The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

Boilerburst

A circle is drawn on the pavement. Squares, or homes, are
drawn at different places around the circle. There is one
less home than there is players. One player is chosen to be
it and he stands in the middle of the circle. All of the
other players stand on one of the home squares.
The player who is in the middle begins the game by telling
a story, usually quite a silly story without much of a plot.
At some point in the middle of the story the storyteller
will yell (or say very calmly) BOILERBURST!!!! Then all of
the other players have to run to a new home. During this
time the player who is it tries to reach a home before
another player. The player who does not get a home becomes
it and resumes the story.

Submitter comment: Many different strategies are used in telling the story.
Sometimes boilerburst is barely whispered to catch
the players off guard, or it may interrupt the story
in such a way that it is totally unexpected.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HEMLOCK

Date learned: 00001980S