GAMES FOR TINY TOTS

A Running Maze
Form a long line of children--one behind the other. The leader starts running, and is followed by all the rest. They must be sharp enough to do exactly as the leader does. After running for a moment or two in the...

Bean Bag
All stand in a line except one who is the leader who stands a short distance opposite the line. The leader throws the bean bag to the child at the head of the line who returns it to the leader. The leader throws ...

Birds Fly
This is a very simple game. Each player places a finger on the table, which he must raise whenever the conductor of the game says: "Birds fly," "Pigeons fly," or any other winged creatures "fly." If he names any ...

Button Button
All the children except the one who passes the button sit in a circle with hands placed palm to palm in their laps. The child passing the button holds it between her palms and goes to each one, in turn, slipping ...

Bingo
"The miller's dog lay at the mill, And his name was little Bingo, B with an I, I with an N, N with a G, G with an O, His name was little Bingo. "The miller he bought a cask of ale, And he called it ...

Blindman's Buff
Before beginning to play, the middle of the room should be cleared, the chairs placed against the wall, and all toys and footstools put out of the way. The child having been selected who is to be "Blind Man" or "Bu...

Blowing The Feather
All the children, except one, sit on the floor around a sheet or table cloth which they hold about eighteen or twenty inches above the floor. A feather is placed on the sheet and at a signal the child nearest it bl...

Cock Fighting
This is a most amusing game, and although only two boys can play at it at one time they will keep the rest of the company in roars of laughter. The two who are to represent the "cocks" having been chosen, they are ...

Catching The Mouse
The children sit in two rows opposite each other with a space between. One child takes the place of "cat," being blindfolded, the cat standing at one end of the row and the mouse at the opposite end. They start in ...

Drop The Handkerchief
A ring is formed by the players joining hands, whilst one child, who is to "drop the handkerchief," is left outside. He walks round the ring, touching each one with the handkerchief, saying the following words:-- ...

Donkey's Tail
A good-sized donkey without a tail is first of all cut out of brown paper and fastened to the wall. The tail is then cut out separately, and a hat-pin is stuck through the end. The players arrange themselves in a l...

Frog In The Middle
One child is seated on the ground with his legs under him and the other players form a ring round him. They then pull him about and give him little pushes, and he must try and catch one without rising from the floo...

Green Gravel
Girls form a circle and dance around one of their number. The girl in the ring turns her head gravely as a messenger advances, while the rest sing to a pleasing air-- Green gravel, green gravel, The grass ...

Hunt The Ring
For this game a long piece of string is required. On this a ring is threaded, and the ends of the string are knotted together. The players then take the string in their hands and form a circle, whilst one of the co...

Hot Tamales
The "tamale" in this game is a knotted handkerchief. One player is chosen for the Hot Tamale man and stands in the center of the room while the others sit around in a circle. The Hot Tamale man begins the game by...

Hunt The Slipper
The players seat themselves in a circle on the floor, having chosen one of their number to remain outside the circle. The children seated on the floor are supposed to be cobblers, and the one outside is the customer...

Hot Boiled Beans And Bacon
This is a game for young children. Some small article is hidden in the room, while the little one who has to find it is sent outside. This finished, the players call out together: "Hot Boiled Beans and Bacon; it's ...

Hide And Seek
One child is chosen "It." This one stands by a post or in a corner which is called "base," and hides his eyes. The children decide among themselves how many he shall count while they are hiding. Suppose they choose...

Hiss And Clap
This is an excellent party game. One of the company goes outside the room, whilst the remainder of the players decide amongst themselves which of them he shall kneel to. When this is settled upon, the person who is...

London Bridge
No game has been more popular with children than this, and any summer evening, in the poorer quarters of the cities, it may still be seen how six years instructs three years in the proper way of conducting it. Two ...

Miss Jennia Jones
The story of this is originally a love story. The young lady dies from a blighted affection and the prohibition of cruel parents. A mother, seated, Miss Jones stands behind her chair, or reclines on her lap as if...

Oats And Beans And Barley
All the children form a ring with the exception of one player, who stands in the center. The children then dance round this one, singing the first three lines of the verses given below. At the fourth line they stop...

Puss In The Corner
This game is really for five players only, but, by a little arrangement, six or seven children can take part in the fun. Four players take their places in the different corners of the room, and the fifth who is P...

Rule Of Contrary
This is a simple game for little children. It is played either with a pocket-handkerchief, or, if more than four want to play, with a table cloth or small sheet. Each person takes hold of the cloth; the leader of...

Soap Bubble Battle
Two children act as captains, one of company A, the other of company B and each in turn choose a soldier until the children are evenly divided into two companies. Stretch a rope or cord at a medium height across ...

Spider Web
Attach one end of a number of strings (one for each guest) to the chandelier. Fasten to the other end of each string a small prize wrapped up in tissue paper. Have strings of various lengths and twine them around t...