GAMES FOR CHILDREN

Severed Flowers
Cut from colored cloth or paper a number of petals for forming wild roses, using pink material; marguerite daisies of white material and pansies of purple. Five petals for each rose, five for each pansy and ten for...

Acting Proverbs
The best way to play this game is for the players to divide themselves into two groups, namely, actors and audience. Each one of the actors should then fix upon a proverb, which he will act, in turn, before the aud...

Blind Man's Wand
This is another way of playing Blind Man's Buff, and is thought by many to be an improvement on that game. The player, who is blindfolded, stands in the centre of the room with a long paper wand, which can be mad...

The Blind Postman
First a postmaster-general must be appointed, whose duty is to write down the names of the players, and the names of the cities they have chosen to represent. The postman is blindfolded and led to the middle of the...

Blowing The Candle
Place a lighted candle on a table at the end of a room. Invite someone to stand in front of it, then blindfold him, make him take three steps backwards, turn round three times and then advance three steps and blow ...

Cat And Mouse
All players form a ring, joining hands, except one called the Mouse, whom they enclose within the circle, and one who is on the outside who represents the cat. They then dance around, raising their arms at interval...

The Clairvoyant
The clairvoyant goes out of the room, undertaking to name the person whom his confederate shall point out. The door being shut upon the clairvoyant the confederate points to one whom we will call Mr. B. "At wh...

The Cushion Dance
The children first of all divide themselves into two parties. They then form a ring, and commence dancing round a hassock which is placed, end upwards, in the middle of the room. Suddenly one party endeavours to pu...

Change Seats: The King's Come
In this game as many seats are placed round the room as will seat all the players but one. This one stands in the middle of the room, repeating the words: "Change seats, change seats;" but no one moves unless he sa...

Duck Under The Water
Each child chooses a partner and stands opposite to her, so that two long lines are formed. Each couple holds a handkerchief between them, as high as they can lift their arms, so as to form an arch. The couple stan...

The Gardener
Any number of children can play. One is chosen as leader and is called the "gardener." All the children sit in a circle and the "gardener" gives each one in turn the name of some flower. When all are named the "g...

Going To Jerusalem
A row of chairs, facing alternately different ways, is placed through the centre of the room--a chair for every player except one. Some one at the piano plays a lively air, first fast, then slow, very loud, then ...

Game Of Cat
The person who is to play the part of Cat should stand outside of the door of the room where the company is assembled. The boys and girls, in turn, come to the other side of the door and call out "miaou." If the ...

Grand Mufti
One of the company is chosen as Grand Mufti. The others then form a circle with the Grand Mufti in the centre, and every action which he performs, if preceded by the words, "Thus says the Grand Mufti," must be imit...

Here I Bake Here I Brew
The players join hands in a circle, with one of their number in the middle, who is supposed to be a captive, longing for freedom and reduced to diplomatic means to secure it. The prisoner touches one pair of join...

Hat Game
One of the players has two hats, one he places on his own head and the other he hands to one of the company. The person who has received the hat must then make every action contrary to the action of the person who ...

The Huntsman
One person represents the huntsman, the other players call themselves after some part of a huntsman's belongings; for instance, one is the cap, another the horn, others the powder-flask, gun, whip, etc. A number ...

He Can Do Little Who Can't Do This
One of the players takes a stick in his left hand and thumps the floor with it, saying, "He can do little who can't do this." Then he hands the stick to another player, who will most probably use his right hand when...

Hissing And Clapping
As many chairs as there are players must be arranged down the middle of the room. The girls then all sit down so that each has a vacant chair next her, and the boys retire from the room. During their absence the gi...

Hold Fast! Let Go!
For this game the company must divide themselves into parties with four in each group, and one odd player who must issue commands and lead the game. Each party of four must hold a handkerchief cornerwise, one player...

Hunt The Whistle
The chief participator in this game must be ignorant of the trick about to be played. He is told to kneel down whilst a lady knights him, naming him "Knight of the Whistle." During the process someone fastens a smal...

I Sell My Bat I Sell My Ball
A ring is formed with one child in the middle, who is called the "drummer-man." Whatever this child does the others mimic, moving round as they do so, and singing the following words:-- "I sell my bat, I sell m...

Judge And Jury
The company should be seated in two lines facing each other, and one of the party should then be elected to act as judge. Each person has to remember who is sitting exactly opposite, because when the judge asks a q...

My Master Bids You Do As I Do
For all those children who are fond of a little exercise no better game than this can be chosen. When the chairs are placed in order round the room the first player commences by saying: "My master bids you do as I ...

Magic Music
One of the players is sent out of the room, and the rest then agree upon some simple task for her to perform, such as moving a chair, touching an ornament, or finding some hidden object. She is then called in and so...

Malaga Raisins
The players sit in a circle and one who is acquainted with the trick takes a small stick in his right hand, makes some funny movements with it, and then, having taken it in his left hand, passes it to his neighbor,...

Our Old Grannie Doesn't Like Tea
All the players sit in a row, except one, who sits in front of them and says to each one in turn; "Our old Grannie doesn't like T; what can you give her instead?" Perhaps the first player will answer, "Cocoa," an...

Oranges And Lemons
Two of the players join hands, facing each other, having agreed privately which is to be "Oranges" and which "Lemons." The rest of the party form a long line, standing one behind the other, and holding each other's...

Old Soldier
Old Soldier is a game for young children, and though it seems very simple, yet there is a good deal of fun in it. One of the children pretends to be an old soldier, and goes round begging of each of the other playe...

Post-office
One player begins the game by going out of the room, and then giving a double (or postman's) knock at the door; it is the duty of one of the other players to stand at the door inside the room to answer the knocks t...

Peter Piper
This is an 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 per...

The Sea And Her Children
The players seat themselves in a circle, one of the number remaining in the center to represent the "Sea." Each player takes the name of some fish and the Sea walking around the circle calls each person by the name ...

The Stage Coach
The leader tells every member of the company to choose as a name some article connected with a stage coach; the wheels, the horses, the whip, the bridle, etc., may be chosen. These the leader jots down on a piece o...

Shadow Buff
A splendid game, and one specially suitable for a large party. A sheet or white tablecloth is first of all stretched right across the room, and on a table behind it is placed a bright lamp. All the other lights in ...

Steps
The blindfolded player is placed in the middle of the room, and the other players all place themselves at various distances round him. The blind-man is then told how many steps he must take in order to be able to t...

The Spelling Game
Each player in this game has what are called three "lives," or chances. When the company is seated in a circle, the first player mentions a letter as the beginning of a word. The game is for each of the company, in...

Simon Says
Seat yourselves in a circle and choose one of the company to be the leader, or Simon. His duty is to order all sorts of different things to be done, the funnier the better, which must be obeyed only when the order ...

The Sergeant
One player represents the Sergeant, and the others the soldiers, whom he is supposed to be drilling. When the Sergeant says "Do this," all the players must imitate him. But when he says "Do that," they must take no ...

The Sea King
This game can be played by any number of children. They proceed by first choosing one of the party to act as the Sea King, whose duty it is to stand in the centre of a ring, formed by the players seating themselves ...

Tongue Twisters
The leader begins by saying the first sentence, which is repeated by each player in turn. The leader in every case adds the new line, which is repeated by the other players in succession. Anyone making a mistake or...

Trades
Each player must choose a trade and pretend to be working at it. For instance, if he is a tailor he must pretend to sew or iron; if a blacksmith, to hammer, and so on. One is the king, and he too, chooses a trade. ...

Think Of A Number
In this game the leader tells one of the players to think of any number he likes, but not to say it aloud. He next tells him to double it; this done, the player is told to add eight to the result, and then halve it....

This And That
A confederate is necessary for this trick. The one performing the trick goes out of the room and the confederate agrees with the audience to touch a certain article. The person outside is recalled and his confedera...

What Am I Doing?
The players seat themselves in a row and the leader of the game takes his place behind them, beginning at the top of the row. He makes some absurd gesture and then asks the person behind whom he is standing "What a...

Wonderment
It is necessary that only two of the party should have a knowledge of this game, and then "wonderment" is sure to be the result. The two players agree that a certain word shall be regarded as a signal word. As an...

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...