Cat and Mouse Game: Rules, Gates and Tips
Cat and mouse is a circle chasing game for a group, often played in PE lessons, at parties and in playgrounds. The players hold hands in a big circle. One player is the mouse and one is the cat, and the cat chases the mouse in and out of the circle while the others help the mouse by opening and closing the gates. It needs no equipment, only enough space for a circle. Here are the rules, the gate rules that make it work, a fair way to choose the cat and mouse, classroom and party tips, and variations.
How to play cat and mouse
- Everyone except two players holds hands in a circle, with arms raised so there are gaps between them. These gaps are the gates.
- One player is the mouse and starts inside the circle. The other is the cat and starts outside.
- When the leader says “Go!”, the cat tries to catch the mouse by tagging them.
- The mouse may run in and out of the circle through the gates. The circle players help the mouse by lifting their arms to let it through and lowering them to block the cat.
- When the cat tags the mouse, or after an agreed time, two new players become the cat and the mouse.
Gate rules that keep it fair
The gates decide the game, so agree on the rules before you start:
- Arms only: circle players may raise and lower their arms but must not move their feet, trip anyone or close the circle tighter.
- No breaking through: the cat must not push through joined hands. If the cat breaks through, the mouse gets a free head start.
- Fair helpers: if the circle never lets the cat through, the game cannot end. Use a time limit of about one minute, or let the leader call “Gates open!” so that everyone raises their arms for a few seconds.
- Same gate rule: for younger children, the cat must follow the mouse through the same gate, which makes the chase easier to follow.
- Stay close: neither player may run more than a few steps away from the circle.
A fair way to choose the cat and mouse
Every child wants to be the cat or the mouse, and only two can play at a time. A random pick avoids arguments about who goes next. Draw two names with the Random Name Picker and remove each name after it is picked, so nobody plays twice until everyone has had a turn. The table shows how this works for different group sizes. Kids is the number of players, One the chance that a given child gets a role in one round with a pure random pick, Five the chance of at least one role in five rounds with a pure random pick, and All the number of rounds needed for every child to have a role when names are removed after each pick.
| Kids | One | Five | All |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 20% | 67% | 5 |
| 15 | 13% | 51% | 8 |
| 20 | 10% | 41% | 10 |
| 25 | 8% | 34% | 13 |
| 30 | 7% | 29% | 15 |
With a class of 30 and a pure random pick, a child has only about a 29% chance of playing in five rounds. Removing names after each pick means all 30 children get a turn in 15 rounds, so short rounds with a time limit work best for big groups.
Classroom and party tips
- Short rounds: one minute per chase keeps everyone involved and moves through the class quickly.
- Safe space: play on grass or in a gym with no obstacles near the circle, and agree that the cat tags gently.
- Big groups: with more than 25 players, make two circles, each with its own cat and mouse.
- Young children: the leader can call when the gates open and close, which helps them learn the game.
- Party version: give the cat a pair of cat ears and the mouse a tail tucked into the waistband; the cat has to pull the tail.
Variations
- Swap roles: when the mouse is caught, the mouse becomes the cat and a new mouse is chosen.
- Two mice: add a second mouse for bigger circles, so the cat has to choose whom to chase.
- Name calling: the leader calls out a new cat or mouse during the chase, and the called player swaps in at once.
- Walking only: indoors, both players must walk heel to toe, which keeps the game calm and safe.
- Related games: for another circle chasing game, try duck, duck, goose. For a chasing game without a circle, see classic tag or octopus tag.
FAQ
How do you play cat and mouse?
Players hold hands in a circle. The cat chases the mouse in and out of the circle through the gaps between players, and the circle players lift or lower their arms to help the mouse and block the cat. The round ends when the cat tags the mouse or time runs out.
How many players do you need for cat and mouse?
About eight or more: one cat, one mouse and at least six players in the circle. With a whole class you can make two circles.
Can the circle players help the cat?
Usually they help the mouse by blocking the cat. To keep the game moving, use a time limit or let the leader open all the gates for a few seconds.
How do you choose the cat and the mouse?
Draw two names at random and remove each name once it has been picked, so every player gets a turn before anyone plays twice.
What is the difference between cat and mouse and duck, duck, goose?
Both are circle chasing games. In duck, duck, goose the players sit and one runner chases around the outside, while in cat and mouse the players stand holding hands and the chase goes in and out of the circle.