CHRISTMAS GAMES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 15, 15 December 1937, Page 18

CHRISTMAS GAMES

FOR THE SMALLER CHILDREN. Christmas parties for small children go off most smoothly when a little consideration is given in advance to the problem of what games can be arranged to keep the little ones amused; and happily it takes so little to keep tiny tots in shrieks of laughter that no great mental strain is necessary in thinking up a few suitable games. Children of all sizes insist upon keeping on the move; so games entailing exertion of some kind will prove most popular. Musical chairs is a never-failing source of pleasure to stage at a party. It is played by placing rows of chairs

back to back, with one less chair than there are players. The players march

round and round the chairs to the strains of music from wireless, gramophone, or piano. As soon as the music stops (and it should, of course, he stopped in the middle of a tune) the players have to scramble into the chairs. As there is one chair too few, it follows that one child will he left standing after all the chairs are occupied ; and this child drops out of the game. Another chair is then removed, and the fun starts all ove afresh, with another dropping out af ter the music stops. This procedun is followed until there is only otn chair and two players left. The play er who secures possession of the ehai when the music finally stops is declared the winner.

Keep off the carpet is a welcome variation- to the chair game. To plaj it, clear the room so that all players are able to march around it in single file. Then take a small carpet or mat. and put it in such, a pos.tion that every one must tread on it as they go round. Next start some music, and let the players commence to march. As soon as the music stops each player is to stand still immediately. Whoever is found standing on the carpet drops out. The same process is repeated until only one is left, and this remaining child is declared the winner. It is a good plan to give some trilling prize to the winner of each party competition. Thought-reading is an excellent game whereby any two grown-ups can mystify children. In this game the “thought-reader” goes outside while his assistant remains in the room and arranges with the youngsters that they will select some item in the room, and the ‘thought-reader” is then to come in and say which item it is. This is done by the assistant asking him questions. He may say, for example, “Have we selected the clock?” or “Is it that tablecloth?” The thought-, reader will answer “No!” until he ar- ( rives at the question following some, pre-aranged signal .when he will know • that the next answer is to he “Yes!”| Usually this word is a colour. For example, if the agreed colour is red, and the assistant asks if the red wallpaper has been selected, he will know that the next question after the use of this word, red, is to he “Yes!” for its answer, and his ‘thought-reading” will be correct.

The farmyard will create plenty of amusement for a short time. In this game all the players are seated, and the “farmer” stands in a clear space at the end of the room. He tells all the children that they will be given the names of animals, and that he will then tqll them a story in which the names ,bf various animals occur. Whenever the name of an animal which'a child is supposed to represent is mentioned in the story, the child, is to jump up and run and touch .the hand of the “Farmer,” then return to his chair. The farmer, when giving the children their names, whispers the name of the same animal to each—a pig, for example—so that, when he starts to tell his story and

mentions the name “pig.” every child jumps up and rushes towards .him, causing a great deal of surprise and merriment . There are many other party games for infants which are too well known to need other than a reminder to have them on hand when the need arises. Such include “Hunt the Slipper,” “Postman’s Knock,” “Here We Go Gathering Nuts in May,” and “Oranges and Lemons.”