Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium Part 16

The teacher then silently points to some other player in the cla.s.s, who rises at once and says, "Good morning, David!" (or whatever the child's name may be). The little guesser, if he has recognized the voice, responds with, "Good morning, Arthur!" (or other name). If he does not guess the voice after the first greeting, the child may be required to repeat it, until the guesser has had three trials. Should he fail on the third trial, he turns around to see who the player was, and changes places with him. If he names the right player, the guesser retains his position until he fails to guess the voice of the one greeting him, one player after another being required to stand and give the greeting "Good morning!"

When pupils have become somewhat proficient in the guesser's place, the others should be required to change their seats after the guesser has blinded his eyes, so that he will not be a.s.sisted in his judgment by the direction from which the voice comes, which is very easily the case where the other players are in their accustomed seats.

Of course the greeting will be varied according to the time of day, being "Good afternoon!" or "Good evening!" as may be appropriate.

Occasionally, in a school game, a pupil from another room may be called in. Should a strange voice be heard in this way, the little guesser is considered correct if he answer, "Good morning, stranger!"

GUESS WHO

_10 to 30 or more players._

_Playground; gymnasium; parlor; schoolroom._

Where there are more than ten players, it is desirable to have them separated into several groups. Each group has a leader, and lines up in rank (side by side), with the leader in the middle. One odd player stands in front of the line, facing it.

The odd player asks:-- "Have you seen my friend?"

The line answers, "No."

First player:-- "Will you go and find him?"

"Yes."

"Put your finger on your lips and follow me!"

The player in front then turns around and, with finger to his lips, runs to another part of the ground, all of the row falling in behind and following him, each player with finger on lips. When they have reached a new position, the first player stops with his back to the line, which re-forms in a new order under the direction of its leader, so that the players do not stand in the same relative positions as when the odd player faced the line. One player from the row selected by the leader now steps forward behind the odd player and says, trying to disguise his voice, "Guess who stands behind you!"

If the odd player guesses correctly, he retains his position, turns around, and the dialogue begins over again. If the guess be wrong, the one who is It changes places with the one whose name he failed to guess.

GYPSY

_5 to 10 players._

_Indoors; out of doors._

This is one of the traditional dramatic games, obviously an abbreviated form of _Mother, Mother, the Pot Boils Over!_

One player is selected for gypsy, and one for the mother. The others are children. The gypsy remains in hiding while the mother says to her children, pointing to the different ones in turn:--

"I charge my children every one To keep good house while I am gone; You and you, but specially you, Or else I'll beat you black and blue."

The mother then goes away and blinds her eyes. During her absence the gypsy comes in, takes away a child, and hides her. The gypsy repeats this until all of the children are hidden. The mother returns and finds her children gone, whereupon she has to find them. When all have been found and brought back home, all chase the gypsy.

HANG TAG

_10 to 100 players._

_Playground; gymnasium._

One player is It, or chaser, and changes places with any other player whom he can touch (tag). In this form of the game, however, any player may escape being tagged by hanging from anything overhead which will enable him to lift his feet from the floor. When played out of doors, where there are trees, players will naturally jump to catch hold of the branches of the trees. In a playground or gymnasium pieces of apparatus may be used for the same purpose. A player is considered immune if, instead of hanging by his hands, he throws himself across some obstacle, such as a fence, which enables him to lift his feet from the ground.

The game is very uninteresting if players each choose a place and remain close to it in the intervals of the game; but it may be made full of sport if each will take risks and run from point to point, taunting the one who is It by going as near him as possible, or allowing him to approach closely before springing for the overhead support. The one who is It may not linger near any player to the extent of trying to tire him out in the hanging position, but must move rapidly from one to another.

A very interesting form of this game for the gymnasium allows no two players to hang from the same piece of apparatus; the last one taking possession has the right to remain hanging on the apparatus, the one before him being obliged to run at once for another place. This keeps the players moving and makes the game very lively.

TREE TOAD.--This is a form of Hang Tag played by the modern Greeks. It is played where there are trees, the players jumping to clasp the trunk of the tree as a means of lifting their feet from the ground when the branches are too high to reach. This makes a very funny, vigorous, and interesting form of the game, to be played in a grove or shaded lawn.

HAVE YOU SEEN MY SHEEP?

_10 to 30 or more players._

_Playground; parlor; gymnasium; schoolroom._

The players stand in a circle. One walks around on the outside, and touching one of the circle players on the back, asks, "Have you seen my sheep?" The one questioned answers, "How was he dressed?" The outside player then describes the dress of some one in the circle, saying, for instance, "He wears a red necktie; he is dressed in gray and has low shoes." The one questioned then names the player whom he thinks this describes, and if right, at once begins to chase him around the outside of the circle. Each of the circle players must be very alert to recognize himself in the description given by the outside player, for immediately that he is named he must run around the outside of the circle, chased by the player who guessed, and try to reach his own place before being tagged. The one who gives the description does not take part in the chase. Should the runner be tagged before returning to his place, he must take the place of the questioner, running in his turn around the outside of the circle and asking of some player. "Have you seen my sheep?"

IN THE SCHOOLROOM.--The players remain seated, with the exception of the one who asks the first question of any player he chooses. This player at once stands, guesses the player described, and chases him around the room, the one chased trying to gain his seat before being caught. If caught, he becomes questioner; if not caught, the same questioner and guesser play as before.

HIDE AND SEEK

The following games of hiding and seeking will be found in alphabetical order:--

Hide and Seek I spy!

Ring-a-lie-vio Run, Sheep, Run!

Sardines Smuggling the Geg Ten Steps Yards Off

HIDE AND SEEK

_2 to 20 or more players._

_Indoors; out of doors._

This is a simple form of "I spy," played by very little children. One covers his eyes or blinds and the others hide. When securely hidden, they call "Coop!" and the one who is It goes in search of them. The call of "Coop!" may be repeated at the discretion of the hider. In this game the object is won when the searcher discovers the hidden players. There is no race for a goal as in "I spy."