Today we are Exploring! No, we’re not backpacking over the Andes or trekking up the side of a mountain with some dumb sherpa! We’re on a hunt to find the origins of Marco Polo! No not the man, who cares about that guy, we’re talking about the fun-filled pool game that everyone has played and enjoyed in their backyards for generations!
Where did the game Marco Polo come from?
Marco Polo is a pool game consisting of how ever many people you want! There’s always one person who is “it”, they keep their eyes closed the entire time, repeatedly calling out “Marco!”. The rest of the people playing say “Polo” as the blind “Marco” navigates around the pool trying to find them. The object of the game is to say “Polo” yet not get tagged by “Marco”. The hilarity ensues when the inevitable “Fish Out of Water” is caught trying to sneak out of the pool to avoid being tagged out. It’s an awesome game for kids and adults alike.
Who Invented The Game Marco Polo?
This game is related to the 13th century explorer Marco Polo and was invented around the 1960’s but no one seems to actually know where or when the first Marco Polo game was first played. No matter who invented it, the game has stayed the same for almost 60 years.
Everyone loves this game, even corporations! Geico just released a pretty funny television commercial featuring children playing Marco Polo with Marco Polo, can’t ignore the irony in that.
There is another correlation to the pool game is “Blind Man’s Bluff”, which is essentially the same game played on dryland. Dating back to the 16th Century it was a popular bar game, typically liked by women. Marco Polo is played all over the world and is even called “Mermaid on the Rocks” or “Alligator”.
Pool games for generations have changed and have been called different things, maybe even have different rules, but they’re all based on having a good time with friends and family in the pool. It’s something that ties the world together. Swimming is loved by mostly everyone! Whether it’s running to the backyard and playing games in the pool or going to a local beach and finding shells with friends. In the end everyone has fun and it’s a time where everyone’s happy, something that’s the same no matter where you go.
