Tug of War

What you need

• A 20–30 foot rope (a tow rope, guy-line bundle, or tied paracord works)
• A center marker on the rope (tie a bandana at the midpoint)
• Two ground stakes or sticks marking the winning line on each side

How to play

1. 1.Mark the center of the rope with a bandana. On the ground, place two lines 6 feet from the center, one on each side.
2. 2.Teams line up on opposite ends and grip the rope hand-over-hand. No wrapping around wrists or waists.
3. 3.On "go," each team pulls. A team wins when they drag the center marker past their side's ground line.
4. 4.Run best of three. Rotate players between rounds to keep teams even.

What success looks like

Pull the center marker past your ground line to win a round. Best of three wins.

Variations

• Circle tug: tie the rope into a loop, four teams pull from four directions. Last team standing wins.
• Slow pull: count to 20 — whoever has pulled the most by the count wins, no sudden burst allowed.
• Mixed teams: adults and kids on the same side, balanced by total weight estimate.

Safety notes

• Never wrap the rope around your hands, wrists, or body.
• Clear the pull zone of tent stakes, rocks, and fire rings.
• Loser-side players will be moving backward quickly — make sure there is clear space behind them.