Cracker Run

This is a game my friend and I made up, on a hot summer day with nothing to do.

Players: 2 - 200

You will need:

Per person/team:
- 2 chairs
- 1 sheet
- 1 rubber band/clothes pin

- jump ropes/string/pylons/tape/etc.

- 1 sock/handkerchief each

- variety of balls

- many small items/snacks

Set up:

Each person/team sets up their fort with two chairs, backs facing and several feet apart, with a sheet draped over top.








At one corner, a rubber band/clothes pin is used to keep the sheet in place.







Use the jump ropes/string/pylons/tape/etc. to divide the game space in to two parts, the war zone – which includes the forts – and the cracker run zone, at the furthest point of which lies the small items/snacks (in our case, we used crackers).

The balls are divided equally among the forts. Each player has a protruding sock/handkerchief in their pocket or waistband.

How To Play:

The goal of this game is to get as many points as possible. As stated previously, there are two parts to this game: the ‘war zone,’ and the ‘cracker run zone’ (which, if you’re not using crackers can be called the point zone).

War Zone:

Smaller balls are generally used to hit other players (10 points) and larger balls are super effective for taking down the opponents fort (5 points), though they can both do either. These balls can only be thrown from the fort. Players can hit opponents retrieving balls. Only one ball can be retrieved at a time, and once returned to the fort, can be thrown. In order for a player to be hit, the ball must hit them directly, not through the fort or bouncing. A player in the Cracker Run Zone can not be hit by balls.
A fort is considered demolished as soon as the rubber band/clothes pin comes off. It must then immediately be repaired before anything is thrown from said fort, and before taking to the Cracker Run Zone.

Cracker Run Zone (Point Zone):

Players run through this zone to retrieve the small items/snacks (10 points). As soon as a player crosses the jump rope/string/pylon/tape/etc. line, they can not be hit by balls. In order to stop the opponent from gaining these points, they must try to take the sock/handkerchief from the other’s pocket/waistband. Once a sock/handkerchief is lost, that person must then retrieve it, returning to his/her fort without the small item/snack.
As soon as the runner crosses the line back into the war zone with a small item/snack, that point is theirs and cannot be taken away. However, they are open to fire.

Points:
Broken fort: 5 points
Hit person: 10 points
Small item/snack: 10 points

At the end of the game, points are tallied up, and the person/team with the most, wins!

Add a twist:

- On a hot summer day, runners have to run through a sprinkler to get to the point pile.

- snacks/candy can be used as points, and each team gets to eat their points at the end of the game.

- for a harder game, cracker run points can be stolen, or a jailing system can be added.

(Disclaimer: I do not own the pictures used. They belong to their respective owners.)