Blind Man's Buff
The player on is blindfolded and spun round; they must catch somebody and, without lifting the blindfold, name them.
Blind man's buff rests on sight being switched off for one player while hearing works for everybody. So the whole game runs on sound: the is told where people are, and rebuilds the picture from those noises.
The naming at the end matters more than the catch itself. Seizing somebody in a close ring is not hard; saying their name from a single touch is the real task.
The one rule that cannot be broken
A blindfolded person sees neither a post, nor a kerb, nor a road. So the game has a shared signal: everyone shouts a when the blind man walks into an obstacle.
Calling the warning simply to steer the blind man away from yourself is the gravest offence in this game. The signal works only as long as it is believed without question.
Blindfold
Under these rules: It must cover the eyes completely and stay put while its wearer moves.
A scarf or headscarf tied over the eyes of the player who is on.
It has to cover the eyes completely and stay put while its wearer moves. A scarf, a shawl or a hat pulled down over the face all serve.
The rules of blind man's buff
Setting up
One player is blindfolded and turned round several times on the spot so as to lose their bearings.
Boundaries are agreed: the ground must be small and free of anything dangerous.
Play
The blind man walks and catches by ear. The others keep near, dodging, crouching and stepping aside, calling out or clapping now and then so that there is something to walk towards.
Running far off and leaving the boundaries are not allowed: without that the blind man catches nobody.
Naming
Having caught a player, the blind man does not lift the blindfold. They work out by touch who it is, and say the name.
Right, and the two change places: the player caught is the blind man now. Wrong, and they stay on.
The warning
If the blind man approaches a tree, a wall, a step or any other hazard, everybody shouts the warning. On hearing it they stop.
Worth knowing
Whether the players are obliged to call out or clap, and how often, is a local agreement; without it the game stalls quickly. What happens when the blind man catches somebody but names them wrongly is likewise settled beforehand: in some places they stay on, in others the player is released and play continues.
Glossary of terms
- Blind man
- The blindfolded player who is on.
- The warning
- The shout by which the players warn the blind man of an obstacle. Calling it to deceive them is not allowed.