NEW CHRISTMAS GAMES

Otago Witness, Issue 3327, 19 December 1917, Page 66

NEW CHRISTMAS GAMES

By Flo Lancaster.

[All Rights Reserved.]

DETECTIVES. Cut up quite a number of cardboard tickets, mark one "detective" and "burglars," the rest remain blank. The players sit round in a circle, and the cards are shuffled and put in a small bag which is passed round, each player dipping his hand in and taking one. The players glance at the cards they have drawn, but tell no one what they are, hiding them in their hands. The one who draws the detective card must go round asking questions, which may be answered in any way except yes or no.

Should a player use either of these words the detective demands to see his card; if he happens to be a burglar he is out, if not he must pay a forfeit. Often a sudden question or a swift assertion, "You are the burglar, show your card," will take a man unawares. If the detective has not found the three burglars after going round three times ho must pay a forfeit. The cards are again shuffled and dealt out before the game can go on. THE FARMYARD AUCTION. This game is great fun for the little folk, especially if you have a brisk and merry auctioneer. First, each player is given the name of some creature from the farmyard. This is very simple, no matter how many players you may have, because they can be distinguished by calling them the Alderney cow, the old cow; or the buff hen, the black hen, the white hen, and so on. The players sit round in as big a circle as you can make, the auctioneer stands in the middle and commences. The first time any farmyard animal or bird is mentioned the player who represents it must imitate the animal's or bird's call or cry; the second time he must rise from his chair, and continue walking round outsidethe circle iintil his name is called the third time, then he may go back to his seat; if his name is again mentioned it counts then as the first time, and he starts over again in the same way; if he fails to respond as he should do he must take his chair and sit in the middle of the circle, for he is "out." When the auctioneer mentions all the animals of the same name—the cows, the pigs, or the ducks, for instance they

must all rise and run quickly round the circle. If they are not seated by the time he names them again they must pay a forfeit. A FLOWER, GAME. The players sit where they like. The first player, near the door, sings aloud the name of some flower—whether garden, hothouse, wild, or exotic does not matter; the next player must at once sing out another flower, commencing with the last letter in the flower first mentioned; if she cannot do this a forfeit must be paid. The first player sings another flower, and the one next to the forfeit payer must reply in the same way, and so the game continues round the room. If a player gets three, forfeits to pay he is out, and the game is won by the last man left in. ROBIN HOOD. You want a big space to play this game —a schoolroom or a cleared dining room will do splendidly. Robin Hood is counted out, and must stand in the middle of the room. The rest of the players line up at one end, and they must cross to the other side without being caught. Three players are selected to make the journey of adventure each time, one of them being a charmed man whom Robin Hood cannot touch. If Robin Hood captures the charmed man he must give back any men he may have caught already, or if he has caught none he may not keep the charmed man. Any who are caught must help him in his work, but they also play under the same conditions, so that.any player catching a charmed man may lose all the captures Robin Hood has made. The last man left in the uncaptnred line becomes Robin Hood next time. The element of uncertainty in this game make it most exciting. - THE LUCKY GUESS. This will please the children tremendously. Two players should be provided with small bags—one filled with sweets done up in tiny paper packets, and the other with nuts and little trinkets, bonbons, and other little toys. They stand with hands held up as for "orange and lemon," and the children form a long chain behind each other, as for the same game. The two players with the bags choose each a different colour, and as the children thread their way through, one after the other, they choo out a player and whisper: "What colour?" If the player mentions a colour chosen by either of the two players who have chopped her out she has a dip from her bag. If not, she must run on again. Flowers and birds can be used instead of colours for a change, and the colour, flower, or bird is changed after a child has been chopped out. A TABLE GAME. This game for marbles is quite easily fixed up in a few minutes. Get a long strip of stout cardboard and cut pigeonholes along one side just aboat large enough to admit a marble easily. Over each pigeon-hole print in big figures a different number, varying from a mere cipher to 20. This should be the highest number; but they should not be written in order, but something after this style—s-16-1-0-4-13-0-20, and so on. Stick a V-shaped cardboard foot at the back, so that it will stand on the table. You will only require three marbles, which are used in turn by each player. The pigeonholes are stood at the further end of the table, with a player behind them to capture the marbles as they come through and prevent them rolling about the room. The rest take it in turn to roll their marbles, three at the sanie time, through the pigeon-holes, and a score is kept, those who first make 60 winning the game. Of course, you score according to the number over the pigeon-holes your marbles shot through. CHEAP JACK. The players sit around in a circle, and the game commences with the player nearest the door, who turns to his righthand neighbour with this remark : "I am a Cheap Jack." "And what do you sell?" is the reply. The Cheap Jack may answer by giving tha name of any article he likes; but if it is a w T ord containing more or less than two vowels, he must pay a forfeit, and the third time he is caught napping he is "out." The last man left in wins the game. THE MYSTERY MAN. The seats are placed in a circle, and everybody is blindfolded, except one who acts as guide. He selects the mysterious man from the players after they are blindfolded, then conducts each player to a seat. After this he takes the mystery man round the circle, stopping at each chair. The occupant may ask the visitor eight questions, but he can disguise his voice as much as he likes in giving answers—even singing or wailing them if he likes. A player who can go round the circle three times without being recognised wins the game, but directly he is recognised the one who discovered him becomes the visitor, and he must take a seat. A pew guide is chosen after every change. SMASH! The players divide into four sets, and sit in each corner of the room. A small ball—made of wool, if possible—is tossed from one corner of the room to the other; if anyone drops or misses the ball, he or she has had a "smash," and when a player has dropped or missed a ball four times he is out. The set who keep their men longest win the game. The ball must be thrown fairly each time, and no effort must be made by the thrower to make the other player miss the ball. If that is done, the player must be

"out" at once, instead of the one who missed the ball. This rule should be kept, because each corner is, naturally, anxious to win, and if the rule is ignored bad or careless throwing quicV'y makes the game a farce. YOUR AUNT. The players sit round and are numbered as they sit. One player takes a pencil and paper, and goes to each with this inquiry: "What is your aunt's name?" jotting down the answer opposite the player's number. The reply may be any word ending in "ant"—as triumphant, adamant, piquant, etc.—but any person giving a word quickly may easily forget and give a word ending in e-n-t instead of a-n-t—----as solvent, prudent, etc. If he does, a cross is put against his name instead of the word; or if he cannot reply while the questioner counts ten, or if he mentions a word that has already been given by another player. The player who geta four crosses to his number is "out," and the one who first gets 20 aunts wins the game. THE TWELVE ARROWS. Cut 12 slips of white cardboard about an inch long, and mark on each an arrowhead in blue or red pencil. One player is picked out to hide the arrow-heads, while the rest leave the room until this is accomplished. They must be hidden about the room, where they can be found —for instance, they must not be put between the leaves of any book, or slipped inside cushioncovers or drawers, though they may be placed in vases or crevices, etc. When the players return, they seek for the missing arrow-heads—eight minutes is allowed —and the one who has collected the most at the end of that time wins the game. The others are handed over to him, and he hides them next time. A few tiny prizes should be provided for those who are lucky enough to discover the 12. A TRENCHER GAME. Seats are placed about the room in the furthest corners, and in as difficult a fashion to get at as possible—placing them back to back or behind a door, and so on. One stands in the middle of the room with a trencher or tray in his hand, while the others march round him in a ring. Directly the man in the middle twirls the trencher the players hie back to the seats as fast as they can fly. There must be one short, and any who do not get a seat before the trencher falls to the ground must pay a forfeit. If only one remains without a seat he must stand in the middle next time. If there are more than one left standing when the trencher falls the same man must twirl it again. POOR BLIND 808. A blindfolded person is stood in the middle of the room, provided with a long, slender wand —made from paper rolled up and tied at one end. The _ rest marcn around him in a ring until somebody says: "Poor blind Bob." They then come to a standstill, and the blind man. tries to touch the one who spoke. If-he succeeds they exchange places; if not, he must go on until he discovers a speaker. .The ring must always come to a standstill directly a player speaks. THE BELL MAN. One is made "touch," and a tiny bell, that can be carried in the hand and concealed there, is passed round from one to the other. It must be allowed to jingle all the time, and the player who is "touch" must catch the man with the bell. The bell is constantly passing from one to another as the players run about the room. When a player is caught with the bell, he must become "touch" instead, ,as well as paying a forfeit. A small bell such as is used on children's reins will do splendidly. The. fun is very considerably heightened if there are two bells and two "touch" men, as well as two sides to play. Then each man tries to capture as many as he can to add to his side, the side w'innino- most men in 10 minutes getting the game.