Home Occupations for Boys and Girls Part 16

Let the child employ his artistic and creative abilities in making designs for the rug with paints or crayons. Draw an oblong of one color with stripes across the ends, one, two or three in number, at different distances apart. Variety can be secured by taking up two threads at a time or running under _one_ and over _two_, etc. Warn the child not to draw the threads too closely or the rug will have the shape of an hour-gla.s.s when finished.

A washcloth can be made thus by weaving it of narrow pieces of cheesecloth.

Take the rug or cloth off the loom by raising carefully over the nails.

3. Another simple kind of loom is made by taking a piece of cardboard measuring 6 8 inches. Draw a row of eight dots half an inch apart.

Opposite these, and six inches away, draw another row. With strong cord sew through these a set of straight st.i.tches, six inches long and half an inch apart. This makes the warp. Run the worsted woof under and over these cords as in any weaving, and tear the cardboard away when finished.

CHAPTER VII

PLAYS AND GAMES

In playing games children learn lessons of fair play, of mutual forbearance and patience, and of letting a playfellow "have a chance,"

which they learn in no other way. Apart from the important bodily exercise and development gained in the active physical games, the demand upon mental and moral qualities is of immeasurable value.

A child should never be permitted to cheat at a game, even "in fun." A game loses significance as a game when one person does not "play fair."

The child to whom even the thought of so doing is impossible begins the race of life with an immense advantage, for we believe that the foundation for all real life is _character_.

We give a few games which have been tried with success either in the home, the kindergarten, or the playground. Some of these plays require materials; others do not. In some cases instructions are given for making the required materials.

TAG GAMES

=Circle Tag=

One person stands in the center of a ring of children and each one in the ring holds out his right hand. The one in the middle tags one of the hands and the owner immediately gives chase till he catches the pursued.

Vary by having both tagged and tagger skip, hop, etc., instead of run.

=Racing Tag=

Players form circle. One goes outside the ring and runs or walks around, suddenly quietly touching another player, who immediately races with him, going around the ring in opposite direction.

Vary by having contestants bow three times as they pa.s.s each other.

=Wood, Iron or Paper Tag=

One child chases another who touches for goal anything made of wood, or iron, or paper, etc., as has been decided upon beforehand. If the pursued is caught before he succeeds in touching such object, he becomes "it." The goal may be a wooden stick or tree, or an iron rake, or a paper book, etc.

=j.a.panese Tag=

Form a long line of children, one following closely behind another in a march or run. One child outside the line is "it." He tries to tag some one in the line. The leader endeavors to prevent this by twisting his file rapidly in and out in a curving line, and, by so throwing out his arms, as to protect the threatened one, as the line twists and turns with him. If one is tagged, the leader becomes "it." The leader and his train of children must of course be alert in mind and active in body.

=Cross-Tag=

Of a group of children the one who is "it" chases any one he chooses to begin with, but if another child runs in between the chased and the chaser, the chaser must follow the one who has thus run in between. If he shows signs of fatigue a third child may run across between the two, etc., he then being chased until the tagger succeeds in catching some one, who in turn becomes "it."

RACES

Allied to the tag games are the racing games, of which we give only two.

=Potato Race= (_Twelve potatoes_, _two tablespoons_)

Place six potatoes in a row about three feet apart. Place six others in a parallel row some distance away. Give two players each a spoon, and at a signal they start to race. Each player runs up his row, picking up the potatoes, one by one, carrying each in turn to a given point, then coming back for another potato, till all are thus carried. The left hand must not a.s.sist. The one who first gets his potatoes safely to the spot decided upon wins.

=Clothespin Race= (_Handful of clothespins_)

Arrange the children in two rows, equal in number. Give the first child a handful of clothespins, laid straight. At a signal he pa.s.ses them down the line. If one is dropped it must be picked up by the one dropping it and put as before with the others and then pa.s.sed on. Reaching the end of the line, they are at once pa.s.sed back again to the starting point.

The side wins which first get back all the pins.

AIMING GAMES WITH BEAN-BAGS

=Kinds of Bags= (1. _Ticking or strong calico_, _strong thread_, _needle_, _baking-beans_. 2. _Felt_, _sewing silk_)

1. Make a strong bag of bright colored material, 6 8 inches in size.

Fill with the ordinary baking-beans and overhand the top.

2. Take a piece of felt or any pretty strong material which will bear the wear and tear of the game. Cut into two circles 5 or 6 inches in diameter. Sew together on the wrong side, with a seam of one fourth inch. Then cut in the center a small circle half an inch in diameter.

Turn the odd-shaped bag inside out, fill with beans and overhand the small circular opening with close st.i.tches of silk. These bags can be more easily caught than b.a.l.l.s by little hands.

=Kinds of Games=

Children usually hand down familiar games from one generation to another. Here are a few:

1. Children stand in a circle with one in the center who throws the bag to each in turn all around the ring, or else tries to catch some one napping by throwing it unexpectedly.

2. Vary by having children stand in a row and the leader throws to each in turn. Or children stand in opposite rows and every one in one line has a bag which all throw in unison to the child opposite. These in turn throw back in perfect rythm.

3. Vary again by tossing into the air in unison. The accompaniment of music is always a thing to be desired in such rythmic games.

4. One child stands in center of ring and tries to catch the bag as it is tossed across to some one on the other side of the ring.