Games for Everybody | Page 8

amusing game for children. A blackboard is needed upon
which the verse, "Peter Piper," etc., is illustrated or written so that the
words are mixed up and it will be difficult to point out. Some older
person will be needed to superintend the game.
One child is given a pointer and as the others sing, to any familiar tune
(Yankee Doodle, for instance):
"Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, Now if Peter Piper
picked a peck of pickled peppers, Where is that peck of pickled peppers,
Peter Piper picked?"
she must point out each word or drawing as quickly as it is sung.
If a mistake is made in pointing, the child takes her place with the rest
and another child is out. Each one is given a turn.
It is an achievement, if done successfully, and some suitable gift should
be given as a prize.

LOOK OUT FOR THE BEAR!
Any number of children can play this game. One is chosen to be the
"bear," and he hides in some part of the room or garden, while the rest,
with their backs turned, are standing at their goal.
As soon as the children have counted 50 or 100, they all scatter and
hunt for the "bear." The child who finds him first calls out, "Look out
for the bear," and all the children run to their goal.

If the bear catches any while running for the goal, they become "bears."
These "bears" hide together and the game continues until all the
children are "bears."

HOOP RACE.
All children love to roll hoops. For a little folks party, plan to have as
many hoops as children, so each can have one.
Bind these around with tape or ribbon. The children contest one at a
time. The child who succeeds in rolling his hoop around the room three
times without having it turn over or stop, wins the prize.
If the room is very large once or twice around will be enough, so the
children aren't tired out.

BUTTON FUN.
An amusement for small children, is to gather together as many buttons
of all shapes and sizes, plain and fancy, as can be obtained.
The largest button is the father, the next size is the mother, several
children arranged according to size, and a tiny one for the baby.
Plain buttons are called servants, others animals and pets. The children
arrange their families in pasteboard boxes, using pasteboard cards for
chairs, carriages, etc. All children like to play "house," and a whole
afternoon can be whiled away making stores out of cards, to do
shopping in, and boats for the button-children to play in. "School" also
can be played and the boys enjoy forming rows of soldiers and
parading up and down.

STEPS.

One child is chosen out. This one stands by a post or door with his back
to the other players. The rest of the children stand in a row at the other
end of the room or porch, as the case may be.
The one by the door counts 5, slowly or quickly, and then turns around.
While he is counting and his back is turned, the others take as many
steps forward as they can without being caught. If anyone is moving
when the player turns around, they exchange places, and the game
continues, the children advancing step by step toward the goal. When
one has reached the goal and touched it, he can go back again and begin
all over. The one who touches the goal the greatest number of times
just by stepping, and has not been caught, wins the game.

HE CAN DO LITTLE.
All the players sit in a circle. One, knowing the catch, begins by saying:
"Ahem, he can do little who cannot do this." While saying this, he taps
a stick on the floor several times.
This stick passes from one to the other in turn, each one thinking that
the stick must be tapped a certain number of times, but the catch is that
just before saying "He can do little who cannot do this," each one ought
to clear his throat as the leader did at first. Allow the game to continue
around the circle two or three times before explaining the catch. A
forfeit is paid by each player who does not do it correctly.

WINK.
All the girls sit in a circle, and the boys stand outside, one boy behind
each girl's chair. One chair is left vacant, but a boy stands behind it, and
by winking at the girls one at a time, tries to get one for his empty
chair.
As soon as a girl is winked at, she tries to leave her seat, and take the
vacant one,