Doggy Doggy where’s your bone is a classic kids’ game, packed with fun. Kids can play it indoors or outdoors. It encourages interaction and playfulness among kids also to boosting their confidence.
Brief Summary
Kids sit in a circle and one player acts as the doggy while the rest chant the rhyme. The “doggy” is blindfolded while another player takes the bone. The doggy then gets three guesses on who had the bone. Then the kid with the bone plays the doggy and the game ends when all the kids have played the doggy once.
How To Play The Game
What’s required?
- A group of kids sit in rows or a circle.
- An instructor (A parent, elder sibling, a teacher, or anyone else, depending on the circumstances)
- A blindfold.
- A chair (optional)
- Any small object that can be used as a prop for the bone for the doggy – paper clip, pencil, a dog treat, a rubber bone, etc.
Steps
- The instructor chooses for a volunteer who wants to play the doggy first, the doggy sits either in the middle of the circle and puts the blindfold.
- The instructor chooses one object that is used as a prop for the doggy bone.
- When everyone is settled, the instructor silently asks one of the kids to pick up the bone and go hide it.
- The kids then chant the Doggy Doggy song and repeat twice.
Doggy, Doggy, where’s your bone
Somebody took it from your home
Guess who
It might be you
It might be a monkey from the zoo. - The instructor then asks the kid to take the blindfold off and make three guesses.
- If he/she guesses right, the kid gets to play doggy again, otherwise the player with the bone becomes the next doggy.
The game usually ends when all the kids have played the doggy once.
All the kids will try to look ‘guilty’ of hiding the bone by covering their faces, or pretending they are hiding something in their lap or behind their back. This is just to trick the ‘doggy’ and make the game exciting.
Variations
There are other variations to this game. It depends on how the instructor wants the children to interact.
1.Similar rhymes
Doggy, Doggy, where’s your bone
Somebody took it and ran away home
Wake up Doggy
And find your bone
Doggy, Doggy, where’s your bone
Somebody stole it from your home
2. The kid playing the doggy can also add “Who has my bone?” and the kid who has the bone answers back in a disguised voice, “I have your bone”. This adds fun to the game and kids get to practice different voices.
How to teach the game to kids
One of the important elements of the game is the instructions. It is one of the effective ways of learning for the kids to be able to understand rules and play accordingly.
It also gives them the sense of achievement when they play with rules. The instructor’s positive reinforcement, as well as their encouragement of the kid’s participation, is vital to the game.
How to amplify the element of fun?
One way of making the game more fun is when the doggy pretends to be asleep and after the chant, he/she wakes up to find the bone. Make believe element always adds a fun twist to the game.
Another technique is to have all the kids hide their hands behind their backs while the doggy searches everyone until he/she finds the bone. This method offers one on one interaction with all the kids. The kid playing the doggy can also bark as he/she greets and asks for the bone.
Another way is for the doggy to ask ‘where’s my bone?’ so the player with the bone can answer in a disguised voice.
Both of these methods offer children the chance to practice different voices.
Conclusion
This game is perfect for kids of all ages because it is so much fun. With minimal requirement, kids can play it indoors or outdoors and whenever they want.
If you liked the tutorial for this game, you will definitely enjoy similar games like:
- Little Sally Walker
- Lion’s Cub
- Honey Bear
- Heads up, Seven Up
Be sure to leave your feedback in the comment section, and share any other variations of the game that you know of or have played.
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