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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This is an admirable game to use for old ballads, such as "Annie Laurie," "Suwanee River," "My Old Kentucky Home," "Blue Bells of Scotland," etc., or for national airs, or for both together. In a company that is well up on current music, airs from current songs and popular operas may be used successfully.
MY LADY'S LAP DOG5 to 30 of more players.
Parlor.
My lady's lapdog.
Two plump partridges and my lady's lapdog.
Three great elephants, two plump partridges, and my lady's lapdog.
Four Persian cherry trees, three great elephants, etc.
Five Limerick oysters, four Persian cherry trees, etc.
Six bottles of Frontignac, five Limerick oysters, etc.
Seven swans a swimming, six bottles of Frontignac, etc.
Eight flip flap floating fly boats, seven swans, etc.
Nine merchants going to Bagdad, eight flip flap, etc.
Ten Italian dancing masters going to teach ten Arabian magpies how to dance, nine merchants going to Bagdad, etc.
Eleven guests going to celebrate the marriage of the Princess Baldroubadour with the Prince of Terra del Fuego, ten Italian dancing masters going to teach ten Arabian magpies, etc.
Twelve triumphant trumpeters triumphantly trumpeting the tragical tradition of Telemachus, eleven guests going to celebrate the marriage, etc.
The players sit in a circle; the one who is leader turns to the next player and says, "My lady's lapdog." This player turns to the one next him and repeats the phrase, which is thus handed around the circle. When it gets back to the leader, the leader turns to his neighbor and adds an item to that previously mentioned, saying, "Two plump partridges and my lady's lapdog." This goes around the circle, when the leader says, "Three great elephants, two plump partridges, and my lady's lapdog," and so on, adding each time different items according to the formula given above. Any player failing to repeat the list correctly pays a forfeit.
VARIATION.—For younger players, the following list may be found better:—
A big fat hen.
Two ducks and a big fat hen.
Three wild geese, two ducks, and a big fat hen.
Four plump partridges, three wild geese, two ducks, etc.
Five pouting pigeons, four plump partridges, three, etc.
Six long-legged cranes, five pouting pigeons, etc.
Seven green parrots, six long-legged cranes, etc.
Eight screeching owls, seven green parrots, six long-legged, etc.
Nine ugly black turkey buzzards, eight screeching owls, etc.
Ten thousand domesticated chimney swallows, nine ugly black turkey buzzards, eight screeching owls, etc.
NAUGHTS AND CROSSES2 players.
Indoors; out of doors.
A diagram is drawn on a slate, paper, or the ground, and consists of two vertical lines, crossed by two horizontal lines. One player chooses to write "naughts" (o) and the other "crosses" (x). The players take turns in marking a naught or a cross in one of the nine places provided by the diagram, the object being to get three naughts or three crosses in a row. This row may be either vertical, horizontal, or diagonal.
A score is kept of the games won by each player, and a third score is kept of the games played in which neither player wins.
This game may be played at the seashore, on the playground, or wherever the diagram may be traced on the earth.
For school use it is an interesting diversion for pupils who assemble early before a session opens, or who remain in over a rainy noontime.
NIMBLE SQUIRRELAny number of players.
Schoolroom; parlor; playground.
This is a device for mental arithmetic. It is one of which children are very fond. As the play element may enter very largely into the fanciful suggestions used by the teacher, it seems in place in a book of games.
The teacher states her problem in a manner similar to the following:—
"There was a tree with fifty branches. A squirrel started on the first branch, jumped up three branches [to the fourth], came halfway down [to the second], went three times as high [sixth branch], fell halfway down [third branch], saw a dog, and ran to the top of the tree; fell to the ground and started over again; went up eight branches, jumped past three branches," etc., finishing up with, "How many branches from the top was he?"
This game has been found intensely interesting for children through the upper grades of the elementary schools.
PENNY WISE5 to 30 players.
House party.
Each player is provided with a bright new penny (of design prior to 1909), a piece of paper, and a pencil. On the paper are written beforehand, or to dictation, the following requirements, of course without the answers. The player wins who has the largest number of correct answers.
Find on the penny the following:—
The name of a song.—America.
A privilege.—Liberty.
A part of Indian corn.—Ear.
A part of a hill.—Brow.
Something denoting self.—Eye (I).
Part of a door.—Lock (of hair).
A weapon of war.—Arrow.
An act of protection.—Shield.
A gallant.—Beau (bow).
A punishment.—Stripes.
Part of a plant.—Leaf.
A piece of jewelry.—Ring.
A nut.—Acorn.
A musical term.—Bar.
An occupation.—Milling.
A foreign fruit.—Date.
Trimming for a hat.—Feather.
What ships sail on.—Sea (C).
A perfume.—Scent (cent).
A religious edifice.—Temple.
A messenger.—One sent (cent).
A method of voting.—Ayes and Noes (eyes and nose).
A Chinese beverage.—Tea (T).
A gaudy flower.—Tulips (two lips).
Comfort.—Ease (E. E.).
A small animal.—Hare (hair).
A term of marriage.—United state.
An ancient honor.—Wreath.
One of the first families.—Indian.
5 to 30 or more players.
House party.
Each player is provided with a sheet of paper and a pencil. The game consists in one player writing down something that he has planted and the next player stating what came up. Anything may be planted, though the questioner must have in mind something that could come up from what he writes. He must sign his initials. The names of the plants that come up must bear some direct relation, punning or otherwise, to the things planted.
For example, a player writes, "I planted a kitten; what came up?" The paper is handed to the next player, who writes, "Pussy willows."
After the questions are written, the papers are collected and redistributed, and each writes an answer to the question he has drawn. They are then collected again, and the hostess reads the questions and answers. Any question not answered must be replied to by the player who wrote it. Examples follow:—
Plant an angry wise man; what will come up?—Scarlet sage. Plant a box of candy; what will come up?—Candytuft. Cupid's arrow; what will come up?—Bleeding heart. Some steps.—Hops. Days, months, and years.—Thyme. Christmas Eve.—Star of Bethlehem. Orange blossoms.—Bridal wreath. A sermon.—Jack in the pulpit. Cuff on the ear.—Box. Grief.—Weeping willow. Cinderella at midnight.—Lady's slipper. A ship that has nowhere to go.—Portulaca (port you lack, ah!). Star spangled banner and Union Jack.—Flags. Claws and a roar.—Tiger lilies. A Richmond caterpillar.—Virginia creeper. Contentment.—Heart's-ease. What a married man never has.—Batchelor's buttons. Sad beauties.—Bluebells. Labyrinth.—Maize. PRINCE OF PARIS10 to 30 players.
Parlor; schoolroom.
A player is chosen as leader; the others are numbered consecutively from one up, and are all seated.
The leader, standing in front, says, "The Prince of Paris has lost his hat. Did you find it, Number Four, sir?" whereupon Number Four jumps to his feet and says:—
"What, sir! I, sir?"
Leader. "Yes, sir! You, sir!"
No. Four. "Not I, sir!"
Leader. "Who, then, sir?"
No. Four. "Number Seven, sir."
Number Seven, as soon as his number is called, must jump at once to his feet and say:—
"What, sir! I, sir?"
Leader. "Yes, sir! You, sir."
No. Seven. "Not I, sir!"
Leader. "Who then, sir?"
No. Seven. "Number Three, sir!"
Number Three immediately jumps to his feet, and the same dialogue is repeated. The object of the game is for the leader to try to repeat the statement, "The Prince of Paris has lost his hat," before the last player named can jump to his feet and say, "What, sir! I, sir?" If he succeeds in doing this, he changes places with the player who failed in promptness, that player becoming leader.
Should any player fail to say "Sir" in the proper place, this also is a mistake, and the leader may change places with such player.
This game has much sport in it for house parties or other uses.
RECOGNITIONAny number of players.
Parlor; schoolroom.
Each player is given a card or slip prepared with the following questions, or the list may be dictated at the time.
What famous persons, historical or mythical, do these objects suggest?
Hatchet? (George Washington.) A rail fence? (Abraham Lincoln.) A kite? (Benjamin Franklin.) A muddy cloak? (Sir Walter Raleigh.) A lonely island? (Robinson Crusoe.) A burning bush? (Moses.) A ruff? (Queen Elizabeth.) A glass slipper? (Cinderella.) An apple? (William Tell.) A silver lamp? (Aladdin.) A smooth, round stone? (David.) Long hair? (Sampson.) A dove? (Noah.) A pomegranate seed? (Persephone.) A spider web? (Robert Bruce.) A key? (Bluebeard.) A wolf? (Red Riding Hood.) A steamboat? (Robert Fulton.) SCAT2 players.
Indoors; out of doors; schoolroom.
One player holds on his upturned palm a ruler, a paper knife, or a small thin strip of wood. The other player takes this quickly and tries to "scat" or hit the opponent's palm with the ruler before he can withdraw his hand. The game will be made more interesting by feints on the part of the player who has to take the ruler, he giving several appearances of taking it before really doing so. When a player succeeds in hitting his opponent's hand with the ruler they change parts in the game. Count is kept of the unsuccessful hits, the player winning who has the smallest score when the play ends.
This is one of the diversions useful for rainy day recesses in school, or for pupils who congregate before a session opens.
SEEKING FOR GOLD5 to 15 players.
Out of doors; seashore.
A handful of small pebbles is collected, and the players sit on the ground in a circle. One of the players scatters the pebbles on the ground in the center of the circle, as jackstones are scattered. This player then draws a line with his finger between any two of the pebbles, and tries to snap one of these two so that it will hit the other, as marbles are snapped at one another. If successful in hitting the pebble, the same player has a second turn, keeping each time the two pebbles hit. Should this player miss, another gathers up the pebbles, scatters them, draws a line between any two of them, snaps them, etc.
The one wins who at the close of the game has the largest number of pebbles. It will be seen that a small number of players is better for this game than a large group. Nuts may be used instead of pebbles.
This game is played by children in China.
SHAKESPEAREAN ROMANCE (A)Any number of players.
House party; schoolroom.
Each player is provided with a sheet of paper prepared with the following questions, or the questions may be dictated at the time. Each question is to be answered with the title of one of Shakespeare's plays. The player wins who has the largest number correct at the end of the time allotted for the game.
Other questions may be devised.
Who were the lovers? (Romeo and Juliet.) What was their courtship like? (Midsummer Night's Dream.) What was her answer to his proposal? (As You Like It.) About what time of the month were they married? (Twelfth Night.) Of whom did he buy the ring? (Merchant of Venice.) Who were the best man and maid of honor? (Antony and Cleopatra.) Who were the ushers? (The Two Gentlemen of Verona.) Who gave the reception? (Merry Wives of Windsor.) In what kind of a place did they live? (Hamlet.) What was her disposition like? (The Tempest.) What was his chief occupation after marriage? (Taming of the Shrew.) What caused their first quarrel? (Much Ado about Nothing.) What did their courtship prove to be? (Love's Labor Lost.) What did their married life resemble? (A Comedy of Errors.) What did they give each other? (Measure for Measure.) What Roman ruler brought about reconciliation? (Julius Cæsar.) What did their friends say? (All's Well that Ends Well.) SIMON SAYS2 to 60 players.
Parlor; schoolroom.
The players
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