In recent years, schools have been on the banning bandwagon. Outlawed in various places around the country: dodgeball, hugging and makeup. But when one Washington state school tried laying down the law on the game of tag on the playground, parents drew a line in the sand.
Last week, Washington's Mercer Island School District declared the game — in which one designated player ("it") runs around trying to touch other players (thereby making them "it") — too rough and potentially violent. Kids, after all, don't always know their own strength, and in some cases they know it all too well.
The solution: A touch-free version. "We came up with the 'hands off' idea to help minimize negative physical interactions among elementary school children during recess or unstructured play," superintendent Dr. Gary Plano said in a statement.
Parents rebelled, creating a Facebook group called "Support Tag at Recess in Mercer Island," and attracted more than 400 members. "Our group believes tag and other child led games encourage independence and much needed activity," a statement on the group's page read, according to New York's Daily News.
And last Friday, they got their wish: Traditional tag was restored by the school. That said, noted the Daily News, the school is still trying to encourage "flag tag" instead.