Catch Of Fish

March 1st, 2011

This is one of the very strenuous games, and affords opportunity for some very good exercise and sport.

A line is drawn across each end of the playground, beyond which the players stand in two equal parties, one at one end and one at the other. The players of one party clasp hands to form a fish net. The players in the other party are fish. At a given signal both advance toward the center of the playground, which represents a stream, the object of the fish being to swim across to the opposite shore without being caught in the net. To do this they will naturally dodge around the ends of the net.

The net should inclose or encircle any fish that it catches. The fish so caught may not try to break apart the clasped hands forming the net, but may escape only through the opening where the two ends come together. Should the net break at any point by an unclasping of hands, the fish are all allowed to escape, and the players go back to their respective goals and begin over again. Any fish caught in the net are thereafter out of the game until all are caught. After the net has made one catch, the sides exchange parts, those of the fish that are left forming the new net, and the first net crossing to the other side and becoming fish. The two sides thus exchange places and parts, until all on one side are caught.

For a large number of players it is better to have two small nets instead of one large one, the dodging being livelier and the progress of the game more rapid in every way.

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

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Catch And Pull Tug Of War

February 28th, 2011

Any number of players may engage in this contest, which is one of the best for a large number, containing as it does both excellent sport and vigorous exercise.

A line is drawn down the middle of the playing space. The players are divided into two parties and stand one party on either side of the line. The game starts on a signal and consists in catching hold of an opponent by any part of his body, as hand, arm, or foot, reaching over the line and so pulling him across the boundary. Any number of players may try to secure a hold on an opponent and any number may come to his rescue and try to resist his being pulled over the line, either by pulling him in the opposite direction or by trying to secure a hold on one of the opponents. A player does not belong to the enemy until his entire body has been pulled over the line. He must then join his captors in trying to secure players from across the line. The party wins which has the largest number of players at the end of time limits.

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

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Cat And Rat

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

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Cat And Mice

February 26th, 2011

One player is chosen to be cat, and hides behind or under the teacher’s desk. After the cat is hidden, the teacher beckons to five or six other players, who creep softly up to the desk, and when all are assembled, scratch on it with their fingers, to represent the nibbling of mice. As soon as the cat hears this, she scrambles out from under the desk and gives chase to the mice, who may save themselves only by getting back to their holes (seats). If a mouse be caught, the cat changes places with him for the next round of the game. If no mouse be caught, the same cat may continue, or the teacher may choose another at her discretion.

A different set of mice should be chosen each time, so as to give all of the players an opportunity to join in the game.

This is a favorite schoolroom game for little children. They should be taught to add sport to the play by giving the cat quite a chase before returning to their seats, instead of seeking safety in the shortest and most direct way.

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

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Buying A Lock

February 25th, 2011

Oh, here we all go to buy us a lock;
What kind of a lock shall it be?
We’ll buy a broom handle; if that will not do,
With a poker we’ll try it alone.
But if neither the broom nor the poker will do,
We’ll open it then with a stone.

This game is suitable for very little children. They stand in a long line or rank side by side, holding hands. While repeating the verse, one end of the line winds in under the raised arms of the last two players at the opposite end, but instead of passing entirely through, as in many other winding games, the player next to the last only turns far enough to face in three quarters of a circle, or so that the players will eventually, when all have so turned, be brought into single file, one standing behind the other. In this position the arms are dropped over the shoulder, so that the player’s own left arm crosses his chest with the clasped hands (his own left and his neighbor’s right) resting on his right shoulder. Each player should clasp his neighbor’s hands at the start, so that the palm of his own left hand faces forward and the palm of his own right hand faces backward.

When the whole line has been “locked” in this way, the players unwind in reverse order, still repeating the verse.

When players are familiar with the winding and unwinding process, the game may be played in circle formation instead of line formation; that is, it will start with all of the players facing inward as they clasp hands to form a circle, and the locking or winding will bring them facing in single file around the circle.

This is a favorite game with little girls in China, and is here given with the kind permission of Dr. Isaac T. Headland and Messrs. Fleming H. Revell & Co., from the book entitled “The Chinese Boy and Girl.”

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

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Bung The Bucket

February 24th, 2011

This is a game of leapfrog. The players are divided into two parties. Half of them form one continuous “back,” on which the other half jump, one at a time, until all are seated. The players who form the “back” stand one behind another, the first player resting his head against the stomach of one who stands upright, backed by a wall or fence. Each player in turn grasps the coat tail or waist of, and rests his head or shoulder against, the player next in front. They should thus make one long, even, and solid “back” or row of backs. These are called the buckets. The other players are called the bungs, and stand at some little distance to get a run for the leap. They will naturally select their best leaper as the first of their line, as he may not move forward after he has once landed on the backs, and it is desirable that he should leave as much space behind him as possible for the others to sit. None of the players may move forward after once landing on the backs. If all of the bungs succeed in seating themselves without any break occurring among the buckets, it counts one in favor of the buckets. When such a breakdown occurs, the two parties change places, the bungs taking the place of the buckets; otherwise the game is repeated with the same bungs and buckets. The party wins which has the highest score to its credit at the end.

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

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Bunch Of Ivy

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

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Bull In The Ring

February 22nd, 2011

All but one of the players stand in a circle with hands firmly clasped. The odd player stands in the center and is the bull. The bull tries to break through the ring by parting the hands of any of the players. If he breaks through, the two players whose hands he parted immediately give chase to him, and the one catching him becomes the bull.

This is a very rough game.

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

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Body Guard

February 21st, 2011

A small space is marked off at one end of the ground as a “home” or goal. One player is chosen to be the Panjandrum, an important personage requiring a body guard. Two other players are chosen to be the guard. The game starts with these three players in the home ground and the balance of the players at large. The three issue forth, with the two players who act as body guard clasping each other by the hand and preceding the Panjandrum as a shield. The object of the game is for the players at large to touch or tantalize the Panjandrum without being tagged by his guard.

The guard will shift around their charge to avoid these attacks, and the Panjandrum himself may evade them by moving around his guard. Whenever a guard succeeds in tagging a player, the Panjandrum and his guards return at once to the home; whereupon the player tagged changes places with the Panjandrum, and the game goes on as before.

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

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Blind Man’s Buff

February 20th, 2011

One player is chosen to be blindfolded and stands in the center. The other players join hands and circle around him until the blind man claps his hands three times, whereupon the circle stops moving and the blind man points toward the circle. The player at whom he points must at once step into the circle, and the blind man tries to catch him, and when caught must guess who the player is. If the guess be correct, they change places. If not correct, or if the blind man has pointed at an empty space instead of at a player, the circle continues and the game is repeated. The player who is called into the circle will naturally try, by noiseless stepping, dodging, etc., to give the blind man some difficulty in catching him, but when once caught must submit without struggle to examination for identification.

This is one of the oldest recorded games and is found in practically all countries. The ancient Greeks called it “Brazen Fly.”
Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium by Jessie Hubbell Bancroft

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