Home Runs (Outdoor game)

Players: 6 in two teams
Materials: Ball
Surface: Paved; stoop

Home Runs is a short version of baseball, played against a stoop. One player stands in the street just beyond the curb, facing the stoop. He is the “Batter,” without a bat. Two teammates stand about 15 feet (4.5 m) behind him, as do all three players from the other team.

The Batter throws the ball against the stoop with as much or as little force as he wishes. A bounce on the sidewalk or out-of-bounds counts as a strike. Here’s the scoring; 1 bounce in the street—a single; 2 bounces—a double; 3 bounces—a triple; and 4 bounces—a home run.

If the ball is caught by someone on the other team, it counts as an automatic out, and the teams switches sides.

Keep in mind that no ball may be caught ton the fly in the game Home Runs. A ball must bounce at least once before it counts for anything. If your team is “at bat,” it can be tough deciding whether to let the ball keep bouncing and risk having the other team nab it, or to snap it up quickly and settle for a lowly single.

Collected from The Little Giant Book of Kids’ Games by Glen Vecchione