Crack the Whip
"Crack the Whip (also known as Pop the Whip or Snap the Whip) is a simple outdoor children's game that involves physical coordination and is usually played in small groups, either on grass or ice, usually grass." -Wikipedia
Crack the Whip
Game
One player, chosen as the "head" of the whip, runs (or skates) around in random directions, with subsequent players holding on to the hand of the previous player. The entire "tail" of the whip moves in those directions but with much more force toward the end of the tail. The longer the tail, the more the forces act on the last player and the tighter they have to hold on. As the game progresses and more players fall off, some of those who were previously located near the end of the tail and have fallen off can 'move up' and be in a more secure position by grabbing onto the tail as it is moving, provided they can get back on before others do. There is no objective to this game other than enjoying the experience.
Comments
"It is only done while Ice or Roller Skating, if I remember correctly ... I've never seen it played in street shoes in the street before. I won't bore you with my dusty old memories of how badly you could get hurt playing around like this...
Wikipedia says it can be played on Grass. I've mostly seen it done on Skates." -Carl McCall
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Thanks to Carl McCall for sharing this game with us! Instructions from Wikipedia.
Image: American children playing the game in Winslow Homer's 1872 painting Snap the Whip.