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LITTLE-KID GAMES

Monster

Pure preschool magic. One Marshall plays the very slow, very silly monster who 'wakes up' every minute. Kids freeze, hide, sneak — the monster catches a few, ROARS, kids escape, repeat. Birthday kid gets a turn as the monster at the end.

AGES
3–7
PLAYERS
Up to 16
INTENSITY
Low
DURATION
20-minute sessions; play as long as the kids want

HOW YOU 'WIN'

Officially: whoever escapes the monster the longest. Unofficially: every kid wins because the Marshall is a giant pushover and lets everyone get away at least three times.

The 'rules' (use this term loosely)

Heads-up — this is a game for the very small humans, and our rule sheet reflects that. Read in your best dramatic narrator voice.

  1. 01

    Rule #1 — The Monster is slow

    Like, comically slow. Lumbering. Trips over its own feet. Forgets where it is. The Monster has no peripheral vision and frequently looks under barriers that are clearly empty while a kid stands two feet behind it. This is by design.

  2. 02

    Rule #2 — The Monster ROARS on a schedule

    Every 60 seconds the Marshall does a big, theatrical 'I'M AWAKE!' roar. Kids who were sneaking up must FREEZE LIKE STATUES. Hilarious mid-tiptoe freezes are the entire point of this game. The Monster will absolutely 'see' a kid who's mid-pose, walk past them, mumble 'must've been the wind,' and move on. Children will lose their minds. This is correct.

  3. 03

    Rule #3 — Capture mechanics

    When the Monster does catch a kid (gently, with at most an enthusiastic 'gotcha!' and a thumbs-up to the parent watching), the kid is 'eaten.' Being eaten consists of going to the snack table at the side of the arena, eating a goldfish cracker, and then being magically reborn as a new, more-careful sneaker.

  4. 04

    Rule #4 — The Birthday Monster

    At the end of the session, the birthday kid (or whoever the group elects) gets to wear the Monster costume hat and play the Monster for one round. The Marshall becomes a sneaker. Watching a 5-year-old chase a 25-year-old around an arena is one of the great American art forms. Don't skip this.

  5. 05

    Rule #5 — The Monster has feelings

    The Monster is a SENSITIVE Monster who is sad when it's lonely and happy when it has friends. At the end of every game, all the kids 'tame' the Monster by gathering around for a group hug. The Monster then takes a long nap (so the Marshall can drink some water and prep the next round).

  6. 06

    Rule #6 — There are no other rules

    Look, the kids are 4. We're not running a sanctioned league. The goal is laughter, light cardio, and creating a memory the kid will mis-remember as 'the scariest day of my life in the BEST WAY.' Marshall reads the room. Marshall is the room.

Hot tips from a 5-year-old

  • TIP

    Parents: take photos during the freeze poses. Trust us.

  • TIP

    If your kid is shy, ask the Marshall to start with a 'tiny monster' (smaller, quieter version). We've got modes.

  • TIP

    Snack table is a feature, not a bug. We restock it.

  • TIP

    Yes, the Marshall is going to be embarrassing on purpose. That's literally the job description.

SAME CATEGORY

Other games in this lineup

WANT TO PLAY?

Find Monster on the schedule.

We rotate through every game in the catalog across drop-in sessions, parties, and league nights. Book a session or check this week's lineup.

See the schedule → Book a party

FIND US

Francis Scott Key Mall

5500 Buckeystown Pike

Frederick, MD 21703

Inside FSK Mall, across from the Goldfish Swim School.