Kick the Can

Kick the Can (also known as 40 40, Pom Pom, Tip the can, and Can up Can Down) is a children's game related to tag, hide and seek, and capture the flag which is played outdoors, with as few as three to as many as several dozen players. All players must remain outside at all times. If caught indoors, the player is disqualified and therefore is the seeker for the next round. The game is one of skill, strategy, and stealth, as well as physical fitness. Rather than using a ball, the only piece of equipment is an object that can be kicked. The name of the game is Kick the Can, because often a discarded empty can from the trash is used that can have rocks inserted into it to make noise. The game was a popular pick-up game for children during difficult economic times. The origin of the game is unknown, but during the Great Depression in the 1930s the game was a popular pastime for children because it didn’t require any designated equipment or playing field.

One person or a team of people is designated as "it" and a can or similar object—paint can or metal pail or bucket—is placed in an open space: the middle of a backyard, a green, a cove or cul-de-sac, parking lot or street. The other players run off and hide while "it" covers his or her eyes and counts to a previously decided number. "It" then tries to find and tag each of the players. Any player who is tagged (caught and touched) is sent to the holding pen (jail) which is simply a designated area for all the captured players to congregate, generally in plain sight of the can. Any player who has not been caught can "kick the can" or "tip the can." If they can do this without being caught, then all of the captured players are set free. Alternatively, one of the captured players is set free each time the can is tipped—the first person caught is the first to be set free, the second caught the second to be set free, etc. until the person tipping the can is tagged or all the captured players are freed. If "it" catches all of the players he or she wins that round and generally a new "it" is designated for the next round. The new "it" is usually the person that has been held the longest by the time round ends.

In some variations "it" merely has to call out a player's name and hiding place rather than tagging him by touch. In some variations, "it" must jump over the can after calling the player's name and location.

In another variation, when "it" sees or finds a person hiding, "it" must run back to the can and place one foot on it while saying the found person is in the can (e.g. "Tim is in the can") before the found person is able to reach the can and tip it. Thus, once a person is found or seen by "it", the game becomes a race to the can between the found person and "it". In order for someone to be caught and put in "jail", "it" must have beat the found person to the can and pronounced that person "in the can". "It" also could say "1–2–3 on.." whoever they found, while touching the can. [This variant is also called "Pan Hoop" in Trinidad & Tobago]

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