Classic Kid’s Games and Party Games

A bear pit is formed by the players joining hands in a circle with one in the center as the bear. The bear tries to get out by breaking apart the bars (clasped hands), or by going over or under these barriers. Should he escape, all of the other players give chase, the one catching him becoming bear.

This is a favorite game with boys, and is not so rough a game as Bull in the Ring, the means of escape for the bear being more varied. He can exercise considerable stratagem by appearing to break through the bars in one place, and suddenly turning and crawling under another, etc.
Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium by Jessie Hubbell Bancroft

One player is chosen to be bear, and sits in the center on a stool. The bear chooses a second player to be his keeper. The keeper stands by the bear, each of them holding an end of a short rope about two feet in length and knotted at either end to give a firm hold. The rest of the players stand around in a circle inclosing these two. The object of the players is to tag (baste or buffet) the bear, without themselves being tagged by the bear or his keeper. The players may only attack the bear when the keeper calls “My bear is free!” Should a player strike at the bear before the keeper says this, they change places, the striker becomes bear, the former bear becomes the keeper, and the keeper returns to the ring. The keeper does his best to protect his bear by dodging around him on all sides to prevent the attacks of the players who dodge in from the circle to hit him. Should the keeper or bear tag any player, the same exchange is made; that is, the player tagged becomes bear, the former bear the keeper, and the keeper returns to the ring.

Should a rope not be conveniently at hand, the game may be played in any of the three following ways: (1) by the bear and his keeper clasping hands; (2) a circle may be drawn around the bear beyond which the keeper may not go; (3) the keeper may be subjected to the general rule of not going more than two steps away from the bear in any direction.

Where there are more than thirty players, two or more rings should be formed, each having its own bear and keeper.

This is an old game, popular in many countries. It contains excellent sport, with opportunity for daring, narrow escapes, and much laughter.
Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium by Jessie Hubbell Bancroft

A long, narrow strip of ground is needed for this game, divided into three spaces measuring from ten to fifty feet square. The central one of these three spaces is called the barley field. In each of the three stands a couple of players (or more, as hereinafter described). The couple in the center is obliged to link arms; therefore the center place is the most difficult and considered disadvantageous. The couples in the other spaces advance, singly or together, into the barley field, trampling the barley by dancing around the field as much as they can without being caught. These couples need not link arms. When one of these is caught, he must remain inactive in the barley field until his partner is also caught. The couple owning the barley field may not step beyond its limits, nor may the couple being sought take refuge in the field opposite to their own. When the two are caught, they become warders of the barley field, changing places with the previous couple, and any others who have been caught return to their own fields. The game is made interesting by not confining the effort to catching two members of the same couple in succession. Both couples in the adjoining fields should venture far into the barley, taunting the couple who have linked arms by calling “Barley break!” These, in turn, will assist their object by making feints at catching one player and turning suddenly in the opposite direction for another.

The number of players may be increased by putting three couples in the center (barley field) and two or three couples at each end.

This game is centuries old and used to be played at harvest time around the stacks in the cornfields.
Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium by Jessie Hubbell Bancroft

Two pens are marked off in distant corners of the playground. One player, called the chaser, stands at one side of one of these pens. The other players stand within the pen that is nearest the chaser. All of the players in the pen are named for different animals, there being several players of each kind. Thus there may be a considerable number each of bears, deer, foxes, etc. The chaser calls the name of any animal he chooses as a signal for the players to run. For instance, he may call “Bears!” whereupon all of the players who represent bears must run across to the other pen, the chaser trying to catch them.

Any player caught before reaching the opposite pen changes places with the chaser.

The particular point of difference between this and some other similar chasing games is that the chaser may not know just which of the players in the pen will start out in response to the name of the animal that he calls.
Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium by Jessie Hubbell Bancroft

One player is blindfolded and stands in the center of a circle with a wand, stick, or cane in his hand. The other players dance around him in circle until he taps three times on the floor with his cane, when they must stand still. The blind man thereupon points his cane at some player, who must take the opposite end of the cane in his hand. The blind man then commands him to make a noise like some animal, such as a cat, dog, cow, sheep, lion, donkey, duck, parrot. From this the blind man tries to guess the name of the player. If the guess be correct, they change places. If wrong, the game is repeated with the same blind man.

The players should try to disguise their natural tones as much as possible when imitating the animals, and much sport may be had through the imitation. Players may also disguise their height, to deceive the blind man, by bending their knees to seem shorter or rising on toes to seem taller.

Where there are thirty or more players, two blind men should be placed in the center.
Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium by Jessie Hubbell Bancroft