School, Church, and Home Games Part 18

See clock games above.

Similar to the preceding walking race, except that instead of running around the ring singly, the compet.i.tors go in pairs, as follows:

At the signal to go Number 6 locks his left arm in the right arm of Number 5, and the two of them so linked together proceed around the circle. Having completed the circle, Number 6 takes his original place, while Number 5 links arms with Number 4 and the two travel around the circle. Then 4 links with 3, 3 with 2, and the race ends when 2 and 1 have completed the distance around the circle and have brought their sash to the leader in the centre.

Flathead Race

See clock games above.

Similar to the preceding. A small block of wood or flat stone is given to Number 6 on each team. At the signal to go he places the block on the head of Number 5 and follows Number 5, who walks around the ring.

Number 5 must keep his hands upon his hips. Should the block of wood fall from the head of Number 5, he must stand still until it has been replaced by Number 6. The two continue walking around the circle until they reach the point which they left. Then Number 6 takes his place in the circle and Number 5 takes the block from his own head and places it on the head of Number 4, and follows 4 around the ring to replace the block should it fall off. The race ends when Number 1, followed by Number 2, has completed the distance around the circle, still balancing the block of wood on his head, and presents himself to the leader in the centre.

Spin Around Race

See clock games above.

Similar to the preceding race, except that each captain takes a position about four feet outside of the circle near his own team. At the signal to go, Number 6 steps out of his position in the circle and runs to his own captain, linking his right arm in the right arm of the captain, who spins him around twice. He then runs around the circle and returns to his original place in the circle, and tags off 5, who repeats the performance of 6. When 2 has completed his round of the circle, he tags off his captain. The captain must run, without spinning around, clear around the circle on the outside, and enter through the point of the circle he originally held, and tag the leader in the middle.

Leap Frog Race

See clock games above.

Similar to the preceding. In this race, Number 2 will take the place of the captain outside of the ring. At the signal to go, Number 6 leaves the ring and proceeds around the circle, leaping with frog leaps over the backs of the Number 2 men from each team. Returning to his original position, he tags off Number 5. Number 1's turn will come after that of Number 3, and when Number 1 has completed the circle, leaping over the backs of all Number 2 men, he tags off the Number 2 of his own team.

The latter runs about the circle once, enters the circle at the point where he originally stood and tags the leader in the centre.

Riding the Snail

A group is divided into two equal teams. These two teams line up in parallel lines about six feet apart, back to back. A safety line is drawn at each end of the field about twenty-five yards from where the teams line up. One team is designated as the "head" team; the other as the "tail" team. The leader tosses a coin. If the coin falls with head up, he calls "heads." Thereupon tails run across their safety line while heads endeavor to tag them before they succeed. Succeeding in doing this the man tagged has to carry the tagger upon his back to the original place of line-up and the coin is again flipped. Should it fall with tail up, tails chase heads to the safety line at the other end of the playing s.p.a.ce.

CHAPTER II

OUTDOOR GAMES FOR BOYS

Treasure Hunt

This game is a very adaptable one and can be run in a great number of different ways. It can be as simple or as complex as any leader may desire.

A mysterious letter may be read to the group or a letter in code posted where the group can see it. The contents of this letter will direct any one to a place where he will find detailed information as to the exact location of a buried treasure. By following instructions or working out the code, a boy will discover a second letter in hiding, or a time limit may be allowed to find letter number 3. At the end of that time the information contained in the second letter may be given to the entire group, so that all may hunt for letter number 3. This method keeps everybody in the game. As many letters may be hidden as desired, using the treasure as the last. This game can be used to teach observation, trailing and tracking. Letters using identification of trees, flowers, marks on trees, birds' nests, etc., may be used. Map and chart reading make the game more difficult. Letters may be written in Morse and Continental codes, or easy codes may be made.

A good book on trees or flowers, a small ax, or any useful article may be the hidden treasure.

Hide and Seek

One boy is chosen to be "IT." He blinds his eyes while the others hide.

He counts 100 by 5's, then says, "Ready or not, you must be caught." He then endeavors to find the hidden players. Succeeding he must tag the goal and call the name of the player observed. Should he, in seeking a player, pa.s.s the spot where one is hidden, that player can race in to the goal and say, "In free." The one who is "It," however, can tag that player or the goal. When all the players have been discovered, the one first discovered or caught by "It" must blind his eyes for the next game. One who succeeds in getting "In free" is not subject to being "It" in the next hide.

Look Out for the Bear

All of the players hide their eyes, except one, who is the Bear. He hides. When sufficient time has been given for him to find a hiding place, the others seek him. When a player finds the bear he calls out, "Look out for the bear." Thereupon all of the players race back to the home base. The bear endeavors to tag as many of the players before they can reach the home base, as he can. All of the players tagged become bears and hide in the next round of the game, which is the same as the first. All of the bears try to tag as many as possible before they return to the home base. The game continues until the last seeker is caught. He has the privilege of being the bear for the next game.

Still-a-Feet

This is a simple tag game. The player selected to be "It" starts the game by saying, "One, two, three, Still-a-feet, One, two, three, Still-a-feet, One, two, three, Still-a-feet, One, two, three; no more moving of the feet, feet, feet." While "It" is saying this, the players can endeavor to get as far away from him as they desire, but when he has completed the statement, they cannot move their feet. Should he see one of the players moving his feet, he may chase that player until captured. Thereupon, that player helps him chase any of the others. A player cannot be tagged until one of the "Its" has seen a movement of his feet. The first player caught is "It" for the next game. "It" does not need to chase the first player whose feet he sees moving unless he so desires. He may chase any one of the players whose feet he has seen move.

Hang Tag

This is a good game to play around a barn or in a grove where there are low limbs. A player is selected to be "It." He may tag any player who is not hanging with feet clear of the ground. The player tagged immediately becomes "It" and may tag back the one who tagged him after that individual has taken five steps.

Fox in Hole

Any number of players may partic.i.p.ate in this game. The playing area should not be too large. A four foot circle is marked upon the ground as a base. One player is selected to be the Fox. While the fox is on the base he may stand on two feet, but when he leaves the base to catch any of the other players he must hop on one foot. Should a player become tagged, he becomes the fox, and the other players may slap him on the back until he is safe on the base. Should the fox put the other foot down, he must return to the base, and every player may slap him on the back until he succeeds in doing this, but no player can block his path to the base.

Fence Tag

This is a simple active game which can be played where there is a low fence or bar, over which the players may easily climb or vault. A player is selected to be "It". He takes his place on the opposite side of the fence from the other players and must climb or vault over and endeavor to tag someone who fails to get over the fence in time. "It"

cannot tag anyone whose feet are off the ground, in an effort to get over the fence. Neither can he tag anyone who is standing on the other side of the fence from him. This is a very active game, as it keeps the players leaping back and forth over the fence in an effort to avoid being tagged. A player tagged immediately becomes "It". He cannot tag back the one who tagged him, until after that one has a fair chance to get on the other side of the fence.

Body Guard

A small s.p.a.ce is marked off at one end of the ground as a base or goal.

One player is chosen to be the chief, an important personage requiring two body guards. The game starts with these three players in the goal and the balance of the players at large. The three come forth, and the two players who act as body guards clasp each other by the hand, and preceding the chief as a s.h.i.+eld, endeavor to prevent the other players at large from tagging the chief. The chief himself may avoid being tagged by moving around the guards. Whenever a guard succeeds in tagging a player, the chief and his guards return home, whereupon the player tagged changes places with the man who tagged him. Any player succeeding in tagging the chief becomes the chief.

Sardines

One of the players in the group hides, while the other players seek to find him. Should a player succeed, he endeavors to get into the hiding place un.o.bserved by the others and hides with the first player. As the game continues, and other players succeed in finding the hiding place, the number of hiding players continues to increase until they are packed in like sardines, hence the name. It is difficult for them, crowded together, in this way, to keep from disclosing the hiding place to the remaining players. The game continues until the last player has discovered the hiding place. The first one to make the discovery hides in the next round.

This is a good game to be played around a farm house where there are a number of hiding places, or in the woods where there are trees, boulders and ravines.

s.h.i.+nny

This is a good game for boys and girls. It has furnished amus.e.m.e.nt for many generations of children. Each player must secure a stick about 2-1/2 feet long. An alder stick with a small bend at one end furnishes an ideal implement for this game. An old baseball or where this is not procurable, a tin can or a block of wood, may be used. The players are divided into two teams. Two stones, placed about five feet apart at each end of the playing s.p.a.ce, serve as goals. The playing s.p.a.ce should be about 30 to 50 yards in length. A level stretch of road can be used, or an open field. The game starts by each team taking a position anywhere in the half of the field nearest the goal they are defending.