Mother May I?

 

 

 

How to play the fun classic children's group game of Mother May I.  Instructions, rules and game quesitons.

 

Great for young and older children to play with their friends. Easy to learn and you need only kids and a large game area like a backyard or playground to play. 

 

Object of the Game

By following different commands the winner of Mother May I is the first one to reach the “mother”

What to do first

Choose who will be the mother. Have the mother stand at one end of the playing area and the rest of the children line up side by side at the opposite end of the yard.

 

 

How to Play Mother May I?

“Mother” calls each child by name one at a time and tells them to take a random number of steps towards them. For example the “mother” will say “Bobby, take 3 giant steps.” Before the player takes the steps they must ask the “mother” .. “Mother may I?”. The mother then answers “Yes you may.” The player then may take the steps towards the “mother”.

 

 

If the player forgets to ask “Mother may I?” after getting directions on the type of steps he should take he must go back to the starting line or home.

The first player to reach “mother” gets to be the new “mother”. The types of steps should vary with each child. Some examples are: giant, tiny, baby, crawling, twirling, backwards, marching steps.

 

 

 

Mother May I Questions

 

Take 3 giant steps

Take 4 small frog hops

Take 2 tiny steps

Take 1 big step backward

Take 4 sneaky steps

Take 3 crab walk steps

Take 2 twirly steps

Take 3 hops

Take 7 crawling steps

Take 10 itty bitty steps

Take 4 jumping jack steps

Take 5 dancing steps

Take 3 leaping steps

 

 

Variation: The word “Captain” can be exchanged for “Mother”.