out and mingled in a promiscuous pile. One player, who is leader, and
stands outside the circle, touches one of the feet (he may mark it
slightly with a piece of chalk if desired), and calling on some player
by name, commands him to tell to whom the foot belongs. When this
player has named some one, the leader commands the owner of the foot
to stand up. If the guess be wrong, the leader chases the mistaken
player and whips him with a knotted handkerchief. If the guess be
right, the guesser is released from the game, sits down at one side,
and chooses the next one to be It, while the one who was It takes a
place in the circle.
This game lends itself especially to the gymnasium or seashore,
where the dressing of the feet is inclined to be uniform.
The game is played by the modern Greeks.
CHANGING SEATS
_20 to 60 players._
_Schoolroom._
This game is played in several different forms. The following are very
popular.
CHANGING SEATS--I
The teacher gives the command, "Change right!" whereupon each pupil
slips from his own seat to the one across the aisle to the right, the
pupils in the farthest right-hand row standing in the outside aisle.
The next order may be, "Change left!" when all of the pupils slip back
to their own seats, and the row that stood resumes its own.
In the same way the orders, "Change forward!" and "Change backward!"
may be given, the row of pupils left out each time merely standing in
the aisles.
CHANGING SEATS--II
In this form of the game the players in the displaced row run around
the room and take the vacant row of seats on the opposite side. For
instance, the teacher gives an order, "Change left!" whereupon all the
pupils slip over into the seats next to them on the left, the outside
row on the left side of the room standing in the aisle. The teacher
then says "Run!" whereupon the pupils who are standing run across the
front of the room and take the vacant row of seats on the right-hand
side. The teacher may then again say, "Change left!" whereupon the
entire class, as now seated, moves one place to the left, the outside
players standing in the aisle as did their predecessors; on the
command "Run!" they, too, run across the room and take the vacant row
of seats on the right-hand side. The command may be given, "Change
forward!" after which the displaced players run around the side of the
room and take the vacant places at the rear; or if the command be
"Backward!" the displaced players run forward and take the front row
of seats.
The sport of the game consists in rapid changes and unexpected
variations in the orders given by the teacher. With right conditions
the command to run may be omitted, the displaced row of pupils
understanding that they are to run as soon as they stand.
The action of the game may be slightly quickened by having the running
row divide, half running around the room in one direction and half in
the other. For instance, if the players in the right-hand row have
been displaced, half of them may run to the rear of the room to reach
the rear half of the outer row of seats on the opposite side, and the
other half run across the front of the room to the forward half of
this row of seats.
CHARLEY OVER THE WATER
_10 to 30 or more players._
_Parlor; gymnasium; playground._
One player is chosen to be Charley, and if there be more than twenty
players there should be two or more Charlies, to make the action more
rapid. Charley stands in the center; the other players join hands in a
circle around him and dance around, repeating the rhyme:--
"Charley over the water,
Charley over the sea.
Charley catch a blackbird,
Can't catch me!"
As the last word is said, the players stoop, and Charley tries to tag
them before they can get into that position. Should he succeed, the
player tagged changes places with him.
CHICKADEE-DEE
_5 to 10 players._
_Dark room._
This game is a good one for the loft of an old barn on a rainy day.
The writer obtained the game from a group of boys, who found it one of
their chief sports used in this way.
It is necessary to prepare in advance a rather large, soft bag; an oat
sack or potato bag may be used. This should be nearly filled with dry
leaves or some substitute, and the end gathered up and tied with a
string, so as to leave quite a hilt or handle for a firm grasp. All
light is shut out of the place, so that the sense of hearing will be
the only guide in the game.
One player, who is It, is seated on the floor in the center of the
loft or room, and holds the sack. The object of the game for this
player is to tag or touch any of the other players with the sack
without leaving his sitting position on the floor. The object of the
other players, who are scattered promiscuously, is to approach as near
as possible to the center player, taking him unaware, with a taunting
cry of "Chickadee-dee!" close to his ear.
The game starts in perfect silence and darkness. A player steals up to
the center man, calls "Chickadee-dee!" and darts back again as quickly
as possible, the center man whirling his bag around in a circle and
hitting out with it in the direction of the voice, trying to hit this
player. While he is doing this, another player from some other
direction repeats the call of "Chickadee-dee!" close to his ear, and
darts back or dodges. Any tactics may be used for dodging, such as
dropping to the floor, jumping, or the more usual modes of dodging.
Any player hit with the bag exchanges places with the one in the
center.
CHICKEN MARKET
_5 to 20 or more players._
_Indoors; out of doors._
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.
CHICKIDY HAND
_5 to 30 or more players._
_Playground; gymnasium._
One player is chosen to be It, and stands near a post with the fingers
of his hands interlocked. The other players, each clasping his own
hands in the same way, crowd around the post and touch it with the
clasped hands. The one who is It counts ten, whereupon the players all
run, the one who is It trying to tag any of them. None of the players
may unclasp their hands until they are tagged, whereupon they are
prisoners and clasp hands with It, forming a line which thereafter is
the tagging line, though only the original It may tag the other
players. The game is a contest between the tagging line, which tries
to recruit and retain its numbers, and the free players, who try (1)
to avoid being captured for the tagging line, and (2) to reduce the
tagging line by breaking through it; but the players in the line must
resist this. Each time that the line is broken, the one of the two
players (whose hands were parted) who stands toward the head of the
line is dropped out of the game. A free player may not be tagged after
he has thrown himself upon (touched) a pair of hands that he is trying
to part. The last player caught by the tagging line is the winner and
becomes It for the next game.
CHINESE CHICKEN
_5 to 30 or more players._
_Playground; gymnasium; schoolroom; seashore._
This game is played with small blocks of wood or bean bags. Stones,
or, at the seashore, bathing slippers, may be used instead. These are
placed in straight rows of five to fifteen each, with intervals of
about ten inches between them. The players are divided into groups
numbering from five to ten each, and line up as for a relay race, each
before one row of blocks or bags.
The game is played in the same way by each row of players, and while
the game may be competitive between the different groups, in its
original form it is for one group only. The first player in a group
represents a "lame chicken," and hops on one foot over each bag until
the end of the line of bags has been reached. The last bag is then
kicked away by the "lame" (lifted) foot, after which it must be picked
up and carried back over the same route to the first end of the line,
when the same player hops back on the opposite foot, kicks away a
second bag, picks it up and returns, and so on until he fails. Only
one foot may touch the ground at a time, and may touch it but once in
each space between the bags. No bag may be touched except the one at
the end of the line, which is afterward picked up, and this must be
secured without putting the lame foot upon the ground.
When the "chicken" infringes any of these rules, he must at once give
place to another. The winner is the player who has at the end of the
game the greatest number of bags.
This is a Chinese game, taken by kind permission of the author
from Miss Adèle Fielde's _A Corner of Cathay_. The Chinese
children play it with their shoes in place of the bean bag or
block of wood.
CHINESE WALL
_10 to 60 or more players._
_Playground; gymnasium._
The Chinese wall is marked off by two parallel lines straight across
the center of the playground, leaving a space between them of about
ten feet in width, which represents the wall. On each side of the
wall, at a distance of from fifteen to thirty feet, a parallel line is
drawn across the ground. This marks the safety point or home goal for
the besiegers.
One player is chosen to defend the wall, and takes his place upon it.
All of the other players stand in one of the home goals. The defender
calls "Start!" when all of the players must cross the wall to the goal
beyond, the defender trying to tag as many as he can as they cross;
but he may not overstep the boundaries of the wall himself. All so
tagged join the defender in trying to secure the rest of the players
during future sorties. The game ends when all have been caught, the
last player taken being defender for the next game.
[Illustration diagram: CHINESE WALL]
This is a capital game for both children and older players, as
it affords opportunity for some very brisk running and dodging,
especially if the playground be wide. It differs from Hill Dill
and several other games of the sort in that there is a more
limited space in which the center catcher and his allies are
confined.
CIRCLE RACE
_10 to 30 or more players._
_Playground; gymnasium._
The players stand in a circle a considerable distance apart and face
around in single file in the same direction. At a signal all start to
run, following the general outline of the circle, but each trying to
pass on the outside the runner next in front of him, tagging as he
passes. Any player passed in this way drops out of the race. The last
player wins. At a signal from a leader or teacher, the circle faces
about and runs in the opposite direction. As this reverses the
relative position of runners who are gaining or losing ground, it is a
feature that may be used by a judicious leader to add much merriment
and zest to the game.
CIRCLE RELAY
_9 to 60 or more players._
_Playground; gymnasium._
[Illustration diagram: CIRCLE RELAY]
The players stand in three or more divisions in single file, facing to
a common center. In this formation they radiate like the spokes of a
wheel. On a signal from a leader, the outer player of each file faces
to the right. On a second signal, these outer players all run in a
circle in the direction in which they are facing. The object of the
game is to see which runner will first get back to his place. The one
winning scores one point for his line. Immediately upon the
announcement of the score, these runners all step to the inner end of
their respective files, facing to the center, the files moving
backward to make room for them. The signals are repeated, and those
who are now at the outer end of each file face and then run, as did
their predecessors. The line scoring the highest when all have run
wins the game.
CIRCLE SEAT RELAY
_10 to 60 players._
_Schoolroom._
This game starts with the players all seated, and with an even number
in each row. At a signal, the last player in each row runs forward on
the right-hand side of his seat, runs around the front desk, and
returns on the left-hand side of his own row. As soon as he is seated,
he touches the player next in front on the shoulder, which is a signal
for this one to start. He runs in the same way. This is continued
until the last player, which in this case is the one sitting in the
front seat, has circled his desk and seated himself with hand
upraised. The line wins whose front player first does this.
This is one of the best running games for the schoolroom. As in all
such games, seated pupils should strictly observe the rule of keeping
their feet out of the aisles and under the desks.
Players must observe strictly the rule of running forward on the
right-hand side and backward in the next aisle, else there will be
collisions.
CLAM SHELL COMBAT
_2 to 30 players._
_Out of doors; seashore._
Each of the players is provided with an equal number of clam shells;
the players then pair off in twos for the combat. Which of the two
shall have the first play is decided by the players each dropping a
clam shell from a height of three feet. The one whose shell falls
with the hollow or concave side down has the first play. Should it be
a tie, the trials are repeated until one player is chosen in this way.
The play then opens with the unsuccessful player putting a clam shell
on the ground, when the opponent throws another shell at it, trying to
break it. If he succeeds, the opponent must put down another shell.
This is kept up indefinitely, until a player's shells have all been
won by the opposing thrower, or until the thrower fails to hit a
shell, or his own breaks in doing so. Whenever one of these things
occurs, he loses his turn, and must put down a shell for the opponent
to throw at. The player wins who retains an unbroken shell the
longest.
Where there is a considerable number of players, they may be divided
into opposing parties, the players stepping forward in turn at the
call of their respective captains.
This is a Korean game, reported by Mr. Culin.
CLUB SNATCH
_10 to 60 players._
_Playground; gymnasium._
This is one of the best competitive chasing games.
A goal is marked off across each end of the playground. Midway between
the goals, an Indian club is placed; a handkerchief or other similar
object may be used, placed on some support--on a stake driven into the
ground, laid over a rock or stool, or hung on the end of a branch. A
stone or dumb-bell laid on the ground may be substituted. In line with
the club a starting base is marked on each goal line.
The players are divided into two equal parties, each having a captain.
Each party takes its place in one of the goals. The object of the game
is for one of the runners to snatch the club and return to his goal
before a runner from the opposite goal tags him, both leaving their
starting bases at the same time on a signal. The players on each team
run in turn, the captains naming who shall run each time.
The captains toss for first choice of runners; the one who wins names
his first runner, who steps to the running base, whereupon the
competing captain names a runner to go out against him, trying to
select one of equal or superior ability. Thereafter the captains take
turns as to who shall first designate a runner.
When there is a large number of players, or very limited time,
a different method may be used for selecting the runners. All
of the players should then line up according to size, and
number consecutively by couples. That is, the first couple
would be number one, the second, number two, the third, number
three, etc. The couples then divide, one file going to one team
and the other to the opposite team. The players run thereafter
according to number, the numbers one competing, and so on. Each
player may run but once until all on the team have run, when
each may be called a second time, etc. To avoid confusion, the
players who have run should stand on one side of the starting
base, say the right, and those who have not run, to the left.
[Illustration diagram: CLUB SNATCH]
The first runners, having been called by their respective captains to
the starting bases, run on a signal; the players may reach the club
together and go through many false moves and dodges before one
snatches the club and turns back to his goal. Should he succeed in
reaching the goal before the other player can tag him, his team scores
one point. Should he be tagged before he can return with his trophy,
the opponent scores one point. The club is replaced after each run. In
either case both players return to their original teams.
When each runner has run once, the teams exchange goals and run a
second time. The team wins which has the highest score at the end of
the second round.
For large numbers of players there may be several clubs, each having
corresponding starting bases on the goals, so that several pairs of
runners may compete at once. One club for twenty players, ten on each
side, is a good proportion. For young players the club may be placed
nearer one goal than the other at first, as shown in the diagram.
This is a capital game as here developed with the feature of
scoring, and may be made very popular.
COCK STRIDE
_3 to 15 players._
_Playground; gymnasium._
This game is usually played with boys' caps, but knotted handkerchiefs
or balls of crumpled paper may be used. One player is the cock; he is
blindfolded and stands in a stride position with his feet wide apart
sideways. The other players stand in turn at a point five to ten feet
behind him, and throw their caps forward as far as possible between
his legs. After the caps are all thrown, each player moves forward and
stands beside his own cap. The cock then crawls on all fours, still
blindfolded, until he reaches a cap. The player whose cap is first
touched at once becomes an object of chase by the other players, who
are at liberty to "pommel" him when he is captured. He then becomes
cock for the next round of the game.
CROSSING THE BROOK
_5 to 60 or more players._
_Playground; gymnasium; schoolroom._
This game is a great favorite with little children. A place
representing a brook is marked off by two lines on the ground. For
little children in the first year of school (about six years old) this
may start with a width of two feet. The players ran in groups and try
to jump across the brook. Those who succeed turn around and jump back
with a standing jump instead of a running jump. On either of these
jumps the player who does not cross the line representing the bank
gets into the water and must run home for dry stockings, being
thereafter out of the game. The successful jumpers are led to wider
and wider places in the brook to jump (a new line being drawn to
increase the distance), until the widest point is reached at which any
player can jump successfully. This player is considered the winner.
This game is printed by kind permission of the Alumni
Association of the Boston Normal School of Gymnastics, from the
book _One Hundred and Fifty Gymnastic Games_.
CROSS TAG
_5 to 30 or more players._
_Playground; gymnasium._
One player is chosen to be It. He calls out the name of another
player, to whom he at once gives chase. A third player at any point in
the chase may run between the one who is It and the one whom he is
chasing, whereupon this third player becomes the object of the chase
instead of the second. At any time a fourth player may run between
this player and the chaser, diverting the chase to himself, and so on
indefinitely. In other words, whenever a player crosses between the
one who is It and the one being chased, the latter is at once relieved
of the chase and ceases to be a fugitive. Whenever the chaser tags a
player, that player becomes It. Considerable sport may be added to the
game by the free players trying to impede the chaser and so help the
runner,--getting in the way of the former without crossing between the
two, or any other hindering tactics.
DO THIS, DO THAT
_10 to 60 or more players._
_Playground; gymnasium; schoolroom; parlor._
All the players stand facing one of their number who is the leader.
The one who is leader assumes any gymnastic position or imitates any
action, at the same time saying "Do this!" and the others immediately
imitate. Should the leader at any time say "Do that!" instead of "Do
this!" any player who imitates the action performed must be seated, or
pay a forfeit, whichever form of penalty has been decided on at the
beginning of the game. Three mistakes of this kind put a player out of
the game, even when forfeits are the penalty.
The leader may choose any gymnastic positions that are familiar, such
as chargings, head bendings, trunk bendings, arm movements, knee
bendings, hopping, jumping, dancing steps, etc.; or imitate familiar
actions such as hammering, sawing, washing, ironing, sewing, stone
cutting, shoveling, riding horseback, etc.
DOUBLE RELAY RACES
_10 to 100 players._
_Schoolroom; playground; gymnasium._
First two rows (Nos. 1 to 14) stand in aisle II and give way to rear
to starting point. Third row (Nos. 15 to 21) stand in aisle III, march
forward and around to right into aisle I, bringing entire 21 pupils
into formation, as indicated for Team A on diagram. Fifth and sixth
rows (Nos. 22 to 35) stand in aisle VI and give way to rear to
starting point. Fourth row (Nos. 36 to 42) stand in aisle V, march
forward and around to left into aisle VII, bringing entire team, Nos.
22 to 42, into formation as indicated for Team B on diagram.
FIRST RELAY
At commands, "Ready, go!" Nos. 1 and 22, the two leaders of the two
teams, walk to wall in front of them at W/A and W/B, touch the wall,
return down aisles III and V respectively, and continue up aisle IV to
teacher's desk. When the two leaders, 1 and 22, touch the wall, Nos. 2
and 23 start at the "exchange points," X and X, 1 and 2 touch left
hands across desks, and 22 and 23 touch right hands across desks. At
the starting point, 1 touches left hand of 3, who starts as soon as
touched, 22 touches right hand of 24, who also starts as soon as
touched; so on to the last of each team, who finish the game by
touching the desks where the leaders started. Both teams then "about
face" and march back, Team A through aisles III, II, and I, and Team B
through aisles V, VI, and VII, when they are ready for the next relay.
[Illustration diagram: DIAGRAM NO. 1--DOUBLE RELAY RACES]
SECOND RELAY
Same as First Relay, but this time running.
[Illustration diagram: DIAGRAM NO. 2--DOUBLE RELAY RACES]
THIRD RELAY
Same as Second Relay, but this time each leader starts with an eraser,
if in the schoolroom, or a dumb-bell in playground, in his hand and
gives it to the next pupil at "exchange point," each successive pupil
repeating the exchange at that point. The third and succeeding pupils
must wait at each starting point until "touched" before starting.
FOURTH RELAY
Same as Third Relay, except that a handkerchief, knotted once in the
middle, is substituted for the eraser with which each leader starts.
FIFTH RELAY