SOCIABLE GAMES FOR GROWN-UPS
Biographic Cartoons
Each individual is given a cardboard 12×15 inches, an old magazine,
containing numerous ads, a pair of scissors, and is instructed to write
the biography of his right hand neighbor, using the advertisements cut
from the papers to illustrate the same. In writing the biography as few
words should be used as possible. The biographical sketch should be
placed upon the cardboard. Mucilage should be available for the purpose
of sticking on the illustrations, and pens and pencils for the
necessary writing. Some award can be given to the one making the best
biography.
Illustrated Songs
Each member of the group is given a sheet of paper and a pencil and is
instructed to draw thereupon a picture or pictures illustrating the
title of some song. (Illustration: One individual decides to illustrate
the title of "Home, Sweet Home". He proceeds to draw the picture of a
house, a sugar bowl, and another picture of a house.)
When sufficient time has been allowed for all to complete their
illustrations, they are numbered and placed on exhibition. Each member
of the group endeavors to guess as many of the illustrations as he can,
placing his guess after the number of the illustration. The
illustration which is guessed correctly by the largest number, wins for
its artist.
Smiles
The group forms in couples and marches around the room. They are then
subdivided into from four to eight smaller groups. These are stationed
in various parts of the room and the ladies are lined up facing the
men. They try in every conceivable way to make the men smile or laugh.
Any one who does so must take a place in the ladies' line. After a few
minutes of this, every man in the ladies' line must pay a forfeit, and
the men must endeavor to cause the ladies to laugh.
Tea Pot
One member of the group is selected to be "It" and leaves the room. The
others decide upon some object or word which "It" is to guess. "It" is
called back into the room and each member of the group is to make a
sentence including the name of the object to be guessed, using in the
sentence the word "Tea Pot" as a substitute for the name of the object.
Illustration--The object determined upon by the group is the piano
stool. The first member of the group says, "By turning the 'tea pot' it
grows higher".
As soon as "It" guesses the correct object the one whose sentence
disclosed what the object was, becomes "It".
Muddled Words
The group is divided into two teams. Each individual is given a slip of
paper and takes the name of some animal, bird, or fish, and muddles up
the letters so as to make it difficult to recognize the name.
Illustration--g fold chin, for goldfinch.
Any member of the opposing team has the opportunity to guess what the
name is. The time it takes for the opposing team to guess is recorded.
Any member of the opposing team who has correctly guessed the muddled
word can give a muddled word for the first team to guess. The team
which succeeds in guessing the muddled word in the shortest time wins
one point. The team having the most points at the end wins the game.
Who Are They?
Photographs of prominent individuals are numbered and placed on
exhibition about the room, with the wrong title beneath them. Each
member of the group is given a card and pencil. He goes around the room
and writes upon his card the proper name of each individual with the
number which is on that individual's photograph. The individual making
the largest number of correct guesses wins. Photos of men like Lincoln,
Lloyd George, Robert E. Lee, Obregon, etc., should be used for this
game.
Who Is It?
A sheet is hung up in a doorway. The group is divided into two teams.
One group goes behind the sheet. A small hole is cut in the sheet. The
members of the group behind the sheet take turns in sticking their
noses through the hole in the sheet. The group on the inside attempts
to guess whose nose protrudes through the sheet in the order in which
they are exhibited. One member of the group behind the sheet keeps a
record of the order in which individuals of that group display their
noses, so that this can be checked up with the guesses of the other
team. After all the noses have been displayed the group returns to its
place in the room and listens to the guesses.
Then the other group goes out and they display their noses. The group
making the largest number of correct guesses wins.
A modification of this game is made by showing the eye through the hole
in the sheet instead of the nose, and the group in front of the sheet
endeavors to guess whose eye it is.
Trades
The men are lined up on one side of the room. To each is given three or
four buttons, a needle and thread, and a piece of cloth. They race to
see which can sew the buttons in a straight line on the piece of
cloth, securely, in the quickest time.
The women are lined up on the opposite side of the room before a plank.
To each is given a hammer and six or eight nails. They race to see who
first can drive the nails into the plank without bending them over.
Rooster
Ten or twenty are as many as can well play this game. The group is
arranged in seats around the room. The leader starts the game by
saying, "My father had a rooster". His left hand neighbor says, "A
what?" The leader answers, "A rooster". The left hand neighbor then
turns to his left hand neighbor and says, "My father had a rooster",
and that neighbor says, "A what?", and his answer is "A rooster". This
question is asked of each left hand neighbor until it has travelled
around the room. When it becomes the leader's turn, he again says, "My
father had a rooster", and his left hand neighbor says, "A what?". He
answers, "A rooster". The left hand neighbor says, "Could he crow?" And
the leader answers, "Crow he could". This dialogue is passed on around
the room, each repeating the exact words of the leader to his left hand
neighbor.
When it again becomes the leader's turn, he repeats the dialogue
previously used and his left hand neighbor inquires, "How could he
crow?" And the leader replies, "Cock-a-doodle-do", imitating a rooster.
This is passed around the room. No one is supposed to laugh during the
whole game. Whoever does may either pay a forfeit or is out of the
game. It is well to have a player who knows the game sit next to the
leader, so that it may start correctly.
Poor Pussy
The group is arranged in a circle around the room. One player is
selected to be "Pussy" and takes his place in the centre of the group.
He takes a position on all fours before each member of the group, in
turn saying "Meow". Thereupon the one before whom he is kneeling must
stroke the back of his head and say, "Poor pussy". Pussy meows three
times and in return for each meow has the back of his head stroked and
is addressed, "Poor pussy". Should the one patting pussy laugh during
the performance, he must take pussy's place.
Gossiping
The group is arranged in a circle around the room. The leader whispers
some information to his left hand neighbor, remembering the exact
sentence or sentences. His left hand neighbor is expected to whisper
the same information to the next left hand neighbor and so it is passed
around the circle until it is returned to the leader. The leader then
tells what the original sentence was, and tells what it is after
passing from ear to ear about the group.
Analogues
A member of the group thinks of some object, and without disclosing to
the other members of the group what he is thinking about, he addresses
in turn all of the others, asking, "What is my thought like?" The first
one addressed, without having any idea as to what the leader has in
mind, says, "Like a star". The second in answer to his question, says,
"Like a book", and so every one is given an opportunity to state what
they think his thought is like. Then the leader tells the group the
thing he had in mind, which, we will say for illustration, was a
fountain pen. He then asks the one who suggested that it was like a
star why his fountain pen was like a star. Thereupon that one must give
some reason why he thought it was like a star and replies, "Your
fountain pen is like a star because it can enlighten the world". The
next one says, "The fountain pen is like a book because it has the
possibility of conveying thoughts", and so every one in the group must
give the why of his previous answer. This demands quick thinking and
initiative on the part of the players.
Ghost
The group sits in a circle about the room. The leader starts the game
by giving a letter of the alphabet. The one at his left adds a letter
to the first with the view of making a word. The third adds another
letter and so the game continues.
Illustration--The leader gives the letter "a". The one at his left,
thinking of the word "adds" adds "d". The third one, thinking of the
word "advertisement", adds "v". The fourth, thinking of the word
"adversity" adds "e", and so the word continues to grow.
If one finishes the word or completes a word without realizing it, that
one is given the title of "Half-ghost". Anyone speaking to the
Half-ghost, becomes a Half-ghost. Should a half-ghost chance to finish
another word when it again becomes his turn to add a letter to the
spelling of a word, then the Half-ghost becomes a Full-ghost and is out
of the game. Any one speaking to a Full-ghost becomes a Full-ghost.
Full-ghosts and Half-ghosts naturally endeavor to get as many others
into their class as possible, so between thinking of letters to
complete the word in turn and avoiding becoming ghosts, the group is
kept in a very difficult frame of mind. The game continues until there
are no players who have failed to qualify as Half-ghosts or
Full-ghosts.
Charades
Five of the group are selected to act out a charade. These five act out
a word in pantomime. While they are doing this a second group of five
is selected and prepares to act out another word, immediately following
the presentation by the first group. The audience is given three
minutes to guess each charade. Should it succeed in doing this, then
the members of the group each choose a substitute for themselves, thus
making a third group of five. While this last group is preparing a
charade, the second group is putting on its pantomime, and so the game
continues. If the audience fails to guess the word within the required
time, then the same group is given an opportunity to act another word.
Good charade words are as follows:
Aëroplane Air-oh-plane
Antarctic Aunt-ark-tick
Buccaneer Buck-can-ear
Charlatan Char-lay-tan
Falcon Fall-con
Handicap Hand-eye-cap
Handkerchief Hand-cur-chief
Microscope My-crow-scope
Automobile Ought-oh-mob-eel
Pilgrimage Pill-grim-age
Sausage Saw-sage
Stiletto Still-let-toe
Bandage Band-age
Stationary Station-airy
Feline Fee-line
Rainbow Reign-beau
Bookworm Book-worm
Handsome Hand-some
Penitent Pen-eye-tent
Cribbage Crib-age
Broomstick Broom-stick
Infancy In-fan-sea
Hornpipe Horn-pipe
Eyelash I-lash
Forswear Four-swear
Masquerade Mass-cur-aid
Melancholy Melon-collie
Pantry Pan-tree
Tennessee Ten-I-see
Antidote Aunt-I-dote
Definite Deaf-in-ate
Knight of the Cracker
The ladies are lined up on one side of the room. Each is provided with
a cracker. The men are lined up on the opposite side. At the signal to
go the men rush forward and try to secure a cracker from one of the
ladies. They then return to their original line and devour the cracker.
Having succeeded in doing this, they return and whistle a tune which
must be recognized by the lady.
Match Boxing
Competitors are divided into equal teams and the teams are arranged in
parallel lines. The outside cover of a small safety match box is given
to the first man on each team. He slips this over the end of his nose
and holds his hands behind his back with the box on his nose. All other
players must hold their hands behind their backs.
At the signal to start the players having the box on the end of the
nose transfer the same to the nose of their neighbor without the use of
their hands. The box is passed in this way to the far end of the lines
and back. Should it fall upon the floor it is picked up by the one from
whose nose it fell, placed on his own nose again, and the game
continues as before.