Archive for the ‘indoors’ Category

Chicken Market

Tuesday, March 8th, 2011

This is one of the traditional dramatic games.

One player is chosen to be market man and another buyer; the rest of the players are chickens; they stoop down in a row and clasp their hands under their knees. The buyer approaches the market man and asks, “Have you any chickens for sale?” The market man answers, “Yes, plenty; will you walk around and try them?” Whereupon the buyer goes up to different chickens and tests them by laying over the head his clasped hands, palms downward and pressing inward. The buyer pretends to be dissatisfied with some of the chickens, saying, “This one is too tough,” “This one is too old,” “This one is too fat,” etc., until at last he finds one that suits him, the chickens being supposed to go through this ordeal without smiling.

When a chicken is found that appears to be satisfactory, the buyer and the market man take him by the arms, one on either side, he still remaining in his first position with hands clasped under the knees, and swing him forward and backward three times. Should he stand this test without loosening his own grasp, he is supposed to be all right, and the buyer leads him off to the opposite side of the playground, or home. The game continues until all of the chickens are sold. Any chicken that smiles, or whose arms give way in the swinging test, must pay a forfeit, all of the forfeits being redeemed at the close of the game. Where there are more than ten players, there should be two or more buyers and sellers.

This game is played in various countries: in England as a “Sale of Honey Pots,” in China as a “Fruit Sale,” etc. The version here given is from Italy.

Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium by Jessie Hubbell Bancroft

Cat And Rat

Sunday, February 27th, 2011

One player is chosen for cat and one for rat. The others all form a circle with clasped hands. The cat stands outside of the circle and the rat inside. The game opens with a conversation between the cat and rat.

The cat says:–

“I am the cat.”

The rat says:–

“I am the rat.”

“I will catch you!”

“You can’t!”

This last defiance is a signal for a chase. The cat tries to get into the circle, and the rat tries to evade him. Both may run in and out of the circle, but the players will assist the rat by raising their hands to let him run under, and they will try to foil the efforts of the cat by preventing his breaking through the circle, either inward or outward.

When the rat is caught, he joins the circle and the cat becomes rat, a new cat being chosen from the circle players.

This game is a great favorite with young children, and though very similar in its general form to Bull in the Ring, the slight difference of the circle assisting the rat and hindering the cat makes a great difference in the playing qualities of the game, rendering it much less rough than Bull in the Ring.

Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium by Jessie Hubbell Bancroft

Bunch Of Ivy

Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011

The players in pairs form a ring. The inner player of each couple kneels. The outer player of each couple holds the upraised hand of the kneeling partner and circles around her, asking the following questions. The partners reply as indicated, mentioning each time one hour later by the clock, until six o’clock has been reached.

“What time does the king come home?”

“One o’clock in the afternoon.”

“What has he in his hand?”

“A bunch of ivy.”

This dialogue and the accompanying movement of the players should be rhythmic and spirited in time. As the kneeling players say “A bunch of ivy,” they begin clapping their hands in the same rapid time; whereupon the outer players run around the entire ring to the right until each player has returned to her partner, once for one o’clock, twice for two o’clock, etc., until six o’clock has been reached. The players change places each time after this series of circling, the outer players kneeling, and those who formerly knelt, standing. The time of both the dialogue and the running should be rapid to keep the game spirited. The larger the circle that may be described around each kneeling player by the partner the better.

Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium by Jessie Hubbell Bancroft

Game of Cat

Wednesday, May 16th, 2007
Children Playing Games

Just two days left to join in the Group Writing Project, get your entries in!

Cynical Dad lets us know the words to avoid if you’re trying to remove a splinter from a 4-year old’s finger.

And Dad Gone Mad tries to teach his son not to lie. I really thought throwing future punishment from Sarbanes-Oxley was a nice touch.

On to the classic game –
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Going to Jerusalem

Tuesday, May 15th, 2007
Children Playing Games

A row of chairs, facing alternately different ways, is placed through the centre of the room – a chair for every player except one.
Some one at the piano plays a lively air, first fast, then slow, very loud, then low – while the children march around the chairs without touching them, keeping time with the music. When the music suddenly stops, all rush for a seat. A chair must be taken away each time the marching recommences – until but two chairs remain, when the excitement becomes intense. The one who at the moment that the music ceases has the good fortune to seat himself or herself in the one chair remaining wins the game and perhaps a prize.

Games for All Occasions by Mary E. Blain

Image © pingnews.com @ Flickr, Share Alike

Catching the Mouse

Thursday, April 5th, 2007
Children Playing Games

The children sit in two rows opposite each other with a space between. One child takes the place of “cat,” being blindfolded, the cat standing at one end of the row and the mouse at the opposite end. They start in opposite directions, guiding themselves by the chairs, the cat trying to catch the mouse. When the mouse is caught it is made the “cat,” and one of the company takes the place of the mouse.

Games for All Occasions by Mary E. Blain

Image © Abraaj @ Flickr, Attribution

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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Blind man’s Bluff

Monday, April 2nd, 2007
Children Playing Games

March has gone out like a lamb, just as it should be and we’re ready to slog through April. What better way to get through it than blindfolded?

Here is one of the many blindfolded games in this book. Maybe it’s just me, or maybe we have more sharp objects laying around the house than they used to, but it seems just a might bit dangerous to have kids running around chasing each other while blindfolded.

Also, she matter of factly states the answers to the call and answer the children do for this game, but I’ve never heard it before. Does anyone know the history of the “How many horses has your father?” question, or what it’s from?

Or maybe she just made it up for this game, either way it’s interesting.
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