Bear Crawl Tag | Friends

Quick Intro

Bear Crawl Tag is a game of tag on all fours. Both partners move around a small space in a bear crawl, hands and feet on the floor with the knees hovering just above it and the hips low. Each tries to tag the other’s hand or foot as it moves. The first to an agreed number of tags wins, as long as their own crawl stayed low and steady.

How to bear crawl is covered at Bear Crawl. This guide covers the game, which works best slowly: the value of the bear crawl is in holding the shoulders and hips steady, and the tag makes both people want to rush.

What You’ll Need

A clear, open floor space, roughly three by three metres, with a surface that is comfortable for the hands.
Something to mark the edges, such as cones, shoes or tape.

How to Play

Mark out the space and agree the target, such as five tags.
Start in the bear crawl position a few steps apart.
On “go”, both crawl slowly around the space.
When a hand or foot of your partner is moving, you may tag it with a light touch of your hand.
Stay inside the marked space.
First to the target wins, as long as they kept the hips low throughout.

What Counts

A tag counts when:

it is a light touch on your partner’s hand or foot as it moves;
your own hips stayed low, with the back flat, while you made it;
your knees did not drop to the floor.

A tag made by lifting the hips high, or by dropping to the knees to lunge, does not count. Grabbing a hand or foot to pull your partner off balance is not allowed.

Slow Wins

The bear crawl is a stability exercise. The shoulders and hips work to keep the body steady while the hands and feet move, and that work disappears when people scramble. In this game, a slow, low crawler who moves deliberately usually wins more tags than a fast one, because they can lift a hand to tag without tipping over. If either of you starts rushing, call a pause and start again slower.

Making It Fair

A less mobile partner can stay within a smaller area inside the marked space, while the other covers the full space. The smaller area means less crawling to do and keeps them in the game. If the gap is large, agree a smaller tag target for them too. More on fair contests is in Training With a Friend.

Staying Safe

Check the floor. It should be clean and comfortable for the hands, with nothing sharp or slippery.
Stop if a wrist hurts. The bear crawl puts a lot of weight through the wrists, and lifting a hand to tag puts more on the other one.
Keep heads apart. Two people crawling toward each other can bump heads. Look up a little as you move.
Agree to contact on the hands and feet before starting.

Common Mistakes

Hips high. Lifting the hips makes the crawl easier and faster, which is why it happens. Keep them low, about level with the shoulders.
Knees dropping. Resting the knees on the floor to reach is not a bear crawl. They should hover just above it.
Too much space. A large space turns the game into a chase. A small space keeps you close and the crawling controlled.

Fitting It Into a Session

Bear Crawl Tag works the shoulders and core more than the legs, so it fits well after a running or squatting game. It is moderate in effort and can run for a few short rounds.

Getting Better Over Time

Keep a tally of tags won across a few weeks. As both of you get steadier on all fours, make the game harder in small steps: shrink the space so you are closer together, play longer rounds or set a rule that a tag only counts if your opposite hand and foot are both planted when you reach. Each change asks more of the shoulders and hips without speeding the crawl up.

Dare Ladder includes a bear crawl version where each round covers more ground.
Ankle-Tied Bear Crawl Race has partners crawl with their ankles tied together.
Mountain Climber Tag is a face-to-face tag game in the plank.
Lateral Bear Crawl is a sideways crawl that changes how the game moves.

FAQ

How big should the space be?

Small, about three metres on each side for two people. Smaller keeps the game slow and close.

Can I tag my partner’s back or shoulder?

No. The game uses hands and feet only, which keeps it a stability test.

What if one of us keeps lifting the hips?

Call it. Tags made with the hips high do not count, and the round can be reset.

Related to Bear Crawl, Mountain Climber Tag and Lateral Bear Crawl.