Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium Part 38

The blindfolded player is then spun around so as to confuse his sense of direction. He then says, "Still pond; no more moving!" whereupon the other players must stand still, being allowed only three steps thereafter. The blindfolded player begins to grope for the others.

When he catches one, he must guess by touching the hair, dress, etc., whom he has caught. If he guesses correctly, the player changes places with him. If incorrectly, he must go on with his search. The players may resort to any reasonable devices for escaping the hands of the groping blind man, such as stooping or dodging, so long as they do not take more than three steps. When caught, a player may try to disguise his ident.i.ty by making himself shorter, etc.

STONE

_10 to 30 or more players._

_Playground; gymnasium._

A large circle is drawn on the ground or floor in the center of the play s.p.a.ce. At either end of the ground a goal is marked off. One player, chosen to be stone, sits on the floor in the circle. The other players stand around outside the circle, taunting the stone by stepping over into his territory. Suddenly, and the more unexpectedly the better, the stone rises and runs for the other players, who are only safe from tagging when behind one of the goals. Any one so tagged becomes a stone and joins the first stone in sitting near the center of the circle. They also join him in chasing the other players whenever he gives the signal. This continues until all the players have been tagged.

STOOP TAG

("Squat" Tag)

_4 to 60 or more players._

_Indoors; out of doors._

One player is It and chases the others, trying to tag one of them. A player may escape being tagged by suddenly stooping or "squatting"; but each player may stoop but three times. After the third time of stooping, the player may resort only to running to escape being tagged. Any player tagged becomes It.

For large numbers of players there should be several taggers.

SUN DIAL

_2 to 10 players._

_Gymnasium; playground; seash.o.r.e._

A circle from twelve to twenty feet in diameter is drawn on the ground. This is intersected with straight lines, like the spokes of a wheel, which divide it into twelve sections, numbered consecutively from one to twelve.

One player is blindfolded, placed in the center (on the hub of the wheel), and turned around several times to confuse his sense of direction. He then walks around inside the rim while counting twelve, or repeating the verse:--

"d.i.c.kery, d.i.c.kery, dock; The mouse ran up the clock; The clock struck ten He ran down again, d.i.c.kery, d.i.c.kery, dock."

He stops on the last word, and the number of the s.p.a.ce in which he stands is scored to his credit; for instance, if he stops in section eight, it scores eight points for him; if in section three, it scores three points, etc. Should he stop with one foot on a line or outside the circle, he scores nothing. The players take turns, each having but one trial at a turn. The game is won by the player first scoring twenty-five or fifty points, as may be decided.

[Ill.u.s.tration diagram: SUN DIAL]

TAG

The game of plain, old-fashioned Tag may be made great sport, especially if suddenly and unexpectedly commenced in a group of players when other interests seem to lag.

The game has many variations, a considerable number of which are here given, each variation making practically a different game.

This game is found in all countries and is prehistoric. It is supposed to have arisen from the idea of fleeing from an evil spirit, and in those forms from which immunity is found by touching wood or iron or taking some particular position, that especial feature is supposed to have originated in the idea of breaking the spell of the pursuing evil.

The following tag games will be found in their alphabetical order:--

Cross Tag Fence Tag French Tag Hang Tag Home Tag j.a.panese Tag (_Over_) Maze Tag (Line Tag; Right Face) Old Man Tag Partner Tag Schoolroom Tag Shadow Tag Stoop Tag (Squat Tag) Tag Whip Tag

TAG

_4 to 60 players._

_Indoors; out of doors._

Tag in its simplest form may be started by any one of a group of players suddenly turning to another, touching (tagging) him and saying "You're It!" when all must flee from the one who is It.

The player who is It may chase and tag any other player whom he chooses, but will aid his own ends by suddenly turning his attention from one player to another, or by doubling back on his course, or resorting to any of the other feints that give an unexpected turn to a game of chase.

The players who are being chased will add to the zest of the game by venturing as close as possible to the one who is It, calling to him and taunting him with their proximity, and suddenly dodging away. When a player is hard pressed or breathless, or does not wish to play, he may become immune from tagging by crossing any one finger over its neighbor on either hand, as the forefinger over the middle finger. It is considered "babyish," however, to resort to this unless there is some very good reason. A player who has had a good fair chase ought to be willing to be It if caught.

Any player whom the chaser tags immediately becomes It, but the chaser, in touching him, must say "You're It!" At his own discretion he may add "No fair," which means that the one who has just become It may not turn at once and tag him. A venturesome player, however, will omit this, especially if he should tag another player from behind, and trust to his own powers of dodging for getting safely away. Where there are a large number of players, two or more may be chosen to be It.

TAG THE WALL RELAY

_10 to 60 players._

_Schoolroom._

The players should all be seated, an even number in each row of seats.

At a signal, the last player in each line runs forward and tags the front wall. As soon as this player is out of the aisle, the others all move backward one seat. This leaves the front seat vacant, and the runner having touched the wall returns immediately and takes this vacant front seat. As the player sits he raises his hand, which is a signal for the player who is now the last one in the line to run forward, the line moving backward one place as soon as he is out of the aisle. He, in turn, having touched the wall, takes the vacant front seat. The play is continued in this way until every one in the row has run.

The line wins whose player, sitting at the start in the front seat, first returns to his seat.

As in all schoolroom games where there is running, the seated players should be very careful to keep their feet under the desks, so there will be nothing in the aisles over which the runners may trip.

This is one of the best cla.s.s room games and is very popular.