Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium Part 10

CIRCLE RELAY

_9 to 60 or more players._

_Playground; gymnasium._

[Ill.u.s.tration diagram: CIRCLE RELAY]

The players stand in three or more divisions in single file, facing to a common center. In this formation they radiate like the spokes of a wheel. On a signal from a leader, the outer player of each file faces to the right. On a second signal, these outer players all run in a circle in the direction in which they are facing. The object of the game is to see which runner will first get back to his place. The one winning scores one point for his line. Immediately upon the announcement of the score, these runners all step to the inner end of their respective files, facing to the center, the files moving backward to make room for them. The signals are repeated, and those who are now at the outer end of each file face and then run, as did their predecessors. The line scoring the highest when all have run wins the game.

CIRCLE SEAT RELAY

_10 to 60 players._

_Schoolroom._

This game starts with the players all seated, and with an even number in each row. At a signal, the last player in each row runs forward on the right-hand side of his seat, runs around the front desk, and returns on the left-hand side of his own row. As soon as he is seated, he touches the player next in front on the shoulder, which is a signal for this one to start. He runs in the same way. This is continued until the last player, which in this case is the one sitting in the front seat, has circled his desk and seated himself with hand upraised. The line wins whose front player first does this.

This is one of the best running games for the schoolroom. As in all such games, seated pupils should strictly observe the rule of keeping their feet out of the aisles and under the desks.

Players must observe strictly the rule of running forward on the right-hand side and backward in the next aisle, else there will be collisions.

CLAM Sh.e.l.l COMBAT

_2 to 30 players._

_Out of doors; seash.o.r.e._

Each of the players is provided with an equal number of clam sh.e.l.ls; the players then pair off in twos for the combat. Which of the two shall have the first play is decided by the players each dropping a clam sh.e.l.l from a height of three feet. The one whose sh.e.l.l falls with the hollow or concave side down has the first play. Should it be a tie, the trials are repeated until one player is chosen in this way.

The play then opens with the unsuccessful player putting a clam sh.e.l.l on the ground, when the opponent throws another sh.e.l.l at it, trying to break it. If he succeeds, the opponent must put down another sh.e.l.l.

This is kept up indefinitely, until a player's sh.e.l.ls have all been won by the opposing thrower, or until the thrower fails to hit a sh.e.l.l, or his own breaks in doing so. Whenever one of these things occurs, he loses his turn, and must put down a sh.e.l.l for the opponent to throw at. The player wins who retains an unbroken sh.e.l.l the longest.

Where there is a considerable number of players, they may be divided into opposing parties, the players stepping forward in turn at the call of their respective captains.

This is a Korean game, reported by Mr. Culin.

CLUB s.n.a.t.c.h

_10 to 60 players._

_Playground; gymnasium._

This is one of the best compet.i.tive chasing games.

A goal is marked off across each end of the playground. Midway between the goals, an Indian club is placed; a handkerchief or other similar object may be used, placed on some support--on a stake driven into the ground, laid over a rock or stool, or hung on the end of a branch. A stone or dumb-bell laid on the ground may be subst.i.tuted. In line with the club a starting base is marked on each goal line.

The players are divided into two equal parties, each having a captain.

Each party takes its place in one of the goals. The object of the game is for one of the runners to s.n.a.t.c.h the club and return to his goal before a runner from the opposite goal tags him, both leaving their starting bases at the same time on a signal. The players on each team run in turn, the captains naming who shall run each time.

The captains toss for first choice of runners; the one who wins names his first runner, who steps to the running base, whereupon the competing captain names a runner to go out against him, trying to select one of equal or superior ability. Thereafter the captains take turns as to who shall first designate a runner.

When there is a large number of players, or very limited time, a different method may be used for selecting the runners. All of the players should then line up according to size, and number consecutively by couples. That is, the first couple would be number one, the second, number two, the third, number three, etc. The couples then divide, one file going to one team and the other to the opposite team. The players run thereafter according to number, the numbers one competing, and so on. Each player may run but once until all on the team have run, when each may be called a second time, etc. To avoid confusion, the players who have run should stand on one side of the starting base, say the right, and those who have not run, to the left.

[Ill.u.s.tration diagram: CLUB s.n.a.t.c.h]

The first runners, having been called by their respective captains to the starting bases, run on a signal; the players may reach the club together and go through many false moves and dodges before one s.n.a.t.c.hes the club and turns back to his goal. Should he succeed in reaching the goal before the other player can tag him, his team scores one point. Should he be tagged before he can return with his trophy, the opponent scores one point. The club is replaced after each run. In either case both players return to their original teams.

When each runner has run once, the teams exchange goals and run a second time. The team wins which has the highest score at the end of the second round.

For large numbers of players there may be several clubs, each having corresponding starting bases on the goals, so that several pairs of runners may compete at once. One club for twenty players, ten on each side, is a good proportion. For young players the club may be placed nearer one goal than the other at first, as shown in the diagram.

This is a capital game as here developed with the feature of scoring, and may be made very popular.

c.o.c.k STRIDE

_3 to 15 players._

_Playground; gymnasium._

This game is usually played with boys' caps, but knotted handkerchiefs or b.a.l.l.s of crumpled paper may be used. One player is the c.o.c.k; he is blindfolded and stands in a stride position with his feet wide apart sideways. The other players stand in turn at a point five to ten feet behind him, and throw their caps forward as far as possible between his legs. After the caps are all thrown, each player moves forward and stands beside his own cap. The c.o.c.k then crawls on all fours, still blindfolded, until he reaches a cap. The player whose cap is first touched at once becomes an object of chase by the other players, who are at liberty to "pommel" him when he is captured. He then becomes c.o.c.k for the next round of the game.

CROSSING THE BROOK

_5 to 60 or more players._

_Playground; gymnasium; schoolroom._

This game is a great favorite with little children. A place representing a brook is marked off by two lines on the ground. For little children in the first year of school (about six years old) this may start with a width of two feet. The players ran in groups and try to jump across the brook. Those who succeed turn around and jump back with a standing jump instead of a running jump. On either of these jumps the player who does not cross the line representing the bank gets into the water and must run home for dry stockings, being thereafter out of the game. The successful jumpers are led to wider and wider places in the brook to jump (a new line being drawn to increase the distance), until the widest point is reached at which any player can jump successfully. This player is considered the winner.

This game is printed by kind permission of the Alumni a.s.sociation of the Boston Normal School of Gymnastics, from the book _One Hundred and Fifty Gymnastic Games_.