Entertainments for Home, Church and School Part 15

All but two players form a ring, and clasp hands. The garden is enclosed by the players. One of the odd players will be the scamp; another player is the gardener. He moves around outside of the circle, and says, "Who let you into my garden?" The scamp replies, "No one," and starts to run. The gardener follows his lead in and out among the players, who lift their hands to allow this. If the scamp be caught he becomes the gardener.

The scamp can lead the gardener a lively chase, for he can play leap frog, or turn somersaults, if he so desires. The gardener must imitate him.

DO THIS, DO THAT

The players face each other in two lines, the leader being in the center. When he says, "Do this," they obey, and when he quickly follows his first order by saying, "Do that," the "that" being another act, they must again obey at once. If any one is slow, he must exchange places with the leader. The fun of the game depends upon the antics of the one in the ring.

WEATHER c.o.c.k

This is an instructive game, as it teaches children direction. Each child represents a point of the compa.s.s--north, south, east, west.

When a leader calls: "Which way does the wind blow?" a child of whom this is asked, points either to the north, south, east or west, according to the name given him.

THE FLOWERS AND THE WIND

Two parties play this game. They stand at a distance apart. The players represent flowers. The first one in the line walks to the opposite line, and asks of the first one: "What flower am I?" Saying this, the flower is ready to run for the wind. An odd player stands ready to give chase, if the guesser does not guess correctly. The wind, of course, is told the names of the different flowers. Each player has a turn.

BLIND MAN'S BUFF

One player is blindfolded, and turned about three times, in the center of the room. He tries to catch one of the other players. If he succeeds, he takes off the handkerchief and puts it upon the one touched.

In one form of "Blind Man's Buff," the blindfolded one must guess the name of the one he catches before he can remove the handkerchief.

FRENCH BLIND MAN'S BUFF

In this game the players are numbered, and one is blindfolded. Two numbers are called out. The ones so numbered run, and the blindfolded one tries to catch one of them, or they may run one at a time. If the one in the center catches another, he takes that one's place.

BLIND MAN'S BUFF WITH A WAND

The players dance around the blindfolded one until he touches a player with his wand. When he does this, all stand still. The one in the center may ask three questions of the one touched. He, replying, disguises his voice. If the blindfolded one succeeds in guessing whom he questioned, he exchanges places with him.

HIDE-AND-SEEK GAMES

A player hides, the others seek him. Or any object may be hidden in an out-of-the-way place, and this is to be found by a player. When he succeeds in doing this, the handkerchief is taken from his eyes (if one is used). Each child has a turn in finding the article, the place of hiding being changed each time for the new finder.

FOLLOW OUR LEADER

The leader walks before a line of players and performs ridiculous acts which all must imitate. If any player fails to do this, he or she is out of the game. The leader may make the players perform feats like jumping over high places, turning somersaults, climbing, etc., if the players are boys. If among the players there are girls, the feats, of necessity, must not be too hard.

FEATS AND FORFEITS

The children are required to perform certain acts or pay a forfeit.

These acts are decided upon by a committee before the guests, or players, a.s.semble. A few feats may be suggested, such as the rabbit hop, leap frog, picking up a stick with the teeth while in a kneeling position, etc., or the player may be required to repeat "Peter Piper,"

or any ridiculous verses quickly. If he does not succeed in doing what is required of him, he must--if he is a boy--turn a somersault. If the player is a girl, she pays a forfeit or stands with her face to a corner.

DUMB MOTIONS

The players form two sides; those on one side are "masters," the others "men." Trades are represented, and the men aim to keep working so that the masters will not take their places. The tradesmen go through the motions of their trade. The master must guess the trade. When he does, he exchanges place with the one whose trade he guessed.

WAND TUG OF WAR

Wooden gymnastic wands are used, half as many as there are players.

Draw a line across the room or gra.s.s; divide the players into two divisions, one on each side of the line, each player facing his opponent. These grasp each other's wand, and at a signal begin to tug, but they must not put foot into the opponent's territory. If they do the struggle ceases. The side wins which secures the greatest number of wands.

CATCH AND PULL TUG OF WAR

In the "Catch and Pull Tug of War," a ring is formed by joining hands and standing in a circle, and all tug to break the ring.

NINE PINS

A player takes his stand in the center of the room. The others stand in couples a few feet apart. They march around the girl or boy in the center. When the music stops suddenly, one player of each pair goes to the one in front of him. While they do this, the one in the center tries to secure a place.

PRELIMINARY BALL

The players stand in two lines. The players of one line, at a signal, throw the b.a.l.l.s to those opposite them. They then turn and throw against the wall, if the game is played indoors.

BALL DULL

The object of this game is to train the perceptions, the muscular sense, and the muscles themselves. The weight of the ball is suited to the players. The two-pound weights are used for girls.

The couples are far enough apart to allow s.p.a.ce for full play. One of each couple has a ball for himself and his partner. The throwing of the b.a.l.l.s to one of the opposite side is simultaneous, when a leader gives the command.

TIME BALL

In this game the children are seated. A line is drawn near the wall, and two lines are drawn to form an aisle. Then the children decide upon the manner of throwing the ball. This may be done with either hand. The leader stands opposite his aisle on the line. At a signal the first player in each row runs to the mark in his aisle. When he has reached it, the leader, in the way previously agreed upon, throws him the ball, which he catches and returns. He runs back to his seat.

This is repeated by each player. Then the leader, seating himself, places the ball before him on the floor, or if in the open, on the ground. All a.s.sume position. The first row doing this at a signal, scores a point. This is repeated fifteen times. The row which a.s.sumes position promptly the greatest number of times win the game.

RAILROAD TRAIN

The players are named for an object on a train, as smoke-stack, boiler, baggage car, wheels, conductor, etc. One player is the train master.

He says: "We must hurry up and make up a train to go to New York City at once. It is a special. We will take engine Number 21, some coal and wood; the bell must be in good order, and the carpet must be swept; the cushions dusted; the beds in the sleeper must be made up, etc."

When these objects are named, the players run up to the starter when their names are given, each one putting his hands on the shoulder of the one before him, the first one having put his hands upon the starter in the same way. When all are in line, the train starts, after the signal, which is a bell. The starter may imitate the noises a locomotive makes as it starts out on its journey. He leads up hill and down dale, and the line must remain unbroken. The one who breaks the line pays a forfeit or is out of the game. The line being mended, continues its journey.

MERRY-GO-ROUND

Stools are placed close together to form a circle, and all the players seat themselves, facing inwards, except one player, who stands in the center. He tries to secure the seat that has been left vacant. This is difficult, because the players on the stools keep moving to the right from one stool to the next, so that the location of the vacant seat varies. When the player in the center secures a seat, the one at his left goes into the center. If more than thirty are playing, it is better to have two vacant stools and two players in the center.

PEBBLE CHASE

The leader holds a pebble between the palms of his hands. The others are grouped about him, each with hands extended, palm to palm. The leader then pa.s.ses his hands between those of the players. No one can tell where he leaves the pebble, until some one guesses where it is.

Each player has a turn. The one receiving the pebble is chased by the others. If he succeeds in getting to the leader and giving the pebble to him before he is caught, he can return to his place; otherwise he changes place with the leader.

HOW MANY MILES TO BABYLON?

The players, being divided into two lines, stand facing each other, with a distance of about twelve feet between them. The lines pair off, and take hold of hands all along the line.

A dialogue takes place between the lines, the players in a line speaking in unison. As this is done, they swing their arms and rock backward and forward from one foot to another, keeping time to the rhythm of the words, as follows:

"How many miles to Babylon?"