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  GAMES FOR ALL OCCASIONS

  BY
  MARY E. BLAIN

  CHICAGO
  BREWER, BARSE & CO.

  Copyright, 1909
  By Brewer, Barse & Co.




PREFACE


"A Merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance."

The desire to play and frolic seems to be a heritage of mankind. In
infancy and early childhood this joy and exuberance of spirit is given
full sway. In youth, that effervescent stage of human existence, "joy is
unconfined." But in middle age and later life we are prone to stifle
this wholesome atmosphere of happiness, with care and worry and perhaps,
when a vexed or worried feeling has been allowed to control us, even
forbid the children to play at that time. Why not reverse things and
drown care and strife in the well-spring of joy given and received by
reviving the latent spark of childhood and youth; joining in their
pleasures passively or actively and being one of them at heart. So
presuming that "men are but children of a larger growth," the games,
pastimes and entertainments described herewith were collected,
remembered and originated respectively with the view of pleasing all of
the children, from the tiny tot to, and including the "grown-up," each
according to their age and temperament.

  M. E. B.




GAMES FOR TINY TOTS




A RUNNING MAZE

Form a long line of children--one behind the other. The leader starts
running, and is followed by all the rest. They must be sharp enough to
do exactly as the leader does.

After running for a moment or two in the ordinary running step, the
leader changes to a hopping step, then to a marching step, quick time,
then to a marching step, slow time, claps and runs with hands on sides,
hands on shoulders, hands behind, etc.

Finally the leader runs slowly round and round into the centre, and can
either wind the children up tightly or can turn them on nearing the
centre and run out again. For another change the long line can start
running and so unwind the spiral.


BEAN BAG

All stand in a line except one who is the leader who stands a short
distance opposite the line.

The leader throws the bean bag to the child at the head of the line who
returns it to the leader. The leader throws it to the next child, who
throws it back to the leader, and so it is thrown back and forth to each
child in turn. Any one in the line who fails to catch the bag must go to
the foot of the line.

If the leader fails to catch the bag he must go to the foot of the line
and the one at the head of the line takes his place.


"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 creatures "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.


BUTTON, BUTTON

All the children except the one who passes the button sit in a circle
with hands placed palm to palm in their laps.

The child passing the button holds it between her palms and goes to each
one, in turn, slipping her hands between the palms of the children. As
she goes around the circle she drops the button into some child's hands,
but continues going around as long after as she pleases, so the rest
will not know who has it.

Then she stands in the middle of the circle and says: "Button, button,
who has the button?" All the children guess who has it, the one calling
out the correct name first is out and it is his turn to go around with
the button.


BINGO

  "The miller's dog lay at the mill,
  And his name was little Bingo,
  B with an I, I with an N, N with a G, G with an O,
  His name was little Bingo.

  "The miller he bought a cask of ale,
  And he called it right good Stingo,
  S with a T, T with an I, I with an N, N with a G, G with an O,
  He called it right good Stingo."

One child represents the miller, the rest stand round him in a circle,
and all dance round and sing the verse. When it comes to the spelling
part of the rhyme, the miller points to a child who must call out the
right letter.

Anyone who makes a mistake must pay a forfeit.


BLINDMAN'S BUFF

Before beginning to play, the middle of the room should be cleared, the
chairs placed against the wall, and all toys and footstools put out of
the way. The child having been selected who is to be "Blind Man" or
"Buff," is blindfolded. He is then asked the question, "How many horses
has your father?" The answer is "Three," and to the question: "What
color are they?" he replies: "Black, white, and gray." All the players
then cry: "Turn around three times and catch whom you may." "Buff"
accordingly spins round and then the fun commences. He tries to catch
the players, whilst they in their turn do their utmost to escape "Buff,"
all the time making little sounds to attract him. This goes on until one
of the players is caught, when Buff, without having the bandage removed
from his eyes, has to guess the name of the person he has secured. If
the guess is a correct one the player who has been caught takes the part
of "Buff," and the former "Buff" joins the ranks of the players.


BLOWING THE FEATHER

All the children, except one, sit on the floor around a sheet or table
cloth which they hold about eighteen or twenty inches above the floor. A
feather is placed on the sheet and at a signal the child nearest it
blows the feather toward another child. The object is to keep the
feather in the air, not allowing it to light.

The remaining child runs back and forth around the group trying to catch
the feather. When he is successful, the person on whom the feather
rested or was nearest to, changes place with him.


COCK FIGHTING

This is a most amusing game, and although only two boys can play at it
at one time they will keep the rest of the company in roars of laughter.
The two who are to represent the "cocks" having been chosen, they are
both seated upon the floor.

Each boy has his wrists tied together with a handkerchief, and his legs
secured just above the ankles with another handkerchief; his arms are
then passed over his knees, and a broomstick is pushed over one arm,
under both knees, and out again on the other side over the other arm.
The "cocks" are now considered ready for fighting, and are carried into
the center of the room, and placed opposite each other with their toes
just touching. The fun now commences.

Each "cock" tries with the aid of his toes to turn his opponent over on
his back or side.

The one who can succeed in doing this first wins the game.

It often happens that both "cocks" turn over at the same time, when the
fight commences again.


CATCHING THE MOUSE

The children sit in two rows opposite each other with a space between.
One child takes the place of "cat," being blindfolded, the cat standing
at one end of the row and the mouse at the opposite end. They start in
opposite directions, guiding themselves by the chairs, the cat trying to
catch the mouse. When the mouse is caught it is made the "cat," and one
of the company takes the place of the mouse.


DROP THE HANDKERCHIEF

A ring is formed by the players joining hands, whilst one child, who is
to "drop the handkerchief," is left outside. He walks round the ring,
touching each one with the handkerchief, saying the following words:--

  "A tisket, a tasket
  A green and yellow basket,
  I wrote a letter to my love,
  But on my way, I dropped it;
  A little child picked it up
  And put it in his pocket."

He must drop the handkerchief behind one of the players, who picks it up
and tries to catch him before he can run around the ring and jump into
the vacant place. As soon as this happens, the first player joins the
ring, whilst it is now the turn of the second to "drop the
handkerchief."


DONKEY'S TAIL

A good-sized donkey without a tail is first of all cut out of brown
paper and fastened to the wall. The tail is then cut out separately, and
a hat-pin is stuck through the end. The players arrange themselves in a
line some little distance from the wall, and the fun begins. Each player
must, in turn, advance with closed eyes towards the donkey, and, still
keeping his eyes tightly shut, fasten the tail in what he believes to be
the right position. When, amidst much laughter, he is told to open his
eyes, he finds that he has very carefully fastened the tail to the tip
of the donkey's ear, or on the side of his nose.


FROG IN THE MIDDLE

One child is seated on the ground with his legs under him and the other
players form a ring round him. They then pull him about and give him
little pushes, and he must try and catch one without rising from the
floor.

The child who is caught takes the middle, and the frog joins the circle.


GREEN GRAVEL

Girls form a circle and dance around one of their number. The girl in
the ring turns her head gravely as a messenger advances, while the rest
sing to a pleasing air--

  Green gravel, green gravel,
    The grass grows so green,
  The fairest of ladies,
    Is fit to be seen.
  Dear ----, Dear ----
    Your true love is dead;
  The king sends you a letter
    To turn back your head.

The process is repeated calling each child by name until all of the
children have so turned. Turning the head is the sign of sorrow. The
game is continued by the following verse in which the lost lovers
appear:

  Dear ----, Dear ----
    Your true love's not slain,
  The king sends you a letter
    To turn around again.

And the dancers who have all turned about, are one by one made to face
the ring.


HUNT THE RING

For this game a long piece of string is required. On this a ring is
threaded, and the ends of the string are knotted together. The players
then take the string in their hands and form a circle, whilst one of the
company, who is called the "hunter," stands in the center. The string
must be passed rapidly round and round, and the players must try to
prevent the "hunter" finding out who holds the ring. As soon as he has
done this, he takes his place in the circle, whilst the person who held
the ring becomes the "hunter."


HOT TAMALES

The "tamale" in this game is a knotted handkerchief. One player is
chosen for the Hot Tamale man