My Book of Indoor Games Part 15

MAGIC WRITING

In this game a confederate is necessary. The player states to the company, after a few remarks on ancient sign-language, that he is able to read signs made with a stick on the floor, and agrees to leave the room while the company decide upon some word or sentence.

The game is played as follows: It is agreed by the player and his confederate that one tap on the floor shall represent A, two taps E, three taps I, four taps O, and five taps U, and that the first letter of each remark the confederate makes shall be one of the consonants of the word or sentence decided upon by the company. The consonants must be taken in order. On the player's return, supposing the word chosen to be "March," his confederate would commence: "Many people think this game a deception" (initial letter M). One tap on the floor (A).

"Really it is very simple" (initial letter R). "Coming to the end soon" (initial letter C). "Hope it has been quite clear" (initial letter H).

A few more signs are made so as not to finish too abruptly, and the player then states the word to be "March." If carefully conducted, this game will interest an audience for a considerable time.

FLOWERS

The company divides itself into equal sides, and each side must have a "home" in opposite corners of the room. The sides retire to their own "homes," and one side privately chooses a flower, then crosses over to the other corner and gives the initial letter of that flower. The children on the second side must try and guess the name of the flower, and when they have done so they catch as many as they can of the opposite side before they reach their "home."

Those caught must go over to the other side, and the game goes on until one side has won all the children. The sides take it in turns to give the name of the flower. This game may also be played in the garden.

FOX AND GEESE

One of the party, called the Fox, goes to one end of the room, and the rest of the children arrange themselves in a ring, one behind the other, the tallest first and the smallest last. The first one is called Mother Goose. The game begins by a conversation between the Fox and Mother Goose. "What are you after this fine morning?" says she.

"Taking a walk," the Fox answers. "What for?" "To get an appet.i.te for breakfast." "What will you have for breakfast?" "A nice fat goose."

"Where will you get it?" "Well, as your geese are so handy, I will take one of them." "Catch one if you can."

Mother Goose then stretches out her arms to protect her geese and not let the Fox catch one. The Fox tries to dodge under, right and left, until he is able to catch the last of the string. Of course, the brood must try and keep out of reach of the Fox. As the geese are caught they must go over to the den of the Fox, and the game continues until all are caught.

"I SELL MY BAT, I SELL MY BALL"

A ring is formed with one child in the middle, who is called the "drummer-man." Whatever this child does the others mimic, moving round as they do so, and singing the following words:

"I sell my bat, I sell my ball, I sell my spinning-wheel and all; And I'll do all that e'er I can To follow the eyes of the drummer-man."

Any one who does not at once imitate the "drummer-man" must pay a forfeit and take his place as "drummer-man."

"WHAT'S MY THOUGHT LIKE?"

The players sit in a circle, and one of them asks the others: "What's my thought like?" One player may say: "A monkey;" the second, "A candle;" the third, "A pin," and so on. When all the company have compared the thought to some object, the first player tells them the thought--perhaps it is "the Cat"--and then asks each, in turn, why it is like the object he compared it to.

"Why is my cat like a monkey?" is asked. The other player might answer: "Because it is full of tricks." "Why is my cat like a candle?"

"Because its eyes glow like a candle in the dark." "Why is my cat like a pin?" "Because its claws scratch like a pin."

Any one who is unable to explain why the thought resembles the object he mentioned must pay a forfeit.

CAT'S CRADLE

Take a piece of string and knot the ends together and slip it over your hands, as in Fig. 1.

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Next wind the string round your hands, not including the thumb, as in Fig. 2.

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Slip the second fingers through the string on your hands and you have your cat's cradle, as in Fig. 3.

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You must now ask a second person to put his thumbs and first fingers through the cradle, as in Fig. 4.

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Draw out the string and take it under the cradle, and you will have Fig. 5.

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Slip the thumbs and first fingers again into the side pieces of the cradle, draw the string sideways and take it under the cradle, and you will have Fig. 6.

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Now curl the little fingers round the string, slipping one under the other as shown, and draw out the side pieces.

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Slip the thumb and first fingers under the side string, bring them up the middle, and you have your original cat's cradle again.

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PERSONATIONS

To play this game the company seat themselves in a circle, while one of the players commences to describe some person with whom most of the other players are familiar, and continues until one or other of the company is able to guess from the description who the person may be.

The one guessing correctly then commences to describe some one. If, however, the company are unable to make a correct guess, the player goes on until some one is successful.

FROG IN THE MIDDLE

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