Materials

• Chairs (one for each player, except one)
• Open space for seating in a circle

Setup

1. Place chairs in a large circle.
2. Set one chair for each player except one, leaving one person to be “It.”
3. Make sure there is enough space for players to move safely between chairs.
4. Players sit in chairs, leaving “It” standing in the center of the circle.

Game Play

1. It stands in the middle of the circle and chooses a person to ask: “Do you love your neighbor?”
2. If the person answers, “Yes, I love my neighbor,” then the two people sitting directly to their left and right must switch seats.
3. It tries to take one of the empty chairs during the switch.
4. If It successfully sits down, the person left without a chair becomes the new It.
5. If the person answers, “No, but I love everyone who _,” they fill in the blank with a trait (e.g., “wears glasses,” “has a pet,” etc.).
6. Everyone who matches that description must get up and find a new chair.
7. During this scramble, It tries to grab an empty chair.
8. The player left without a chair becomes the new It.
9. Play continues with the new It repeating the process.

Additional Notes

• Variation: For younger children, use simple descriptions like “wears red” or “has a sister.”
• Safety: Remind players not to push or bump into others. Encourage safe and respectful play.
• Encouragement: Offer a few example phrases before starting to help players understand how to answer “No, but I love everyone who…”.

For more information, see https://young-catholics.com/12254/love-your-neighbor-game/