Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium by Jessie Hubbell Bancroft (top novels of all time .txt) 📕

CATCH PENNY.—One elbow is raised level with the shoulder, the arm being bent to bring the hand toward the chest. Three or four pennies are placed in a pile on the bent elbow. Suddenly the elbow is dropped and the same hand moved downward quickly in an effort to catch the pennies before they fall to the ground.

CHINESE GET-UP.—Two persons sit on the floor back to back with arms locked, and retaining such relative positions they try to stand upright.

COIN AND CARD SNAP.—Balance a visiting card on the tip of the middle or forefinger. On top of the card place a dime or nickle; this should be exactly over the tip of the finger and in the middle of the card. Snap the edge of the card with a finger of the other hand, so that the card will be shot from under the coin and leave the coin balanced on the finger.

DOG COLLAR.—Two players on hands and knees on a mat, rug, or cushion, face each other with about three feet distance between them. A knotted towel or a strap, or anything that will not chafe or cut the flesh, is thrown over both heads like a collar, being long enough to encircle the two. The head should be held well upward to prevent this from slipping off. At a signal, the players pull against each other, each trying to pull the opponent from the mat or to pull the collar from around his neck.

DOG JUMP.—The performer holds a stick horizontally between the forefingers of his hands, pressing with the fingers to keep it from falling. Keeping the stick in this position, he should jump over it forward and then backward. The same feat may be performed by pressing together the middle fingers of the two hands without a stick and jumping over them forward and backward, as a dog jumps through curved arms.

DOT AND CARRY TWO.—This is a spectacular feat of strength for three performers, A, B, and C. They stand in line, side by side, A standing in the center with B on his right and C on his left. He stoops down and passes his right hand behind the left thigh of B, and clasps B's right hand. He then passes his left hand behind C's right thigh, and takes hold of C's left hand. B and C pass each one arm around A's neck, and A, by raising himself gradually to a standing position, will find that he is able to lift the other two from the ground.

HAND STAND SALUTE.—A player is required to stand on his hands with legs stretched at full length in the air, and then wriggle the feet at the ankles.

HEEL AND TOE SPRING.—A line is drawn on the floor. The performer places his heels against this line, bends down, grasps the toes with the fingers underneath the feet and pointing backward toward the heels. He then leans forward slightly to get an impetus, and jumps backward over the line.

This same feat may be reversed. Standing in the same position, the performer toes a line and jumps over it forward.

JUG HANDLE.—The performer places his hands across the chest, with the tips of the middle fingers touching and the elbows extending on each side like a jug handle. Another player tries to pull the arms apart, either by working at them separately or together. Jerking is not permissible; the pull must be steady.

Until one has tried this, it is surprising to find that even a strong person cannot overcome a weaker one in this position.

LAST AND FIRST.—Place one foot immediately behind the other. On the rear foot place a small object, such as a light book, a slipper, or a small stick. With a sudden movement lift the forward foot, at the same instant hopping on the rear foot with a kicking movement forward, so as to throw the object forward beyond a given mark.

LATH AND PLASTER.—Rub the top of the head with one hand, and simultaneously pat the chest with the other hand. Reverse the movement, patting the head and rubbing the chest. Do each of these things with the hands changed, the hand that was on the chest being placed on the head, and vice versa.

PICK ME UP.—The performer is required to stand against the wall, drop a handkerchief at his feet, and without bending the knees stoop and pick up the handkerchief.

PICK UP AND PUSH UP.—A line is drawn about two feet from a wall, which is toed by the performer, facing the wall. Between the line and the wall is placed a stool directly in front of the performer. The player leans forward, puts the top of his head against the wall, picks up the stool with his hands, and pushes himself backward to an upright position, getting an impetus from the head only, and lifting the stool as he does so.

PINCUSHION.—On a chair having a cane or rush or wooden bottom a pin is stuck on the edge of the seat, or just under the edge, well around on one side toward the back. The performer starts sitting in the chair, and without leaving it, or touching his hands or feet to the floor, must reach around so as to remove the pin with his teeth.

PRAY DO.—A line is marked on the floor. The performer stands with his toes on the line, and without using his hands or moving his feet, kneels down and gets up again.

RABBIT HOP.—This should be done on a soft mat or cushion. The performer kneels; then sits back on the heels and grasps the insteps with his hands. From this position he leans suddenly forward, and while doing so pulls the feet up from the floor. In the instant that his weight is released, he hitches forward on the knees, the two knees moving forward alternately.

ROTARY.—Raise both arms above the head. Move both with a rotary motion in opposite directions, describing a circle in the air, with the right hand moving forward and with the left moving backward simultaneously.

Extend both arms in slanting position downward from the shoulders, elbows straight. Describe circles in the air with both arms, the hands at about the level of the hips, the right turning forward and the left backward.

"RUBBER NECK."—In this feat a kneeling performer is required to pick a card up from the floor with his teeth, both hands being behind his back. The card is placed in front of him at the length of his forearm and hand from one knee. This distance is measured by placing the elbow against the knee and stretching the forearm and the hand at full length on the floor; the point which the middle finger reaches is the point at which the card must be placed. The card has the ends folded down so as to rest like a small table on the floor. The nearer edge of it must rest on the line determined as above specified.

SCALES.—Hold a weight out at arm's length for a given time.

SIAMESE TWINS.—Two players (two boys or two girls), of about the same height and weight, stand back to back and lock arms. The object is to walk in one direction, using first the legs of one player and then those of the other. This may be done by one player moving his feet forward slightly. This is accomplished by both bending the knees, and the player on the side toward which progress is to be made sliding his feet forward. Bracing his feet in the new position, he straightens his entire body upright, drawing the rear player after him until both are in the same relative position as at the start. This constitutes one step, and is repeated over as long a distance as may be specified or desired.