My Book of Indoor Games Part 22

Played much like "Three Deep." Players stand in couples, facing each other, couples scattered in any way around the room. The runner is free from being tagged when he steps between the two players of any couple, and the chaser must chase the one toward whom the runner turns his back.

FOX AND CHICKENS

Choose a player to be fox and another to be the mother hen. The players are the chickens and all form in a line behind the mother hen, and each one grasping the waist of the one in front. The fox tries to tag the last chicken; the line, led by the mother hen, turns and tries to keep between the fox and that chicken. When the last chicken is tagged he becomes fox, and the mother hen chooses another player in her place.

ERASER RELAY

Place an eraser on the front desk of alternate rows. At a signal to start the first child in each row takes the eraser in both hands and pa.s.ses it over his head to the child behind him. This continues till the last child receives it. The last child runs forward with it, running down the right aisle. On reaching the front seat, his entire row moves one seat backward, so as to leave an empty seat in front.

The runner then sits down in the empty seat and pa.s.ses the eraser backward with both hands as before stated.

The changing of seats should be on the left side.

The game ends when each child is returned to his own seat.

SCHOOL-ROOM TAG

Mark a circle on floor in front of desks. Choose a player to be "it."

He stands near but not in the circle and calls the names of three players. The players must rise and try to reach the circle without being tagged. They run in any style in either direction.

The first one tagged is "it" and the game continues as before. If none are caught, three more are named. Encourage naming players who have not been called.

THE SERPENTINE MAZE

Players all in single file, teacher leading. Each player reaches right hand forward to player next in front and left hand back, grasping hands. March forward, circling to left and winding up into a spiral.

When tightly wound, last player should lead, all turn about to left and wind up, circling to right. Several variations should be used later:

1. Same as first method without grasping hands.

2. When wound as far as possible and leave enough s.p.a.ce, teach circles right from center of spiral and line follows, pa.s.sing out in a reverse spiral; this is done first grasping hands and later without.

3. When leader reaches center of spiral, tight wound, she signals to players in some direction and they lift arms, forming arches, under which the line may pa.s.s, teacher leading, hands are kept grasped in this case.

TEACHER AND CLa.s.s

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Similar to "School Ball." A leader is chosen for each group of eight or ten players, the players in a line and the leader eight or ten feet away at the side. A row in the school-room may be taken as a group, with a leader standing in front. The leader tosses the ball or bean bag to the players in turn, beginning at the head. Any player missing goes to the foot. If the leader misses he goes to the foot and the one at the head becomes leader. If the ball goes twice around and the leader does not miss, he goes in the line just above those who have missed and the head player becomes leader.

BLACKBOARD RELAY

The competing rows must be placed where there is a blackboard at the front of each row. First player of each row has a piece of chalk. At the signal he runs to the board and makes a mark with the chalk, then he returns to his seat, and hands the chalk to the next player, who runs and marks in his turn. Later, players may be required to make a cross, circles, capital letters, small letters, add columns of numbers, write words, construct sentences. The teacher is the judge as to whether the marks come up to the requirements, and each team is charged with a foul for each defect.

TAG THE WALL RELAY

This is like "Racing" (See First Grade), but more continuous. Two or more rows compete. The player in the back seat rises at a signal from the teacher, runs forward down the aisle, tags the wall at the front of the room, and returns to his seat. As soon as he has reached his seat the player next in front of him does the same, the relay being complete when each player in turn has run. The line whose front player is seated first wins.

SLOW POKE (INDOORS)

Alternate rows of children are chosen. On a signal from the teacher, the last children in the alternate rows, run down the aisles, turn to their left; run down the other aisle, turn on reaching their seats, and tag the person who sits in front of them. The person tagged does as the first person did, tagging the person in front only when he reaches his starting place. Each person running when tagged. Equal numbers should be chosen for each row. The object of the game is to see which row is the winner, depending entirely upon alertness, quickness of mind and honesty in playing with fellow students.

TRICKS AND PUZZLES

Any one who wishes to play a trick or show off a puzzle should test it privately, before attempting to show it before company, for often, owing to some slight error, the trick may at first prove a failure, whereas a little practice will soon make one perfect.

THE DANCING EGG

Get a hard-boiled egg and place it on the reverse side of a smooth polished plate or bread-platter. If you now turn the plate round while holding it in a horizontal position, the egg, which is in the middle of it, will turn round also, and as the pace is quickened, the egg will move more and more quickly, until it stands up on one end and spins round like a top. In order to be quite sure that the experiment will succeed, you should keep the egg upright while it is being boiled, so that the inside may be hardened in the proper position.

THE MAGIC THREAD

Soak a piece of thread in a solution of salt or alum (of course, your audience must not know you have done this). When dry, borrow a very light ring and fix it to the thread. Apply the thread to the flame of a candle; it will burn to ashes, but will still support the ring.

THE SWIMMING NEEDLES

There are several ways of making a needle float on the surface of the water.

The simplest way is to place a piece of tissue paper on the water and lay the needle on it; the paper soon becomes soaked with water and sinks to the bottom, while the needle is left floating on the top.

Another method is to hang the needle in two slings made of threads, which must be carefully drawn away as soon as the needle floats.

You can also make the needle float by simply holding it in your fingers and laying it on the water. This, however, requires a very steady hand.