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Read Ebook: Fun for the Household: A Book of Games by Gray Emma J
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Ebook has 1419 lines and 70876 words, and 29 pages
This may be sung over and over until the blind mice succeed. Having run a few moments, the farmer's wife should allow herself to be caught, as this game being particularly suited to little children, they would not have the skill in catching known to older people.
If it is not convenient to give apples as reward, substitute something else. Almost any trifling gift would do.
While running is in continuance, be careful the children do not trip.
THE HOLIDAY CALENDAR.
"I have a holiday calendar," a little boy should say to a little girl.
"Where is it?"
"Here." And directly he holds up his hand with fingers spread towards her.
"See my five fingers. They stand for our five holidays." Then touching his thumb he should continue,
"This is for Mayday, so sweet," and then touching the finger next, "Jolly Fourth, with its noise," afterwards indicating the middle finger, "Thanksgiving and pumpkin pies," and touching the next finger, "Christmas, for girls and boys," and holding up his little finger concludes, "Happy New Year to all."
THE SEA AND HER CHILDREN.
The players, with the exception of one sent from the room, must be seated in a circle. The person having left will represent the Sea. All others must now decide on an assumed name, which is also the name of a fish; for example, trout, red snapper, pickerel. This done, the Sea returns and walks slowly around the outside of the ring, calling her children, one after another, by the different names they have selected, until all have risen and followed her. Then the Sea must run with a varied motion, sometimes rapid, sometimes slow, exclaiming, "The Sea is troubled! the Sea is troubled!" Suddenly she seats herself, and her example is followed by her children. The unfortunate individual who is unable to secure a chair becomes the Sea, and the game is continued as before.
CINDERELLA'S SLIPPER.
Every child has heard the pretty story of Cinderella and her glass slipper. Now learn who will have bright enough eyes to find it.
The fairy godmother cannot really let you have Cinderella's slipper, but she allows any of the children to hunt for a slipper that is made of fur, or trimmed with fur. This slipper should have Cinderella's card pinned to it, and whoever finds the slipper should be given the card as a souvenir.
Cinderella's slipper should be well hidden, but not where little people could not reach. While the hunt is in progress, whoever has hidden the slipper should call "Warm, Warmer, Cold, Colder," as the children get nearer or further away.
THE MAN IN THE MOON.
Have a circle two feet in diameter cut out of plain white paper. At the time the game is to be played some one should pin this on the back of the Lord of Misrule. He must then whistle and caper all about the room, thus attracting attention, and seat himself at the piano, and sing at the top of his lungs,
Girls and boys, come out to play.
Girls and boys come out to play, The moon doth shine as bright as day, Leave your supper and leave your sleep, And meet your playfellows in the street, Come with a whoop and come with a call.
The second the words whoop and call are uttered the most throat-splitting whoops and calls should be given; such as cat calls, wild beast groans, crying, barking, bird notes, etc. The circle disbands during the laughter and confusion, but the game may be played over and over as long as the Man of the Moon shall will.
HOW MANY?
This is really a game of guess. Shake a small bag full of beans before the children, and ask each to guess how many beans are inside.
It will be amusing to watch the eagerness which all will show, and how far apart the guesses will be.
Whoever comes nearest to the correct number should be presented with the bag of beans. And this gift will immediately afford healthful and jolly entertainment, because the bean-bag should be tossed and caught by one and another until the rosy-cheeked and out-of-breath children call a halt.
ALPHABETICAL PLAY.
Cut out a square of cardboard, six inches wide by six inches long. Put an eyelet in each of the two upper corners and run tape or ribbon through. Cut it of sufficient length to go over a child's head. The children should wear the cardboard as if it was a breastplate.
You should have twenty-six children, and you will therefore require twenty-six pieces of cardboard. In the centre of each piece, paint a letter of the alphabet. Should you have fewer children, paint two or more letters on each cardboard, for you must use the entire alphabet.
The children should first march up and down in alphabetical order, keeping time to music. They may then join hands in couples and skip or waltz or whatever pleasing movements may be suggested.
After these exercises call for words, being careful which words you will require if you have doubled or trebled the letters. As each word is called, the child wearing the first letter steps forward, then the one wearing the second letter comes and stands by her side, and so on, until the word is spelled.
Very short and simple words should be called if the children are not sufficiently advanced to allow for longer or more difficult ones. Dog, Cat, Bird, will furnish just as much amusement as Prodigy, Yclept, Bask.
Intersperse the word exercises with marches and other movements, such as "Right-about-face," to be done by a chord, or "wheel to the left," to be done by another. Form squares and circles. Join hands, thus making a ring. Into this ring the letter A goes, the others skip around her, until she makes a motion like something commencing with A; for example, Apple, which she pretends to eat. One or more of the company guesses what word she represents, and then B enters the ring, and so on as long as the game amuses.
BLINDFOLDED PLATTER TWIRLING.
This game is similar to the old-time favorite.
All players should sit in a circle, and each number themselves in rotation.
Two of the party should be blindfolded. They are then each given a platter, and they enter the ring.
The others call, one, two, three. As soon as three is called, those inside the ring twirl the platters, and at the same moment they each shout a number which corresponds to two of the players in the circle. Should either of the bearers of the numbers catch his platter before it falls, the original twirler must try over again and continue to twirl and call until the platter is not caught.
But should the platter have fallen before the child bearing the number called has caught it, he must not only change places with the one who has twirled the platter, but also pay a forfeit.
Much amusement is derived, not only from catching the platter, but in watching the ridiculous movements of those who are blindfolded.
THE WILD BEAST EXHIBIT.
The one in charge stands in front, and having stated that he is ready to exhibit his wild beasts to any one present who will not tell what he has seen, asks who would like to come to the exhibition, all desiring to, please rise. He then takes them in turn, always exacting the promise of secrecy, and asks the name of the animal each would like to see.
NEW TAG.
The tallest player should begin the game.
This person turning to the first right hand player should say "Yes"; to the second, "No"; and so on all around, saying yes or no, as the case may be, to yourself last. Whoever is the last person to whom "No" is said, however, is out of the game, and the one who commenced the game, again goes around the ring. If she has said "Yes" to herself last, then the one to her right hand is now told "No," and thus "Yes," "No," is said all around again and again and so on, until there are but two players. Whichever one is Yes, must then be "It."
All the players now stand at a given distance from "It," and a tree or object being selected as a place of safety, they are ready to begin.
"It" calls to the others, "One foot off," then each player raises one of their feet. "Two feet on," at which order everybody's feet are immediately upon the sidewalk. "Two feet off," may then be called, at which order all rush at their utmost speed, and "It" after them. Should anybody be caught before reaching the tree of safety, that person must change places with "It," and the game continues as before.
The orders, "One foot off," "Two feet on," etc., should be called very rapidly, so that everybody is mixed up and will not suspect when two feet off will be called. Sometimes the orders are repeated over and over, and again, "Two feet off" may be said the first time.
THE GREENGROCER.
Any boy may start the game, by saying, "I am a greengrocer and I sell O." All of the children must now guess what the grocer would have for sale that would commence with the letter O.
He means he has onions for sale. Whoever is the first to guess, whether it is a girl or a boy, now becomes the greengrocer and uses the same words as before, only substituting another letter. Perhaps the greengrocer has cucumbers or carrots for sale; in that case he would sell C.
This game is capable of a variety of changes, for example, "I am a milliner, and I am going to put F on your hat." All the girls must now guess what a milliner could put on a hat that would commence with F, and some one is not long in deciding that the milliner means "Flowers."
The next milliner may say, "I am a milliner and I am going to put D flowers on your hat."
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