School, Church, and Home Games by George Orrin Draper (top books of all time .txt) 📕

Who Is It?

A sheet is hung up in a doorway. The group is divided into two teams. One group goes behind the sheet. A small hole is cut in the sheet. The members of the group behind the sheet take turns in sticking their noses through the hole in the sheet. The group on the inside attempts to guess whose nose protrudes through the sheet in the order in which they are exhibited. One member of the group behind the sheet keeps a record of the order in which individuals of that group display their noses, so that this can be checked up with the guesses of the other team. After all the noses have been displayed the group returns to its place in the room and listens to the guesses.

Then the other group goes out and they display their noses. The group making the largest number of correct guesses wins.

A modification of this game is made by showing the eye through the hole in the sheet instead of the nose, and the group in front of the sheet endeavors to guess whose eye it is.

Trades

The men are lined up on one side of the room. To each is given three or four buttons, a needle and thread, and a piece of cloth. They race to see which can sew the buttons in a straight line on the piece of cloth, securely, in the quickest time.

The women are lined up on the opposite side of the room before a plank. To each is given a hammer and six or eight nails. They race to see who first can drive the nails into the plank without bending them over.

Rooster

Ten or twenty are as many as can well play this game. The group is arranged in seats around the room. The leader starts the game by saying, "My father had a rooster". His left hand neighbor says, "A what?" The leader answers, "A rooster". The left hand neighbor then turns to his left hand neighbor and says, "My father had a rooster", and that neighbor says, "A what?", and his answer is "A rooster". This question is asked of each left hand neighbor until it has travelled around the room. When it becomes the leader's turn, he again says, "My father had a rooster", and his left hand neighbor says, "A what?". He answers, "A rooster". The left hand neighbor says, "Could he crow?" And the leader answers, "Crow he could". This dialogue is passed on around the room, each repeating the exact words of the leader to his left hand neighbor.

When it again becomes the leader's turn, he repeats the dialogue previously used and his left hand neighbor inquires, "How could he crow?" And the leader replies, "Cock-a-doodle-do", imitating a rooster. This is passed around the room. No one is supposed to laugh during the whole game. Whoever does may either pay a forfeit or is out of the game. It is well to have a player who knows the game sit next to the leader, so that it may start correctly.

Poor Pussy

The group is arranged in a circle around the room. One player is selected to be "Pussy" and takes his place in the centre of the group. He takes a position on all fours before each member of the group, in turn saying "Meow". Thereupon the one before whom he is kneeling must stroke the back of his head and say, "Poor pussy". Pussy meows three times and in return for each meow has the back of his head stroked and is addressed, "Poor pussy". Should the one patting pussy laugh during the performance, he must take pussy's place.

Gossiping

The group is arranged in a circle around the room. The leader whispers some information to his left hand neighbor, remembering the exact sentence or sentences. His left hand neighbor is expected to whisper the same information to the next left hand neighbor and so it is passed around the circle until it is returned to the leader. The leader then tells what the original sentence was, and tells what it is after passing from ear to ear about the group.

Analogues

A member of the group thinks of some object, and without disclosing to the other members of the group what he is thinking about, he addresses in turn all of the others, asking, "What is my thought like?" The first one addressed, without having any idea as to what the leader has in mind, says, "Like a star". The second in answer to his question, says, "Like a book", and so every one is given an opportunity to state what they think his thought is like. Then the leader tells the group the thing he had in mind, which, we will say for illustration, was a fountain pen. He then asks the one who suggested that it was like a star why his fountain pen was like a star. Thereupon that one must give some reason why he thought it was like a star and replies, "Your fountain pen is like a star because it can enlighten the world". The next one says, "The fountain pen is like a book because it has the possibility of conveying thoughts", and so every one in the group must give the why of his previous answer. This demands quick thinking and initiative on the part of the players.

Ghost

The group sits in a circle about the room. The leader starts the game by giving a letter of the alphabet. The one at his left adds a letter to the first with the view of making a word. The third adds another letter and so the game continues.

Illustration—The leader gives the letter "a". The one at his left, thinking of the word "adds" adds "d". The third one, thinking of the word "advertisement", adds "v". The fourth, thinking of the word "adversity" adds "e", and so the word continues to grow.

If one finishes the word or completes a word without realizing it, that one is given the title of "Half-ghost". Anyone speaking to the Half-ghost, becomes a Half-ghost. Should a half-ghost chance to finish another word when it again becomes his turn to add a letter to the spelling of a word, then the Half-ghost becomes a Full-ghost and is out of the game. Any one speaking to a Full-ghost becomes a Full-ghost. Full-ghosts and Half-ghosts naturally endeavor to get as many others into their class as possible, so between thinking of letters to complete the word in turn and avoiding becoming ghosts, the group is kept in a very difficult frame of mind. The game continues until there are no players who have failed to qualify as Half-ghosts or Full-ghosts.

Charades

Five of the group are selected to act out a charade. These five act out a word in pantomime. While they are doing this a second group of five is selected and prepares to act out another word, immediately following the presentation by the first group. The audience is given three minutes to guess each charade. Should it succeed in doing this, then the members of the group each choose a substitute for themselves, thus making a third group of five. While this last group is preparing a charade, the second group is putting on its pantomime, and so the game continues. If the audience fails to guess the word within the required time, then the same group is given an opportunity to act another word. Good charade words are as follows: