Games for Everybody Part 6

Slip a ring on a long piece of string having the ends knotted together. The players stand in a circle and the string pa.s.ses through their closed hands. Each makes the motions of pa.s.sing something.

The ring circulates from one to another, while a player in the middle tries to find it. As soon as the ring is found, the person in whose hands it was takes his place, and the ring is pa.s.sed as before.

HUNT THE SLIPPER.

All the children except one sit on the floor in a circle, with their knees raised. The one left out brings a slipper, and handing it to one child says:

"Cobbler, cobbler, mend my shoe, Get it done by quarter-past two."

He walks to the other side of the room and in a minute comes back and asks if the shoe is done. In the meantime the slipper is being pa.s.sed from one to the other, under their knees.

The child who is asked if the slipper is done says she thinks her neighbor has it, the neighbor is asked and receiving the same answer the one hunting it goes from one to the other until the slipper is found. If it takes too long for him to find it, the slipper may be tossed across the circle, so it will be easy to follow it up.

WHAT IS MY THOUGHT LIKE?

All the children except one sit in a circle. This one thinks of something and, standing in the middle of the circle, asks each one in turn: "What is my thought like?"

Each one names some object, and when all have been asked, the leader announces what her thought was and each in turn must prove the resemblance between his answer and the thought. Whoever fails must pay a forfeit.

Suppose the thought is a stove, and No. 1 says: "Like the sun." No. 2, "Like silver," then the second time around No. 1 can say: "A stove is like the sun because they both give heat;" No. 2 can say: "A stove is like silver because they both s.h.i.+ne when well polished," and so on.

ORANGES AND LEMONS.

The two tallest children, one named "Orange," the other "Lemon," join hands and form an arch for the other children to pa.s.s under. The children, holding on to each other's dresses, march in single file and sing:

"'Oranges and lemons,' say the bells of St. Clement's, 'Brickbats and tiles,' say the bells of St. Giles, 'You owe me five farthing,' say the bells of St. Martin's, 'When will you pay me?' say the bells of old Bailey, 'When I grow rich,' say the bells of Sh.o.r.editch, 'When will that be?' say the bells of Stepney, 'I do not know,' says the great bell of Bow.

Here comes a candle to light you to bed, And here comes a chopper to chop off your head."

When the last line is sung the child who is under their arms is caught and asked in a whisper if he will be an orange or lemon. He answers, and joins whichever side he chose, holding the other around the waist. The game continues until all are caught, and then there is a tug-of-war between the oranges and lemons.

RED-HOT POTATO.

The "potato" in this game is a knotted handkerchief. One player is chosen for the center, and the others sit around in a circle. The one in the center throws the "potato" to anyone in the circle. This one must throw it to another player and so on, tossing it, from one to another, and never allowing it to rest.

The player in the center tries to catch it. If he succeeds, the one who last tossed it exchanges places with him, and the game goes on as before.

JUDGE AND JURY.

Arrange the children in two rows, facing each other. The judge sits at one end in the aisle. He asks one of the jury a question (anything he happens to think of). The one who is questioned must not answer, but the child sitting opposite him must reply for him, being careful not to use any of the following words in his answer. Yes, no, black, or white. Some answer must be given, whether it be sensible, or not.

Whoever fails to answer before the judge counts 10, or answers out of turn, or uses any of the forbidden words must either pay a forfeit or become the judge.

REUBEN AND RACHEL.

Blindfold one of the players. All the rest form a ring and dance around him until he points at some one. That one enters the ring and the blindman calls out: "Rachel;" she answers: "Here, Reuben," and moves about in the circle so as to escape being caught by "Reuben."

Every time the blindman calls out "Rachel," she must reply with "Reuben" and thus it goes until finally "Rachel" is caught. "Reuben"

must guess who she is, and if he guesses correctly, "Rachel" is blindfolded and the game goes on as before. If not, the same child is "Reuben" again.

FROG IN THE MIDDLE.

The children form a ring. One, the frog, is chosen out, and he stands in the middle of the circle.

The children, holding hands, dance around him, saying: "Frog in the middle, jump in, jump out, take a stick and poke him out." As the last line is sung, the frog takes one child by the hands and pulls him to the center, exchanging places with him. The children continue dancing around and singing while the frogs jump thick and fast. The game continues until all have been frogs or are tired out.

HORs.e.m.e.n.

This is a rough-and-tumble game for the boys, and must be played either outside, or in a large bare room.

Sides are chosen, the big boys taking the small boys on their back, carrying them "pick-a-back." The one carrying the boy is called the horse, and the other the rider. The sides stand opposite each other and when a signal is given, they rush toward each other, the horses trying to knock down the opposing horses, and the riders trying to dismount each other.

The game continues until a single horse and rider remain, and the side to which they belong wins the game.

MY HOUSE, YOUR HOUSE.

Attach a string to the end of a small stick. At the end of the string make a loop that will slip very easily. On a table make a circle with chalk.

The leader, or fisherman, arranges the loop around the circle and holds the stick in his hand. Whenever he says: "My house," each player must put his first finger inside the circle, and leave it there. When "Your house" is said, the fingers must be withdrawn.

The commands must be given very quickly, and the fisherman must be quick to jerk his rod, thus catching several fingers.