Hopscotch, Hangman, Hot Potato, and Ha, Ha, Ha: A Rulebook of Children's Games
- Book Review,
by Jack Maguire
Book Description
PLAYING RULES FOR MORE THAN 250 GAMES AND SPORTS FOR CHILDREN OF EVERY AGE, INCLUDING INDOOR, OUTDOOR, PARTY, TRAVEL, WATER, MEMORY, AND CARD GAMES Games galore! From Capture the Flag to Stickball and Volleyball, from Jacks and Old Maid to Word Lightning, here are easy-to-use instructions, recommendations, and scoring for more than 250 popular games and sports for children. Presented in quick-access format, this unique guide is ideal for parents, teachers, adult referees, grandparents, babysitters, and camp counselors. Featuring: * Games to play on grass, on pavement, on steps and stoops, inside houses for rainy days and parties, and while traveling * Step-by-step instructions and rules for each game, complete with clear diagrams and line drawings * Games for children of all ages and playing abilities * Multiple lists that make it easy for you to find the perfect game for a specific situation (by number of players, etc.) * The origins of games through interesting anecdotes * Tips on choosing sides, determining who goes first, selecting who is "It," and more HAVE FUN!
About the Author
Jack Maguire author of Creative Storytelling and What Does Childhood Taste Like? conducts storytelling programs and workshops in the New York City area.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Chapter One Indoor Games for Sunny Days and Rainy Days Action Spelling WHERE TO PLAY Indoors or outdoors NUMBER OF PLAYERS 4 or more EQUIPMENT None OBJECT OF THE GAME For players to spell words correctly, substituting motions for some letters This is a more playful version of the traditional game Spelling Bee. Before the game, the players should select one player to act as the spelling master and then agree on a set of motions that will replace certain letters of the alphabet. A could be a jumping jack, L a handclap, and T a kick. The number of substitutions made for letters should depend upon the age level of the players. To make the game simpler for younger children, the gestures and letters can correspond: a jumping jack for J, a kick for K and so on. The game begins when the spelling master gives the first player a word to spell. That player must correctly spell the word, using the appropriate motions for the letters indicated. A player spelling pilot would say "P-I, then clap hands for L, say "O," and then kick to represent T if a clap signified L and a kick T. The next player spells a word given by the spelling master, substituting gestures for letters as needed. Action Spelling can be played for points or as an elimination game. VARIATION Another way to play Action Spelling is to substitute certain motions for vowels and consonants. For example, a hop on one foot could represent a vowel, while a jumping jack might signify a consonant. Aesop's Mission WHERE TO PLAY Anywhere NUMBER OF PLAYERS 4 or more EQUIPMENT None OBJECT OF THE GAME To discover the letter that "Aesop" has forbidden before being eliminated from the game One player is designated as "Aesop," and the other players are the "animals" of Aesop's fables. Aesop must secretly choose one letter that must be avoided by the players. Play begins when Aesop asks the first player a question that can require only a one-word answer. A crafty Aesop will try to ask a question that is likely to be answered with a word containing the forbidden letter. For example, if the forbidden letter is s, Aesop might ask, "Which is your favorite season of the year?" hoping the player will respond with "summer" or "spring." If the player responds to Aesop's question with a word containing the prohibited letter, he or she loses one life. The next player is given a chance to guess the forbidden letter before being asked a question. After losing three lives, a player is dropped from the game. The players try to discover the taboo letter before using up all three lives. The player who guesses the forbidden letter first becomes the next Aesop. Animals WHERE TO PLAY At a table NUMBER OF PLAYERS At least 3 EQUIPMENT A deck of playing cards OBJECT OF THE GAME To win another player's cards by calling out his or her animal noise before that player calls yours Shuffle and deal the cards facedown around the table. Next, each player should choose an animal to imitate. When everyone has a different animal, go around the circle a couple of times to practice the appropriate noises. One player might meow like a cat, another bark like a dog, another hiss like a snake, or moo like a cow, and so forth. All players should try to remember the animals chosen by the others as well as their own. Play begins at the dealer's left. Everyone around the table discards one card faceup (in sequential order), forming separate discard piles for each player. When one player lays down a card that is of equal value to another card in someone else's discard pile (two Jacks, for instance), those players with the matching cards try to call out the animal noise of the other. For example, if the "cow" lays clown a 6 that matches the 6 on the pile of the "cat," he or she tries to meow before the "cat" moos. The first of the two players to make the right sound is awarded the discard pile of the other player. A player who makes a wrong noise, or calls out a noise at the wrong time, must pay the penalty of the top card from his or her discard pile or hand, if there is no discard pile. The game is continued by the loser of each round, who lays down a new card. Any player to lose all of his or her cards is eliminated from the game. The player to collect all the cards is the winner. Playing until final elimination is recommended only for patient players. It might be a better idea to keep track of a predetermined number of rounds and designate the winner as the player with the greatest number of cards at the completion of all the rounds. Art Consequences WHERE TO PLAY Seated at a table NUMBER OF PLAYERS 3 or more EQUIPMENT A few sheets of paper and pencils OBJECT OF THE GAME To draw an imaginary, figure and create an amusing work of art through group effort If numbers permit, the players should be divided into groups of three or four. The first player in each group begins by drawing the head and neck of a real or imaginary figure on the top one-third of the paper. When done, he or she folds the paper back so that nothing can be seen of the drawing except a few lines that will allow the next player to continue the figure. The next player then draws in the shoulders and part of the arms and torso. When done, he or she folds the paper back again so only a bit of the bottom section of the drawing is visible -- enough to allow the next player to take up the drawing. The drawing is passed along and finished by the final player, who then unfolds the paper to reveal the entire figure. When there are two or more groups of "artists" there can be a competition for the best creation: silliest, scariest, most true to life, etc. Surrealist artists of the 1930s called this game The Exquisite Corpse and used it to create a number of serious works of art. Assassin WHERE TO PLAY Seated in a circle on the floor or around a table NUMBER OF PLAYERS 6 or more EQUIPMENT Pencil or pen and scraps of paper OBJECT OF THE GAME For the "assassin" to eliminate all the other players from the game by winking at them, while avoiding being caught Cut up or tear off a small piece of paper for each player. Mark one of these sheets with an X, fold, shuffle, and distribute them among the players. The players should open them secretly. The player whose paper is marked X will be the assassin. After all the papers have been checked, the players form a circle around a table or seat themselves on the floor. Players examine the faces of the others around the circle, trying to discover who the assassin is. When the assassin winks at another player, that player must say, "I've been hit" and must drop out of the game. If a player catches the assassin in the act of winking, the game is over, and the sharp-eyed player is the winner. But if the assassin succeeds in winking at all the players (except the last, who, by process of elimination, will soon learn who the assassin is), he or she is declared the winner. Bango WHERE TO PLAY At a table NUMBER OF PLAYERS At least 3 EQUIPMENT A deck of playing cards OBJECT OF THE GAME To be the first to match your hand to the card values called by the dealer This game is a very simplified version of Bingo, well suited for children under eight. One player shuffles the deck and deals five cards to each player at the table. The players place their cards faceup in front of them. The dealer then turns over one card at a time from the pile of remaining cards and calls out its value. Any player with a card of matching value can turn that card facedown. The first player who can turn all five cards facedown shouts, "Bango!" in order to win the round. Keep track of the number of rounds won by each player if you want to declare a grand winner at the end of the game. Battleship WHERE TO PLAY Best played at a table, but can be played as a travel game if the ride is steady NUMBER OF PLAYERS 2, or 4 if you want to play with partners EQUIPMENT Paper and pencil for each player or team. Graph paper makes playing easier, but it is not essential. OBJECT OF THE GAME To sink your opponent's battleships by making successful "hits" on a grid To prepare for the game, two grids, which represent naval battlefields, need to be drawn on each player's sheet. Each grid should have 10 blocks down and 10 blocks across for a total of 100 blocks. The blocks need not be very big -- a quarter of an inch is large enough. Across the top row of each grid, number the blocks 1 through 10. Down the left edge of the grids, letter the blocks A through J. Label one grid for the player and the other for the enemy. Players then must place battleships on the grid for their respective "sides" by drawing lines through consecutive blocks to indicate their ships' positions. Each player has four ships: an aircraft carrier of four blocks, a cruiser of three blocks, and two destroyers of two blocks apiece. Players mark their battleships on their grids without letting the enemy see their positions. The blocks must be located on a straight line: horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. A battleship may not be split up. When the grids are drawn and the battleships are in place, the players should determine who fires first. The player chosen to begin gets eleven shots to try to bit the other player's battleships. That player calls out blocks of the grid according to letter and number: B-10, F-6, and so on, until he or she has used up eleven shots. As the firing player calls out the shots, the defensive player should mark them on his or her own grid with a number 1 to represent shots fired in the first round. The firing player should likewise keep track of his shots fired by marking with 1 the blocks at which shots were fired on his second grid for the enemy. Then, after all eleven shots have been fired, the defensive player calls out the location of each shot and whether each was a "hit" (if it is one of the blocks on which a battleship is marked) or a "miss" (if it is an empty block). Players should circle the blocks that represent "hits" in order to distinguish them from "misses." When the first player is done firing, the second player gets the chance to fire eleven shots and is told whether they are "hits" or "misses." The second round begins with a new group of shots. This time the player is allowed eleven shots minus the number of "hits" that player scored in the previous round. If three "hits" were made in the first round, that player is given eight shots to fire in the second round. Shots are indicated by the number representing that round: Use 1 for shots fired in the first round, 2 for shots fired in the second round, and so on. Since the object of the game is to sink the other players' ships, shots in rounds following the first should be called in the vicinity of the hits previously made. In order to constitute a sinking ship, all the blocks on which a ship is located must be struck. Play continues until one player succeeds in sinking all the other's battleships. A player must announce the fact when one of his or her battleships is sunk. VARIATION To make the game more challenging, players do not have to reveal that ships have sunk until all have been sunk, thereby providing no clues as to the type of boat or number of blocks to be hit. (Battleship was also known humorously as Swiss Navy before it became popularized as a manufactured game.) Beetle WHERE TO PLAY At a table or on the floor NUMBER OF PLAYERS 2 to 6 EQUIPMENT One die; pencil and paper for each player OBJECT OF THE GAME To be the first player to complete the drawing of a "beetle" after throwing the correct sequence of numbers Determine the order of play by rolling the die. The highest roller begins the game. The first player rolls the dice, trying to throw a 1. Each player gets one roll per turn. The numbers must be earned in order from 1 through 5. When a player throws a 1, he or she begins a beetle by drawing its body. A 2 is needed next before drawing the head. A 3 is then required to add three legs on one side of the body, and, on the next turn, another 3 is needed to add the three remaining legs. Players who roll a 4 can add one feeler, and a second 4 gets the other feeler. A 5 allows the player to draw one eye, and the first player to throw a second 5 and add the other eye may complete his or her beetle to win the game. Beggar My Neighbor WHERE TO PLAY Anywhere NUMBER OF PLAYERS 2 to 4 EQUIPMENT A deck of playing cards for every 2 players OBJECT OF THE GAME To win all the cards from your opponent -- through chance more than skill Shuffle the cards and deal out all of them into piles for each player. The player at the dealer's left begins the game by laying down the first card from the top of his or her pile into a center pile, faceup. If it is anything but a picture or an Ace, the next player follows by turning over one of his or her cards. If, however, it is a face card or an Ace, a penalty must be paid by the next player. One card must be paid for a Jack, two for a Queen, three for a King, and four for an Ace. The player paying lays out the penalty cards one at a time. If none of them is a face card or an Ace, the first player may keep all of the cards in the pile. But, if another face card or Ace turns up, the original debt is cancelled, and the first player must now pay the appropriate number of cards to the second player. Players keep exchanging debt penalties until no more face cards or Aces are turned up. The game then continues with the next player. Eventually, players will run out of cards and will be eliminated from the game. The player who collects all the cards wins. Bingo WHERE TO PLAY At a table NUMBER OF PLAYERS 3 or more EQUIPMENT Paper and pencils; a container for the numbers (a hat, a box, or an envelope are all suitable); a large number of markers (coins, buttons, dried beans, etc.) OBJECT OF THE GAME To be the first to fill in a row of 5 numbers -- horizontally, vertically, or diagonally Making the cards to play Bingo takes only a few minutes, while the fun lasts much longer. First, cut a sheet of paper into 100 small squares and number them 1 through 100. Place these numbers in a container. A box, a hat, or an envelope are all easy to use. Each player can make up his or her own game card with a sheet of paper and pencil. Draw a diagram consisting of twenty-five one-inch-square boxes, five across and five down. Fill in the first horizontal line with any five numbers from 1 to 20, in numerical order (for ease in finding them while the game is played). The second line should be any five numbers from 21 to 40, the third any five from 41 to 60, the fourth any five from 61 to 80, and the bottom row any five from 81 to 100. The players should also be given a handful of markers (small enough to fit within the size of the squares), with more available in the center if needed. One player serves as the caller for the first game. The caller mixes up the numbers and then draws them one at a time. When the caller announces a number, the players check their boards. If they have written that number on their board, they may place a marker on that space. The caller continues picking numbers until one player has filled in a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line of five markers. The first player to do so calls, "Bingo" and wins the game. For a longer game, try to fill up the entire card. Players can also pass their cards around for variety. Make sure everyone who wants a chance to be the caller has one. VARIATION For an even more simplified version, which is great fun to play while traveling, each player needs a sheet of paper and pencil. On the paper, each player draws a small diagram and fills in the numbers on his or her own. The designated caller should not look at the numbers on the players' cards and should call out numbers at random. Players who have these numbers on their cards blacken out the appropriate squares with pencil, while the caller records all the numbers to avoid repeats. The caller should continue calling out numbers until a player fills a row and calls, "Bingo!" (Bingo is said to have been invented by a nobleman in Italy, where it is known as "La Tombola." In the age of luxury liners, it was a very popular type of shipboard entertainment known as Housey-Housey.) Botticelli WHERE TO PLAY Anywhere; also a good travel game NUMBER OF PLAYERS At least 3 EQUIPMENT None OBJECT OF THE GAME To ask questions that will lead you to discover the identity of a famous person chosen by one of the players One player selects the identity of a famous person familiar to all the players and informs the other players of the initial of that person's last name. The other players try to determine the secret identity by asking questions phrased so that the chooser must identify other people with the same initial. For example, if the initial is M, the first question might be, "Are you an Italian artist of the Renaissance?" The chooser must answer with the name of some Italian Renaissance artist whose name begins with M or answer a forfeit question. If the chooser can answer, "No, I am not Michelangelo," then the next player asks a question. However, if the asker stumps the chooser, then he or she has a chance to request more specific information: "Are you male ("No, I am not male") or "Are you alive?" ("No, I am not alive"), for instance. The questions can only be answered by a yes or no. The chooser continues answering questions: "Are you a Hollywood bombshell?" ("No, I am not Marilyn Monroe"); "Are you in the Baseball Hall of Fame?" ("No, I am not Willie Mays"); and so on, until someone guesses the secret identity. Of course, players will try to ask more obscure questions in order to stump the choosers and, thus, gain clues. The first player to guess the identity may choose the individual for the next round. Boxes WHERE TO PLAY Anywhere NUMBER OF PLAYERS 2 at a time EQUIPMENT Paper and pencil OBJECT OF THE GAME To connect the dots on a grid to make more boxes than your opponent Set up the game by drawing a square grid made up of dots. Four dots on each side is a good size to begin with. Choose one player to go first. This player draws a line between any two dots horizontally or vertically. The second player then draws a line connecting two more dots. Eventually, one of the players will be able to form a box. That player puts his or her initial in the box and is given another turn. He or she may continue adding lines as long as each line forms a new box. If a new box can't be made, the game resumes with the other player taking a turn. The player with the most boxes when all the dots are connected is declared the winner. More experienced players will realize how to draw lines strategically to enhance the fun. Buzz WHERE TO PLAY Anywhere NUMBER OF PLAYERS 2 or more EQUIPMENT None OBJECT OF THE GAME To count to 100 while substituting the word buzz for the number 7 or its multiples without making any mistakes Players count off to 100 in sequential fashion, replacing 7 and its multiples with buzz. For example, players would count out 1 to 14 as follows: "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, buzz, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, buzz." When only a few players are involved, there need not be competition, but if a larger group participates, players can be eliminated after two mistakes. VARIATION A more difficult version of this game is called Fizz Buzz. In this variation, in addition to replacing 7 and its multiples with buzz, the word fizz is substituted for the number 5 and its multiples. Some people also like to substitute for double digits of the same number, for example, "1, 2, 3, 4, fizz, 6, buzz, 8, 9, fizz, buzz, 12, 13, buzz." Cat's Cradle WHERE TO PLAY Anywhere NUMBER OF PLAYERS 1 or 2 at a time EQUIPMENT String OBJECT OF THE GAME To form shapes by playing with pieces of string Games with string, like Cat's Cradle, are one of the oldest forms of play -- prehistoric children probably created similar shapes from cords of gut. The names given to the game, from Crow's Feet to Barn Doors, reflect what different cultures see in the shapes formed by the string. There are many ways in which to manipulate a piece of string to form amusing shapes, which are explained in books dedicated to string games. These are a few basic examples. Needed for any Cat's Cradle game is a piece of string, about two feet long, with the ends tightly knotted together to form a single loop. The simplest Cat's Cradle can be formed by a single player. To begin, hook the loop over the left thumb, draw it across the palm, and hook it again behind the pinky. Repeat this with the right hand so that the loop is stretched between the two hands. Slide the right index finger under the line of string that stretches horizontally across the left palm and pull it back to the right, making the string taut. Repeat with the left index finger, pulling the string taut again. This is the basic cradle shape. Turn the hands upside down and it becomes a manger. In some parts of the world, cradle and manger games are associated with the Christmas season. Witch's Broom and Banana Bunch are two sequential shapes that can also be formed by one player. To begin, start in the same manner as the cradle: hook the loop over the left thumb, draw it across the palm, and hook it again behind the pinky. This time, instead of repeating with the right hand, let the rest of the loop hang down. Then, take the right index finger, hook it over the line of string that stretches horizontally across the left palm, and pull down, making the string taught. What was originally the bottom of the loop now forms another line across the palm. Repeat this one more time, so that there are now two smaller loops around the thumb and the pinky. Place the right hand inside the larger loop and open the fingers so this loop lies between the thumb and index finger. Hook the right thumb into the loop around the left thumb, and the right pinky into the loop around the left pinky. Touch the right thumb and right index finger together and draw the string back through the large loop. Hold the two loops out from the right hand. If you touch the right thumb and right index finger again, it will look as if there are three columns. Insert the three middle fingers of the left hand in between these strings, one in each column. Drop the loops behind the left hand. Turn the left hand so the palm faces up. Pull the middle loop straight up and hold it out. This shape is called the Witch's Broom. Now, carefully pull the left-hand fingers out of the loops and hold them up with the right hand. There will be four loops hanging from one loop -- a bunch of bananas, or in some areas, yams. Ask someone to pick a banana. That person pulls one banana loop down, but it's a trick bunch -- the loops will straighten out and all the bananas will disappear! Cat's Cradle for two differs slightly from the game for one. The first player wraps the loop in a small loop around one palm (except for the thumb) and then the other. Next, he or she slides the middle finger of the right hand under the string across the left palm, drawing it back. Repeat on the other side: slip the middle finger of the left hand under the string across the right palm and pull it back. This is the Cat's Cradle. The second player joins at this point by taking the string off the first player's hands. The second player takes hold of the X on one side of the cradle between the left thumb and forefinger, and then the other X between the right thumb and forefinger. He or she then pulls outward and down, bringing the Xs through into the center section of the loop, pulling the string carefully off the fingers of the first player. The shape formed is called the Soldier's Bed The first player takes hold of the Xs, which are now located in the center of the loop, in the same manner, between the thumb and forefinger of each hand, and moves them out, under, and up, pulling them off the second player's hands. The resulting form is called Candles. To remove Candles from the first player's hands, the second player takes hold of the left string with the right pinky, drawing it back to the right, and then the right string with the left pinky, pulling it back to the left. Holding the string firmly with the pinkies, the second player scoops his or her hands out and under again, bringing them up through the center of the loop. The second player spreads the thumb and index finger on each hand to catch the string and pull it off the first player's hands. The result is a new Cat's Cradle. Categories WHERE TO PLAY Anywhere NUMBER OF PLAYERS 4 or more EQUIPMENT Pencil and paper for each player OBJECT OF THE GAME To think of the greatest number of items belonging to a chosen category, within a given time limit From among the group of players, a list of about twenty categories should be drawn up. Players can divide up the number of categories to be chosen: if there are five players, each may select four categories. Each player writes the names of all the categories at the top of his or her paper. To begin, one player chooses a letter of the alphabet at random. (A different player begins the next round by selecting a new letter.) The players have a given amount of time -- usually five or ten minutes, depending on their abilities -- to write down as many words as possible that start with the chosen letter and correspond to each of the categories. For example, if the letter N is chosen and one of the categories happens to be States, correct answers would include Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, and North Dakota. At the end of the time limit, players should trade lists for scoring. All the answers are read aloud. For each correct answer a player receives 1 point. An answer that no one else has thought of receives 2 points. For another round, a different letter can be picked, and you can either keep or change the categories. The player with the most points after a predetermined number of rounds is the winner. VARIATION A less complicated version of this game is First Names First, in which the only category is first names. Instead of randomly choosing a letter of the alphabet, a first name is selected. Players must think of more names that begin with each of the letters in the given name. For example, if Pam is suggested, other correct answers would be Patricia, Anne, and Mary. P Patricia Paula Penny A Anne Alice Alison M Mary Michelle Margaret Charades WHERE TO PLAY Anywhere NUMBER OF PLAYERS 6 or more EQUIPMENT Paper and pencils; watch or clock with a second hand OBJECT OF THE GAME To guess, in the shortest time possible, the famous phrase or sentence being acted out by your team members Two teams are formed; one will start as the actors and the other as the audience. Each member of the audience writes down a famous saying or title on a slip of paper. The phrase should be known to all and should be relatively short, something like Gone with the Wind or The early bird gets the worm. The phrases are shuffled and then distributed to the actors, one to each player. One at a time, the actors attempt to convey the phrase to their teammates through pantomime and a series of gestures that are used to clarify the pantomime: * Arms crossed over the chest means that the actor will try to mime the entire phrase at once. * A chopping motion signifies that the phrase will be chopped into words or syllables. The actor will then hold up one or more fingers to indicate which word or syllable he or she is trying to act out at that moment. By holding up two fingers and then making a fist, the actor denotes that the next two words or syllables should be joined together. * A hand cupped around the ear means the word "Sounds like..." and indicates a rhyme word that is somewhat easier to act out. * A beckoning motion means that the teammates are getting close to the right answer. If they are far off the track, the actor makes a pushing gesture. * Looking forward signals future tense, and looking backward means past tense. As the actor pantomimes, his or her teammates call out their guesses, trying to come up with the correct answer as quickly as possible. Someone in the audience should time the guesses and write the total time down when the answer is discovered. After all the members of the actors' team have had a chance to get their messages across, they exchange roles with the audience team. The team that has amassed the least total guessing time wins the game. Cheat WHERE TO PLAY At a table NUMBER OF PLAYERS 3 or more EQUIPMENT A deck of playing cards OBJECT OF THE GAME To get rid of all your cards by bluffing successfully Shuffle the deck and deal it out to the players. The player on the dealer's left initiates the game by laying any card from his or her hand facedown in the center of the table, calling out its value at the same time. The next player aims to follow the last card laid down with the card of the next higher value. If the first card is a 7, for example, the next player wants to put down an 8. This player places the next card facedown without letting anyone see its value and calls out "Eight," regardless of whether it actually is an 8. It is now up to the rest of the players to decide if indeed an 8 was laid down. If no one wishes to challenge the player, the game continues with the next person, who lays down a card, claiming, "Nine." If, however, any player believes that something other than the proper card was laid down, he or she calls, "Cheat!" The card is then turned over to see its actual value. If it is the right card for the sequence (in this case, an 8), the player who made the challenge must add all the cards in the center pile to his or her hand. But if it is not the card it was claimed to be, the player who laid it down has to take all the center cards. When the game gets heated, disputes may arise as to which player called out "Cheat!" first. A referee can be designated to resolve disputes, or a default system can be used. For example, in case of a dispute, the player nearest to the left of the challenged player will be considered the challenger. After each round, the game is restarted by the player to the left of the challenged player, who lays down a card in the center and calls out its value, as in the beginning of the game. The first person to discard all of his or her cards is the winner. VARIATION A variation of Cheat is called I Doubt It. The rules are basically the same, except that players may claim to have up to four cards to lay down in each round, calling out the values for all of them. For example, if the last card was said to be a 9, the next player can claim to be discarding two 10s, when in fact he or she only has one 10. If players are not convinced that an opponent has the cards he or she claims to have, instead of calling, "Cheat!" players yell, "I doubt it!" Clockwise Dice WHERE TO PLAY Anywhere NUMBER OF PLAYERS 2 or more EQUIPMENT 2 dice; paper and pencil for scorekeeping (optional) OBJECT OF THE GAME To be the first player to roll the numbers 1 through 12 in correct sequence Roll one die to determine the order of play: the high roller goes first. Play continues in a circle from the first player's left or in descending numerical order. The first player rolls both dice in an attempt to come up with a 1. If one of the dice is a 1, he or she has completed the first number in the sequence. If not, he or she must try again for a 1 on the next turn. Players have one throw per round in which to try for the appropriate number. After one roll, the game continues with the next player. For numbers 2 through 6, both dice may be counted in order to earn the needed number. For example, a player trying for 6 may get it in any of these ways: one 6, two 3s, a 4 and a 2, or a 5 and a 1. It is also permissible to score two numbers in sequence in one throw of the dice. If a player is trying for 2, for example, and rolls 2 and 3, both may be counted as part of the sequence, and he or she will next need a 4. Numbers 7 through 12 are scored by adding the spots on both the dice thrown. The first player to throw numbers 1 through 12 wins the game. (The game of Dice was played in ancient Greece. According to one story, dice were invented by Palamedes in order to keep his soldiers occupied during the siege of Troy. In another story, they were created by a king of Asia Minor to keep the minds of his people off their hunger during a terrible famine.P> For numbers 2 through 6, both dice may be counted in order to earn the needed number. For example, a player trying for 6 may get it in any of these ways: one 6, two 3s, a 4 and a 2, or a 5 and a 1. It is also permissible to score two numbers in sequence in one throw of the dice. If a player is trying for 2, for example, and rolls 2 and 3, both may be counted as part of the sequence, and he or she will next need a 4. Numbers 7 through 12 are scored by adding the spots on both the dice thrown. The first player to throw numbers 1 through 12 wins the game. (The game of Dice was played in ancient Greece. According to one story, dice were invented by Palamedes in order to keep his soldiers occupied during the siege of Troy. In another story, they were created by a king of Asia Minor to keep the minds of his people off their hunger during a terrible famine.) Coffeepot WHERE TO PLAY Anywhere NUMBER OF PLAYERS 3 or more EQUIPMENT None OBJECT OF THE GAME For "It" to guess the verb known to all the other players by asking questions One player is chosen to be "It." A second player chooses a verb and whispers it to the remaining players. When they all know the selected verb, "It" asks a question of each of the players in order to discover the word, substituting "coffeepot" for the unknown verb in the questions. Take, for example, "ski" as the designated word. In attempting to guess the word, "It" might ask: "Do you 'coffeepot' indoors?" The player would reply "No." "It" might then ask: "Do you 'coffeepot' during the summer?" and so on, until the correct verb is revealed. A time limit of two or three minutes to discover the word can be set. The last player to give an answer before the word is guessed must be "It" for the next round. Colin Maillard (pronounced "My-yard") WHERE TO PLAY Indoors NUMBER OF PLAYERS 8 or more EQUIPMENT Chairs for all players but 2; a scarf or rag to serve as a blindfold OBJECT OF THE GAME For "Colin Maillard" to guess the identity of the person on whose lap he or she sits Before the game begins, one player is chosen to be "Colin Maillard" and another to be the conductor. The rest of the players sit in the chairs, which have been arranged in a small circle facing inward. The conductor blindfolds Colin Maillard, who stands in the center of the circle. After he or she has been blindfolded, the other players quickly change places so that Colin will no longer know the seating arrangement. When the players have all settled into new seats, the conductor announces that they are ready, and Colin Maillard may choose to join one of them. Colin should begin to move toward someone, aided by verbal directions from the conductor and a helping hand if necessary. Upon reaching a player, Colin turns around and sits on that player's knees. Colin has one guess as to the identity, of the player. If the guess is correct, Colin and that player trade places. (The conductor should also exchange spots with another player so that all may get to join in the game.) If Colin guesses incorrectly, the other players indicate the mistake by clapping. At this point, Colin must move on to another player and continue guessing until successful. If Colin seems to be in danger of never making a correct identification, the conductor may give hints to speed up the game. (Colin Maillard was a celebrated soldier from Belgium. Though blinded, he was still successful in battle and was knighted in the year 999. The king admired his talents so much that he initiated a pageant game that featured a blindfolded knight, from which this version of Blindman's Buff has descended.) Concentration WHERE TO PLAY At a table or on the floor NUMBER OF PLAYERS 2 or more EQUIPMENT A deck of playing cards OBJECT OF THE GAME To gain the greatest number of cards by remembering their locations after they have been turned facedown Shuffle the cards and lay them facedown one next to another on the table or floor in an orderly fashion -- perhaps thirteen rows by four rows if you really want to be neat. The game begins when the first player turns over any two cards, in hopes of uncovering a matching pair. If they are of equal value (two Queens or two 7s, for example), the player may pick them up and keep them, and guess again. Cards that don't match must be returned to a facedown position, and it is then the next player's turn. (Before the cards are turned down again, players must call upon all their powers of concentration -- hence the name of the game -- to fix their locations, which will aid in future guesses.) The next player flips over two more cards, keeping them if they are a matched pair and turning them back over if they are not. The game grows easier as more and more cards are revealed and removed. When all the cards have been collected, the player with the greatest number of pairs is the winner. For younger children, the game can be simplified by limiting the number of pairs available. Separate out ten or so pairs and lay them out, setting aside the remainder. Concentration was known as Pelmanism (perhaps after the Pelman memory course) until the popular TV show brought the game into households across the country. The TV version was more complex: correct guesses revealed parts of a rebus beneath the board which also had to be solved. Cootie Catcher WHERE TO PLAY Anywhere NUMBER OF PLAYERS 2 or more EQUIPMENT A sheet of paper for each player; scissors; something to write with OBJECT OF THE GAME To make a "Cootie catcher" and use it to tell fortunes or make jokes Begin with a square piece of paper for each player. A nine-by-nine-inch square works well. Fold each corner over to the opposite corner to make two creases in the square. After making the creases, open the paper flat again. Next, fold all four corners into the center. This will form a smaller square. Flip the square over and fold all the comers into the center again, forming an even smaller square. Flip it back over one more time, and slip one finger into each flap, pressing the center creases in together so that all four fingers bring the flaps to a point in the center. Number the eight inside flaps, and write fortunes or jokes beneath them. Have one player choose a number between 1 and 10. Open and close the flaps of the Cootie Catcher the corresponding number of times. The player should then choose among one of the four numbers displayed on the inside. Open out the flap for the chosen number and read the fortune inside. VARIATION Cootie Catcher is also known as Fortune Teller. In this variation, players label the four outer flaps of the Cootie Catcher with colors. On the inside flaps, they inscribe eight different numbers. And, underneath the flaps, they write eight fortunes -- anything from You will marry Billy to You will be an astronaut. To play with the Cootie Catcher, the fortune teller asks someone to choose one, of the four colors. If he or she picks green, for instance, the fortune teller opens and closes the Cootie Catcher five times (determined by the number of letters in the color chosen) while chanting, "G-R-E-E-N." The fortune teller stops on "N" and leaves the Cootie Catcher open to reveal four numbers inside. The player must then select a number. While it seems logical to inscribe fairly small numbers here, there's an ingenious rhyme that allows the fortune teller to use any number imaginable. If the player selects 108, for example, the fortune teller chants, "One, two, skip a few, now it's 108" while opening and shutting the Cootie Catcher 8 times, rather than 108 times. The player then picks one more number. The corresponding flap is lifted to reveal the fortune underneath. Crambo WHERE TO PLAY Anywhere NUMBER OF PLAYERS At least 6 EQUIPMENT None OBJECT OF GAME To guess the word that rhymes with the word given by one of the players One player is selected to begin the game and choose a word for the other players to guess. He or she says, "I am thinking of a word that rhymes with --. "If the targeted word is heart, for example, the player might say "I am thinking of a word that rhymes with cart." The rest of the players attempt to discover the mystery word by taking turns asking questions in which they define words that rhyme with the word given. For example, if asked, "Is it something you create?" the player would answer, "No, it is not art." "Is it something sour?" "No, it is not art," and so forth. If the player who is "It" is unable to respond to the question with an appropriate rhyming word, the questioner can reveal the desired response and is given the opportunity to ask a second question. If "It" is stumped a second time, the questioner reveals once again the desired response, but this time play moves on to the next questioner in line. The first player to guess the correct word gets to choose a word for the next round. Crazy Eights WHERE TO PLAY At a table NUMBER OF PLAYERS 3 or more EQUIPMENT A deck of playing cards OBJECT OF THE GAME To be the first to get rid of all your cards Shuffle the cards and deal seven to each player. Place the remaining cards in a pile in the center of the table. Players examine their cards and sort them by suit, keeping them hidden from their opponents. The player at the dealer's left initiates the game by laying one card faceup in the center of the table. The next player must follow with a card of the same suit -- a club on a club, for example. If a player doesn't have a card with the same suit or wishes to change the suit, then a card of the same value may be laid down, for example, a 6 on a 6, which then changes the suit to the face card. Eights are "wild," meaning that they can be played at any time. The player putting down an 8, is allowed to choose a suit for the next player to follow. When a player is unable to follow with a card of the same suit or rank, or an 8, he or she must draw a card from the center pile. If the card can be played, it is laid down. If not, the player must continue drawing cards until he or she gets one that can be played. If a player picks up all the cards in the center pile without finding an appropriate card, he or she calls, "Pass," and the game continues with the next player. The first player to discard all of his or her cards is the winner. Crazy, Eights can be scored with points if you wish to play a longer game: When one player has gotten rid of all of his or her cards, the other players must tally up the points of the cards remaining in their hands. An 8 is worth 50 points; Jack, Queen, and King are worth 10 points each; Aces are worth 1 point; and the other cards are scored according to their numbers. The player with the lowest score after a predetermined number of rounds wins the game. Crosswords WHERE TO PLAY Anywhere NUMBER OF PLAYERS At least 2 EQUIPMENT Pencil and paper for each player OBJECT OF THE GAME To score points by forming words in a crossword diagram Before beginning, each player draws a crossword diagram (consisting of five boxes across and five down) on a sheet of paper. The player chosen to go first calls out a letter at random. Each player must place that letter in a square on his or her diagram. The next player chooses another letter, which all must place in their diagrams, keeping in mind that they are trying to form as many words as possible. The players continue selecting letters until all the squares have been filled. When the diagrams are complete, players add up their scores as follows: Horizontal and vertical words score 1 point for each letter. A five-letter word scores a bonus point. Two words may be formed in one line (D-O-C-A-T would score 5 points as do and cat), but a word that can be split into two separate words (like canon -- can and on) may only be scored once. Remember, however, that if it is a five-letter word, you get a bonus point. The player with the highest score wins. Donkey WHERE TO PLAY At a table NUMBER OF PLAYERS 3 or more EQUIPMENT A deck of playing cards; pencil and paper for scorekeeping OBJECT OF THE GAME To be the first to get 4 cards of equal value and to avoid becoming the "donkey" One player should be designated the scorekeeper. In preparation for the game, the dealer should construct a new deck of cards by pulling sets of four-of-a-kind, the number of sets determined by the number of players. For example, if there are three players, the dealer could pull out 3 sets of four-of-a-kind, the 4s, 8s, and kings for example. Set aside the remaining cards -- they will not be used. Shuffle and deal these cards to the players. Each player looks at his or her hand, keeping it secret. Since the object of the game is to get four cards of equal value, each player should examine the hand and choose one to discard. If a player has two Kings, a 4, and an 8, the 4 or 8 should be discarded. Each player places the discarded card facedown on the table. When all have done so, each player should pass the discarded card to the person at his or her left. Each player then picks up the new card and compares it with his or her hand to see if it will be of use. If it will, then it is added to the hand and another card is discarded. If not, it is placed back down on the table. The passing of cards should proceed as rapidly as possible; one player will soon have obtained four matching cards. This player quickly places the entire hand on the table and places a finger next to his or her nose. When the other players notice that the cards have been put down and that another player has given the nose signal, they must hurry, to put their fingers next to their noses also. The last player to imitate the nose signal is designated the "donkey" of that round and is assigned a D. The scorekeeper should keep track of the letters as they are given out. After a player has lost six rounds and has been assigned D-O-N-K-E-Y, he or she is the loser. VARIATION Another version of Donkey is called Spoons. It is played in the same manner except that a bunch of spoons (or any objects that are safe and easy to grasp), numbering one fewer than the number of players, is placed in the center of the table. When a player collects four cards of the same value, instead of using a nose signal, he or she grabs for a spoon. The other players quickly grab the remaining spoons. The player left without a spoon in each round is assigned a letter: S-P-O-O-N-S. The player staying in the game without spelling SPOONS is the winner. Drawing in the Dark WHERE TO PLAY Indoors after sunset or in a room that can easily be darkened NUMBER OF PLAYERS 2 or more EQUIPMENT Pencil and paper for each player OBJECT OF THE GAME To draw a picture according to a story told by one of the other players, without being able to see the paper An adult or older child should serve as the storyteller. Give a sheet of paper and a pencil to each of the players. When everyone is prepared, turn the lights out and darken the room. The storyteller must invent a short tale which will be illustrated by the other players. The story doesn't have to be very elaborate, but it should include a number of different figures and objects which will be drawn by the other players. For example, the storyteller may begin, "Once there was a girl named Denise. Please draw Denise." All the players should do their best to draw a figure of a girl. After a minute or two, players should finish up their drawings and the story will continue. For example: "Denise put her dog, Spot, on a leash and took him to a pet show. Now draw Spot and his leash, which Denise holds in her hand. Denise and Spot admired the beautiful trophy that sat on the judges' table. Now add the trophy and a table to your drawing. Denise and Spot entered Spot in the Pet show. Spot didn't win the trophy, but Denise gave him a bone for being her favorite. Now put the bone in Spot's mouth and finish up your drawings." When the drawings are complete, turn the lights back on. The illustration that comes closest to resembling the scene described, as determined either by the storyteller or a vote of the group members, is the winner. Dress Me WHERE TO PLAY Anywhere. This is a great icebreaker for a party! NUMBER OF PLAYERS At least 4 EQUIPMENT A big old shirt OBJECT OF THE GAME To move the shirt from one player to another while they hold hands The first player puts on the big shirt and takes the hand of the next player. The rest of the players try, to take the shirt off the first player and put it onto the second without breaking their handhold. The only way that this can be done is to turn the shirt inside out as it goes over the first player's head. Once it is over that player's head and onto the next player, another player joins hands with the player wearing the shirt, and the first player becomes a dresser. Depending on the number of players, the line can be extended until all the players have had the shirt on and taken off. If there are enough players and shirts available, this can be played in teams as a race. Drop Dead WHERE TO PLAY Anywhere NUMBER OF PLAYERS 2 or more EQUIPMENT 5 dice; pencil and paper for scorekeeping OBJECT OF THE GAME To score as many points as possible in 5 throws of the dice Playing order makes no difference in Drop Dead. Each player is given five throws of all five dice in which to score as many points as possible. The score of each roll is determined by the total number of dots showing. Dice that land with two or five dots showing, however, score nothing. In addition, when a 2 or 5 is thrown, these dice must be set aside and not rolled again. For instance, if on the first roll a player gets 2, 3, 4, 4, and 5, he or she must eliminate the 2 and the 5 from the next throw and from then on will have only three dice to roll. The player continues through the five rolls, adding together all dice that reveal one, three, four, and six spots and setting aside the 2s and 5s. It is likely that some players will roll five 2s and/or 5s before they get through all five throws. If this happens, this player "drops dead" and is eliminated from the game. The player with the highest score wins. For a longer game, the scores for more than one round can be added together. Dumb Crambo WHERE TO PLAY Anywhere NUMBER OF PLAYERS 6 or more EQUIPMENT None OBJECT OF THE GAME To guess the word acted out by another player Dumb Crambo is a cross between Crambo and Charades. Like Crambo, a rhyme is given as a clue to the word to be guessed, and like Charades, the mystery word is acted out before an audience. The players are divided into two teams: the audience and the actors. The actors leave the room while the audience chooses a word that the actors must guess. When the actors return to the room, they are told, for instance, that they must find a word to rhyme with "fake." The actors are allowed to consult about their first guess. When ready, they begin miming an action corresponding to their guess. For example, they might pretend to be raking leaves. The audience must call, "Not rake!" The actors then choose another word. Perhaps this time they will pretend to swim, and the audience will call, "No, not lake!" Eventually, the actors will discover the word and mime the appropriate actions; in this case, perhaps, taking something out of the oven, putting candles on it and lighting them, blowing them out, and then eating: a cake. The audience and actors then exchange roles. The team that guesses the words in the fewest number of tries wins the game. Fifty Points WHERE TO PLAY Anywhere NUMBER OF PLAYERS
Buy from Amazon
Compare Prices
|
|
Home
