Archive for April, 2007

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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Miss Jennia Jones

Monday, April 23rd, 2007
Kid’s Party Games

Honestly, this story was scary to me, I can’t imagine young children playing it then and not having nightmares everyday for the rest of their lives. It’s a love story where the young girl dies from blight and/or cruel parents. Do we still have blight?
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London Bridge Is Falling Down Game

Friday, April 20th, 2007
Kid’s Party Games

More tough love character building in this game, even classic for its time, “London Bridge.” “The child who lets go, and breaks the line, is pointed at and derided.,” so in this version of London Bridge there isn’t so much a winner, as a loser that everyone makes sure to let know what a loser they are. Enjoy!
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Hiss and Clap

Thursday, April 19th, 2007
Kid’s Party Games

Filed under: “How to permanently scar your child.” Hiss and Clap is a random game, that punishes participants for making the wrong decision. It reminds me of the opening scene of Ghost Busters, where Bill Murray is doing paranormal + psychic on testing college students and administering electric shocks as negative re-enforcement.
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Hide and Seek

Wednesday, April 18th, 2007
Kid’s Party Games

One child is chosen “It.” This one stands by a post or in a corner which is called “base,” and hides his eyes. The children decide among themselves how many he shall count while the are hiding. Suppose they choose 100, the he counts 5, 10, 15, 20, etc., until he reaches 100, and then he calls out:

Ready or not,
You shall be caught.

The children having hidden while he was counting remain perfectly still while he is hunting them. If he passes by some child without finding him, that one may run to the “base” and say “One, two, three, I’m in free!” As many children as can, try to get in “free,” but if the one who is “it” sees a child, runs to the base and touches it first calling: “One, two, three,” and the child’s name he has to be “it.” If the child reaches the “base” first he is “free” and the game proceeds until some one is “caught.” If all the children get “free” the one who is “it” again hides his eyes.

Games for All Occasions by Mary E. Blain

Image © the bbp @ Flickr, Attribution

Hot Boiled Beans and Bacon

Tuesday, April 17th, 2007
Kid’s Party Games

This is a game for young children. Some small article is hidden in the room, while the little on who has to find it is sent outside. This finished, the players call out together: “Hot Boiled Beans and Bacon; it’s hidden and can be taken!” The little one enters and begins to hunt about for the hidden article. When she comes near to its hiding-place, the company tell her that she is getting “hot”; or if she is not near it she is told that she is “cold.” That she is “very hot” or “very cold,” will denote that she is very near or very far away from the object that is hidden, whilst if she is extremely near, she would be told that she was “burning.” In this way the children can be interested in the game by being allowed to call out whether the little on is “hot” or “cold.”

Games for All Occasions by Mary E. Blain

Image © Brianfit @ Flickr, Attribution