Mr. Wolf stand far away from the other players with their back to everyone. Then, have the rest of the players stand in a line facing Mr. Wolf and shout out “What’s the time Mr. Wolf?” Mr. Wolf can answer with different times, like “3 o’clock” or “7 o’clock.” All of the players have to take that number of steps toward Mr. Wolf. Then, ask Mr. Wolf again and take the right number of steps based on the time they answer. Keep doing this to get closer and closer to Mr Wolf. At any point, Mr. Wolf can answer with “dinnertime” and start chasing the other players. Whoever Mr. Wolf catches first becomes the new Mr. Wolf in the next round!
