The Rules of Kick the Can
Play Kick the Can with three or more friends in any outdoor area that has places to hide, day or night. The object of the game is to put all the players in jail, capturing them by identifying them in their hiding spots.
Once a player is "jailed" the only way to be freed is for another player to beat the "It" person to the can and kick it.
To start:
Select a spot for the can. The "can" should be an actual can or anything that can be kicked a distance. The can’s spot should be near something that can be a jail such as a front porch, bench, etc.
Someone is selected to be "It" and that person is challenged to find everyone. One player kicks the can to begin and everyone scrambles to hide. Once the "It" person replaces the can to its spot, he or she begins looking for players.
Playing the game:
To capture a player, the "It" person must call out their name and hiding place while stepping on or touching the can. The players must come to jail if the "It" person is correct. If they are not correct, the person can step out and declare that they had the wrong player and have time to hide again.
As players are captured, the jail will fill up. Once the "It" person has captured all the players, the game renews with the first player captured becoming the "It" person.
If a player tries to kick the can, the "It" person must race to the can first and call out their name. If the player beats them and kicks the can, all the players in jail are freed and the "It" person must start again.
The best hiders are usually those left to kick the can. Players can not stay in one spot forever if all the players are in jail.
