Ring-A-Ding-Ding
Ring-A-Ding-Ding Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 32 hand cards
- 72 hair ties (12 in each color: blue, yellow, green, orange, pink, and white)
- 1 bell
Players: 2–6. Age: 4 and up. Duration: approx. 10 minutes.
Preparation
Put the bell in the middle of the table. It's best to put it on a cloth or a piece of felt to protect the table. Shuffle the 32 cards and put them in a facedown pile next to the bell. Then distribute the hair ties randomly around the bell and cards.
Playing the Game
The oldest player turns over the top card of the draw pile and places it face-up next to the draw pile. As soon as all players can see the card, as quickly as possible, everyone begins putting hair ties on their fingers in the same combination shown on the card. The first player to finish must ring the bell with the hand the hair ties are on. If all the hair ties on his or her fingers are correct, the card is kept as a reward.
However, if the player has made a mistake by picking the wrong color hair ties or by putting them on in the wrong order, then he or she must return a previously won card to the middle of the table. If you have to pay a penalty card, but haven't won a card yet, you miss your next turn instead. If there are only two people playing, this means that the other player wins the next card without contest.
To continue, put all the hair ties back in the middle of the table and the player who won the last card starts the new round by turning over a new card.
The End of the Game
The first player to take five cards wins the game.
Variant
If you want to make the game a little more challenging, you can play this variant after a few rounds:
After turning over the card, put it in the middle of the table face-up for about five seconds and then turn it facedown. Then players may start putting the hair ties on their fingers in what they think is the proper order as quickly as they can. Again, the player who rings the bell first wins the card – but only if he or she has got the right combination. If there is a mistake, he or she has to return one card to the middle of the table or lose a turn if they have no cards.
Hint for Parents
The illustrations on the cards allow the players to hold up either the backs of their hands or their palms in order to fulfill the requirements. This way, anyone who prefers using their left hand isn't at a disadvantage.