Thief & Detective

(Also known as: Plain Clothes Man)

The Thief and goes out of the room, & when she returns she must try to steal an object without being caught by The Detective.

Step 1.
One player is The Thief and leaves the room. The rest of the players select The Detective who stands with all the other players in a circle leaving gaps 1-person wide between each of them.
Step 2.
The Detective places an object such as a bean bag, ball or clean handkerchief in the middle of the circle. The Thief is then called back in and does not know who is The Detective.
Step 3.
The Thief enters the circle, grabs the object and tries to escape out of the circle with it. As soon as she touches the object The Detective must pounce and try to catch her while still inside the circle. If she is caught she must go outside and try again. But if she escapes then The Detective becomes The Thief and the game restarts.
Each round is won by The Thief or The Detective
Tips / Variations

Warning: Keep an eye on the kids to make sure they don't get too rough and competitive.