Games and Play for School Morale Part 2

DAYS OF WEEK

Name first row across the room, Monday; second, Tuesday; third, Wednesday, etc. Teacher stands in front of room with rubber ball. As she bounces the ball, she calls "Thursday." The row named Thursday run to the front. The child catching the ball takes place of teacher. The children failing to catch ball pa.s.s to their seats. The new teacher continues game until the ball is caught.

WEE BOLOGNA MAN

I am the wee Bologna Man.

Always do the best you can To follow the wee Bologna Man.

A leader resourceful in ideas and brisk in movement stands in front of and facing the other players and rapidly repeats this verse, performing some action that the other players immediately imitate--such as beating a drum, playing a fiddle, sawing wood. Without pausing he varies his actions, the others continuing to follow his movements. Rapidity of time and vivacity determine the success of the game.

DO THIS, DO THAT

All players stand facing one of their number who is the leader. The leader a.s.sumes any position or imitates any action, at the same time saying "Do this," and the others immediately imitate. Should the leader at any time say "Do that!" instead of "Do this!" any player who imitates the action performed must be seated. The leader may choose any positions that are familiar, such as arm movements, head bendings, trunk bendings, jumping, hopping, etc., or imitate familiar actions, such as sawing, hammering, washing, ironing, sewing, sweeping, flying, etc.

I SAW

Cla.s.s stands as for gymnastics. The teacher, beginning with the first file, asks the leader, "What did you see?" The leader suggests some activity as "I saw a b.u.t.terfly flying," "I saw a boy beating a drum,"

"I saw a chicken hopping on one foot," "I saw a drum major leading a band," "I saw a horse galloping down the street," "I saw a boy rolling a hoop," etc. Each row in turn imitates its leader, following him around the room and back to place.

SQUIRREL GAME

Players all seated but one, heads on desks, eyes covered, one hand on desk with palm up. The odd player is a squirrel. The squirrel pa.s.ses up and down between the rows and puts a nut in some player's hand. This one rises and chases the squirrel. If the squirrel is caught before reaching his own seat, the one caught becomes squirrel. If the squirrel is not caught, he can be squirrel again.

I SAY STOOP

One person is chosen leader, taking his place before the cla.s.s which is standing at their seats. Whenever the leader says "I say stoop!" both he and the cla.s.s stoop and quickly rise again. But when he says "I say stand!" and stoops as before, the cla.s.s must remain standing. He repeats his commands in rapid succession and any player who makes a mistake must be seated.

GAME FOR ALERTNESS

Draw a circle on the floor. Call upon a child to run into the circle, while you count ten. If he succeeds in getting both feet into the circle before you finish counting he is safe. Otherwise he is out of the game and must perform some other task before taking his seat.

CHARLEY OVER THE WATER

Players stand in a circle, hands joined. One player is chosen to be Charley. If more than twenty players have several Charlies. Charley stands in the center. The other players, skipping around him, repeat:

Charley over the water, Charley over the sea, Charley caught a blackbird, can't catch me.

At the last word, the players stoop and Charley tries to tag them before they reach that position. If successful, the player tagged changes places with him.

HICKORY, d.i.c.kORY, DOCK

Hickory, d.i.c.kory, Dock, (Move arms to right, left, right, in pendulum fashion.

Stamp right--left.) The mouse ran up the clock.

(Run four steps forward.) The clock struck "One!"

(Pause a moment to listen on "One"--clap hands) And down he ran.

(Run four steps back to place.) Hickory, d.i.c.kory, Dock.

(Swing arms right, left, right. Stamp left, right.)

SEE SAW, MARGERY DAW

(Mother Goose Melody.)

1. See Saw--Margery Daw.

(Arms sideward raise, sway body to left and right.) 2. Jack shall have a new master.

(Partners join hands--skip forward four steps.) 3. But he shall have a penny a day.

(Step left, point right toe forward, shaking right forefinger at partner and left hand on hip.) 4. Because he won't work any faster.

(Join both hands with partner, skip around in place four steps.)

THE LEAVES

1. The leaves are green, the leaves are brown.

They hang so high they will not come down.

Leave them alone until frosty weather And then they will all come down together.

Rhythmic--The above is an old English circle game. During the first 3-1/2 lines skip or run around the circle, stretching arms high overhead, and on "Come down together," drop to the floor.

RUN FOR YOUR SUPPER

Players in a circle. One player chosen by teacher goes around inside, holds out his hand between two players and says, "Run for your supper."

The two players run around opposite ways outside. The one who returns first to the vacant place wins, and may start the next runners.

Second Grade

SCARF RELAY

Divide the room into teams of three rows each. In front of each team, some six or eight feet distant, place a chair with a scarf tied to each. The first child in each team acts as leader. He runs to the chair, unties the scarf and returns with it to the child sitting back of him. That child in turn runs quickly to the chair and reties the scarf and returns to his seat. The next child runs to the chair and unties the scarf, runs back with it to the next child and the game continues. The object is to see which team finishes first. By keeping the feet under the desks and returning by the same aisle as they came forward, the game proceeds quickly and quietly.

TEACHER AND CLa.s.s

One player is chosen for "teacher". The others stand in a line side by side, facing her at an interval of five to ten feet. If there are many players, make several groups of this kind, keeping a distinct interval between groups.

The teacher starts the game by tossing the ball to each pupil in turn, and it is immediately tossed back to her. If a pupil misses, he goes to the foot of the line. If the teacher misses, the player at the head of the line takes her place, the teacher going to the foot. Make the action as rapid as possible.