GAMES FOR CHILDREN

ACTING PROVERBS

The best way to play this game is for the players to divide themselves into two groups, namely, actors and audience. Each one of the actors should then fix upon a proverb, which he will act, in turn, before the audience. As, for instance, supposing one of the players to have chosen the proverb, "A bad workman quarrels with his tools," he should go into the room where the audience is seated, carrying with him a bag in which there is a saw, a hammer, or any other implement or tool used by a workman; he should then look round and find a chair, or some other article, which he should pretend requires repairing; he should then act the workman, by taking off his coat, rolling up his sleeves, and commencing work, often dropping his tools and grumbling about them the whole of the time.

If this game be acted well, it may be made very entertaining. Sometimes the audience are made to pay a forfeit each time they fail to guess the proverb.

BLIND MAN'S WAND

This is another way of playing Blind Man's Buff, and is thought by many to be an improvement on that game.

The player, who is blindfolded, stands in the centre of the room with a long paper wand, which can be made of a newspaper folded up lengthways, and tied at each end with string. The other players then join hands and stand round him in a circle. Someone then plays a merry tune on the piano and the players dance round and round the blind man, until suddenly the music stops; the blind man then takes the opportunity of lowering his wand upon one of the circle, and the player upon whom it has fallen has to take hold of it. The blind man then makes a noise, such as, for instance, the barking of a dog, a street cry, or anything he thinks will cause the player he has caught to betray himself, as the captive must imitate whatever noise the blind man likes to make. Should the blind man detect who holds the stick the one who is caught has to be blind man; if not, the game goes on until he succeeds.

THE BLIND POSTMAN

First a postmaster-general must be appointed, whose duty is to write down the names of the players, and the names of the cities they have chosen to represent. The postman is blindfolded and led to the middle of the room, whilst the other players are seated round it. The postmaster-general then begins to announce that a letter has been sent from one town to another, say from Denver to Chicago. The two players who have taken those names must rise up silently and change seats.

The postman's duty is to try and seat himself in one of the vacant chairs; the player who loses his chair must become the blind postman.

BLOWING THE CANDLE

Place a lighted candle on a table at the end of a room. Invite someone to stand in front of it, then blindfold him, make him take three steps backwards, turn round three times and then advance three steps and blow out the candle. If he fails he must pay a forfeit. It will be found that very few are able to succeed, simple though the test appears to be.

CAT AND MOUSE

All players form a ring, joining hands, except one called the Mouse, whom they enclose within the circle, and one who is on the outside who represents the cat. They then dance around, raising their arms at intervals. The cat watches the chance to spring into the circle at one side, and the mouse dashes out at the other--public sympathy being with the mouse, his or her movements are aided when possible. When the cat is in the circle, the players lower their arms so as to keep the enemy prisoner. The cat goes around meekly, crying "mew," while the rest dance around her. With a sudden "miaou!" she tries to break through any weak place in the chain of hands.

As soon as she escapes she tries to catch the mouse, who runs for safety into the ring again, hotly pursued. If the cat is so near as to follow the mouse into the ring, before her entrance can be prevented, or if she catches the mouse outside the circle, the mouse must pay a forfeit. Two more players are then named by the cat and mouse to succeed them.

THE CLAIRVOYANT

The clairvoyant goes out of the room, undertaking to name the person whom his confederate shall point out.

The door being shut upon the clairvoyant the confederate points to one whom we will call Mr. B.

"At whom am I pointing?" he queries.

"At Mr. B.," replies the clairvoyant.

The trick is for the clairvoyant and his confederate to arrange between them that the person who speaks last before the clairvoyant leaves the room is the person to be pointed at.

THE CUSHION DANCE

The children first of all divide themselves into two parties. They then form a ring, and commence dancing round a ha.s.sock which is placed, end upwards, in the middle of the room. Suddenly one party endeavours to pull the other party forward, so as to force one of their number to kick the ha.s.sock and upset it.

The player who has been unfortunate enough to touch the ha.s.sock has then to leave the circle. The game proceeds until only two remain; if these two happen to be boys the struggle is generally prolonged, as they can so easily jump over the ha.s.sock, and avoid kicking it.

"CHANGE SEATS: THE KING'S COME."

In this game as many seats are placed round the room as will seat all the players but one. This one stands in the middle of the room, repeating the words: "Change seats, change seats;" but no one moves unless he says: "Change seats: the king's come."

Then all must change seats. In the bustle the one standing can generally manage to secure a seat, when the person left out must take his place.

The person in the centre may tell a story if he chooses, bringing in the words; "Change seats," occasionally, and sometimes he may say slyly: "The king's not come," when everyone should, of course, remain seated; but some are sure to mistake the words for "The king's come," and jump up, when the centre player can slip into a seat.

DUCK UNDER THE WATER

Each child chooses a partner and stands opposite to her, so that two long lines are formed. Each couple holds a handkerchief between them, as high as they can lift their arms, so as to form an arch. The couple standing at the top of the lines run through the arch without letting go their handkerchief, and station themselves at the bottom of the lines, raising their handkerchief again so as to continue the arch. This is done by each couple in succession until all have had a turn. Whoever breaks the arch or drops the handkerchief must pay a forfeit.

THE GARDENER

Any number of children can play. One is chosen as leader and is called the "gardener."

All the children sit in a circle and the "gardener" gives each one in turn the name of some flower. When all are named the "gardener" stands in the centre of the circle and tells how he has gone to the woods to gather certain flowers; how he has transplanted them to form a lovely garden; the care he has to take of them, and so on, telling quite a long story and bringing in the names of all the flowers he has given to the children.

As a flower is mentioned, the child who has that name rises, turns around, and sits down again. Anyone who fails to rise when his flower is named must pay a forfeit. When the gardener says something about a bouquet, all the children rise and exchange seats. Then the "gardener"

tries to get a seat, and if he succeeds, the person who has no seat becomes the "gardener" and the game goes on as before.

GOING TO JERUSALEM

A row of chairs, facing alternately different ways, is placed through the centre of the room--a chair for every player except one.

Some one at the piano plays a lively air, first fast, then slow, very loud, then low--while the children march around the chairs without touching them, keeping time with the music. When the music suddenly stops, all rush for a seat. A chair must be taken away each time the marching recommences--until but two chairs remain, when the excitement becomes intense. The one who at the moment that the music ceases has the good fortune to seat himself or herself in the one chair remaining wins the game and perhaps a prize.

GAME OF CAT

The person who is to play the part of Cat should stand outside of the door of the room where the company is a.s.sembled. The boys and girls, in turn, come to the other side of the door and call out "miaou."

If the Cat outside recognizes a friend by the cry, and calls out her name correctly in return, he is allowed to enter the room and embrace her, and the latter then takes the place of Cat.

If, on the contrary, the Cat cannot recognize the voice, he is hissed, and remains outside until he is able to do so.