If you are squinting with puzzlement when you read Blind Man's Buff¹ know that the game is called 'Blind Man's Bluff' in the US, and is also known as 'The Pickety Witch'. It has existed in many forms all over the world. Blind Man's Bluff reached peak popularity in the Victorian Era, but still remains a fun party game for all ages.

Who Is The Blind Man?

• Blind Man - A man, that is visually impaired

• Bluff - Attempting to show knowledge on a subject that you do not know nothing about.

• Blind Man's Bluff - A man that is visually impaired attempting to show knowledge on a subject that he does not know, namely sight because he lacks it.

Great... but What Do I Do with What?

• A person is chosen to be 'it'.

• This person is blindfolded (the 'Blind Man' for boys or the 'Pickety Witch' for girls).

• The Blind Man is gently spun around three times.

• The rest of the players move around the room, taking care to be as quiet as possible.

• The Blind Man tries to catch someone and then identify the person caught.

• If the person is not identified, then he or she is allowed to go free and the Blind Man must try again.

• If the person is identified, then he or she is 'it', and the new Blind Man begins the search.

OK... I Understand How to Play, but How Many Can I Play With?

The number of how many can play this game can be expressed in many ways: 1, 2, 3, and continue forever and ever until you reach the approximate population of Earth and the minor outlying planets and their moons, or the series of whole numbers greater than the integer 2, or the total number of people you can fit into your house before they start falling out of the windows.

Seriously, more than five but less than 20 is usually good.

Where Can I Play?

Where? is a good question, but the great part about the game is that it can be played anywhere. For example, fields are great because they are big and flat and can house a huge number of people, but, because there are so big, the Blind Man just may find himself wandering into unknown territories, namely the property of a drunken redneck with a shotgun. Large rooms are good, but one should avoid places where valuable breakables are displayed. The best rooms are closed in and preferably on the ground floor. Stairs can be such a downfall... literally.

Related BBC Links

• Learn why Douglas Adams thought that navigating the Internet was like playing a game of Blind Man's Buff.

• Learn how traditional playground games can teach children how to interact.

• Is playing essential to the learning process? Discover the school in Lancashire that believes it is.

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¹ The game is known as 'Blind Man's Buff' in the UK and Ireland, according to the (UK) English Dictionary. It lists the game as 'Blind Man's Buff' (without the L). The word 'buff' is an old form of buffet (a light thump), presumably because the other players buffet the blindfolded person while he tries to catch them.