All the players, with the exception of two, leave the room. One of the outside party is then called in, and told that a new club has been formed and his name enrolled, but that he cannot be formally admitted unless he can guess the name of the club from the movements of the two members who have remained in the room. The candidate for admission is then offered a chair, and everything said and every movement made is mimicked by the other two.

Sometimes the new member guesses at once, but when unable to do this it is very funny to watch the effect that the copying of his every movement has upon him, especially when six or seven have been admitted.

When the name of the club has been guessed another candidate is invited in and the same performance takes place.

Games for All Occasions by Mary E. Blain

The players then arrange themselves in a circle and agree each to think of his or her right-hand neighbor; it is best to have a girl and boy alternately, as this adds much to the amusement.

The one outside is then called in, and commences to ask questions. Before replying, the player asked must he careful to notice his or her right-hand neighbor, and then give a correct reply. For instance, supposing the First question to be: “Is the person thought of a boy or a girl?” the answer would possibly be “A boy”; the next person would then he asked the color of the complexion, the next one the color of the hair, if long or short, etc., to which questions the answers would, of course, be given according to the right-hand neighbor.

Nearly all the answers will contradict the previous ones, and something like this may be the result: “A boy,” “very dark complexion,” long yellow hair,” “wearing a black Eton jacket,” “with a dark green dress,” “Five feet high,” “about six years old,” etc. When the player guessing gives the game up, the joke is explained to him.

Games for All Occasions by Mary E. Blain

Then one begins: “I love my love with an “A,” because she is affectionate; I hate her with an “A,” because she is artful. Her name is Alice, she comes from Aberdeen, and I gave her an apricot.” The next player says: “I love my love with a “B,” because she is bonnie; I hate her with a “B,” because she is boastful. Her name is Bertha, she comes from Bath, and I gave her a book.” The next player takes “C,” and the next “D” and so on through all the letters of the alphabet

Games for All Occasions by Mary E. Blain

“How do you like it?”

“Full of gold coins.”

“When do you like it?”

“When I an traveling.”

“Where do you like it?”

“In a safe place where robbers cannot find it.” And so the game goes on until the guesser knows the word. If he fails to guess it after asking every one of the players the three questions, “How do you like it? When do you like it? Where do you like it?” he must pay a forfeit. The guesser next time is the person who, in making his answer gave away the word decided upon.

Games for All Occasions by Mary E. Blain

The player: are allowed one guess for each sample, depending entirely upon the sense of feeling, and the one guessing the largest number correctly is given a prize. The hostess should have the samples numbered in order to keep count of the guesses. One young lady has a lot of pretty little silk bags tilled with these samples and uses them again and again, and they always bring the same amount of fun.

Games for All Occasions by Mary E. Blain

The players seat themselves round a table, and each one is provided with a sheet of paper and a pencil. The hostess then asks them to write at the head of the paper the name of the town in which they were born. A time limit of fifteen minutes is then given them in which to make up a sentence, each word of which must begin with the letter composing the name of the town. The sentence must be either suggestive, or descriptive of the town which each has written on his or her paper.

For example:

Town – Chicago.
Sentence – Came home in carriage after going out.

Games for All Occasions by Mary E. Blain

In this game every one in the company has to describe in a riddle, First a bird, then a fruit, and finally a flower. The others must guess. Whoever guesses the most is the winner of the game.

Here are examples of the riddles:

BIRD: Although a bird I mm part of a plant.
Answer: STORK. (Stalk).

FRUIT: Although a single specimen, I am really two.
Answer: PEAR.

FLOWERS: Although usually white, I am always described as rose colored in hue.
Answer: PINK.

Image © Martini Captures @ Flickr, Attribution

Games for All Occasions by Mary E. Blain

One of the players commences the game by saying to his neighbor, “I have a cook who doesn’t like peas (p’s); what will you give her for dinner?”

The person addressed must avoid the letter P in his answer. For instance, he may answer, “Artichokes,” “Onions,” “Cabbage,” and “Carrots,” but he must not say “Spinach,” “Asparagus,” “Potatoes.” The question is then asked of the second player, and so on until all have replied. If a player mentions a word containing the letter P he has to pay a forfeit.

Image © tempophage @ Flickr, Attribution

Games for All Occasions by Mary E. Blain

For this game, half the players go outside the door, whilst those who stay in the room choose a word of one syllable, which should not be too difficult. For instance, suppose the word chosen be “Flat,” those who are out of the room are informed that a word has been thought of that rhymes with “Cat.” and they then have to act, without speaking, all the words they can think of that rhyme with “Cat.”

Supposing their First idea be “Bat,” they come into the room and play an imaginary game of cricket. This not being correct, they would he hissed for their pains, and they must then hurry outside again. They might next try “Rat,” most of them going into the room on their hands and feet, whilst the others might pretend to be frightened. Again they would be hissed. At last they boys go in and fall flat on their faces, while the girls pretend to use flat-irons upon their backs. The loud slapping that follows tells than that they are right at last. They then change places with the audience, who, in turn, become the actors.

Image © ~My aim is true~ @ Flickr, Attribution

Games for All Occasions by Mary E. Blain

This is a capital game for a large party, for it is both instructive and amusing. One player is selected who has to guess what word or sentence the remainder of the company has chosen. He goes out of the room, and when the subject has been decided upon, returns and asks a question of each of the company in turn. The answer must he either “Yes” or “No,” and in no case should more words be used, under penalty of paying a forfeit.

The first important point to he found out is whether the subject is “Animal,” “Vegetable,” or “Mineral.” Supposing. for instance, the subject chosen is a cat which is sleeping in the room by the fire, the questions and answers might be like the following:

"Is the subject chosen an animal?" "Yes."
"Wild animal." "No."
"Domestic animal?" "Yes."
"Common?" "Yes."
"Are there many to be seen in this town?" "Yes."
"Have you seen many this day?" "Yes."
"In this house?" "No."
"Have you seen many in the road?" "Yes."
"Do they draw carts?" "No."
"Are they used for working purposes?" "No."
"Is the subject a pet?" "Yes."
"Have they one in the house?" "Yes."
"In this room?" "Yes."
"Is it lying in front of the fire at the present time?" "Yes!"
"Is the subject you all thought of the cat lying in front of the fire in this room?" "Yes."

The subject having been guessed, another one is chosen and the game proceeds.

Image © makelessnoise @ Flickr, Attribution

Games for All Occasions by Mary E. Blain