CHAPTER II

SCHOOLROOM GAMES

For Intermediate Pupils

Initial Tag

A pupil who is “It” is sent to the board.  He writes thereupon the initial of some other pupil in the room.  That pupil is to try to tag “It” before he can return to his seat.  If successful, he becomes “It” and continues the game by writing some one else’s initial on the board.

Magic Music

One pupil is sent from the room.  Thereupon the remaining pupils hide some object agreed upon.  The pupil sent from the room is recalled.  The teacher or one of the pupils plays the piano loudly when the seeker approaches the hidden article and softly when some distance from it.  The seeker determines the location by the volume of the music.

Hunt the Rattler

All of the players in the room are blindfolded, except one, who is given a tin can in which is placed a loose pebble.  He is known as the “rattler.”  The blindfolded players attempt to locate and tag the rattler by the rattle.  The one successful takes the place of the rattler.

Sticker

The pupils stand in a circle in the center of which is “It” blindfolded, holding in his hand a blunt stick about 12 or 15 inches long.  Those in the circle dance around two or three times, so that the blindfolded player may not know their position.  At the command “Stand,” given by the one blindfolded, all must stand still.  Thereupon, by feeling with his stick, “It” tries to discern an individual in the ring.  “It” is forbidden to use his hands, in trying to discover who the individual is.  If he succeeds in guessing, the individual guessed must take his place.  Otherwise he proceeds to some other individual in the circle whom he tries to identify.

Name Race

The pupils of each aisle constitute a team.  A slip is handed to the one in the first seat in each row.  At the signal to go, he writes his full name thereupon and passes it immediately to the one next behind him, who writes his name and passes it on.  When the one in the last seat in the row has added his name to the slip, he rushes forward and places the slip upon the teacher’s desk.  The aisle first succeeding in accomplishing this task, wins.

Frogs in Sea

One pupil sits in tailor fashion in the center of the playing space.  The others try to tease him by approaching as closely as they dare, calling him “Frog in the sea, Can’t catch me.”  If the frog succeeds in tagging any of the other players, that player must take his place.  The frog is not allowed to change from his sitting position in his effort to tag the other players.