My Book of Indoor Games by Clarence Squareman (good books to read for young adults txt) 📕

story, and for each mistake made she receives a paper horn, which must be stuck somewhere about the head. At the end of the game a forfeit must be paid for each of these horns. "Birds Fly"

This is a very simple game. Each player places a finger on the table, which he must-raise whenever the conductor of the game says: "Birds fly," "Pigeons fly," or any other winged creates "fly."

If he names any creature without wings, such as "Pigs fly," and any player thoughtlessly raises his finger, that player must pay a forfeit, as he must also do if he omits to raise his finger when a winged creature is named.

I Say Stoop

Teacher says to the class: "I say stoop."

Upon the word stoop all the children must stoop. If they do not they must be seated. The teacher must say "I say stand." The children must stand. If they do not they must be seated.

This game will cause the children to think quickly, and to act quickly.

The teacher can say: "I say fold the hands behind the back.

"I say take a deep breath of air."

"I say hands on hips."

"I say raise the arms over the head."

Anything else may be substituted; those who are slow to act and think must be seated.

The one who remains standing the longest wins.

Flag Race

Players seated at desks. Rows need not be full, but there must be same number in each row. Choose a player to stand in front of each row to hold the flag, and another to stand at the rear of each row. At the signal the rear player of each row rises, runs to the front, takes the flag from the one holding it, carries it to the one standing at the rear, and takes his seat. As soon as he is seated the next player goes and takes the flag back to the player in front. This continues till all have run. Be sure that no team has an unfair advantage because of the positions taken by the flag holders.

Squirrel and Nut

Players all seated, but one, heads on desks and eyes covered, one hand open on desk with palm up. The odd player is a squirrel and passes up and down between the rows and puts a nut in the hand of some player.... This one rises and chases the squirrel. If the squirrel is caught before he can reach his own seat, the one who caught him becomes squirrel; if the squirrel is not caught, he can be squirrel again.

Racing and Counting Scores

Make a scoreboard on the blackboard, indicating each row by a number of letter. Players run as in "Racing" (First Grade, First Half Year). Have front players run, tag front wall and return to seats, sit erect; mark score; others in a similar manner. Repeat, runners tagging rear wall. See which row has largest score.

School-room Basket Ball

Place a basket in the front seat of the second row and another in the front seat of next to last row. Draw a throwing line on floor 20 feet from each basket. At some time beforehand choose four captains and have these captains choose teams, choosing in turn. Teams stand at least two rows apart and behind throwing line, each team having a ball. Captains stand beyond baskets, two captains at same basket. Each captain passes the ball in turn to his players and they throw for the basket. Team throwing the most baskets in a round wins one point, first to get five points wins the contest.

Last Man

Players seated at desks. Rows playing must be full rows. The game is much like "Fox and Squirrel" (see First Grade, Second Half Year). One player is "it," and there is one runner, besides the full rows of seats. The runner may come to the front of any row and call "Last Man," and then each player in that row must move back one place, leaving the front seat for the runner, who is now safe. The last one in the rear of the row will be out of a place and thus becomes runner. When a runner is tagged, he is "it," and the one who caught him becomes runner and must get out of the way at once.

Changing Seats

Players seated at desks. When teacher commands "Change right," all move one place to right and the right hand row stands. In like manner the command may be "Change front," "Change back," or "Change left." At first it is best to follow each change by the reverse, so as to allow those standing to get seats, but later they may be told that they must run to the vacant seats on the opposite side or end of the room. Leaders may be chosen to act in place of the teacher.

Huckle, Buckle, Beanstalk

The children close their eyes and put their heads on their desks. A small object—a thimble or button—is placed in plain sight. At a signal, the children move about the room, and when they see it, take their seats without making any sign of its whereabouts. The first one to see it may hide it the next time.

Blackboard Relay

This is like the blackboard relay played in the third grade, but instead of marks and letters, words must be written; these may be required to form a sentence, numbers may be written and afterwards added, subtracted, etc., by the succeeding players, or each player may write his own name. It is often interesting to have the last player required to erase all his team has written, or each child may erase his own writing, passing the eraser as he did the chalk.

Hide the Thimble

One child goes out of the room. A thimble or button is placed in plain sight by another child. The one who was sent out is then guided to the object by the clapping of the children—soft clapping for "cold," and louder for "warm."

Suggestive Breathing Work

1. March winds whistling through the trees. Inhale a deep breath and imitate the wind.

2. Keeping a feather in the air. Run with head back and blow short breaths, keeping an imaginary feather from falling to the ground.

3. Making Ocean Waves. By blowing the water in a large basin.

The Fox Chase

Four farmers are in their home in the country enjoying a quiet evening.

They hear a sound outside, they watch and listen and decide that the foxes are near the cabin. They wait until they are very close, then give chase—and catch as many as they can before the foxes have reached their home in the forest. All caught become farmers and help to catch the rest.

Poison

The players join hands to form a circle. About ten erasers are placed in the center of the circle, with spaces between them through which a player might step. The players then try by means of pushing or pulling their comrades by means of clasped hands, to make them knock over the erasers. Any player who knocks over an eraser or who unclasps hands must take his seat, the erasers again being replaced. The first players so leaving the circle form a scrub circle. The player wins who remains longest in the first circle.

Slap-Jack

All the pupils are seated except one. The odd player walks or runs through the aisles, touching some player, and runs around the room in the direction he is going. The one touched immediately leaves his seat, and runs around the room in the opposite direction. The first one back in the empty seat wins.

Dodging through the aisles to shorten the distance is not allowed. The run must be around the outside of the room.

Crow's Race

All players form in a straight line. Grasp just above ankles and on "Go," run a very short distance and return, keeping hold above ankles all the time.

Riding the Bicycle

Hands in position in front, as though grasping the handle-bars, running in place with lifting the knee high and pointing toe to the ground. The same movement, traveling forward with short, quick steps.

Cat and Rat

Children form a circle around the room, with hands joined. A "cat" is chosen to stand outside the circle, a "rat" to stand inside. The players are friends of the rat, and raise their arms to let him under, but keep them down when the cat tries to get through. The cat chases the rat in and out of the circle, among desks and over seats, till the "rat" is caught, when a new cat and rat are chosen.

Jumping the Rope

This makes a splendid combination exercise. Swing the arms in a large circle, as though swinging the rope, and jump each time that the rope comes down. Travel forward with the same exercises, jumping and landing on one foot instead of both.

Teacher

The children stand or sit in one line. One is teacher and he or she throws a bean bag or soft ball in rotation down the line, the child missing goes to the front. When the teacher misses he or she goes to the foot and the child at the head becomes teacher. No bad or swift throws are counted.

Bird-Catcher

This game is a great favorite with all the children, even in the upper grades. Two players are chosen as bird-catchers, and stand in one corner of the room. The "mother-bird" is chosen to stand in another "nest" in the other front corner of the room. The other players are named in groups (those in one row of seats usually) for various birds, "robins," "wrens," etc. As the name of each group of birds is called, they go to the back of the room, and, at a signal, run to the "mother-bird's nest." The bird-catchers try to catch them before they reach it. The "birds" dodge in and out among the desks, jumping over the seats, etc. The mother-bird and bird-catchers count their birds at the end of the game, and all "fly" back to their seats; that is, wave their arms and skip to their seats.

Tag Me, or Heads Up

The pupils, upon the command of the player who is the leader and stands in front of the class, fold their arms upon the desk and lower the head upon the arms. The leader has an eraser or other article which he places upon one of the desks. He commands "Heads up" and the pupils raise their heads. The one finding the eraser on his seat rises and chases the leader. If he catches him he becomes the leader; if not, the first one is again the leader. If they fail to catch him after two trials he chooses another leader.

An Eraser Game

A boy places a rubber eraser, or any small object, on the desk of a girl. She takes the eraser and chases him around the room to his seat. If she tags him, he goes to the corner to stand, with others who are caught, till the end of the game. The girl then puts the eraser on a boy's desk, and the game continues.

Circle Ball

Children stand in a circle around the room; one stands in the center, with a bean bag or ball, and makes quick throws to children in different parts of the circle.

Seat Tag—A School-room Game

The one starting the game runs and tags someone near and gets to that child's seat as quickly as he can. The child tries to tag him on the way. If he tags him the one tagged must go in the mush pot, that is, to go to the front of the room and sit down. The