Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium Part 82

PIG IN A HOLE

_10 to 60 players._

_Playground; seash.o.r.e; gymnasium._

_Basket ball._

[Ill.u.s.tration diagram: PIG IN A HOLE]

Each player should be provided with a stick about three feet long.

This may be made by whittling branches, or a gymnasium wand or piece of broomstick may be used. A hole is dug in the ground measuring twelve or fifteen inches in diameter. All of the players but one stand in a circle around this, with several feet between each two players so that they may move freely. Each player digs a small hole in the ground in front of his place in the circle, the hole to measure about four inches in diameter. The game is played with a basket ball, although a smaller ball may be used, in which case the center hole need not be quite so large, though it should be somewhat larger than the ball used.

The game consists in the odd player trying (1) to get the ball (the "pig") into the center hole with his stick, which all of the other players will try to prevent; and (2) the odd player trying to be released from his position by placing the end of his stick in one of the small holes belonging to one of the circle players, which he can only do when the player in question has his own stick out of it.

The game starts by all of the players putting their sticks in the center hole under the ball. They count, "One, two, three!" and on the last word all lift the ball with the sticks and then rush for the small holes, each player placing the end of his stick in a hole. As there is one less hole than the number of players, one odd player will be left out. It thereupon becomes his duty to drive the pig into the hole from whatever point it may have landed through the combined effort and toss with which the game opened. The circle players try to prevent the pig getting into the hole by blocking its pa.s.sage with their sticks. They may not kick it or play upon it in any other way.

The odd player will try to ward off the interference of the sticks by clearing a way in front of the ball with his own. The other players may leave their places at any time to block the pa.s.sage of the ball; but this is a dangerous thing to do, for the odd player may at any moment leave his work with the ball and place his stick in one of the vacant holes. It therefore behooves the circle players to leave their holes unguarded only when there is imminent danger of the ball entering the center hole from that side of the ring, or when a good opportunity comes for aggressive play to drive the ball out of the ring, which should also be one of their objects.

It is not necessary for a player to return to his own hole after having removed his stick from it. Any hole may be taken by any player, and much of the interest of the game lies in the freedom with which players will move about and take chances in this way.

If the driver succeeds in getting his pig in the center hole, he is considered to have won, and the game begins again. Should the driver succeed in placing his stick in an unoccupied hole in the circle, the odd player thus left out must become driver.

FOR THE GYMNASIUM.--This game may be adapted to the gymnasium by drawing chalk circles in place of those that would be dug in the ground out of doors. The same rules apply for the game, which may be played either with a basket ball or a bean bag.

This game is found in many countries. Several of the forms of play here given are from the Chinese. It is an old traditional game in England and popular there to-day.

PROGRESSIVE CAPTAIN BALL

(See _Captain Ball V_.)

PROGRESSIVE DODGEBALL

(See _Dodgeball_.)

RING CALL BALL

(See also _Call Ball_.)

_10 to 30 or more players._

_Playground; gymnasium._

_Hand ball; bean bag._

This game is similar in some respects to Call Ball, but being played in a circle formation, is much simpler and less difficult and exciting, being suited particularly to younger players.

The players form a circle, with one in the center, who throws a ball in the air, at the same time calling the name of one of the circle players. The one called must run forward and catch the ball before it bounds more than once. If he catches it, he returns to the circle. If he does not catch it, he changes places with the thrower.

ROLEY POLEY

(Hat Ball)

_5 to 20 players._

_Playground; gymnasium._

_Hand ball; bean bag._

A row of holes three or four inches in diameter is made in the ground, with about one foot s.p.a.ce between. There should be one hole less than the number of players. Boys' caps may be placed in a similar row instead of digging holes. Parallel with the row of holes, and about twenty feet away from it, a base line is drawn. A pile of pebbles (called "babies") should be collected before the game begins.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BALL GAME ON THE ROOF PLAYGROUND OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL]

The game consists primarily of rolling a ball into one of the holes or caps, followed by ball tag, and a scoring with the pebbles. The players stand each a little distance behind a hole except one, who is chosen to be the first roller. He rolls the ball from the base line into one of the holes or caps. Immediately he and all of the players except the one into whose hole the ball has fallen, run, scattering in any direction. The one to whose lot the ball has fallen lifts the ball as quickly as possible, calling "Stand!" as soon as he has it in his hand. The running players must halt when they hear this order, and the one who holds the ball tries to hit one of them with it from where he stands. If he succeeds in doing so, one of the pebbles is put in the cap of the player who is. .h.i.t. Should he miss. .h.i.tting any one, a pebble is put in his own cap. Should the player who tries to roll the ball into one of the holes or caps miss getting it in, a pebble is put in his own cap, and he makes other trials until he succeeds. When a player is. .h.i.t by the ball, he becomes roller, and all of the others return to their places. The game continues until one player gets six (or ten) stones ("babies") in his hole or cap. When this happens, he must be "court-martialed," that is, stand with his face against a wall or fence and let each player take three shots at him with the rubber ball, the first time with the thrower's eyes closed and then with them open. The distance of the throwers from the fence is determined by the victim's throwing the ball at the fence three times so it will rebound; the farthest point to which the ball rebounds becomes the throwing line for the court-martialing. If no fence or wall be available, the throwing is done from an agreed distance at the back of the victim.

This game may be played by drawing a series of circles on the ground or floor in place of the holes or cap, and sliding a bean bag into them. This form is serviceable for a gymnasium.

ROUND BALL

_20 to 60 players._

_Playground; gymnasium; schoolroom._

_Hand ball; basket ball._

This is an advanced form of Circle Ball, there being two competing teams in a circle, with wide s.p.a.ces between.

The players form in a circle, drop hands, and step backward two paces to make an interval between players. They number off in twos. The first Number One is captain for the Ones, and the first Number Two is captain for the Twos. Each captain has a ball. The game consists in throwing the ball around the circle, the ball started by captain Number One going only to the players of that number, and the ball started by captain Number Two to the players who bear his number.

The party wins whose ball first completes the circle five times. Each time that the captain receives the ball he calls out a number corresponding to the number of times the ball has circulated, "One"

for the first time, "Two" for the second, etc. The play should be rapid. Any player dropping the ball must pick it up and throw in regular form.

The game may be varied by requiring different methods of throwing and catching, such as catching with the right hand, left hand, both hands, etc., if a hand ball be used; or throw from below, above, or pus.h.i.+ng straight from the chest if a basket ball be used.