School, Church, and Home Games, George Orrin Draper [best classic literature .TXT] 📗

can help their team mate, whose turn it is, by suggesting other countries. The member of the team failing to name a country beginning with "A", starts with the letter "B" and the game continues, until one team has won ten points. The names of rivers, mountains, states, cities, etc., can be substituted for the names of countries.

Seeing and Remembering

Fifteen or twenty articles are placed upon a table under a sheet, in front of the pupils. The sheet is removed for a space of 10 seconds and the pupils are given a good chance to study the articles on the table. After the sheet has again covered the articles, each pupil is requested to write as many of the articles as can be remembered, on a sheet of paper. The one remembering the largest number wins.

Definitions

The teacher selects some word from the dictionary, which is written upon the blackboard. Each pupil then writes the definition of that word on a slip of paper. After this is done, the teacher compares the definition with that in the dictionary. The one giving the definition nearest like that in the dictionary wins, and gives the next word to be defined.

Jumbled Words

The pupils of each aisle constitute a team. Each pupil in the aisle is given a number. The one in each front seat is Number 1, the one behind him Number 2, and so on back. The teacher has prepared a different sentence for each aisle with just as many words in it as there are pupils in the aisle. One of these slips is handed to Number 1 of each team. Number 1 takes the first word of the sentence as his word, Number 2 the second, Number 3 the third, and so on. When the last one in the aisle has learned the last word in the sentence, the slips are returned to the teacher. Competition can be added to this phase of the game by seeing which aisle can return the slip to the teacher first.

When the slips have all been turned in, the teacher calls any number. Thereupon the pupils in each aisle having that number, go to the blackboard and write distinctly their word from the sentence. For example, the teacher calls Number 3. Number 3 of aisle 1 had the word "money"; Number 3 of aisle 2 "can," etc.

Next the teacher calls Number 5. All the Number 5's go to the blackboard and write their words directly after those written by their previous team mate. When all the numbers have been called there is a jumbled sentence on the board for each aisle. The pupils of the various aisles then try to guess what the sentences of the other aisles are. Each one guessed, counts 5 points.

Descriptive Adjectives

An historical personage is selected, such as Columbus, George Washington, etc. The first pupil called upon must describe the subject with a descriptive adjective beginning with "A". The second, third, and fourth, etc., adding to this description by using adjectives beginning with the letter "A". This continues until the adjectives beginning with the letter "A" have been exhausted. Then the letter "B" is used and the game continues. It is well to change the subject after every fourth or fifth letter. This is a good game for adding to the vocabulary of the pupil. A little fun can be had by using, instead of an historical subject, one of the pupils of the room for description.

Store

The pupils of each aisle constitute a team. The one in the front seat in each aisle is Number 1, the one behind him, Number 2, etc.

The teacher has a number of cards upon each of which appears a letter of the alphabet. The teacher holds up one of these letters so that it can be distinctly seen by the pupils. Number 1 of each aisle must name some article sold in a grocery store, beginning with the letter held up by the teacher. (For example,—the teacher holds up the letter "F"; Number 1 of the second aisle calls, "Flour"). The pupil first naming an article of that letter is given the card containing the letter. The next card held up, the number 2's of each team are to name the article, and likewise the winner to be awarded the card. The aisle having the most cards at the end of the game wins.

The letters can be written on the blackboard if the cards are not available for the game and points awarded to each winner. The game can also be used with birds, animals, and other subjects in place of articles sold in a store. This is a good game to stimulate quick thinking.

Distinguishing Sounds

This game is good training for the ear. Various noises, such as the shaking of a pebble in a tin can, in a wooden box, in a pasteboard box, in a large envelope; knocking on wood, on tin, on coin (as silver dollar), on stone, on brass, on lead,—are made. The pupils are allowed to guess just what the noise is caused by.

Laugh

This is a good relaxing game and one in which the practice of self control is a factor. An open handkerchief is tossed into the air. While it is in the air the pupils are to laugh as heartily as they can, but the instant the handkerchief touches the floor, all laughing is to stop.

Guessing Dimensions

The ability to measure with the eye is well worth cultivating. Each pupil is to guess the distance between various points indicated on the blackboard, the height of a door, the width and the height of a school desk, the height of the schoolroom, the thickness of a book, etc. Each of the guesses is written on a slip of paper. The pupil with the best guesses wins.

Mysterious Articles

An article is concealed under a cloth on the table. Each pupil is given an opportunity to feel the article through the cloth and guess what it is, educating the sense of touch.

Distinguishing by Smell

Various articles invisible to the eye, with distinctive odors, such as vinegar, rose, mustard, vanilla, ginger, clove, tea, coffee, chocolate, soap, etc., are placed before the pupil. The one able to distinguish the largest number of articles by the smell, wins the game.

Art Gallery

Pictures of a number of famous paintings by the masters are placed on exhibition. The pupil guessing the largest number of masters and titles, of the various pictures, wins.

Drawing Animals

The teacher whispers in the ear of each pupil the name of some animal, whereupon the pupil proceeds to draw that animal, each pupil being given the name of a different animal. Drawings are made and put on exhibition. All try to guess as many as possible of the animals represented in the drawings. The drawing securing the largest number of correct guesses wins for the artist.

Historical Pictures

A long sheet of paper is given to each pupil, with instructions to draw thereupon a picture representing some historical event. After completing the drawing, each paper is passed about the room. Each pupil writes underneath the picture what he thinks the picture represents. His subject is folded under, so that the next pupil to receive the picture cannot see what his guess has been. At the end of the game, the picture having the largest number of correct guesses wins.

Train of Thoughts

A word is suggested by the teacher. This is written at the top of a sheet of paper by each pupil. The pupil then writes beneath that word various thoughts that are suggested to him by the word. For instance, the word suggested by the teacher is "aeroplane". Pupil A has suggested to him by the word "aeroplane", humming. He writes that on his list. Humming suggests bees. Bees suggest honey; honey, clover, clover summer, summer swimming hole, etc. When all of the pupils have written fifteen or twenty thoughts which have suggested themselves to them, each is called upon to read his train of thoughts to the rest of the class.

Bowknot Relay

The pupils of each aisle constitute a team. A piece of string is given to each pupil in the front seat. At a signal to start each pupil with the string runs forward and ties it in a bowknot on some article placed in front of each aisle. After tying the bow, he returns to his seat and touches the one in the seat next behind him. Thereupon the second member of the team runs, unties the bowknot, returns with the string; and hands it to the third, who runs forward, and ties it in a bowknot, as did the first, and returning touches off the fourth, etc. The aisle in which each pupil has accomplished the required task first, wins the race.

Cooking Race

This is a good game for the class in domestic science. The pupils of each aisle constitute a team. A piece of chalk is handed to the one in each front seat. At the signal to go, the chalk is passed back until it reaches the one in the last seat in the row. Every one in the aisle must have handled the chalk in passing it back. Upon receiving it, the last one in the row runs forward to the board and writes thereupon an ingredient necessary in the making of cake. Returning, the chalk is handed to the one in the front seat and again passed back until it gets to the one in the next to the last seat, who rushes to the board and writes another ingredient necessary in cake making. And so the race continues. When the last pupil at the board, namely the one from the front seat, has written upon the board and returned to her seat, the race is ended. The race is won by the aisle first completing this task.

Spelling Game

The group, if numbering 40 or more pupils, is divided into two teams. The contestants of each team are given a different letter of the alphabet. The teacher gives a word. Thereupon the pupils in both teams whose letter occurs in the word named, run one to the front and one to the rear of the room, as assigned by the teacher, and take their places in the order in which their letter occurs in the word. When the pupils have taken their proper position, they call out the letters they represent, spelling the word. The group first accomplishing this, wins one point for their team. If the letter occurs twice in the same word, that pupil representing that letter takes his place where the letter first occurs in the word and shifts to the second position, so as to help complete the word.

If the group be too small for two alphabets the game can be played by having but one and seeing which of the various words given is formed in the quickest time by the single group.

Grammar Race

The pupils of each aisle constitute a team. A piece of chalk is given to the one in each front seat. At the signal to go, the one with the chalk rushes to the board and writes the first word of a sentence on the board and returns to his seat, passing the chalk on to the second one, who writes the second word for a sentence. The third writes the third, and so on until a complete sentence has been written upon the board. The one in the last seat must complete the sentence and return to his seat, ending the race.

Twenty-five points is awarded the team finishing first; twenty-five points to each team with correct spelling; twenty-five points for the team with the best writing; twenty-five points for the best composition of the sentence.

Schoolroom Tag

A three foot circle is made with a