Christmas Parties

Taranaki Daily News, 20 December 1924, Page 4 (Supplement)

Christmas Parties

SUGGESTIONS FOR ENTERTAINING. NOVEL -STUNTS” FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON. (By Judith Ann Silburn.) (Copyright.) Now when one is asked "what about tgames for Christmas ?” the answer would •seem as easy as shelling peas’ As a matter of fact, it takes no small amount of concentration to devise something fresh and out of the ordinary. However, by dint of much help on the part of numerous small nephews and nieces who have evidently studied the art of entertaining very considerably, we have managed to get together a fair programme. Some of the events are as follow: THE QUICK CHANGE ARTIST. For this a small platform is arranged in a convenient part of the room with a curtain in front. Behind it in a table with looking-glass, a few’ sticks of grease paint, some crepe hair (sold by the yard), two or three battered hats and a coloured scarf or two. If liked a few paper hats. Each member of the company in turn is asked to «tep up and complete some disguise in a given time. Marks are allotted to each -actor,” and the player obtaining the greatest number of marks gets a prize. SOMETHING OUT OF NOTHING. 'For tnis game all the players sit round the table. Each player is supplied with a few odds and ends, such as a morsel of crinkled paper, a nut, a piece of silk or cotton fabric, a button hook, a cork, piece of cardboard, and so on, and is told to make something out of the materials at his disposal. A time limit is fixed. Small tickets are given out on which each competitor writes the title of his object with his or her name. The objects are then all collected and put on a table, where they are judged by a small committee of people not playing. A prize is awarded for the best object. LIGHTING THE CANDLES. This is much more exciting than it pounds. Thirty small Christmas candles are stuck on a tin tray, either in circles or squares, it does not matter, though it is better to arrange them all in a spiral curve. One match is allowed to each competitor. Three turns are permitted, and the total number of candles which each player lights noted. The one who lights the greatest number wins a prize, or number of points, if each competition is being scored as points in the evening’s entertainment. A NEWS COMPETITION, OR WINNING THE “NOBEL” PRIZE. For this game each player is served out with a pencil and sheet of paper. Some humorous title for a “leader” is then read out. The players are given a certain time to complete a finished article on the subject. The articles are then collected, read aloud to the players, marked, and criticised by a sn ail committee of people not in the competition. The winner gets the •"Nobel” Prize of the evening. WHAT ANIMAL AM I? Thie game i© always amusing. A number of names of animals are written on a slip of paper. Each player has one slip (which he does not see) pinned on his back. The player who guesses the greatest number of animals pinned to his back during the evening wins a prize. TEST YOUR SENSES. This game can be made quite ingeniotss. Small bags of flour, coal, peas, etc., should be arranged on the table ■with bottles of liquid (as much like each other in colour as possible), also a cake, box of chocolates, and some fruit. Players are then asked to guess what each bag and bottle contains and to state the weight of the cake, chocolate and fruit. Each article is numbered. The player scoring the greatest number of points wins a prize. WHO ARE YOU? This game needs a number of Ku Klux Klan paper costumes. Half the number put on the costumes, which by the way. should all i>e numbered, or bear identification marks for ©coring. Those not in costumes jot down on cards the real names of the -mysterious” strangers. Afterwards, the other aide goes out, the ’’stranger© ' in their tu~n guessing. The side scoring the greaL*>t number of correct names is successful. WHO IS MISSING? Two aides are chosen, one set remaining in the room, the other going out. Those who are out choose one among their number as "missing.” These players then all return to the room, leaving one of their number to answer questions as to the "missing’’ member. Only “no” or ‘‘yes” may be answered, but as some of the persona] questions put by the opposition are bound to be humorous, much fun is got out of the game.

BURIED TREASURE. A box of bran is plotted out with tape into squares, each square having a number. The players all select a square and stick a flag into the one they have chosen. The flags should be made of white paper so that the competitors can write their names on them. Several small silver trinkets or penny toys may <be hidden, such as a thimble, a ring and so on. If an amusing message is wrapped round each treasure it makes the game more entertaining. The key to the treasures should be held by the gardener, who has the task of digging up the treasures when all the ‘’claims” are staked. Someone who is good at talking should be the gardener. DETECTIVES’ This game gives plenty of scope for intelligence. Arrangements should be made early in the evening to secure come personal property "belonging to someone at the party. The person should be taken into the confidence of the “police” and told to act the part of not knowing that the article belongs to him. When the- game is played the “officer” should announce that such and such an article has been found but no trace of the owner. The article should then be handed round, inspected, and examined for the thumb marks, or anything that would lead to identifying the owner. The one who guesses the owner should be awarded with a prize or points. THE HASSOCK WALK. This competition makes a change from the ordinary three-legged races, etc., but can only be carried out on linoleum or parquet flooring. Two competitors enter at a time. Two hassocks exactly alike are served to each. The competitor who succeeds in getting round the room first without falling off his hassock, wins, and has to play off the next man, and so on. A POTATO FIGHT. A couple of competitors select two teaspoons and one potato. A ring is then chalked round them and they stand opposite one another holding in one hand an empty spoon, in the other a spoon with a potato. Each one tries to knock iff his opponent’s potato without losing his own. This is quite an amusing game. THE ART GALLERY. This is not exactly a game, -but it makes a very pretty introduction to a dance evening. Arrange six cardboard picture frames round the room. These should be large enough to stage living people behind them. The best way is to suspend the frames from a wire line across the room. Gold or black paint can be used to colour the frames. A black background is the best for most of the pictures. It is an easy matter to pose characters behind on stools or chairs on a small raised platform flush with the level of the bottom of the picture-frames. The best "picture” wins ! a prize. CAN YOU DRAW ? I Here is a chance for the artist! A large blackboard should be placed in front of the audience. One student frem School A draws a few strokes on th< board (a time limit of one minute is allowed for this). Someone from School B then proceeds to complete a picture in three minutes out of these few strokes. Then a student from School B starts and A School completes the picture, and so on. Marks are awarded by a "hanging” committee. The side gaining the most points wins. Anyone failing to draw at all pays a forfeit to the other “school of art.” SPINNING THE KNIFE. For this game it is necessary to obtain a knife that will spin on the smooth surface of a small tray. Next write down such instructions as “dance,” “sing.” “plav a tune.’’ "kiss the girl you love best.” etc., on small slips of pa-per and stick these all round the tray, which should be circular. The players then spin the knife in turns, and wherever the point stays the spinner must accomplish whatever the instructions, at that point tell him to do. A HAIRDRESSING COMPETITION. This is quite an amusing interlude in a games evening. Several ladies who Ido not mind their tresses being taken I down, take their seats in front of the ! audience. Gentlemen then proceed to | do up the ladies’ hair according to their j taste. Brushes and hairpins, etc., are i supplied to each hairdresser. The best dressed head wins a prize, which should, of course, be divided between the gentleman and lady. ADVE RTISEM EN TS. Players pick sides and sit in opposite parts of the room. One side asks a question, such as “What firm has a poster Keep that School-girl Complexion’?’’ If the opposite side cannot guess, those who put the question score a point. This game can -be altered to suit tastes, and more scope can, of ! course, be given if books, plays, etc., lar.j included in the list of questions ■ that may be aeked.