Archive for the ‘group’ Category

Cat and Mouse

Tuesday, May 8th, 2007
Children Playing Games

All players form a ring, joining hands, except one called the Mouse, whom they enclose within the circle, and one who is on the outside who represents the cat. They then dance around, raising their arms at intervals. The cat watches the chance to spring into the circle at one side, and the mouse dashes out at the other – public sympathy being with the mouse, his or her movements are aided when possible. When the cat is in the circle, the players lower their arms so as to keep the enemy prisoner. The cat goes around meekly, crying “mew,” while the rest dance around her. With a sudden “miaou!” she tries to break through any weak place in the chain of hands.

As soon as she escapes she tries to catch the mouse, who runs for safety into the ring again, hotly pursued. If the cat is so near as to follow the mouse into the ring, before her entrance can be prevented, or if she catches the mouse outside the circle, the mouse must pay a forfeit. Two more players are then named by the cat and mouse to succeed them.

Games for All Occasions by Mary E. Blain

Image © said&done @ Flickr, Attribution

The Cup Game

Monday, May 7th, 2007
Kids Playing - The Cup Game

I’d like to apologize in advance for the grief that you may experience from your children begging you to play this game with them to no end or from them playing it themselves for hours and hours.

The cup game is a rhythm game played with plastic cups.

To play, the group plays a special beat with their hands and their cup. At the end of the “song” their cup is passed to the person to their right and it all starts over again slightly faster. Everyone continues to play trying to go faster and faster together

But, the easiest way to learn the game is by watching – (more…)

The Blind Postman

Friday, May 4th, 2007
Kid’s Party Games

First a postmaster-general must be appointed, whose duty is to write down the names of the players, and the names of the cities they have chosen to represent. The postman is blindfolded and led to the middle of the room, whilst the other players are seated round it. The postmaster-general then begins to announce that a letter has been sent from one town to another, say from Denver to Chicago. The two players who have taken those names must rise up silently and change seats.

The postman’s duty is to try and seat himself in one of the vacant chairs; the player who loses his chair must become the blind postman.

Games for All Occasions by Mary E. Blain

Image © racka_abe @ Flickr, Attribution

Blind Man’s Wand

Thursday, May 3rd, 2007
Kid’s Party Games

This is another way of playing Blind Man’s Bluff, and is thought by many to be an improvement on that game.

The player, who is blindfolded, stands in the centre of the room with a ling paper wand, which can be made of newspaper folded up length ways, and tied at each end with string. The other players then join hands and stand round him in a circle. Someone then plays a merry tune on the piano and the players dance round and round the blind man, until suddenly the music stops; the blind man then takes the opportunity of lowering his wand upon one of the circle, and the player upon whom it has fallen has to take hold of it. The blind man then makes a noise, such as, for instance, the barking of a dog, a street cry, or anything he things will cause the player he has caught to betray himself, as the captive must imitate whatever noise the blind man likes to make. Should the blind man detect who holds the sticks the one who is caught has to be blind man; if not, the game goes on until he succeeds.

Games for All Occasions by Mary E. Blain

Image © Pingu1963 @ Flickr, Attribution

Severed Flowers

Tuesday, May 1st, 2007
Kid’s Party Games

Fun Play Dates also has some interesting ideas for Paper Craft on their site, Jungle Gym Kids Paper Craft on their site, check it out.

Severed Flowers

Cut from colored cloth or paper a number of petals for forming wild roses, using pink material; Marguerite daisies of white material and pansies of purple. Five petals for each rose, five for each pansy and ten for each daisy.

Have the children site around a table. Provide each one with a sheet of plain paper, three pins having the heads covered with yellow tissue paper and mixed petals enough to make one of each kind of flower.

At a signal the children begin to make the flowers by sticking the pin through the point of the petals and pinning each flower to the sheet of paper. A prize may be given to the child finishing the flowers first of the child making the best looking flowers.

Games for All Occasions by Mary E. Blain

Image © Smiles… @ Flickr, Attribution

Spider Web

Monday, April 30th, 2007
Kid’s Party Games

Attach one end of a number of strings (one for each guest) to the chandelier. Fasten to the other end of each string a small prize wrapped up in tissue paper. Have strings of various lengths and twine them around the table legs, chairs, etc., some may be “spun” around furnitures, etc., in adjoining rooms, trying to hide the prizes as much as possible.

At a signal each child takes or is given a string from the chandelier and proceeds to wind it around an empty spool or piece of pasteboard, until a prize is reached. The strings must not be broken. An extra prize may be awarded to the child who first winds up a string neatly.

Games for All Occasions by Mary E. Blain

Image © Môsieur J. @ Flickr, ShareAlike

Soap Bubble Battle

Friday, April 27th, 2007
Kid’s Party Games

Bubbles abound!

Play Library gives us the Amazing Bubble Machine and the geniuses at Cranium show off their Wonderwish Wand.

Anyone else have any fun Bubble links?

What do you do with the bubbles once you have them?
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Rule of Contrary

Thursday, April 26th, 2007
Kid’s Party Games

Shapes! Kids Craft Weekly explores some fun ways to learn about and play with shapes. They also have a great monkey logo if you’re into that.

Or maybe you’re less into monkey business and more into the blinding efficiencies of manufacturing (see what I did there?) Rookie Moms has a write up about doing a factory tour as mini-trip.

And of course, you always have the option of playing a classic kids game –
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Puss in the Corner

Wednesday, April 25th, 2007
Kid’s Party Games

If you hadn’t heard, it’s TV Turn off week. And there are plenty of fun songs and pseudo-activities to keep everyone busy without it.

And of course, there’s also old fashion kids party games

Puss in the Corner

This game is really for five players only, but, by a little arrangement, six or seven children can take part in the fun.
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Oats and Beans and Barley

Tuesday, April 24th, 2007
Kid’s Party Games

Do you have a Toy library at your house? Aptly named Parent Hacks has tons of fun tips to help keep parents sane, which seems like a pretty good goal. And now, on to the classic game of the day –

Oats and Beans and Barley

All the children form a ring with the exception of one player, who stands in the centre. The children then dance round this one, singing the first three lines of the verses given below. At the forth line they stop dancing and act the words that are sung. They pretend to scatter seed then stand at ease, stamp their feet, clap their hands, and at the words: “Turn him round,” each child turns round.

They then again clap hands and dance round, and when the words: “Open the ring and send one in,” are sung, the center child chooses a partner, who steps into the ring, and the two stand together while the other children sing the remaining verse, after which the child who was first in the centre joins the ring and the game is continues as before.
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