School, Church, and Home Games Part 10

Matching Advertis.e.m.e.nts

Advertis.e.m.e.nts are cut from magazines and each advertis.e.m.e.nt is divided by irregular cuts into two halves. One half is placed in the pile to be distributed among the men; the other half to be distributed among the ladies. These halved advertis.e.m.e.nts are distributed among the guests and the men seek their partners by finding the other half of the magazine advertis.e.m.e.nt matching their own.

Matching Proverbs

Familiar proverbs are divided into groups of three or four words. These are distributed among the guests. There should be at least two words, and preferably more, on each slip. Each individual then seeks to find those others holding the words which complete his proverb.

Example--The proverb, "A st.i.tch in time saves nine", is chosen. On one sheet of paper is put "A st.i.tch"; on another "in time"; and on another "saves nine".

When the individuals necessary to make the complete proverb have gathered together, they represent their proverb by pantomime to the others.

Mixing March

The group, arranged in couples, forms a circle with the ladies on the inside facing their partners. When the music starts playing, the partners separate, both going to the right about the circle. This means that the ladies go in one direction and the men in the other. When the music again stops, the men will be opposite new partners and these partners must face each other and converse on some subject suggested by the leader. When the music again starts the conversation ends and both groups again continue their march in opposite directions and so the game continues. It is suggested, if the group be large and not well acquainted, that each time a new partner is faced for conversation, hands are shaken and names and places of residence given.

Musical Medley

This game is similar to the game ent.i.tled "Matching Proverbs", except that different lines of songs are distributed among the guests present and each seeks to find the individuals holding the lines necessary to complete his song. When all are located they get together and practice their song in preparation to sing it to the rest of the group or act it in pantomime.

Puzzled Words

Words are written out on slips of paper and then cut into single letters. Each letter going to make up a word is given the same number.

For example, in the word "battle", number each letter of "Battle" No.

1. All of the number 1's are told to get together, discover what their word is and when their number is called, act it out for the group to guess.

Trip Around the World

Various articles are distributed around the room, each representative of some country. For ill.u.s.tration, a package of tea, representing China; a shamrock, representing Ireland; a maple leaf, representing Canada.

A slip of paper and a pencil are given to each member of the group, who endeavors to guess what country each article suggests.

Bean Penalty

Each guest, upon entering the room, is given ten beans and instructed to ask questions of each other. Should a question be answered by either yes or no, the individual so answering must surrender a bean to the one asking the question. At the end of the playing period, the individual having the largest number of beans is the winner.

CHAPTER III

SOCIABLE GAMES FOR GROWN-UPS

Biographic Cartoons

Each individual is given a cardboard 1215 inches, an old magazine, containing numerous ads, a pair of scissors, and is instructed to write the biography of his right hand neighbor, using the advertis.e.m.e.nts cut from the papers to ill.u.s.trate the same. In writing the biography as few words should be used as possible. The biographical sketch should be placed upon the cardboard. Mucilage should be available for the purpose of sticking on the ill.u.s.trations, and pens and pencils for the necessary writing. Some award can be given to the one making the best biography.

Ill.u.s.trated Songs

Each member of the group is given a sheet of paper and a pencil and is instructed to draw thereupon a picture or pictures ill.u.s.trating the t.i.tle of some song. (Ill.u.s.tration: One individual decides to ill.u.s.trate the t.i.tle of "Home, Sweet Home". He proceeds to draw the picture of a house, a sugar bowl, and another picture of a house.)

When sufficient time has been allowed for all to complete their ill.u.s.trations, they are numbered and placed on exhibition. Each member of the group endeavors to guess as many of the ill.u.s.trations as he can, placing his guess after the number of the ill.u.s.tration. The ill.u.s.tration which is guessed correctly by the largest number, wins for its artist.

Smiles

The group forms in couples and marches around the room. They are then subdivided into from four to eight smaller groups. These are stationed in various parts of the room and the ladies are lined up facing the men. They try in every conceivable way to make the men smile or laugh.

Any one who does so must take a place in the ladies' line. After a few minutes of this, every man in the ladies' line must pay a forfeit, and the men must endeavor to cause the ladies to laugh.

Tea Pot

One member of the group is selected to be "It" and leaves the room. The others decide upon some object or word which "It" is to guess. "It" is called back into the room and each member of the group is to make a sentence including the name of the object to be guessed, using in the sentence the word "Tea Pot" as a subst.i.tute for the name of the object.

Ill.u.s.tration--The object determined upon by the group is the piano stool. The first member of the group says, "By turning the 'tea pot' it grows higher".

As soon as "It" guesses the correct object the one whose sentence disclosed what the object was, becomes "It".

Muddled Words

The group is divided into two teams. Each individual is given a slip of paper and takes the name of some animal, bird, or fish, and muddles up the letters so as to make it difficult to recognize the name.

Ill.u.s.tration--g fold chin, for goldfinch.

Any member of the opposing team has the opportunity to guess what the name is. The time it takes for the opposing team to guess is recorded.

Any member of the opposing team who has correctly guessed the muddled word can give a muddled word for the first team to guess. The team which succeeds in guessing the muddled word in the shortest time wins one point. The team having the most points at the end wins the game.

Who Are They?

Photographs of prominent individuals are numbered and placed on exhibition about the room, with the wrong t.i.tle beneath them. Each member of the group is given a card and pencil. He goes around the room and writes upon his card the proper name of each individual with the number which is on that individual's photograph. The individual making the largest number of correct guesses wins. Photos of men like Lincoln, Lloyd George, Robert E. Lee, Obregon, etc., should be used for this game.

Who Is It?

A sheet is hung up in a doorway. The group is divided into two teams.

One group goes behind the sheet. A small hole is cut in the sheet. The members of the group behind the sheet take turns in sticking their noses through the hole in the sheet. The group on the inside attempts to guess whose nose protrudes through the sheet in the order in which they are exhibited. One member of the group behind the sheet keeps a record of the order in which individuals of that group display their noses, so that this can be checked up with the guesses of the other team. After all the noses have been displayed the group returns to its place in the room and listens to the guesses.