Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium, Jessie Hubbell Bancroft [best books to read for knowledge txt] 📗
- Author: Jessie Hubbell Bancroft
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Where more than thirty players are engaged, the game should start with two or more foxes.
This game has sometimes been called Lame Goose.
It is admirable for players of all ages, but, like all "dare" games, is especially good to overcome timidity. Timid children should be encouraged to venture near the fox and to take risks in giving their challenge.
LAST COUPLE OUT11 to 31 or more players.
Playground; gymnasium.
An odd number of players is required for this game. One is chosen for catcher, who stands at one end of the playground with his back to the other players. The other players stand in couples in a long line behind him, facing in the same direction that he does. The catcher should be not less than ten feet in front of the first couple.
The catcher calls, "Last couple out!" when the last pair in the line runs toward the front, the right-hand one on the right side of the double line, and the left-hand one on the left side, and try to join hands in front of the catcher. The catcher may not chase them before they are in line with him, and may not turn his head to see when or from where the runners are coming. They should try to gain their end by varying the method of approach, sometimes both circling far out beyond him on either side, or one of them doing this and the other running in close toward the lines.
If the catcher succeeds in catching one of the players before that player can clasp hands with his partner, these two, catcher and caught, form a couple and take their places at the head of the line, which should move backward one place to make room for them, and the other player of the running couple becomes catcher. If neither be caught, they are free; i.e. out of the game.
In the Scotch and Swedish forms of this game, the title is "Widow" or "Widower," the catcher supposedly taking the part of the bereaved one and trying to get a mate. It has been suggested that the game has descended from old methods of marriage by capture.
LAST MAN10 to 60 players.
Schoolroom.
This is a schoolroom adaptation of the game usually known as "Three Deep," or "Third Man." It is one of the most interesting and popular schoolroom games.
One player is chosen to be runner and another chaser. The remaining players are seated. The game starts with quite a distance between runner and chaser. The first object of the game is for the chaser to tag (touch) the runner. Should he do this, they immediately change parts, the previous chaser having to flee instantly for safety with the previous runner, now chaser, after him. The greatest sport of the game comes in, however, in the way the runner may save himself at any time from being tagged by the chaser by standing at the rear of any row of seats and calling "Last man!" As soon as he does this, the one sitting in the front row of that line of seats becomes liable to tagging by the chaser, and must instantly get up and run. As soon as he has left his seat, the entire line moves forward one seat, leaving a seat at the rear for the "last man." There may be no moving of this kind, however, until the runners are out of the aisle.
As in all running games in the class room, the seated players must keep their feet under the desks and out of the aisles.
It will be seen that all of the players must be very alert to watch the actions of the runner, but especially those sitting in the front seats, as at any moment one of them may have to become runner. The last man must never fail to call out the words "Last man!" when he takes his stand at the rear of a row of seats. He is not considered to have taken refuge until he does this.
LEADER AND FOOTER50 to 60 or more players.
Playground; gymnasium.
This is a leapfrog game. One player is chosen to be "back," and he chooses a leader, generally the poorest jumper, and a "footer"—the best jumper. A starting or "taw" line is drawn on the ground and the back stands with his side parallel to it. The other players line up in single file at some distance, with the leader at the head and the footer at the rear of the line. The footer dictates the way in which the back is to be cleared and his distance from taw. For instance, he may, having put a long distance between the back and the line, require a run of a limited number of steps, or a hop and skip (specifying the number), before the jump. The leader makes the first jump as prescribed by footer, and the others, in turn, including the footer. Any player failing in the feat becomes back. Any player who is doubtful of success may call upon the footer to perform the feat. If the footer fails, he becomes the back. If the challenge be successfully met, the one making the challenge becomes back.
LEAPFROGThe back.—Any player who bends over to make a back for others to leap over is called the "back." He must rest his hands on his knees or near them to make a firm back. It is against the rules for any player making a back to throw up his back or bend it lower while a player is leaping over it; but each player, before jumping, may say "High back!" or "Low back!" which the one who is down must adjust before the jumper starts. He then must do his best to keep the back perfectly level and still, unless the game calls for a different kind of play. In some games the back stands with his back toward the jumpers, and in others with his side toward them. If he is to stand on a certain line, he must "heel it" if with his back toward them, or, if his side be toward them, stand with one foot on either side of the line.
The jumper.—The player who leaps must lay his hands flat on the back at the shoulders and not "knuckle," i.e. double under his fingers. Any player transgressing this rule must change places with the back. The back must be cleared without touching him with the foot or any part of the body except the hands. Such a touch is called "spurring," and the transgressor must change places with the back if the latter stands upright before the next player can jump over him. If he does not stand upright in time, he remains back. When a leap is made from a starting line or taw, the jumper may not put his foot more than half over the line. Good jumpers will land on the toes with knees bent and backs upright, not losing the balance.
The leapfrog games here given in alphabetic order include:—
2 to 100 players.
Playground; gymnasium.
The first player makes a back, standing either with his back or his side toward the one who is to leap over. The next player runs, leaps over the back, runs a few steps forward so as to allow space for a run between himself and the first player, and in his turn stoops over and makes a back. This makes two backs. The third player leaps over the first back, runs and leaps over the second, runs a short distance and makes a third back, etc., until all the players are making backs, when the first one down takes his turn at leaping, and so on indefinitely.
VARIATION.—This may be made much more difficult by each player moving only a few feet in advance of the back over which he has leaped, as this will then leave no room for a run between the backs, but means a continuous succession of leaps by the succeeding players.
LEAPFROG RACE10 to 100 players.
Playground; gymnasium.
The players are lined up in two or more single files, as for the simplest form of leapfrog, but the game is a race between the different files.
The first player takes his place on the starting or taw line and makes a "back," with his head away from the file. The next player immediately jumps over and makes a back one pace forward of the first player. The third jumps over the backs of the two and makes a third back, and so on until all are down, when the first player jumps over all in succession, but steps one side when he has vaulted over the last back. The others all follow.
The line wins which is first reduced to one player in the position of "back." In other words, when every player in the line has jumped over the back of every other player.
A burlesque on this game, which has in it some good sport and exercise, consists in crawling between the feet of the players instead of jumping over their backs. This may be done for every player in the line, or the two methods alternated, leaping over the back of one, crawling between the feet of the next, etc.
LETTING OUT THE DOVES3 to 30 players.
In doors or out of doors.
This game is particularly suitable for young children. The players stand in groups of three. One in each group, usually the smallest, represents a dove; one a hawk, larger than the dove or a swifter runner; and the third the owner of the birds. The dove stands in front of the owner, holding her by the hand. The hawk stands behind, also held by the hand. The owner throws the dove from her with a gesture of the hand, first toward herself and then away, as a dove might be tossed for flight in the air, and the little dove sails away, with arms floating like wings. When the dove has a sufficient start, so that the larger and swifter hawk may not get her too easily, the owner throws the hawk in the same way. The hawk runs with outstretched arms also as though flying, and tries to catch the dove, but is obliged to run over exactly the same route as the dove. At her discretion the owner claps her hands as a signal for the two pet birds to return to her, the dove trying to get back without being caught by the hawk. The clapping for the return of the birds
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