Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium Part 65

A score should be kept, each team scoring two points for winning a game and one point for every time that its opponents' bags touch the floor, either through poor throwing or bad catching.

The writer is indebted to Mr. Chesley's _Indoor and Outdoor Gymnastic Games_ for several points of description or of play for this game. Mr. Chesley has found it a very interesting gymnasium game, with possibilities for much sport and skill.

TARGET TOSS

_10 to 60 players._

_Playground; seash.o.r.e; gymnasium; schoolroom._

_Bean bags; stones; sh.e.l.ls._

Three concentric circles should be drawn on the ground or floor, after the idea of a target. Their size will depend somewhat on the skill of the players, but for the youngest players the inner circle should be not more than two feet in diameter and the outer circle six feet in diameter. For those more skilled, smaller circles may be used. From ten to thirty feet from the outer rim of the largest circle a straight line is drawn on the ground, to serve as a throwing line.

Where there is a small number of players, all may use one target.

Where there is a large number, several targets should be drawn and the players divided into as many groups. Each group has three bean bags, or if out of doors, small blocks of wood, stones, or sh.e.l.ls may be used. Each player throws in turn, throwing each of the three bags or other objects at each turn. The thrower stands with his toe on the throwing line and tosses a bag toward the target. If the bag stops within the center circle, it scores fifteen points; if between the center circle and the next larger one, it scores ten points; and if between the middle circle and the largest or outer one, it scores five points. For very little children a bag that lands on a line may score for the larger circle which it touches. For more expert players, a bag landing on a line does not score at all. The player wins who has the highest score in five rounds of the game.

TEACHER AND CLa.s.s

_5 to 60 players._

_Playground; gymnasium; cla.s.s room._

_Bean bags; b.a.l.l.s._

This game may be played with either bean bags or b.a.l.l.s, and is one of the simplest and earliest tossing games, being generally used when pupils are first acquiring skill in handling a ball. With very rapid play and greater distance between the "teacher" and the "cla.s.s," it may become very interesting, however, for older players.

One player is chosen for the "teacher." The others stand in a line side by side, facing her, at an interval of from five to twenty feet.

Where there are many players, there should be several groups of this kind, with a distinct interval between groups to avoid mistakes or confusion. It is desirable to have from six to ten players for each "teacher."

The teacher starts the game by tossing the ball to each pupil in turn, and it is immediately tossed back to her. Each pupil missing 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. The action should be as rapid as possible.

VAULTING RELAY

_10 to 60 players._

_Schoolroom._

_Bean Bags._

[Ill.u.s.tration diagram: VAULTING RELAY]

The players stand in line in the aisles between the desks, all facing to the right or left (facing open windows preferred). The first player at the front of each line will hold a bean bag in his right hand, if facing left, or in his left hand, if facing right. At the command "Start!" the bean bag must be pa.s.sed toward the rear to each player, in turn, until the player at the end of the line receives it. Each player, after pa.s.sing the bean bag, must place one hand on his desk and the other on the back of his chair, jump over his chair, turn, jump back again, and take his position in the aisle by the next seat, moving back one seat toward the rear of the line each time the bean bag has been pa.s.sed, and so on until he returns to his place in line.

The player receiving the bean bag at the end of the line must run to the head of the line, as shown in the diagram, and pa.s.s the bag to the next player. This continues until each player returns to his place in line. The line wins whose original leader first gets back to his own place.

This game was originated by Mr. James J. Jardine, of New York City, 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.

BALL GAMES SUITABLE FOR BEAN BAGS

All run Arch Ball Ball Chase Ball Puss Ball Tag Call Ball Center Catch Ball Circle Ball Club Bowls Center Club Bowls Circle Club Bowls Line Club Bowls (Single) Line Club Bowls (Double) Corner Spry Dead Ball Dodge Ball Home Run Line Ball Over and Under Relay Overtake Pig in a Hole Ring Call Ball Roley Poley Round Ball Russian Hole Ball Schoolroom Dodge Ball Spud Stride Ball Toss Ball Tree Ball Zigzag Games Circle Zigzag Line Zigzag I, II, III Zigzag Overhead Toss

BALL GAMES

BALL GAMES

ALL RUN

_10 to 30 or more players._

_Playground; gymnasium._

_Hand ball; bean bag._

This game is played with a hand ball or basket ball and is a gymnasium adaptation of the wall ball game known as "Burley Whush" or "Ball Stand."

A square is drawn on the ground or floor. All of the players gather within this, including one who holds the ball. The ball man throws the ball in the air, whereupon all of the other players run in any direction as far as they can. The thrower remains on his place, catches the ball, and as he does so cries "Hold!" Upon hearing this, all of the others must instantly stop running. The thrower then aims his ball at one of these other players, and if he succeeds in hitting him, the player hit must change places with the thrower. Should he miss, all of the players return to the square and the same thrower takes another trial. Should he miss. .h.i.tting a player a second time, he must be "court-martialed," _i.e._ stand twenty feet from the square with his back turned to the players congregated there, who pelt him with their b.a.l.l.s, each one having one throw.

ARCH BALL

_10 to 100 players._

_Playground; gymnasium; schoolroom._

_Basket ball; bean bag; oat sack; any subst.i.tute._

This game is very similar to Pa.s.s Ball, but is here described under another name, as it differs from Pa.s.s Ball in (1) not having the run to a goal line; (2) admitting of variations, as in the pa.s.sing of several articles; (3) being comparatively informal without the scoring of fouls and other strict observance of rules that cla.s.s Pa.s.s Ball with athletic events.

[Ill.u.s.tration diagram: ARCH BALL]