Archive for the ‘2+ children’ Category

Jack’s Alive

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

A match or small piece of wood is lighted and when well afire blown out. It is then passed from one player to another with the words, “Jack’s alive,” and may be handed about so long as a live spark remains. The trick is to dispose of Jack while he is still alive but no player needs to take him unless the words, “Jack’s alive” are quoted. Jack may not be handed along after he is dead but the player in whose hands he dies must pay a forfeit or have a mustache drawn on his face with the end of the burned stick.

Games for All Occasions by Mary E. Blain

IT

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

One of the players is asked to go outside whilst the company think of some person in the room, and on his return he has to guess of whom the company has thought.

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

How? When? Where?

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

One of the players goes out of the room and the players decide upon an object. Let us suppose that the word chosen is chest. The word being agreed upon, the other player is called in. The game is for this player to guess the word by asking the three questions “How do you like it? When do you like it? Where do you like it?” of each person until the word is guessed. For instance, one player is asked:

“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

Gossip

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

The leader writes out a short story. It may be a bit of gossip, a newspaper incident or anything he wishes, it should however be rather excitable in character. He reads the story over, that he may whisper it to one of his neighbors without the aid of the paper. The neighbor listens attentively and in turn whispers it to another neighbor, and it is whispered from one to the other until everyone has heard it. The last person to whom the story was told is asked to relate it and then the person who originated the story is asked to read his written copy. It will be almost unbelievable how the facts of the story have changed in the telling. Scarcely ever will the story be accurate in any particular.

Games for All Occasions by Mary E. Blain

Guessing Groceries

Tuesday, April 13th, 2010

Into bits of muslin should be tied samples of groceries-tea, coffee, starch, rice. beans, spices, etc.

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

Fortune Telling

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

The Fortune Teller must provide the person who is to have his or her fortune told with a piece of paper and a pencil and then proceed to say:

  1. Write “Yes” or “no.”
  2. “State a gentleman’s or a lady’s name.” (If a lady’s fortune is to be told she must write a gentleman’s name and vice versa.)
  3. “Give a number.”
  4. “Length of time.”
  5. “Yes or no.”
  6. “Yes or no.”
  7. “Yes or no.”
  8. “A color.”
  9. “A color.”
  10. “Yes or no.”
  11. “Yes or no.”
  12. “A shape.”
  13. “A measure.”
  14. “A sum of money.”
  15. “A sum of money.”
  16. “A virtue.”
  17. “A profession.”
  18. “The name of a place.”
  19. “A lady’s or gentleman’s name.”
  20. “The name of a place.”
  21. “A number.”
  22. “Yes or no.”
  23. “State a time.”

When these have all been written down, the Fortune Teller proceeds to read out the list of questions he has, with the answers corresponding in number. Below is appended the list of questions, which, of course, must not be shown to the person whose fortune is being told until he or she has written the answers.

  1. Have you a lover?
  2. What is his or her name?
  3. How old is he or she?
  4. How long have you known him or her?
  5. Does he or she know you love him or her?
  6. Is your affection returned?
  7. Have you or has he proposed?
  8. What color is his or her hair?
  9. What color are his or her eyes?
  10. Is he or she handsome?
  11. Is he or she conceited?
  12. What shape is his or her nose?
  13. What size is his or her mouth? `
  14. What is his or her fortune?
  15. How much will he or she allow you?
  16. What is his or her chief virtue?
  17. What is his or her profession?
  18. Where did you Both meet?
  19. What is your rival’s name?
  20. Where do you intend to live?
  21. How many other proposals have you had, or made?
  22. Will the marriage be a happy one?
  23. When will you be married?

Games for All Occasions by Mary E. Blain

The Minister’s Cat

Wednesday, July 30th, 2008
Ministers Cat

This game is very similar to that of “I love my love.” Each of the players must describe the minister’s cat, going right through the alphabet to do so. “The minister’s cat is an angry cat,” says one; “an anxious cat,” says another; and so on until everyone has used an adjective beginning with “A.” Then they take the “B’s.” “The minister’s cat is a big cat,” and so on.

The leader of the game must see that no one hesitates for a word. If any one should take longer than half a minute he must pay a forfeit.

Games for All Occasions by Mary E. Blain

Rooster Fighting

Wednesday, April 4th, 2007
Children Playing Games

Wow, just wow… Where to begin with this one – You bind your children’s hands and feet, stick a broom through their arms and legs to further immobilizing them, then set them to war against another “Rooster.”

The only thing missing from the description is how to place bets and what an acceptable vig is.

I had a bit of an internal struggle about this post – I actually changed the name of this game from what the book officially called it. I so wanted to stay true to the original and avoid the self-censorship, but in the end decided that I didn’t want the type of traffic that could possibly come from the real title. I wonder if Mr. Blister of Strange Games had a similar struggle about Crap Surfing?

So enjoy this slightly modified game, and feel free to call me a big wuss in the comments.

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Birds Fly

Wednesday, March 28th, 2007
Children Playing Games

This is a very simple game. Each player places a finger on the table, which he must raise whenever the conductor of the game says: “Birds fly,” Pigeons fly,” or any other winged creatures “fly.”

If he names any creature without wings, such as “Pigs fly,” and any player thoughtlessly raises his finger, that player must pay a forfeit, as he must also do if he omits to raise his finger when a winged creature is named.

Games for All Occasions by Mary E. Blain

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