School, Church, and Home Games Part 7

One player is chosen to be fox, another to be gander. The remaining players all stand in single file behind the gander, each with his hands upon the shoulders of the one next in front. The gander tries to protect his flock of geese from being caught by the fox and to do this stretches out his arms and dodges around in any way he sees fit to circ.u.mvent the efforts of the fox. Only the last goose in the line may be tagged, unless the line be very long, then the last five or ten players may be tagged, as decided beforehand. It will be seen that the geese all may co-operate with the gander by doubling and redoubling their line to prevent the fox from tagging the last goose. Should the fox tag the last goose or one of the last five or ten, if that be permissible, that goose becomes fox and the fox becomes gander.

Plug the Hole

The players form in a circle with their legs in a stride position, their toes touching those of the next player. The one who is "It" takes his place in the centre of the circle. A partner to "It" takes his place on the outside of the circle. "It" is given a salt bag stuffed with saw dust or an old basketball cover stuffed with rags or some similar object. "It" endeavors to throw the stuffed bag between the legs of any of the players making up the circle. The players in the circle must keep their hands upon their knees until they see the bag coming towards them. They can then intercept it with their hands but are not allowed to move their feet. Should "It" succeed in throwing the bag between the legs of any player, his partner on the outside may capture it and endeavor to throw it back into the circle by the same method by which it came out, while the one between whose legs the bag was thrown takes "It's" place. Should "It's" partner on the outside succeed in throwing the ball into the circle between the legs of any player, that player takes the partner's place on the outside.

Partner Swat Tag

Form a circle in pairs, partners linking arms together. Two stuffed clubs (made by stuffing stockings with waste or rags), are placed in the hands of one of the couples selected to be "It". This couple runs about the circle and hands the clubs to another set of partners in the circle. Thereupon the others, receiving the clubs, chase the couple at their right around the circle, beating them with the clubs until they have reached their original place in the circle. The couple holding the clubs then go around the circle and hand the clubs to another couple, who proceed to chase the others at their right and so the game continues.

Freight Train Tag

The boys are divided into groups of three's. Each three line up, one behind the other, with their arms locked around the waist of the man in front. The first man in the group is the engine, and the last man the caboose. One man is selected to be "It", another to be chased. In order to avoid being tagged by "It", the man chased endeavors to hitch on the rear of a freight train by locking his arms around the caboose.

Thereupon the engine, or the man at the front of the train, is subject to being tagged by "It" until he can hitch on to some other train.

Those individuals making up a train endeavor to keep any one from hitching on to their caboose. "It", having tagged another, is subject to being tagged back immediately, provided he has not hitched on the rear of some train.

Roll Ball

The players form in a circle, grasping the hands of their neighbors.

The one selected to be "It" takes his place in the center and is given a basketball or a stuffed sack, which he endeavors to kick outside of the ring. The players in the circle endeavor to prevent same by interfering with their legs. Should "It" succeed in kicking the ball outside the circle, the player between whose legs it went or to whose right it went, must take "It's" place.

Take Away

The group is divided into two teams. One team is given a ball or some other object which can be easily caught. The object of the game is to keep the ball away from the opponents as long as possible. Should the opponents capture the ball, they in turn endeavor to pa.s.s it among themselves, keeping it away from the other team.

Red, White and Blue

Two lines are marked upon the ground, about fifteen feet apart. The group is divided into three equal teams; one team is known as the red, the other the blue, and the third the white. The blue team takes its position between the two lines, with the red team beyond one line and the white beyond the other. A ball or some other soft object easily thrown is given to the red team. Any member of that team may try to hit a member of the blue team, with the ball, without stepping over the line. Should he succeed, it counts one point for the red. Should he miss and the ball go across to where the white team is stationed, any member of the white team endeavors to hit one of the blue and scores a point if successful. Should the ball fail to return to either the red or the white team, a member of either of those teams may run into the blue territory to recover it, but must return or toss the ball back to his team beyond the line before it is again in play. The playing time of the game is divided into thirds. The reds change places with the blues in the second third, and the whites with the reds in the last third. Only the team between the lines is subject to being thrown at.

The team having the most hits to its record at the end of the game, wins.

Pin Ball

This game is played with the same rules as basketball, except that in place of the baskets a 6 foot circle is drawn in the center of each end of the playing s.p.a.ce, and in the center of each circle a short flat end log about 14 inches long and 3 inches in diameter stands upon its end.

Seven players const.i.tute a team. A pin guard is placed within each circle, with the pin and he is the only one that is allowed to step inside the circle. The object of the game is to knock down the opponent's pin by hitting it with the ball. It is a foul to carry the ball or to hold an opponent. Where basketball rules are known to the players, use the same rules for this game. In case of a foul, a 15 foot line measured from the pin in the circle is used as a free throw line.

In a free throw the guard is not allowed to interfere with the ball hitting the pin. A stuffed sack can be used in place of a ball in this game.

Kick Ball

An inflated ball about the size of a basketball is best for this game, but a bean bag can be used. The group is divided into two teams. One team is at the bat and the other in the field, arranged as in regular baseball with the exception that there is a short stop on both sides of the pitcher. The home base is marked upon the ground in form of a rectangle 4 feet long and 3 feet wide. The ball is tossed with an underhand toss, so that it pa.s.ses over the base not higher than the level of the knee of the batter. Three strikes and four b.a.l.l.s are allowed, as in baseball. Three men out retire a side. The princ.i.p.al difference is that the batter kicks the ball and may be put out by being hit with the ball when running between bases.

Hand Baseball

This game is like regular baseball, with the exception that a tennis ball or soft rubber ball is used for a ball and the hand is used for a bat. The pitcher throws the ball so that it bounds just in front of the batter. If on the bound it pa.s.ses over the home plate above the knees and below the shoulders of the batter, it const.i.tutes a strike. The home plate is marked upon the ground and is 2 feet square. The batter hits the ball with the open palm of his hand and runs bases, as in regular baseball. Four b.a.l.l.s and 3 strikes count as in regular games.

Last Couple Out

This is an old Swedish game and one which can still be played and thoroughly enjoyed. The players are arranged in double file. One player is selected to be "It" and takes a position about 10 feet in front of the file, with his back to it. He calls, "Last couple out". Thereupon the last two in the double file run forward, one on either side of the line and endeavor to join hands in front of "It", without being tagged.

"It" cannot look behind or start to chase until the last couple are on a line with him. The couple are allowed to circle as far out from the double line as they wish in their endeavor to avoid "It", and may join hands in any position, so long as they are in front of "It's" original position. Should "It" tag one of them before they have had an opportunity of joining hands, the one tagged becomes "It", and the one who was "It" unites with the extra player at the head of the double column. Otherwise "It" remains "It".

Spanish Fly

This is an old leap frog game. One player is chosen to be "down". The others follow the leader in taking frog leaps over the back of the one downed. At the first leap the leader says, "Spanish fly". All the others must repeat those words upon taking their leap. At his second leap, the leader says, "Handlings", and squeezes his fingers into the back of "Down". The others must do as he did. The leader next says, "Knucklings" and doubles his knuckles up on the back of "Down" in leaping over. The next command is "Spurrings", and the leader hits "Down" with the heel of his right foot in making the leap. The next command is "Dump the apple cart", and the leader grasps the clothes of the boy in going over and endeavors to pull him forward. The next is "Hats on deck", and the leader places his hat on the back of the boy as he pa.s.ses over him. The next boy after the leader places his hat upon that of the leader and so on until all of the boys have their hats on the back. The next command is "Hats off deck", and the last boy to place his hat upon the back is the first to leap over, endeavoring to pick his hat off without knocking any of the others off. Should any of those following the leader fail in accomplis.h.i.+ng the trick they are supposed to do, they become "Down" and the boy who was downed becomes the leader.

Tony Says

This is a good game to follow formal gymnastic exercises, maintaining the same formation. The players are lined up in open order upon the playing s.p.a.ce. The leader asks for a number of exercises for the arms and legs. The players execute these upon command provided the words "Tony says" precede the command. For example, Tony says "Attention"; Tony says "Raise arms to side horizontal"; Tony says "Arms down." If the leader fails to say "Tony says" before the command, the players are not to execute the command. Should a player execute the command at the time when he is not supposed to, he is required to run to a given point behind the leader and return to his original place. This is required of every player making a mistake.

Part II

SOCIABLE GAMES FOR THE HOME, CHURCH, CLUB, ETC.

CHAPTER I

GAMES FOR THE HOME

These games have been selected for the use of small family groups. In many of them parents and children will find an opportunity for entertainment during the long winter evenings in the home.

Twenty Questions

This is a quiet, entertaining and instructive game. One member of the family is given the privilege of thinking of some specific object anywhere in the universe. The others endeavor to guess what that object is and are only allowed to ask twenty questions in doing so. The one who thinks of the object to be guessed, only answers the questions asked by yes or no. It is exceptional when the object is not guessed, no matter how difficult it may be, before the twenty questions have been asked. Example,--the King of Belgium is selected by the player.

The first question asked by another player is, "Is it in the animal kingdom?" This question is answered by "Yes".

Second question: "Is it in a menagerie?"

Answer: "No."

Third question: "Is it a man?"

Answer: "Yes."

Fourth question: "Is it an historical character?"

Answer: "Yes."

Fifth question: "Is he an American?"

Answer: "No."