The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

Monkey in the Middle

About five to seven people can play this game. With this
game you need two out of the seven people at each end, to toss a
ball or something back and forth to each other. The other five
remain in the middle to catch the object, which the persons on
opposite ends throw to each other preventing the five in the
middle from catching the object being tossed from end to end. If
one of the persons in the middle catches the ball, while the ball
is being thrown to either end, they must move into the middle and
become the monkey in the middle. Then the monkey takes the place
of the person on the end. Then the process starts all over
again.

Submitter comment: This game to me was fun, when I was younger, but now that I'm
older I think about me jumping up and down like a jumping bean, I
think if I tried it now I would collapse and C.P.R. would be
needed. However I did enjoy the game.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Date learned: 00-00-1968