rules to play mother may i game
Rules to Play 'Mother May I' Game
You might be familiar with the words "Mother, May I?", taking you back to your childhood days. This game is not just for children, but for all those who want to recreate the childhood magic. Buzzle directs you on how to play 'Mother, May I' game with easy instructions and tips to make it more fun.
When you're the Mother, be kind and impartial, for the child wants the new Mother to be good to him or her.
Mother, May I is an engaging game for children. The other popular games are "Father, May I?", "Captain, May I?" Though, this is an outdoor game, and is more fun if played with many members, it may also be played indoors with a small group of people.
Brief History
This game began with parents wanting to test the listening skills of their children. Later, it became a traditional children's party game, more so to educate them on giving instructions that would also develop leadership skills in them.
Let's quickly go through the rules to play "Mother, May I" game.
You'll need
◾ A minimum of 3 players.
◾ A little creativity
◾ A step-by-step instruction to play this game
Objective
The first one who reaches the Mother becomes the winner. But the actual fun is in enjoying and following the commands, using creativity and imagination in "Mother, May I ___?" questions.
Game Setup
◾ Have a large room (indoors), or open space (outdoors; in a garden, playground, backyard).
◾ The Mother/Father stand at one end of the room turning their face away from the children as they (i.e., the children) stand at the other end of the room.
◾ All the players take turns to suggest movements (Mother/Father, May I ___?). The Mother/Father has to either approve the movement or modify it.
◾ The child has to follow the instructions given by the Mother/Father, no matter what.
Steps To Play
1. Start by designating one player to play the role of a 'Mother', and the other players will be the 'children'.
2. Have them stand at opposite ends. The children will stand in a row facing the Mother, but at a minimum distance of 6 meters.
3. Now, there are two variants of this game. Either one of the two below can be followed.
i) The Mother gives a command to the first child. The command can be to move forward or backward, mentioning the number of steps to be taken. The child responds by asking "Mother, May I?". If the child forgets to say these signature words, he/she will have to return to the start line, even if he has performed the command.
ii) Step 3 may begin with the child, himself, asking the Mother, if he could perform a certain task like taking 5 giant steps ahead. This also has to be accompanied with the line "Mother, May I?"
4. Next, Mother responds with "Yes, you may" or "No, you may not". This is totally at her discretion. She may give permission to do the moves, or she may modify it. For instance, if the child asks permission for taking 10 baby steps forward, the mother may alter it by saying, "No, you may not, but you may take 7 baby steps ahead."
5. The game continues with each child getting a turn to play in the game. After all the children are done with their turns, it's the first child's turn again. This goes on until one child reaches the Mother.
6. The winner is the one who reaches first. He/she gets to be the Mother in the next round of the game.
"Mother, May I ___?" Suggestions
◾ Take (n) umbrella steps forward
◾ Take (n) giraffe steps with a finger on my nose
◾ Hop like a frog, (n) times
◾ Take (n) Jumping Jack steps
◾ Run forward for (n) seconds
◾ Crawl like a crab for (n) seconds
◾ Walk forward for (n) seconds making meow sounds
◾ Hop like a kangaroo, (n) times
◾ Walk like a monkey for (n) seconds
Tips
◾ Choose different places to play this game, like a swimming pool, a flight of stairs, etc., to make it more interesting.
◾ Play strategically. Do not be greedy. When planning to take baby steps, ask for a large number as the step size is small. Likewise, giant steps call for a small number.
◾ Don't go for steps that you're not comfortable doing.
◾ Be creative and discover new steps.
◾ If you're playing the Mother, don't always agree to the child's suggestion. You may ask the child to walk backwards, or go back to the starting line.
Hope you enjoyed the game!