Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium Part 37

STAGE COACH

_10 to 60 or more players._

_Parlor; schoolroom; gymnasium._

A leader is chosen who has a faculty for telling a story. This leader gives to each of the players the name of some part of a stage coach or of its contents. Thus, one may be the whip, one the wheels, one the cus.h.i.+ons, one the windows, others the brake, driver, harness, horses, pa.s.sengers, including specifically the fat old gentleman, the woman with the bandbox, etc.

Where there are many players, several may be given the same name, though it is desirable that these should not all be seated near together. The leader then tells a story in which the various parts of a stage coach are mentioned, and whenever he names one of these parts or articles, the player or players bearing that name must get up instantly, whirl around once, and sit down again. Any player failing to do this must pay a forfeit. Whenever the story teller says "Stage Coach!" all of the players must get up and turn around. At the end of this story he will manage to have the stage coach meet with a catastrophe, and as soon as he says "The stage coach upset!" all of the players must change seats. The leader takes this opportunity to secure one for himself, and the player who is left without a seat becomes leader for the next game, or must distribute the forfeits. For large numbers there should be several more players than chairs.

The leader may say, for example: "It being a beautiful spring day, the _old lady with the bandbox_ [here the old lady must get up and turn around] decided to visit her daughter, and so took a _seat_ in the _stage coach_ [everybody turns around]; she found the _cus.h.i.+ons_ [cus.h.i.+ons turn around] very comfortable until the _fat old gentleman_ [fat old gentleman turns around] got in, when the place seemed to her very crowded, and she was glad to open the _windows_; the _driver_ cracked his _whip_, the _wheels_ creaked, the _horses_ strained at the _harness_, and away they started on their journey," etc.

The interest of the game may be enhanced by connecting the stage coach, its pa.s.sengers, and journey with some well-known story, as of Mr. Pickwick and Sam Weller, or Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.

STAKE GUARD

(See also _Duck on a Rock_.)

_10 to 30 players._

_Playground; gymnasium._

This game is one of the forms of Duck on a Rock, and in this form is well adapted to use indoors as well as out of doors.

The game differs from the ordinary games of Duck on a Rock chiefly in the limited territory to which the guard is confined.

A stake is driven in the ground (or if in a gymnasium, an Indian club is placed) in the center of a square plainly marked, and measuring from eight to twelve feet. A throwing line is drawn twenty or more feet from the stake. The game is played with bean bags, and begins with the choice of a guard. This choice is made by all of the players standing on the throwing line and throwing their bags at the stake.

The player whose bag falls farthest away from the stake becomes the first guard.

The stake guard places his bag on top of the stake (or club). The other players line up on the throwing line. Upon a given signal from a leader or captain, all of the players throw their bags simultaneously at the stake, trying to displace the bag on top of it.

Knocking over the club accomplishes the same purpose. Each player must then try to regain his bag, but in doing this he may be tagged by the guard. If this be done, he changes places with the guard. The guard may only tag a player, however, within the limits of the square surrounding the stake, beyond which he may not go; and he may do this only after he has replaced his own bag on top of the stake.

[Ill.u.s.tration diagram: STAKE GUARD]

Any player failing to recover his bag at once will watch for an opportunity to do so when the guard is next occupied in replacing his own bag. Any player thus waiting for his bag may linger near the boundaries of the center square.

Should the guard succeed in tagging a player within the square, that player must at once place his own bag on the stake; and the guard must try to get his bag and escape from the square before this new guard can place his bag and tag him. As soon as a player recovers his bag and escapes from the center square, he should go at once to the starting line, and may throw again immediately for the center bag. The game progresses better, however, if all of the throwing be done simultaneously, the returning players waiting for a signal from the leader before throwing.

As players become proficient, the game may be made more skillful and interesting by increasing the distance between the throwing line and the stake, and also by lessening the size of the square drawn around the stake, in which the guard is confined.

STEALING STICKS

(See also _Prisoner's Base_.)

_10 to 30 or more players._

_Playground; gymnasium._

The ground is divided into two equal parts, with a small goal marked off at the rear of each part, in which six sticks are placed. Each player who reaches the enemy's goal safely may carry one stick back to his own goal, and may not be caught while carrying it back. If caught in the enemy's territory before reaching the goal, a player must remain a prisoner in the goal until touched by one of his own side; neither may be caught while returning. Any player may catch any opponent, except under the rules just stated. No stick may be taken by a side while any of its men are prisoners. The game is won by the side gaining all of the sticks.

[Ill.u.s.tration diagram: STEALING STICKS]

This game is known also by the name of Scots and English and probably originated in border warfare. The players sometimes contribute some article of wearing apparel to the pile of property that is to be stolen instead of using sticks for the purpose. Caps and coats are the usual donations.

STEP

_5 to 30 or more players._

_Playground; gymnasium._

The ground is marked off by two parallel lines from fifty to two hundred feet apart. One player, who is chosen to be counter, stands on one of these lines with his back to the other players, who line up on the opposite line.

The object of the game is for the players who are lined up in the rear to advance forward until they cross the line where the counter is stationed. They may only advance, however, by short stages, during which the player in front counts ten.

The game starts by this forward player counting ten loudly and rapidly, the other players moving forward while he does this, but immediately that he says "Ten!" they must stand still, and he at once turns to look at them. He will call the name of any player or players whom he sees moving, and any so called must go back to the starting line and begin over again. This counting of ten by the one player and moving forward of the others continues until all have crossed the line where the counter stands. The last one over changes places with him for the next game.

This game is a great favorite, especially with girls, though the writer has known many boys to play it persistently. The players will learn to use much caution in moving forward, often stopping before the count of ten, to be sure that they shall not be caught in motion. The progress thus made may seem slower than that of those who dash forward to the last moment, but as with the famous hare and tortoise, this slower but continuous method often wins.

STILL POND; NO MORE MOVING!

(Still water, still water, stop!)

_5 to 30 or more players._

_Parlor; gymnasium; playground._

One player is blindfolded; the others scatter promiscuously. The blindfolded player is led to the center of the playground, and asked:--

"How many horses has your father in his stable?"

He replies, "Three."

"What color are they?"

"Black, white, and gray."

"Turn around three times and catch whom you may."