Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium Part 33

ROUND AND ROUND WENT THE GALLANT s.h.i.+P

_4 to 30 or more players._

_Indoors; out of doors._

This is a simple little game for very little children, consisting simply in dancing around in a circle with clasped hands as the following verse is recited, and "bobbing" down quickly as the s.h.i.+p goes to the bottom of the sea:--

"Three times round went our gallant s.h.i.+p, And three times round went she; Three times round went our gallant s.h.i.+p, Then she sank to the bottom of the sea."

A tumble as the s.h.i.+p goes down adds much to the spirit of the play.

RUN, SHEEP, RUN!

_10 to 30 or more players._

_Out of doors._

This is a form of hide-and-seek, but the hiding and the seeking are done by parties instead of individually, each party acting under the direction of a captain. Any number of players may take part, but from four to six on a side are perhaps best.

Two captains are chosen, who in turn alternately choose players until all the players are divided into two parties. One party becomes a searching party (chosen by lot, "holders," or counting out between the captains) and remains at the goal, while the other party goes out with its captain, who directs the various individuals where to hide, after agreeing with his party on a series of signals to be used, as described below. When all are hidden, this captain goes back to the searchers, who at once start out on the hunt under the direction of their captain, who may divide or dispose of his party as he sees fit.

The captain of the hiding party remains with the searchers, calling out signals to his hidden men which shall enable them to approach nearer to the goal by dodging from one hiding place to another, always trying to keep out of sight of the searchers. Neither party, however, may run for the goal until its own captain shouts "Run, sheep, run!"

The captain of the hiding party is generally the first one to give this signal, and he does so whenever he thinks his men are well placed to make the goal. The captain of the searchers naturally gives the signal to his players as soon as he hears his compet.i.tor calling it, as the game is won by the party of which one player first reaches the goal.

Should any member of the searching party catch sight of an opposing player before all run for the goal, he tells his captain, who at once shouts, "Run, sheep, run!"

Any signals may be agreed on between the captain of the hiding party and his men; the following are examples:--

"Red!" meaning "Danger."

"Green!" meaning "Go around the house to the left."

"Blue!" meaning "Go around the house to the right."

"Purple!" meaning "Stand still."

"Yellow!" meaning "Keep on going in the same direction and get nearer to the goal."

SADDLE THE NAG

_6 to 30 or more players._

_Playground; gymnasium._

This is a game of leapfrog. The players are divided into equal parties, with a chief for each. One of the chiefs stands with his back to a wall or fence, and all of his party bend their backs as for leapfrog, the first with his head against the chief, and the others, one behind the other, in a line stretching out in front of him. Each player in the line braces his shoulder against the stooping player next in front, or each may grasp the forward player around the waist.

The heads should all be turned to the same side. One of the opposite side then leaps on the back of the player farthest from the wall, and tries to make his way over the backs of the entire line to the chief to "crown" him; that is, to place his hand on his head. The players who are making "backs" try in every way, without rising to a standing position, to throw this player off and so prevent his crowning their chief. Each player of the "out" side tries in turn to crown the chief.

Should they be unsuccessful the sides change. If one or more players succeed in crowning the chief, each successful player has a second chance before the sides change. The side that succeeds in oftenest crowning its opponent's chief wins the game. The limit of the game is usually placed at six trials for each side.

SARDINES

_10 to 30 or more players._

_Playground; house party._

This is a game of hide and seek that reverses some of the usual methods of playing the game. The player chosen to be It, instead of blinding goes out himself to hide, while all of the other players stay at the goal. While one of their number counts one hundred, they must all either blind their eyes or be shut in one room to give the hider a fair chance. After counting, they shout "One hundred!" and all start out to hunt for the hider. Any player discovering him must, after making sure that none of the others observe him, hide in the same place with the hider. If necessary, he must linger near until there is opportunity to do this without being discovered. If there should not be room to hide in the same place, the finder must take a seat in plain sight near the hiding place. Sometimes a large number of players will be seated in a room or in a group out of doors, while the last unfortunate hunters try to locate some clever hiding place which is obviously near but hard to detect. Of course it is better for the players to actually hide with the first hider, if practicable, which probably suggested, on occasion, being "packed in like sardines."

This is one of the most interesting house party games for young people for either out of doors or within.

SCHOOLROOM TAG

_10 to 60 players._

_Schoolroom._

A circle about three feet in diameter is drawn on the floor in the front of the room and serves as a goal. One player is chosen to be It, and stands ten feet from the goal. The other players sit at their desks. The one who is It calls the name of some player, who must at once rise and try to run through the goal and return to his seat without being tagged. In order to do this, he may have to make quite a detour before pa.s.sing through the goal, or he may be able to run through it at the opening of the chase. The chaser must also run through the goal before he may tag the runner. If the chaser succeeds in tagging the runner, he continues to be chaser, and calls the name of another player to run. If the runner gets to his seat without being tagged, he changes places with the other and becomes It.

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

SHADOW TAG

_4 to 60 players._

_Out of doors._

This is a very pretty form of tag, suitable for little children, and they delight in playing it. It hardly need be said that it requires a sunny day.

The player who is It tries to step or jump on to the shadow of some other player, and if successful, announces the fact by calling the name of the player. That player then becomes It.

The teacher or leader will need to encourage the children to venture boldly into the open s.p.a.ces, where the shadows become apparent, rather than to huddle on one side of the ground, where the chaser cannot reach the shadows.