Eggy Moo

One of group nominated/elected as 'it'. 

How many players are there in Eggy Moo?

3

or more Players

How do you play Eggy Moo?

These are the rules of playing Eggy Moo.


'It' holds a tennis ball and selects the category (e.g cars)

Away from 'it', rest of players choose enough names or 'makes' of that category for each player (including whoever is 'it') i.e.  if 'cars' is the category then each player has a name such as 'rover', 'jaguar', 'ford', 'vauxhall'.

Players return to 'it' and call out all names chosen.  Then 'it' throws tennis ball high above his/her head whilst calling out the 'make' they have chosen.

Whoever was assigned that 'make' must run and pick up the ball whilst everybody else runs as far away as they can.  When he/she has hold of the ball they shout 'stop' and everybody has to stop and stand still.

...that's when the fun really starts!


(as far as I know, this game was played in only one street in one town in London in the sixties - it may only have been played by me, as even my older brother and sister don't remember it!)

Submitted by Keith Rapley

Comment 6

Pete Blunden
Pete Blunden
2013-01-02 14:55:29
I played this game in Tottenham in the 1960's
Fred Overton
Fred Overton
2011-05-09 21:05:50
I remember it exactly as described by Keith and Gay - we played it all the time where I grew up in the 60s, just off West Green Road in Tottenham.  The person selected had to shout 'eggy if you move' (usually shortened to eggymoo) as soon as they had retrieved the ball, and that was the signal for everyone to stop.  Favourite category was 'ladies underwear' as it gave us the chance to shout 'nickers', or 'bra' at the tops of our voices!
Gay Wilkins
Gay Wilkins
2010-09-27 11:19:53
I played this game on the Tower Gardens estate in Tottenham in the 50's.  It was my favourite.
We called it 'Eggy if you move'.  Once your 'name catagory' had been selected by whoever was 'IT' the ball was thrown into the air and had to be caught by the selected person.  That person could take three paces towards another player and had to throw the ball to hit them.  I assumed that this was the "EGG", hence Eggy if you move.
Bob Swallow
Bob Swallow
2009-03-04 13:13:14
I played a variation of this game in Hull in the 50s.  We called it Eggitybudge (not sure how that would be spelled).  The ball was thrown against a wall, rather than in the air and if the person selected could catch the ball before it hit the ground they cried 'Fry your own bacon' and the 'it' was still 'it'.
Roger Huddle
Roger Huddle
2008-12-06 13:28:25
We played it all the time in Havant Road Walthamstow during the 1950's along with three stones and tin can copper which is similar to kick the can also listed.  Cheers
Karen Connolly
Karen Connolly
2007-02-20 08:17:30
Have been trying to find out the name of this game which I played as a youngster in the 1960's as did my husband.  We don't remember it as eggymoo but can't remember what it was called.  I played it in the street (not many cars around then!) during the school lunchtime (went home for dinner then) and my husband played it in the "rec".  We both lived in West London.
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