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Children and play go hand in hand—sometimes even quite literally. Most of the time, when kids engage in games, it involves running, chasing, and hiding. They wear themselves out, laugh uncontrollably, and in the worst case, someone might scrape a knee or break a window. It’s all part of innocent fun.
Yet, there are rare occasions when a seemingly harmless kids’ game escalates, leading to lawsuits, police involvement, or something even worse.
Here are 8 examples of children’s games that went horribly wrong.
8. The British Bulldog Game Ends in a Girl’s Fatal Accident
British Bulldog is a physically demanding game that is commonly played by elementary school-aged children. In this game, one or two “bulldogs” stand in the center of a large field. A group of runners lines up on one side of the field, attempting to race to the opposite side without being tagged by the “bulldogs.” If tagged, the runner becomes a “bulldog” and joins the others in trying to stop the remaining runners. The game continues until only one runner is left, who is crowned the winner.
In February 2013, a group of children were playing British Bulldog near Trafalgar Junior School in Twickenham, England. During the game, 8-year-old Freya James, who was playing a different game nearby, was accidentally struck by one of the boys involved in British Bulldog. She fell, stomach first, onto a wooden railway sleeper. The impact caused a severe liver laceration, which led to internal bleeding. She was rushed to the hospital, where she tragically passed away.
Freya’s parents, Anekke and Nick James, spoke of their daughter’s kind-hearted nature, saying, “Freya was an angel and loved by everyone who knew her.” They also mentioned, “She was incredibly strong and determined in everything she did, always striving to help others in need.”
In the aftermath, Freya’s parents advocated for a ban on the game that led to their daughter’s tragic death. They expressed, “I hope that our daughter’s death will spark a broader ban on this game.”
7. Snowball Fight Escalates Into a Violent Brawl
Cole Harbour District High School, situated on the east coast of Canada in Nova Scotia, became the backdrop for a troubling event in 1989. What began as a lighthearted snowball fight among grade 10 boys escalated into a violent altercation, dividing the white and black students in a brutal brawl.
The brawl's spark seemed to have been a large snowball that struck one group, igniting tensions and leading to the violence that followed.
Christa Webber, a grade 10 student who witnessed the incident, recounted seeing a student’s face 'split open' from a punch and others being viciously kicked while on the ground during the chaotic fight.
Following the incident, 14 individuals faced charges, and the event spurred the formation of the Black Learners Advocacy Committee in Nova Scotia. This committee sought to address the educational disparities faced by African-Nova Scotian students. The committee’s findings resulted in the hiring of cross-cultural coordinators and African-Nova Scotian support workers across the province's schools.
Decades later, the aftermath of the brawl still lingers for former student Corey Beals. While he did not witness the snowball that ignited the fight, Beals remains deeply affected by the event, lamenting the lasting impact it has had on the community. 'Unfortunately, Cole Harbour has been scarred. Ever since. Thirty years later. And whenever there is an incident that takes place at that school, everyone reflects back to 1989.'
6. Dodgeball Leads to Felony
Dodgeball is a common activity in gym class, where players throw a ball to eliminate opponents by hitting them. The team that successfully eliminates all players from the opposing side wins the game.
For Jacob Sigler and another student at Ellsworth High School, a seemingly innocent game turned into a far more disturbing and serious situation. The outcome was a broken face and a criminal charge against Sigler.
The victim, who was 16 years old at the time, described the incident saying, 'When Jacob ran out of balls, Jacob closed his fist and punched (him) in the face.'
During his police interview, Sigler, who was 18, explained that he believed the other student was about to tackle him, which led him to say, 'Then, I punched him.'
Months later, Sigler pled guilty to misdemeanor battery. He received a sentence of 1 year probation and was required to pay fines exceeding $1,300.
5. Hide-and-Seek Leads to Dead Body
Who hasn't enjoyed a game of hide-and-seek? A timeless children's game, possibly dating back to the ancient Greeks in the 2nd century, involves one child seeking while others hide. After counting from 1 to any number between 10 and 100, the seeker searches for the hidden children. If a child is found, they become the next seeker. The last child remaining hidden wins. Usually a harmless game, but occasionally, instead of finding another child, a seeker may stumble upon something much darker, turning the game into a crime scene.
In October 2017, two children were playing hide-and-seek in a park in Indianapolis, Indiana. During their play, one of them discovered the lifeless body of 30-year-old Christopher Bradley. The children immediately informed an adult, who then contacted the authorities.
Investigators working the case have deemed the death suspicious.
4. Salt and Ice Challenge Burns
Many childhood games, including some featured in this list, have rich histories and have provided countless hours of fun, such as jumping rope, hide-and-seek, dodgeball, and kickball. These activities are mostly harmless. However, kids and teens today have found a new way to pass time: TikTok. Unfortunately, since its creation in 2016, TikTok has gained notoriety for being associated with something much darker: viral internet challenges.
Some of these foolish—and at times hazardous and even deadly—challenges include the cinnamon challenge, the Tide Pod challenge, and the salt and ice challenge. An Iowa woman learned of the dangers of the latter challenge in a horrifying late-night phone call. Her daughter and a few friends had taken part in an internet challenge where they applied snow and table salt to their arms to see who could endure the sensation the longest. The chemical reaction between the salt and ice resulted in frostbite, leaving the girl and her friends with second- and third-degree burns. They were rushed to the hospital for care, where the doctor remarked that he'd treated several cases of this nature in recent months.
3. Hot Dog Eating Contest Turns Fatal
Jason Easterly/Special to the Daily News: Owen Houston, 7, from Naples, kicks off the kids' 'Neat Eat' competition during the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog qualifying circuit at Mercato on Saturday, May 12, 2012.
In January 2010, the Boys & Girls Club of San Pedro, California organized a fundraiser for Haiti relief after the devastating earthquake struck the country on January 12, 2010. One of the planned activities was a hot dog eating contest. Unfortunately, the event turned tragic when 13-year-old Noah Thomas Akers began choking.
A male staff member attempted to perform the Heimlich maneuver, but it failed to dislodge the obstruction. Paramedics arrived shortly after and used extended forceps to try and remove the blockage, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Tragically, Noah later passed away at the hospital.
It was reported that a staff member had instructed all the children participating in the hot dog eating contest to eat slowly, emphasizing that the game was not meant to be a race.
Lt. David McGill of the Los Angeles Police Department mentioned that the initial investigation indicated that the children were being properly supervised during the event.
2. Sack Tapping Game Leads to Testicle Removal
One night, 14-year-old David Gibbons woke his mother at 1 a.m., complaining of severe groin pain. He explained that he had been playing a game called 'Sack Tapping' with his classmates earlier that day. During the game, one boy hit him in the testicles with such force that the pain continued to worsen.
His mother rushed him to the hospital, where doctors had to remove his right testicle. 'This may be called a game, but it’s not a game,' the mother stated. 'It’s dangerous, and it needs to stop.'
Urologist Dr. Scott Wheeler shared his concerns with a Minneapolis TV station, saying that he believed the issue had 'gone way out of control.'
Dr. Charles Raison, an associate professor of psychology at Emory University in Atlanta, offered an explanation for why boys engage in such games, saying, 'Games like this are to see how tough you are…It’s a way of establishing dominance, and because it’s hard to withstand being hit in the groin, it becomes a good measure of toughness.'
A tragic incident involving the Choking Game claimed the life of a 12-year-old boy.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 1995 and 2007, at least 82 children lost their lives due to the Choking Game. A significant majority—87%—were boys aged 11 to 16, with an average age of 13.
The goal of the game is to briefly cut off oxygen and blood supply to the brain, producing a temporary “high.” Known by other names such as “Pass-Out Challenge,” “Flatliner,” and “Space Monkey,” it has been around for years.
In one such case, Erik Robinson, a 12-year-old boy from Santa Monica, California, took the game too far. In April 2010, he hanged himself using a rope tied to a pull-up bar.
Judy Rogg, Erik's grieving mother, discovered her son collapsed at the kitchen doorway. 'I missed him by a few minutes,' she recalled. She struggled to untie the slipknots Erik had made, but by the time she sought help, it was too late.
Following her son's tragic death, Rogg launched the non-profit organization 'Erik’s Cause' to educate children about the risks of the Choking Game. She and co-founder Stephanie Small dedicated years to creating an 8-minute video and a PowerPoint presentation, which are now shown to students in the Iron County School District in Utah. The district adopted the program after the game claimed the lives of four children.
Rogg keeps a part of her son's memory close to her heart, wearing a necklace containing some of his ashes. She devotes herself tirelessly to 'Erik’s Cause,' traveling to speak in states like Pennsylvania, California, and Maryland. She even flew to New Jersey to offer support to a family affected by the Choking Game.
‘This is the best way for me to preserve his legacy… I have to keep busy,’ Rogg shared.
