Four+Square

 =Four Squares - What You Need= The only things you need to get started in a game of **Four Squares** are some **chalk**, a patch of concrete somewhere, a bouncy ball like a [|soccer] ball or volleyball and **at least four people**. With the chalk, **draw a large square** at least six feet wide and divide this big square into four equally sized small squares. Each of the four squares should be**numbered 1 to 4** and should look like this:


 * 1) Draw a 6- to 10-foot square on a paved surface, such as a driveway.
 * 2) Divide the larger square into four smaller squares, number the squares 1 to 4, and have each child stand in a block.
 * 3) The player in square 4 serves the ball by bouncing it in his square and tapping the ball into another square.
 * 4) The player in that space must tap the ball (after one bounce) into another kid's area, and so on, until someone misses the ball, lets the ball bounce twice, or sends it out of the grid.
 * 5) The player who misses the ball steps out and the remaining players rotate up through the numbered squares. If you are playing with more than four players, a new player enters the game at square 1. The player who is out waits in line to re-enter the game once square 1 is open again.
 * 6) Whoever is now in square 4 serves the ball to resume play.
 * Variations:****Bus Stop:** All must step on the outer corner of their squares.
 * Fire Alarm:** All must jump out of their squares.
 * Mailbox:** All must step in the middle where the two lines meet.
 * Big Tomato:** All must do a mailbox and then a fire alarm.
 * Around the World Colors:** When players bounce the ball, they must also call out a color, or state, animal, pizza topping, whatever the category may be (no repeating).
 * Normal:** Play goes back to, you guessed it, normal.

****Introduction**** Playing four square is a great way to build coordination and teach good sportsmanship. The kids will love progressing from being a peasant to being the king! Four square is appropriate for school age children. Four square can be played with a standard playground ball that is about 10 inches in diameter, or it can be played with a king-sized ball. You will also need some chalk. A driveway or other hard-surfaced area is needed for four square. Draw off a 10-ft. square with the chalk, then divide into 4 even squares. Number them 1-4, going clockwise. Draw a diagonal line in 1's box, to be the serving spot. The player in the 1 square is known as the king. Number 2 is the queen, while Number 3 is known as the jack, and Number 4 is the peasant. The point of the game is to advance to the king's spot and stay there as long as possible. The king serves by bouncing the ball into any of the three boxes. The player whose square receives the ball must hit it into another square. The ball can be hit in the air or after one bounce. Play continues until a player fails to return the ball. At that point, that player has to move to the peasant's spot, and the other players advance. There are many different conventions for naming the four squares. Some players just refer to them by their numbers, but kids get a kick out of becoming the king. When playing with more than four children, children can rotate in and out. A player who is demoted goes to the end of the line. Official four square rules are fairly complex, but you may not want to introduce the game using a lot of rules. Indeed, you may want to modify rules to fit the situation. For example, when playing with younger children, it's okay to allow them to catch the ball before bouncing it back to their opponents.
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