Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium by Jessie Hubbell Bancroft (top novels of all time .txt) π
In the arrangement of material there has many times been a strong temptation to classify the games by their historic, geographic, psychologic, or educational interests; by the playing elements contained in them; or by several other possible methods which are of interest chiefly to the academic student; but these have each in turn been discarded in favor of the original intention of making the book preΓ«minently a useful working manual for the player or leader of games.
[Sidenote: Varying modes of play]
The same games are found not only in many different countries and localities, but under different names and with many variations in the form of playing them. This has necessitated a method of an
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The blindfold player then goes up to any one in the circle, and by feeling over the face and head with the bowls of the spoons must identify the player. He may not feel on the shoulders or around the neck, only on the face and head. A player may stoop to disguise his height for this, but otherwise may not evade the touch of the spoons. If the blindfold player correctly identifies the one before him, they exchange places. If incorrect in his guess, the play is repeated.
This may be a very amusing game for either children or adults. The author has seen it played with great success under both conditions.
SQUIRREL AND NUT10 to 60 players.
Schoolroom.
All of the pupils but one sit at their desks with heads bowed on the arms as though sleeping, but each with a hand outstretched. The odd player, who is the squirrel, and carries a nut, runs on tiptoe up and down through the aisles, and at his or her discretion drops the nut into one of the waiting hands. The player who gets the nut at once jumps up from his seat and chases the squirrel, who is safe only when he reaches his nest (seat). Should the squirrel be caught before he reaches his nest, he must be squirrel the second time. Otherwise the player who received the nut becomes the next squirrel.
It is scarcely necessary to say that the other players wake up to watch the chase.
SQUIRREL IN TREES10 to 100 players.
Schoolroom; playground; gymnasium.
This game is very like Hound and Rabbit, but is a little less exciting, and under some circumstances better adapted to very young children.
Most of the players stand in groups of three, with hands on each other's shoulders, forming hollow trees. In each tree is a player representing a squirrel, and there is also one odd squirrel without a tree. The teacher or leader claps her hands, when all of the players must run for other trees, and the odd squirrel tries to secure a tree, the one who is left out being the odd squirrel next time.
STAGE COACH10 to 60 or more players.
Parlor; schoolroom; gymnasium.
A leader is chosen who has a faculty for telling a story. This leader gives to each of the players the name of some part of a stage coach or of its contents. Thus, one may be the whip, one the wheels, one the cushions, one the windows, others the brake, driver, harness, horses, passengers, including specifically the fat old gentleman, the woman with the bandbox, etc.
Where there are many players, several may be given the same name, though it is desirable that these should not all be seated near together. The leader then tells a story in which the various parts of a stage coach are mentioned, and whenever he names one of these parts or articles, the player or players bearing that name must get up instantly, whirl around once, and sit down again. Any player failing to do this must pay a forfeit. Whenever the story teller says "Stage Coach!" all of the players must get up and turn around. At the end of this story he will manage to have the stage coach meet with a catastrophe, and as soon as he says "The stage coach upset!" all of the players must change seats. The leader takes this opportunity to secure one for himself, and the player who is left without a seat becomes leader for the next game, or must distribute the forfeits. For large numbers there should be several more players than chairs.
The leader may say, for example: "It being a beautiful spring day, the old lady with the bandbox [here the old lady must get up and turn around] decided to visit her daughter, and so took a seat in the stage coach [everybody turns around]; she found the cushions [cushions turn around] very comfortable until the fat old gentleman [fat old gentleman turns around] got in, when the place seemed to her very crowded, and she was glad to open the windows; the driver cracked his whip, the wheels creaked, the horses strained at the harness, and away they started on their journey," etc.
The interest of the game may be enhanced by connecting the stage coach, its passengers, and journey with some well-known story, as of Mr. Pickwick and Sam Weller, or Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.
STAKE GUARD10 to 30 players.
Playground; gymnasium.
This game is one of the forms of Duck on a Rock, and in this form is well adapted to use indoors as well as out of doors. The game differs from the ordinary games of Duck on a Rock chiefly in the limited territory to which the guard is confined.
A stake is driven in the ground (or if in a gymnasium, an Indian club is placed) in the center of a square plainly marked, and measuring from eight to twelve feet. A throwing line is drawn twenty or more feet from the stake. The game is played with bean bags, and begins with the choice of a guard. This choice is made by all of the players standing on the throwing line and throwing their bags at the stake. The player whose bag falls farthest away from the stake becomes the first guard.
The stake guard places his bag on top of the stake (or club). The other players line up on the throwing line. Upon a given signal from a leader or captain, all of the players throw their bags simultaneously at the stake, trying to displace the bag on top of it. Knocking over the club accomplishes the same purpose. Each player must then try to regain his bag, but in doing this he may be tagged by the guard. If this be done, he changes places with the guard. The guard may only tag a player, however, within the limits of the square surrounding the stake, beyond which he may not go; and he may do this only after he has replaced his own bag on top of the stake.
Any player failing to recover his bag at once will watch for an opportunity to do so when the guard is next occupied in replacing his own bag. Any player thus waiting for his bag may linger near the boundaries of the center square.
Should the guard succeed in tagging a player within the square, that player must at once place his own bag on the stake; and the guard must try to get his bag and escape from the square before this new guard can place his bag and tag him. As soon as a player recovers his bag and escapes from the center square, he should go at once to the starting line, and may throw again immediately for the center bag. The game progresses better, however, if all of the throwing be done simultaneously, the returning players waiting for a signal from the leader before throwing.
As players become proficient, the game may be made more skillful and interesting by increasing the distance between the throwing line and the stake, and also by lessening the size of the square drawn around the stake, in which the guard is confined.
STEALING STICKS10 to 30 or more players.
Playground; gymnasium.
The ground is divided into two equal parts, with a small goal marked off at the rear of each part, in which six sticks are placed. Each player who reaches the enemy's goal safely may carry one stick back to his own goal, and may not be caught while carrying it back. If caught in the enemy's territory before reaching the goal, a player must remain a prisoner in the goal until touched by one of his own side; neither may be caught while returning. Any player may catch any opponent, except under the rules just stated. No stick may be taken by a side while any of its men are prisoners. The game is won by the side gaining all of the sticks.
This game is known also by the name of Scots and English and probably originated in border warfare. The players sometimes contribute some article of wearing apparel to the pile of property that is to be stolen instead of using sticks for the purpose. Caps and coats are the usual donations.
STEP5 to 30 or more players.
Playground; gymnasium.
The ground is marked off by two parallel lines from fifty to two hundred feet apart. One player, who is chosen to be counter, stands on one of these lines with his back to the other players, who line up on the opposite line.
The object of the game is for the players who are lined up in the rear to advance forward until they cross the line where the counter is stationed. They may only advance, however, by short stages, during which the player in front counts ten.
The game starts by this forward player counting ten loudly and rapidly, the other players moving forward while he does this, but immediately that he says "Ten!" they must stand still, and he at once turns to look at them. He will call the name of any player or players whom he sees moving, and any so called must go back to the starting line and begin over again. This counting of ten by the one player and moving forward of the others continues until all have crossed the line where the counter stands. The last one over changes places with him for the next game.
This game is a great favorite, especially with girls, though the writer has known many boys to play it persistently. The players will learn to use much caution in moving forward, often stopping before the count of ten, to be sure that they shall not be caught in motion. The progress thus made may seem slower than that of those who dash forward to the last moment, but as with the famous hare and tortoise, this slower but continuous method often wins.
STILL POND; NO MORE MOVING!5 to 30 or more players.
Parlor; gymnasium; playground.
One player is blindfolded; the others scatter promiscuously. The blindfolded player is led to the center of the playground, and asked:β
"How many horses has your father in his stable?"
He replies, "Three."
"What color are they?"
"Black, white, and gray."
"Turn around three times and catch whom you may."
The blindfolded player is then spun around so as to confuse his sense of direction. He then says, "Still pond; no more moving!" whereupon the other players must stand still, being allowed only three steps thereafter. The blindfolded player begins to grope for the others. When he catches one, he must guess by touching the hair, dress, etc., whom he has caught. If he guesses correctly, the player changes places with him. If incorrectly, he must go on with his search. The players may resort to any reasonable devices for escaping the hands of the groping blind man, such as stooping or dodging, so long as they do not take more than three steps. When caught, a player may try to disguise his identity by making himself shorter, etc.
STONE10 to 30 or more players.
Playground; gymnasium.
A large circle is drawn on the ground or floor in the center of the play space. At either end of the ground a goal is marked off. One player, chosen to be stone, sits on the floor in the circle. The other players stand around outside the circle, taunting the stone by stepping over into his territory. Suddenly, and the more unexpectedly the better, the stone rises and runs for the other players, who
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