by Lawrence George

Created on: November 29, 2009   Last Updated: September 14, 2010

Tag is an excellent, harmless game. It makes absolutely no sense to ban it on school grounds.

It requires no money, no special clothing and there are no complex rules. Almost everyone can join in - it must be the most inclusive of playground games. For that reason alone, its ability to join children together in play, it should be encouraged. Why on earth would a school want to ban something so inclusive?

Tag is also a very healthy game to play. Children are often accused of being couch potatoes or spending too long on computer games. Tag gives children access to exercise and fresh air, for considerably less expense than swimming or joining a gym or a judo class. Again, in an age of obesity, why would a school want to ban exercise like this?

Tag also enables children to learn the principles of victory and defeat in a safe way. You get tagged, you are it, you chase people. You will do it with more or less success, and because it is such a fast-moving game (in all senses of the phrase), your time will soon come again. Playing tag allows children to develop their responses to success and failure in a highly adaptive way. It is a perfect educational experience.

The only way tag might be banned is if it contravened health and safety. But tag is a very good way for children to learn basic safety - sometimes you will fall over and graze yourself, but the injuries that result from tag are slight, though maybe painful at the time. Children learn to balance the risks of being hurt with the possibility of having lots of fun - a key skill for any human to learn! They will, for example, learn to play away from walls or to clear objects from the playground, as well as looking out for other children. Through this process they develop negotiation skills, learn when to apologise, and learn to take care of themselves and others.

We are inclined to say that any injury to a child is unnecessary, but this is not true: a little pain teaches a child about risk and danger, and it does allow them to develop a toughness which can serve them well in later life. We are not talking about broken bones here. Any physical game carries a risk of this, more serious type of injury - and if you were concerned about it, you would want to ban all sports.

Some people dislike physical games on the basis of gender equality - there is a movement within education that seeks to pretend that boys don't need physical activity, that they can sit still and be quiet for hours at a time, because after all, girls do. But that is nonsense. Boys have masses of physical energy and tag is an excellent and socially useful way of exploring it. Besides, many girls love tag as well. A game of tag is one of the main ways boys and girls learn how to play together in school.

Some people - usually the same people who think boys racing around is bad - will argue that tag encourages division or competitiveness, as if this were a bad thing. To test yourself against others is not always satisfying or pleasing but it is essential in the growth of a person. You do not live in a bubble, and you should never be encouraged to think you do. You need to learn about yourself realistically, and you need to do it safely. Tag does this perfectly.

To ban tag on school grounds would be simply to promote ideology over children's education and friendships. It would be short-sighted and stupid.  Any serious principal or Headteacher would not even consider it.

Learn more about this author, Lawrence George.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.