Ting a Ling

Ting a Ling is a favourite game among the children in Russia. Moscow was known as the city of bells. The name Ting a Ling sounds like a bell tinkling.

Age: 7+

No. of players: 20 or more

Equipment: Small basket, bell

Time: 5+ minutes

Aim: To catch the player with the bell.

1. Before the game is played, mark out a large square on the ground and a smaller square in the centre of the large square. The lines of the large square have to be long enough for all players to stand on. Draw straight lines from each corner in the large square to its opposite corner making 2 diagonal lines.

2. All the players stand on the lines of the large square facing the middle.

3. Choose one player to be the clapper who must stand in the smaller square called the 'steeple'. The clapper holds the basket.

4. Choose another player to be the captain and another player to hold the bell.

5. On a signal, the captain starts marching along the lines of the large square or the diagonals. The remaining players march behind the captain.

6. The player with the bell rings it softly and passes it to the next player who takes it, rings it softly and passes it on. The clapper tries to find out who has the bell while watching closely from within the steeple.

7. Suddenly, the clapper decides to clap his hands together. The children stop marching, and quickly form a circle around the clapper.

8. The player who has the bell must try and drop the bell in the basket which is being held by the clapper and then run as fast as possible with the clapper chasing him. They must not run outside the large square.

9. The other children can chase after the clapper and try to grab the bell out of the basket while the clapper chases the player who had the bell. If the bell is grabbed from the basket, the clapper must then chase the player who now has the bell.

10. The bell may be passed to other players and each time the clapper must chase after the player with the bell.

11. The game finishes when the clapper catches the player with the bell or a signal ends the game. The player holding the bell becomes the clapper in the next game of Ting a Ling.

Source: Adapted from Games Around the World 4H LAL 90 edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/4H/4H05500.pdf