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

Two players can play this game as well as nine, each taking as many slides of the disk as is necessary to reach a base or get out. Then the other player does the same until the team has three out.

Blocks or stones can indicate the position of players on bases if only one disk is used in the game.

Chic-a-dee

This is a good game to be played in the loft of a barn. One player is blindfolded and sits on the floor with legs folded under him, Chinese fashion. The other players creep up and say "Chic-a-dee" as near his ear as possible. He tries to hit said player before he can get beyond his reach, using a salt bag stuffed with leaves, or some type of padded stick. Should he succeed, the one he hits is blindfolded and the game continues.

Captain Kidd's Gold

This is a good game in which all the members of a family may find pleasure. It develops one's power of observation and memory. A small coin is hidden somewhere about the yard or in the woods, wherever the game may be played, by one of the players. All of the other players must be either blindfolded or placed in a position where they cannot see the player who is hiding the coin.

The player having hidden the coin returns to the group and describes just how they are to find same. For illustration:—he gives the following description of the course to follow. "Walk twenty paces in a direct line towards the apple tree at the far end of the garden. There you will find a small stone upon a larger one. Under the small stone you will find an arrow scratched upon the larger one. Follow the directions of this arrow fifteen paces. Then turn sharply to the left, go ten paces, and underneath a stone will be found Captain Kidd's Gold." The players may ask him to repeat the directions once. After repeating, however, they must follow the direction without further questioning. The one successful in finding the coin next hides the same.

This game can be made simple enough for small children to enjoy or difficult enough to prove a problem for adults.

Bird Hunt

Names of different birds are written on small slips of paper and pinned upon the backs of all the guests. A small card and a pencil are given to each guest and they are instructed to go on a bird hunt. They proceed to try to read the names on the backs of twenty other players. The one first succeeding in getting the names of twenty birds wins the game. Each player endeavors to avoid having the slip on his own back read as he endeavors to read those on the backs of the others.

My Month

Twelve placards with the name of a month of the year on each are posted about the room, and the players are instructed to gather around that placard bearing the name of the month in which they were born. Then each group in turn is called upon to select some activity typical for that month and to act it out. The others endeavor to guess the month by the activity represented.

Poison Circle

The group marches in couples around the room while a march is being played intermittedly on some instrument. Small rugs are placed in the path of the marchers or circles are drawn on the floor, through which the marchers must pass. If any couple is left on a rug or within a circle when the music stops playing, that couple drops out of the march. All march forward again when the music starts and try to avoid being caught on a rug or in a circle. The last couple in wins.

Shoe Hunt

Advertisements of shoes are cut out and the illustrations of pairs of shoes are halved. These are hidden around the room. The individual finding the largest number of pairs of shoes wins. Players are allowed to trade with each other in order to complete their pairs.

Matching Advertisements

Advertisements are cut from magazines and each advertisement is divided by irregular cuts into two halves. One half is placed in the pile to be distributed among the men; the other half to be distributed among the ladies. These halved advertisements are distributed among the guests and the men seek their partners by finding the other half of the magazine advertisement matching their own.

Matching Proverbs

Familiar proverbs are divided into groups of three or four words. These are distributed among the guests. There should be at least two words, and preferably more, on each slip. Each individual then seeks to find those others holding the words which complete his proverb.

Example—The proverb, "A stitch in time saves nine", is chosen. On one sheet of paper is put "A stitch"; on another "in time"; and on another "saves nine".

When the individuals necessary to make the complete proverb have gathered together, they represent their proverb by pantomime to the others.

Mixing March

The group, arranged in couples, forms a circle with the ladies on the inside facing their partners. When the music starts playing, the partners separate, both going to the right about the circle. This means that the ladies go in one direction and the men in the other. When the music again stops, the men will be opposite new partners and these partners must face each other and converse on some subject suggested by the leader. When the music again starts the conversation ends and both groups again continue their march in opposite directions and so the game continues. It is suggested, if the group be large and not well acquainted, that each time a new partner is faced for conversation, hands are shaken and names and places of residence given.

Musical Medley

This game is similar to the game entitled "Matching Proverbs", except that different lines of songs are distributed among the guests present and each seeks to find the individuals holding the lines necessary to complete his song. When all are located they get together and practice their song in preparation to sing it to the rest of the group or act it in pantomime.

Puzzled Words

Words are written out on slips of paper and then cut into single letters. Each letter going to make up a word is given the same number.

For example, in the word "battle", number each letter of "Battle" No. 1. All of the number 1's are told to get together, discover what their word is and when their number is called, act it out for the group to guess.

Trip Around the World

Various articles are distributed around the room, each representative of some country. For illustration, a package of tea, representing China; a shamrock, representing Ireland; a maple leaf, representing Canada.

A slip of paper and a pencil are given to each member of the group, who endeavors to guess what country each article suggests.

Bean Penalty

Each guest, upon entering the room, is given ten beans and instructed to ask questions of each other. Should a question be answered by either yes or no, the individual so answering must surrender a bean to the one asking the question. At the end of the playing period, the individual having the largest number of beans is the winner.

Biographic Cartoons

Each individual is given a cardboard 12×15 inches, an old magazine, containing numerous ads, a pair of scissors, and is instructed to write the biography of his right hand neighbor, using the advertisements cut from the papers to illustrate the same. In writing the biography as few words should be used as possible. The biographical sketch should be placed upon the cardboard. Mucilage should be available for the purpose of sticking on the illustrations, and pens and pencils for the necessary writing. Some award can be given to the one making the best biography.

Illustrated Songs

Each member of the group is given a sheet of paper and a pencil and is instructed to draw thereupon a picture or pictures illustrating the title of some song. (Illustration: One individual decides to illustrate the title of "Home, Sweet Home". He proceeds to draw the picture of a house, a sugar bowl, and another picture of a house.)

When sufficient time has been allowed for all to complete their illustrations, they are numbered and placed on exhibition. Each member of the group endeavors to guess as many of the illustrations as he can, placing his guess after the number of the illustration. The illustration which is guessed correctly by the largest number, wins for its artist.

Smiles

The group forms in couples and marches around the room. They are then subdivided into from four to eight smaller groups. These are stationed in various parts of the room and the ladies are lined up facing the men. They try in every conceivable way to make the men smile or laugh. Any one who does so must take a place in the ladies' line. After a few minutes of this, every man in the ladies' line must pay a forfeit, and the men must endeavor to cause the ladies to laugh.

Tea Pot

One member of the group is selected to be "It" and leaves the room. The others decide upon some object or word which "It" is to guess. "It" is called back into the room and each member of the group is to make a sentence including the name of the object to be guessed, using in the sentence the word "Tea Pot" as a substitute for the name of the object.

Illustration—The object determined upon by the group is the piano stool. The first member of the group says, "By turning the 'tea pot' it grows higher".

As soon as "It" guesses the correct object the one whose sentence disclosed what the object was, becomes "It".

Muddled Words

The group is divided into two teams. Each individual is given a slip of paper and takes the name of some animal, bird, or fish, and muddles up the letters so as to make it difficult to recognize the name.

Illustration—g fold chin, for goldfinch.

Any member of the opposing team has the opportunity to guess what the name is. The time it takes for the opposing team to guess is recorded. Any member of the opposing team who has correctly guessed the muddled word can give a muddled word for the first team to guess. The team which succeeds in guessing the muddled word in the shortest time wins one point. The team having the most points at the end wins the game.

Who Are They?

Photographs of prominent individuals