Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium Part 7

_10 to 30 players._

_Playground; gymnasium._

This is a game of leapfrog. The players are divided into two parties.

Half of them form one continuous "back," on which the other half jump, one at a time, until all are seated. The players who form the "back"

stand one behind another, the first player resting his head against the stomach of one who stands upright, backed by a wall or fence. Each player in turn grasps the coat tail or waist of, and rests his head or shoulder against, the player next in front. They should thus make one long, even, and solid "back" or row of backs. These are called the buckets. The other players are called the bungs, and stand at some little distance to get a run for the leap. They will naturally select their best leaper as the first of their line, as he may not move forward after he has once landed on the backs, and it is desirable that he should leave as much s.p.a.ce behind him as possible for the others to sit. None of the players may move forward after once landing on the backs. If all of the bungs succeed in seating themselves without any break occurring among the buckets, it counts one in favor of the buckets. When such a breakdown occurs, the two parties change places, the bungs taking the place of the buckets; otherwise the game is repeated with the same bungs and buckets. The party wins which has the highest score to its credit at the end.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BUYING A LOCK

_Reprinted from Dr. Isaac T. Headland's "The Chinese Boy and Girl," by kind permission of Messrs. Fleming H. Revell & Co._ ]

BUYING A LOCK

_5 to 30 or more players._

_Playground; schoolroom._

Oh, here we all go to buy us a lock; What kind of a lock shall it be?

We'll buy a broom handle; if that will not do, With a poker we'll try it alone.

But if neither the broom nor the poker will do, We'll open it then with a stone.

This game is suitable for very little children. They stand in a long line or rank side by side, holding hands. While repeating the verse, one end of the line winds in under the raised arms of the last two players at the opposite end, but instead of pa.s.sing entirely through, as in many other winding games, the player next to the last only turns far enough to face in three quarters of a circle, or so that the players will eventually, when all have so turned, be brought into single file, one standing behind the other. In this position the arms are dropped over the shoulder, so that the player's own left arm crosses his chest with the clasped hands (his own left and his neighbor's right) resting on his right shoulder. Each player should clasp his neighbor's hands at the start, so that the palm of his own left hand faces forward and the palm of his own right hand faces backward.

When the whole line has been "locked" in this way, the players unwind in reverse order, still repeating the verse.

When players are familiar with the winding and unwinding process, the game may be played in circle formation instead of line formation; that is, it will start with all of the players facing inward as they clasp hands to form a circle, and the locking or winding will bring them facing in single file around the circle.

This is a favorite game with little girls in China, and is here given with the kind permission of Dr. Isaac T. Headland and Messrs. Fleming H. Revell & Co., from the book ent.i.tled "The Chinese Boy and Girl."

CAT AND MICE

_5 to 60 players._

_Schoolroom._

One player is chosen to be cat, and hides behind or under the teacher's desk. After the cat is hidden, the teacher beckons to five or six other players, who creep softly up to the desk, and when all are a.s.sembled, scratch on it with their fingers, to represent the nibbling of mice. As soon as the cat hears this, she scrambles out from under the desk and gives chase to the mice, who may save themselves only by getting back to their holes (seats). If a mouse be caught, the cat changes places with him for the next round of the game. If no mouse be caught, the same cat may continue, or the teacher may choose another at her discretion.

A different set of mice should be chosen each time, so as to give all of the players an opportunity to join in the game.

This is a favorite schoolroom game for little children. They should be taught to add sport to the play by giving the cat quite a chase before returning to their seats, instead of seeking safety in the shortest and most direct way.

CAT AND RAT

_10 to 30 or more players._

_Playground; gymnasium; parlor._

One player is chosen for cat and one for rat. The others all form a circle with clasped hands. The cat stands outside of the circle and the rat inside. The game opens with a conversation between the cat and rat.

The cat says:--

"I am the cat."

The rat says:--

"I am the rat."

"I will catch you!"

"You can't!"

This last defiance is a signal for a chase. The cat tries to get into the circle, and the rat tries to evade him. Both may run in and out of the circle, but the players will a.s.sist the rat by raising their hands to let him run under, and they will try to foil the efforts of the cat by preventing his breaking through the circle, either inward or outward.

When the rat is caught, he joins the circle and the cat becomes rat, a new cat being chosen from the circle players.

This game is a great favorite with young children, and though very similar in its general form to Bull in the Ring, the slight difference of the circle a.s.sisting the rat and hindering the cat makes a great difference in the playing qualities of the game, rendering it much less rough than Bull in the Ring.

[Ill.u.s.tration: CATCH-AND-PULL TUG OF WAR; A HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMAN CLa.s.s]

CATCH AND PULL TUG OF WAR

_10 to 100 players._

_Gymnasium; playground._

Any number of players may engage in this contest, which is one of the best for a large number, containing as it does both excellent sport and vigorous exercise.

A line is drawn down the middle of the playing s.p.a.ce. The players are divided into two parties and stand one party on either side of the line. The game starts on a signal and consists in catching hold of an opponent by any part of his body, as hand, arm, or foot, reaching over the line and so pulling him across the boundary. Any number of players may try to secure a hold on an opponent and any number may come to his rescue and try to resist his being pulled over the line, either by pulling him in the opposite direction or by trying to secure a hold on one of the opponents. A player does not belong to the enemy until his entire body has been pulled over the line. He must then join his captors in trying to secure players from across the line. The party wins which has the largest number of players at the end of time limits.

CATCH OF FISH