How to Play Streets and Alleys

Divide the players into two or three even rows, depending upon how many kids are in the game. Ask them to spread out so that when they hold their arms out to the sides, that they touch fingertips with the players to the right and to the left of them. This forms the streets and alleys.

Leave one player out of the rows to be the "caller."

Choose someone from among the players to be a cat and someone to be a mouse.

Instruct the cat to chase the mouse in and out through the streets and alleys of people. Neither the cat nor the mouse can run under anyone's arms at any time.

Call out "Streets!" if you are the caller. All players in the rows must face the same direction.

Call out "Alleys!" if you are the caller. All players in the rows then must turn to the right so that the fingertips of both of their hands are touching the back of the player in front of them. At this point the cat may be trapped behind the wall of people and must go around or wait until streets is called again to get to the mouse.

Once the mouse is caught, pick new players to be the cat and the mouse. Try to get as many kids to be either the cat or the mouse as you can.