All but one of the players stand in circle formation in stride position, with feet touching those of the next players to make a barricade for the ball. The odd player stands in the center.

The center player tries to throw the ball outside of the circle between the feet of the players. The circle players try to prevent the pa.s.sage of the ball, using only their hands for this purpose. The play continues until the center player succeeds in sending the ball through the circle, when he changes places with the player between whose feet the ball has pa.s.sed. If a circle player moves his feet in any way he must change places with the player in the center. When the ball has been sent out of the circle without pa.s.sing between the feet of a player, the players turn outward, and the odd man tries to send it back inside, according to the same rules.

The center player may appear to intend sending the ball in one direction, turning suddenly and sending it in another.

CENTER BASE

One player takes his place in the center, holding a bean bag or ball.

The other players form a ring around him, standing a little apart from each other. The object of the game is for the center player to return to the center and touch the ball without being tagged.

The center player tosses the ball to anyone in the outside ring and runs out. The player to whom the ball is tossed must catch it, place it in the center of the ring and chase the one who tossed it. This player tries to get back to the center to touch the ball before being tagged.

If he is tagged he takes a place in the circle. If he succeeds in touching the ball he again throws the ball to some other player and the game begins again. If the chase continues too long, time may be called by the teacher.

It is permissible to have two or more b.a.l.l.s of different kinds used and several sets of runners going at the same time.

Sixth Grade

THE FLYING BALL

The players stand in a circle facing the center, some distance apart.

One player called the "center" stands within the circle. A basketball is thrown from one player to another, across the circle, or may be pa.s.sed to the nearest neighbor. The center tries to touch the ball. If he succeeds, the one who last threw the ball or dropped it, becomes center.

GUESS WHO

Two files, A and B, stand on opposite sides of the room, facing each other. One player of file A stands in the center of the room facing his file. A hollow rubber ball or tennis ball is pa.s.sed to anyone in file B, from where the ball is thrown to hit the center player. If he is struck he will quickly turn and try to discover the ball thrower. If he guesses the right one they exchange places, the one going to the center always facing his file. If the center player guesses incorrectly, he remains in the center, but faces about so as to give the other rank a chance to hit him. In case the thrower fails to strike he must exchange places with center.

BEETLE GOES AROUND

The players form a circle, facing inward, with hands behind body. One player who carries in his hand a towel knotted at one end walks outside the circle. After walking or running a short distance, saying "Beetle is out, don't face about," he puts the beetle in the hands of someone, saying "Beetle move," at the same time taking his place. The one receiving the beetle strikes the player to his right, who, trying to avoid the beetle, runs quickly around the circle to his place. If the one to the right is caught, he becomes the new beetle. The game continues until all have had the beetle. Those who have had the beetle once fold arms, thus avoiding being given the beetle a second time.

HAWK AND HEN

A file of ten or twelve players, so-called "hens," stand in line behind each other, hands on shoulders of player in front. The first player raises her arms shoulder high to protect those behind her. One player, the "hawk," tries to catch one of the hens, not the first and second of the file. The first hen must face the hawk throughout all the movements and in order to keep out of the hawk's reach, all the other hens must keep in line with her. A hen caught is out of the play. Both the hawk and first hen take position at rear end of the file, the next two hens becoming hawk and hen.

BOGEY-MAN

One player, called the Bogey-Man, stands on one goal. All the other players stand on the goal opposite. The Bogey-man runs out and calls "Are you afraid of the Bogey-Man?" at which the other players run forward toward his goal, whereat the Bogey-Man tries to capture one of the players. The one caught must follow the Bogey-Man to the opposite goal and from here both run, with or without joining hands, to catch the rest of the players. When all have been caught, the first player caught becomes "Bogey-Man."

DAY AND NIGHT

The players are divided into two teams formed in two lines about three feet apart, facing in opposite directions.

Goal ______________________________

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Day Leader

o

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Night

______________________________

Goal

The leader has a disk painted black on one side and white on the other.

A coin may be used in place of a disk. In front of each party at a distance of about fifteen paces is a goal. The leader throws up the disk. If the white side is up when the disk has alighted, he calls out "Day." The day party then rushes toward its goal and the night party pursues, catching as many of the "Day" party as possible. These they take back to their own goal. The captured members are now out of the game. The sides return to their places and the disk is thrown up again.

The game is continued until all players on one of the sides are out.

BOUNDARY BALL

The players are arranged as shown in figure. The length of the s.p.a.ce is about thirty paces, "a--a" being the outer boundaries and "b" a center line. The two parties stand about ten paces from the center line. A member of the first party throws the ball. The members of the second party catch it or stop it from rolling. The catcher then throws the ball back to the first party and so on until either party succeeds in pa.s.sing the ball across the outer boundary line of the other party.

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a

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a

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FRENCH BLIND MAN'S BUFF

A player blindfolded and furnished with a wand stands in the center of the room. The other players join hands and walk or hop around him until he signals them to stop, by tapping the floor with his wand. He points the wand at some one in the ring. The one at whom he points takes the end of the wand, and holding it must answer any three questions the blindfolded player may choose to ask. The player who answers may disguise his voice. If the blindfolded player recognizes the voice, the two players change places.

BULL IN THE RING

The players join hands and form a circle. One is chosen bull and wanders about in the inside, testing the circle in an effort to get out. If he breaks through and escapes the keepers chase him. The one catching him in turn becomes bull.

CALL BALL

A basketball is needed for this game. The players, 10 to 30, are numbered and form a circle, one of the players standing in the center.

The object is to catch the ball before the second bounce, when one number has been called.

The player in the center tosses the ball high up within the circle, at the same time calling the number of some player. The one called must quickly run and catch the ball on the first bounce. If he catches the ball he tosses it up and calls the number of some other player. If the ball is not caught the first player again tosses it up. The ball may be caught on the fly.

To vary the game, form sides, numbering the players, the odd numbers forming one side, the even numbers the other. The odd numbers must call on the even, and vice versa. One point is counted for every ball caught, and the side with the highest score after twenty tosses wins.

ARCH GOAL BALL

Basketball and basket goal are necessary equipment. The players (8 to 10 on a team) are divided into seven groups and line up in a single file in two or more lines, facing a basketball goal. Each line has a basketball and stands behind a starting line.

A game is finished when the last man on the team has crossed the starting line before the others have finished.

At a signal each leader pa.s.ses the ball backward overhead and the next player takes it and pa.s.ses it on in the same way, and so on down the line. When the last player receives the ball, he runs forward and tries to throw it into the basket standing on a line marked from five to ten feet from the goal. He is allowed but one throw, when he quickly takes his place at the front of his line (the line moving backward in place to make room for him), and he at once pa.s.ses the ball backward overhead. The last player in turn runs forward, tries for the goal, and this is repeated until each player in line has thrown for goal.

Two points are scored for each team making the goal, one point may be given for finishing first. The team having the highest score wins.

Sometimes the game is played with a time limit. In this case each player throws until he succeeds in getting the ball into the basket.

The team wins whose last man finished first.