Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium Part 64

JUMP THE BEAN BAG

_10 to 60 players._

_Schoolroom._

The cla.s.s is divided into two equal divisions or teams. The teams stand in opposite outside aisles and face the center of the room. The game consists in a contest between the two divisions as to which shall finish first in the following relay, here described for one team.

The leader at the head or front of the line, having the bean bag in his hand, runs down the first aisle toward the rear, places the bean bag on the center seat of the row to his left (second row from standing line), vaults over the seat, and runs up the next aisle to the front of the room and so to the head of his division. He tags the player standing at the head of the line and pa.s.ses behind the line to the rear, taking his place at the foot.

The player who has been tagged at the head of the line immediately runs down the first aisle, takes the bean bag from the seat, vaults over the seat, and pa.s.ses down the next aisle to the rear of the room, and so to the foot of his line. He hands the bean bag to the player next to him, who pa.s.ses it to his neighbor, and so it is pa.s.sed up to the head of the line.

The player at the head of the line, immediately upon receiving the bean bag, runs down the first aisle, places it on the seat, vaults over the seat to the next aisle, and so to the head of his line, where he tags the player who has moved up to his place.

The game thus consists in an alternate placing and taking of the bag from the seat. The player who places the bag returns to the head of the line to tag the player standing there, and then pa.s.ses behind the line to the foot; the player taking the bean bag returns to the rear of his line and pa.s.ses the bean bag up the line.

The division whose original leader first gets back to his starting place wins the game.

This game was originated by Miss Alice R. Young of Brooklyn, N.Y., and received honorable mention in a compet.i.tion for schoolroom games conducted by the Girls' Branch of the Public Schools Athletic League of New York City in 1906. It is here published by the kind permission of the author, and of the Girls' Branch, and of Messrs. A. G. Spalding & Brothers, publishers of the handbook in which the game first appeared.

Pa.s.sING RELAYS

There are several forms of this game, some of which are suited only to young children; others may be full of sport and interest for adults.

The games may be adapted to comparatively small numbers or very large numbers. Several pa.s.sing races will be found among the ball games. For bean bags, see:--

Bag Pile.

Pa.s.sing Race.

Pa.s.s and Toss Relay (single line).

Pa.s.s and Toss Relay (double line).

Pa.s.sING RACE

_10 to 100 players._

_Playground; gymnasium; schoolroom._

_Bean bags; dumb-bells._

The players stand in ranks, and bags are pa.s.sed from one to another player down each line, starting on a signal for the first bag. Each rank should have about ten bags. The line wins which finishes first; that is, pa.s.ses all of its bags to the end of the line.

The game may be varied by having each player pa.s.s the bags from one hand to the other before handing it to his neighbor, or by raising the bags overhead, or touching them to the floor, first with one hand, then with the other, before pa.s.sing.

This makes an especially interesting game when dumb-bells are used instead of bean bags, as they are harder to pa.s.s.

Pa.s.s AND TOSS RELAY (SINGLE LINE)

_16 to 60 players._

_Gymnasium; playground; schoolroom._

_Bean bags; oat sacks._

[Ill.u.s.tration diagram: Pa.s.s AND TOSS RELAY (Single Line)]

The players stand in two or more even ranks, facing sideways. The players at either end step one long pace forward of the ranks, to the points marked 1 and 10 respectively, as they are to catch the bag tossed from some other player. Player Number One has a bag and at the signal for starting runs toward the rear, and as he runs tosses the bag to Number Ten. The line immediately moves forward one place, Number Two stepping into the place vacated by Number One. As soon as Number Ten has caught the bag, he takes his place in line with the rank and pa.s.ses the bag to his next neighbor, Number Nine. The bag is then pa.s.sed rapidly up the line until it is received by Number Three, who tosses it to Number Two. Number Two, in his turn, as soon as he receives the bag, dashes for the rear, tossing the bag as he goes to the player standing at 10, who in this instance will be Number One.

The line again moves up, Number Three now stepping out to the place marked 1.

This play is continued until Number One is back in his original position. The rank which first gets the bag around to Number One after he returns to his original position wins the game. Number One should hold the bag up at arm's length as soon as he gets it as a signal that his rank has completed its play. As this feature adds much to the facility with which an umpire may judge of the winning rank, it may well be a required part of the play, the rank winning whose Number One is first to raise aloft his bag.

It adds much to the interest of the game to have a general umpire and scorekeeper who shall decide which is the winning line, and post the score where the players may see it.

Pa.s.s AND TOSS RELAY (DOUBLE LINE)

_16 to 60 players._

_Playground; gymnasium; schoolroom._

_Bean bags; oat sacks._

The players are divided into two equal groups which compete against each other. Each group is divided into two lines or ranks which stand facing each other. There should be from ten to twenty feet of s.p.a.ce between the two ranks.

[Ill.u.s.tration diagram: Pa.s.s AND TOSS RELAY (Double Line)]

The game consists of pa.s.sing a bean bag up one of these lines to the end, when the last player runs across to the opposite line, tossing the bag as he goes to the end man in that line, who catches it and pa.s.ses it down the line. The same play is performed at the other end, the last player running across to the opposite line, tossing the bag as he goes to the last player there. The lines move up or down one place each time a player runs across to the opposite rank. The game in detail will be as follows:--

Number One has a bag, and at a signal pa.s.ses it down the line to Number Eight, who runs across toward Number Nine, tossing the bag to Number Nine as he does so. It must be tossed before he has gone halfway across the s.p.a.ce between. Number Nine immediately pa.s.ses the bag to Number Ten, and so on up the line to the last player, Number Sixteen. The moment that he receives the bag, he runs across toward Number One in the opposite rank, making a running toss as he does so.

At the same time the entire line from Nine to Fifteen moves up one place to make room for Number Eight, who should take his place at the foot of the line next to Number Nine. As soon as Number One receives the bag, he pa.s.ses it down the line to his neighbor, Number Two, and so on till it reaches the end of the line, which at the same time should be moving down one place to make room for Number Sixteen, who should take his place at the head of the line next beyond Number One.

This play is repeated until Number One reaches his original position again, and the bag is pa.s.sed to him there. Immediately on receiving it, he should lift it high, as a signal that the play is completed in his group. The group wins whose first player is first to do this.

The game may be made a little more definite by Number One having some distinguishing mark, as a handkerchief, tied on his arm.

When players have some proficiency in the game, as prescribed, they may play with two bags instead of one, keeping both in play at once.

In this form of the game the diagonal opposites start each a bag at the same time, that is, Number One and Number Nine. The game becomes thus just twice as rapid. The team wins whose Numbers One and Nine first succeed in both returning to their original positions, where they should hold the bags aloft.