How to Play Sharks and Minnows

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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(9 Ratings)

This game is a great way to cool off on a hot summer day. Try both versions below for cool, wet fun.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Swimsuits
Swimsuits For Children
Sunscreen
Fins
Swimming Caps
Swimming Goggles
Swimsuits

Shark Jumps In

Step 1

Tell the swimmers that you'll be the shark.
Step 2

Line all the other players on one side of the swimming pool in a row. These are the minnows.
Step 3

Choose a category, such as colors, and have each minnow choose a color.
Step 4

Stand on the side of the pool opposite the minnows with your back toward them.
Step 5

Shout out a color at random.
Step 6

Listen for any minnows with the chosen color as they try to swim quietly to your side of the pool.
Step 7

Jump into the pool to tag a minnow. Be careful not to jump directly on top of a minnow - just jump beside him or her.
Step 8

Let the minnows who reach your side of the pool without being tagged return to the original side.
Step 9

Call out another color and continue the game if you didn't tag anyone.
Step 10

Become a minnow when you tag one. The tagged minnow is now the shark.

A Shark Underwater

Step 1

Gather about 10 people in the pool.
Step 2

Choose a person to start out as a shark. That person goes to the center of the pool. Everyone else moves to one side.
Step 3

Close your eyes if you are the shark and give the command for minnows (everyone else) to go.
Step 4

Have the shark swim across the pool while the minnows try to avoid his or her touch. The shark should be listening for sounds of moving minnows, attempting to tag them as they pass. Join the shark in the middle if you are touched. Everyone else swims back across again, trying not to get touched by the shark.
Step 5

Continue crossing back and forth until only one minnow is left. That minnow is the winner and chooses who the next starting shark will be.

Comments

Anonymous said

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on 3/8/2006 We always played the second version and have the shark in the center turned around (eyes open) and minnows out of the pool on the sides if in a public pool. Whenever the minnows want to go, they just go, and when the shark hears a splash they can turn around and go after as many as they can get. This is continued until every minnow except for one is in the middle. Then the remaining minnow can decide to risk it and go under all the sharks or give up and the first person who was touched is in the middle.