Hot Potato Keep Away

This is a very fun, active game that a lot of kids seem to really like. It works best with 5-15 kids, but if you have more kids you can have more than one game going at a time.
Start out by getting everyone in a circle about arms length apart or more. Start by having someone pass the ball to anyone he chooses. The person needs to catch the ball and pass it quickly to someone else. If the ball is dropped or the player holds the ball too long before passing then that person goes into the middle of the circle. If the pass was not very catchable and was not caught than the thrower must go into the middle. Once someone is in the middle things get more fun. The person in the middle can intercept a pass to get out of the middle. If he knocks a pass down than the thrower is in the middle along with him. The final player not in the middle is the winner. I usually say that the “potato” is no longer hot when there is only a few players left so that they can run around everyone and try to pass it to each other. There is no contact between players. I also try not to let players stand in front of one person the whole time to try to intercept the ball, or get so close to the thrower that he has no room to pass the ball or can’t see. The only problem with this game is I get into it too much and try too hard to win. Have fun!