Games for Everybody Part 1

Games for Everybody.

by May C. Hofmann.

FOREWORD

Every one is fond of having a good time when invited out to a party or social. Sometimes a stupid evening has been spent because either the guests were not congenial or the hostess had not planned good games. The purpose of this book is to furnish just what is needed for a pleasant home gathering, church social, or any other indoor occasion.

Very few, if any, of these games require much preparation. Just use what is in the house, follow the directions given, and a good time will be the result. Some of the games for "Adults" can be played by the younger ones, and _vice versa_. Other games, by being changed a little by the hostess, can be made to suit the occasion.

Many of the good old games that every one has played are here, while the newer ones, which may be strange at first, will prove most enjoyable when every one has "caught on," as the saying is. M.C.H.

PART I.

GAMES FOR CHILDREN.

ANIMAL SHOW.

An amusing game for children is one in which each child is to make some sort of animal out of vegetables or fruit, and toothpicks.

When all the children have arrived, pa.s.s around slips of paper containing a number and the name of some animal. Each one must keep secret what his animal is to be.

Let the hostess prepare a basket of vegetables, potatoes, beets, carrots, and fruits, lemons, bananas, etc., suitable for the occasion, from which the children can take their choice to make their animals. Plenty of toothpicks must be provided for the legs, ears and tails.

Allow five minutes for constructing the creatures.

Then collect the specimens, pinning a number corresponding to the one on the slip, to its back, and arrange the "show" on a table. Many queer sights will be seen.

The children, having received pencil and paper, should be told to write down the number of each animal, and opposite it what the animal is intended to represent.

A prize can be given to the one who has guessed the greatest number correctly.

CHASE THE RABBIT.

All the children kneel on the floor in a ring with hands on each other's shoulders.

One is chosen to be the "rabbit" and runs around outside the ring and touches one of the players, who is to chase him to his "hole."

The minute the player is touched he must run to the left, while the rabbit goes to the right, must tag the rabbit when they pa.s.s each other and try to get back to the "hole" again. If he fails, he becomes the "rabbit," and the game goes on as before.

SOAP-BUBBLE CONTEST.

Provide each child with a clay pipe and prepare two basins of soap suds for the game. If a little glycerine is put in the water, the bubbles will last longer.

Divide the company into two sides, an even number in each. Stretch a cord or rope at a medium height across the middle of the room. Two children, one from each side, play at a time. Each stands on his side, blows the bubble from the pipe and blows it toward the opposite side, and over the rope if he can. If it goes over the rope without breaking, he has won one point for his side, if not, his side has lost. Tally is kept as each set plays, and the side that has the most points, wins, and surely deserves a prize.

ROSE GUESS.

Any child can play this simple game. Take a full blown rose and hold it up where all can see it, then let them write on a slip of paper how many petals they think are in the rose.

The petals are then counted by one of the children and the one who guesses the nearest, receives a prize.

Any flower with many petals, can be used.

NEW BLIND MAN'S BUFF.

The one who is chosen for the "blind man" does not have his eyes bandaged as in the old game.

Stretch a sheet between two doors and place a light, candle or lamp, on a table some distance from the sheet. The "blind man" sits on the floor or low chair in front of the light facing the sheet, but he must be so low down that his shadow will not appear on the sheet.

The children form a line and march single file between the light and the "blind man," who is not allowed to turn around. Thus their shadows are thrown on the sheet and as they pa.s.s, the "blind man" must guess who they are. The children may disguise their walk and height, so as to puzzle him.

As soon as the "blind man" guesses one correctly, that one takes his place and becomes "blind man," while the former takes his place in the procession, and the game proceeds as before, but the children had better change places, so the new "blind man" won't know their positions.

FINDING FLOWERS.

A very simple game for children is one played like the old-fashioned "London Bridge."

Two children with joined hands stand opposite each other, and the rest form a ring and pa.s.s under the raised hands, while they repeat,

"We're seeking a pansy, a pansy, a pansy, We've found one here."

As they say "here," the raised hands close around the child who was pa.s.sing by, and "Pansy" takes the place of the one who caught her, and she names some other flower which is to be found, and the game goes on as before, subst.i.tuting that flower for pansy.

Then it continues until all the flowers are "found."

BEAN-BAG CONTEST.