How to Play Marco Polo

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Choose one person to be "Marco."

   This person will try to catch everyone else. "Marco" can also be known as "It".
   
   Think of is as playing a variation of tag
   -- in the water! The person who is "Marco" has to have his eyes closed the entire time.
2. 2

   Step 2: Have Marco count to ten before searching for anybody.

   All players should start out in the pool.
   
   Marco should stand in place, counting loudly to ten, giving the players enough time to disperse.
   
   They'll want to be as far away from Marco as possible to avoid getting caught
   -- unless they're risky players who like living on the edge! Once he counts to ten, he can begin searching for people, but he has to keep his eyes closed. , Marco can yell "Marco" as often as he likes.
   
   Hearing the other players respond "Polo" can help him figure out where they are, allowing him to swim or walk closer to the others.
   
   The players who are trying to escape Marco must shout "Polo" every time he or she shouts "Marco." The only exception is that they don't have to shout it, obviously, if they're under the water.
   
   If a player above water does not shout "Polo!" and Marco suspects he knows who it is, then he can say, "I know that (player's name here) didn't shout Polo!" If the other players agree with him, then that person has been caught, and he has to be the new Marco! The game starts over! , You can swim or just walk in the water.
   
   To stay safe, keep your hands out in front of you.
   
   You don't want to suddenly run or dart into a wall.
   
   You can even keep one hand on the edge of the pool as you move around, so you know where you are.
   
   Also, if you're walking, watch out for walking into the deep end and make sure you're prepared to swim. , If you're running from Marco, then you should be quick on your feet, prepared to dart away at any moment.
   
   You can also go underwater and swim in a different direction after shouting "Polo" to confuse Marco.
   
   If he's close to you, change the path you were moving in to throw him off.
   
   Before you start the game, you should decide whether you can also move outside the pool.
   
   Some versions of the game allow for this, while others allow you to be out of the pool as long as one body part always remains in the water.
   
   This can make the game even more fun, but you have to make sure not to run outside the pool, which is very dangerous! You can also play the game using the "Fish out of water" rule.
   
   Under this rule, if you allow players to be out of the water, then Marco has the right to yell "Fish out of water" at any time.
   
   Once he does this, he can open his eyes
   -- if he sees that one player is out of the water, then he is right, and that person is the new "Marco" and the game starts over.
   
   If multiple players are out of the water, then Marco has the power to choose whomever he wants to be it! , Once Marco tags a person, he or she will become the new Marco, and the player will close his or her eyes, count to ten, and prepare to tag all of the Polos once more.
   
   Keep playing the game for as long as you like
   -- it usually only takes a few minutes for Marco to tag somebody and for the fun to start right from the beginning! You can set a rule for what it means for Marco to "tag" someone during the game.
   
   Does he have to use his hands to tag someone, or does just touching that person, even if it just means his leg brushes up against the other player, mean that the person has been tagged?
3. 3

   Step 3: Have Marco shout "Marco" while everyone else answers by shouting "Polo."

4. 4

   Step 4: Marco should follow the sounds of the other people and try to tag them.

5. 5

   Step 5: The Polos should move away from Marco to avoid being caught.

6. 6

   Step 6: When Marco tags somebody

7. 7

   Step 7: he or she will become the new Marco and the game will start over.

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