It is to laugh

by Edna Geister

Circle Handshake.

It is good psychology to have a genuine mixer at the end of the evening as well as at the beginning. After the last game, the guests form a circle. The leader asks the one standing nearest the door to shake hands with his right-hand neighbor, and then to continue shaking hands all the way around the circle, telling each one “Good-night” until he has gone completely around, after which he drops out of the circle. At the same time however, all the others are beginning to do the same thing. He had no sooner finished shaking hands with his right-hand neighbor and gone on to the next one and then on to the next, than this same right-hand neighbor began doing the same thing, shaking the hand of his neighbor to the right, and so on around the circle. Each one does the same thing, that is, after No. 2 has passed No. 3, No. 3 starts immediately to shake hands around the circle, and as soon as he passes No. 4, No. 4 does the same thing.

In this way it is inevitable that everyone shakes hands with everyone else and bids them all “Good-night.”

CHAPTER II.
GROUP GAMES.

Games for Small Groups.

Altruism.

Each one is asked to write out a stunt that any ordinary person could do. These stunts are collected, mixed up and then passed around, although nothing has been said about this having been planned! Each person is then requested to do the stunt written out on the slip of paper given him, whether he can or not!

Cruelty.

In this game each one is asked to write out a stunt that he would hate to have to do himself. When these stunts are all written out, an announcement is made to the effect that, in turn, they will all please perform the stunts they so kindly thought of.

Noise.

Each guest is asked to choose the part of some very well-known barnyard animal. The leader is to read a story she has written which is all about barnyard animals and which makes frequent mention of all of them. As she mentions each different animal, the noise it makes is to be imitated by the one who chose that particular animal. But whenever she speaks of the donkey everyone in the room is to imitate the donkey to the best of his ability and at the top of his lungs!

The Toyshop.

The entire group is supposed to have been on a shopping expedition on which toys only were purchased. They are not to tell what they bought but when called on, each one is to imitate the sound and action of her toy, and is to continue doing so until the name of the toy is guessed.

Smile!

Guests are either sitting or standing in two lines facing each other. The hostess, who holds a boy’s cap in her hand, tells one side that the inside of the cap is the signal for them to act, and the other side that the top of the cap is their signal. She stands between the rows and throws the cap up into the air. If it lands on the floor bottom side up, the side which has the inside of the cap for a signal must immediately go into roars of laughter, or they may giggle, simper, tee-hee, or show mirth in any way in their efforts to make the other side smile even the least little bit. Anyone who does smile at all goes over to the side of the enemy in disgrace.

The hostess acts as timekeeper and after a few seconds she throws the cap into the air again, and if it lands right side up the other group becomes hilarious and puts forth every effort to gain new members. After about three minutes of this, the hostess announces that each side will have one more turn (she manages to throw the cap so that will happen), that a count will be taken at the end of that time, and that the side which gained the most new members gets almost all of the refreshments, and the other side almost none of them!

And I.

Choose three people who are quickwitted. The first of the three goes around the circle quietly giving everyone a name; the second, an action; and the last one a place. When each guest has been told a name, an action, and a place, the hostess begins the fairy tale by making a sentence of the three things told her, adding however “and I” to the name given her. For example, she has been given the following. “Grandmother,” “Cracking the whip,” “Baptist Church.” Her sentence would be “Grandmother and I were cracking the whip in the Baptist Church!” The one to her right then takes up the tale. Her assignment was: “Hired man,” “Getting a permanent wave,” “In the shade of the old apple tree.” Her sentence is, “The hired man and I were getting a permanent wave in the shade of the old apple tree.”

So it continues around the circle, and a weirder set of experiences never occurred!

Impromptu Artists.

Pass around pencils and paper. Assign a “model” to each artist, in every case having model and artist across from each other if possible. This arrangement makes every guest both an artist and a model. At a signal they begin their artistry and are given three minutes in which to draw portraits of the models assigned. All artists must put their names on their pictures, but models’ names are omitted. The pictures are collected at the end of three minutes, are shuffled and again passed around.

Each guest must decide who he thinks was the model for the picture he holds. He writes that person’s name on the picture and when all have done that, the pictures are given to the suspected models. Violence has been committed with less cause! Occasionally someone picks a wrong model! That is why, at a signal from the hostess each one in turn turns over his picture and reads aloud the name of the artist as well as the name written on the portrait, and the artist is compelled to tell who his model was, regardless of what the picture looks like.

That is a good time to break up the party!

Excuse Me!

A question is put to the group as a whole: “Why weren’t you at the meeting last night?” In two minutes each one is to be ready to give his excuse, and the only requirement is that the excuse is to be put in terms of one’s own initials, and to be preceded by “Because I was——”

For example, one guest’s initials are “C. F. B.” When asked why she wasn’t at the meeting last night she glibly replied, “Because I was curling Father’s beard!”

Invitations.

Guests are standing about informally. The topic of conversation is, “Why I want you to come to call!” Each girl is asked to choose a man whom she will invite to call on her. Sue Lawson chooses Ned Parsons, and she is to urge him to accept her invitation to call but she will have to give him a mighty good reason for wanting him. He is to accept and is to tell her why he is so glad to come. In both cases one’s partner’s initials are of importance, for the reason one gives is to be based on them. Miss Lawson tells Mr. Parsons that he just must come to call because he “needs protection,” and he tells her that he will be glad to because she is “so lovely!”

Three minutes are given for invitations and their acceptances at the end of which time the leader starts calling for a report. “Ted Frazer, who invited you to call?”

“Gertrude Field. She said she wanted me to call because I was ‘turrible funny,’” whereupon the leader calls upon Gertrude Field to ask why Mr. Frazer wanted to accept her invitation. She replies, “To get a ‘good feed’!”

Elastic Spelling.

Let the host start spelling a word by giving the first letter. For example, he may have in mind the word “kitchen.” He says “K,” and the one to his left who is to give the next letter is thinking of “kill” so he says “I,” while the next one who is thinking of “kimono” says “M,” each one trying not to give a letter that will complete a word. The penalty for completing a word is to become a third of a goat. At the second offence the penalty is to become two-thirds of a goat, and at the third, a whole goat. A whole goat is compelled to “Baa, baa” at his turn instead of giving a letter. There are always more “Baa-ers” than one would anticipate, for even though you had in mind the word “kidnap,” when at your turn you added the letter “d” to “k—i—,” k—i—d spells kid, at least in the English language, so you go on record as part of a goat.

There is always somebody who will take a chance and give “any old letter,” just so he won’t finish a word. Each player has the privilege of challenging three separate times. When challenged, a player is obliged to tell the word he had in mind, which sometimes he had not! A player cannot be challenged after the next player has given his letter.

It is not only the English language that is stretched in this indoor pastime. Minds and imaginations stretch to the bursting point in a way that gives one a new respect for one’s capacity for laughter.

Twentieth Century Blind Man’s Buff.

Instead of just one being blindfolded, all but one are blinded, and it is the business of the game to catch this lucky one. He is not as lucky as it might appear, however. He has a little bell hanging around his neck on a cord, and to say the least, it advertises his whereabouts. He cannot leave the room, must keep moving, and cannot silence the bell in any way. At that, in the average room he can elude his pursuers for a few minutes at least, if he is nimble at all, for you know how utterly helpless one is when blindfolded (and how very graceful!).

As soon as the bell man is caught he is blindfolded and the one who caught him is “it.” The game is a hilarious success for about four or five minutes, but do not let it run on any longer than that or people will be getting uncomfortable and taking off their blindfolders and “Just watching this time, thank you!”

Are you wondering how in the world you could ever get enough large size handkerchiefs to blindfold a whole party? Don’t wonder. Instead, make blindfolders out of strips of gauze long enough to go around one’s head. Just about where the eyes would come put pads of absorbent cotton, using adhesive tape to hold them in place. These blindfolders are very inexpensive and far more hygienic than the usual handkerchief, and it isn’t half as easy to peek through them either!

Employment Bureau.

Guests are divided into two equal groups lined up against opposite walls of the room. One side is designated as the first to ask for employment. They go into secret session to decide on some trade. When ready, they advance to the middle of the room where the other group is standing in a line waiting for them. The first group says, “We want a job.” The others ask, “What can you do?” Then the first group begins to act out its trade in pantomime. For example, they have decided to be veterinarians. Some act as horses and cows while the others act as the doctors who examine their teeth, their tongues, look at their heels, make them run, etc., etc. As soon as their opponents call out “Veterinarians!” they break and run for their side of the room. Any of them who are tagged before they reach the wall go to the ranks of the enemy.

The other side then has its turn, and after about ten minutes of this, announce that the next act will be the last, and that a count will be taken to see which side lost and which won the most members. The winners get a double share of refreshments!

Automobile.

All of the guests but one are given chairs, and they are seated informally about the room. The one who has no chair is the assembler. To every other player is given the name of some part of an automobile, a list of which names has been prepared beforehand to avoid the uninteresting delay that is inevitable when a hostess has to stop to think of names to assign people. For example, there are the radiator, the clutch, the steering wheel, gears, speedometer, tonneau, brakes, all the different parts of an automobile which are easy enough to think of when one is at leisure and can sit down with pencil and paper and work out such a list, but a slightly different proposition when one is before a group of guests who are waiting.

That list is given to the assembler and he begins his story of a trip to the country one Sunday, a trip which was a series of mishaps. He tells how he prepared for the trip, bringing in the names of the various parts, and as he calls out the various parts they “assemble” in a line directly in back of him, with hands on the shoulders of the one in front of them. The story goes on, all about the accidents and hard luck of the day, how he stripped his gears, etc., etc., until all of the parts are assembled in line behind the assembler, when the automobile starts running around the room, at first slowly, but getting faster and faster until all of a sudden the leader stops abruptly, calls out “Honk! honk!”—at which time it is the immediate business of life to break ranks and get a chair. There is a mad scramble for chairs, successful for all but one.

This unfortunate is the assembler for the next time. Everyone is given a different part and the game goes on as before. At the end every effort is made to make this assembler, who was too slow to get a chair the first time, just as unsuccessful this time. At any rate, the one who doesn’t get a chair is the assembler for the next and last run, and if it has been possible to keep some person from getting a chair two successive times he is obliged to pay the corner forfeit, which compels him to cry in one corner, laugh in the next, dance in the next, and sing Home Sweet Home in the last.

Be Definite!

The hostess calls out the following words and expressions, assigning one to every guest in turn, and immediately each one must give his definition of the word or expression given him. The fun in this venture (and the fun may be endless!) lies in the word given out. For example, “Goatee.” Everybody knows what a goatee is, but mighty few can give an intelligent definition of it. Almost invariably the answer will be “Oh, you know. Something that—something that—well, you know—” and then will come the downward stroking of the chin! But no pantomiming is allowed, although you have said nothing about it. Anyone who pantomimes is punished by being given an extra word, the second, much harder than the first. The following may be included:

1. Goatee.

2. A feeble effort.

3. A puff of wind.

4. A good impression.

5. An accordion.

6. A spiral staircase.

7. A deep sigh.

8. A mere whim.

Help!

Get a piece of cardboard about the size of the back of a tablet. Tell the one at your right that he is to take that cardboard exactly as you give it to him and in exactly the same place, and that he will then give it to his neighbor in the same way. Put the short side between your nose and lip, holding it there until your neighbor takes it from you, not with his hands, but between his nose and lip. Even the handsomest person in the room is a caricature when he screws down his nose and stretches up his lip in his efforts to hold the cardboard there until his pugnosed neighbor can overcome his unholy laughter long enough to get his features in the right shape to take it.

It is a good plan to start three or four cards at different places in the circle.

Human Adjectives.

Divide the group into two equal sides. A leader is chosen for each group.

Each side is to decide upon some noun that has just as many letters in it as the team has members. Every member is assigned a letter. He is to decide on some adjective beginning with that letter, and he will “act out” that adjective for the edification of the members of the other team who are acting as audience for the time being. It is the business of the audience to guess what adjective is being dramatized. As soon as they hit upon the right adjective, they take its first letter as the first letter in the noun the team is dramatizing. Then the next human adjective takes his turn and so on until all the letters of the noun have been dramatized.

As an illustration, a team takes the noun “stone.” There are five members in the group and five letters in the word. The first actor has “s” for his letter. He chooses “silly” for his adjective, and he acts as silly as he possibly can and continues to do so until someone in the audience calls out the correct guess, “You’re acting silly!” The audience has the first letter to the word, “s.” Next comes “t.” The adjective chosen was “tired.” Then “o”—ornery; next “n”—noisy; and last “e”—empty. Taking the first letters of these adjectives in turn, the audience has the word “stone.”

Then the opposing team acts out adjectives describing the first letters of its noun, and so they take turn about, and if real snap and enthusiasm are put into the acting out of the adjectives this can be the game of the evening as far as genuine and sideach-y fun is concerned. Can’t you just see the minister of the Baptist Church acting “ornery,” pushing people about, twitching Beacon Jones’ nose, pulling Susie’s hair and in general, making himself an unmitigated nuisance and showing up a truly ornery disposition?

It is surprising always to find how many people enjoy acting ornery, and noisy, and silly, and all the other forbidden adjectives!

Parlor Slapjack.

Guests are standing in a circle, hands outstretched behind them. The one who is “It” walks around the outside of the circle, suddenly slaps an outstretched hand and, without stopping an instant, continues to walk around the circle in the direction he was going. The one whose hand was slapped immediately starts walking in the opposite direction, the objective for both walkers being the place that was just vacated. It belongs to the one who reaches it first, while the other becomes “It.” They are to walk only. No running is allowed.

But—certain rites must be performed before either one may take the place in the circle. “It” and the one whose hand was slapped are bound to meet on their way round the circle. When they do, “It” does whatever he wishes in the way of a stunt, and the other must imitate exactly before they may continue their race for the empty place. The following stunts are very good because of their esthetic value:

1. Make a deep bow.

2. Shake hands.

3. Sing up the scale.

4. Make an awful face.

5. Hop the rest of the way with one foot.

6. Run with hands waving in a flying motion.

Boast!

All guests are seated and are roughly divided into two groups. A representative is chosen from each side. Each one is to proclaim the merits of the members of his group. The only drawback is that they are to do it at the same time. Impartial judges are chosen, and they are to base their judgment on delivery, continuity of thought, and last, but most important, on truth! The speakers face the audience, and at a signal, start to speak at the same time, each one trying his best to drown out the other.

It goes without saying that it is a comparatively simple matter to speak intelligently and logically, and at the same time to speak as loudly as you can, especially when a rival is doing all these things at the same time.

A Mixup.

Two slips of paper are given each one, together with the request that a perfectly good question be written on one, and a perfectly good answer to it on the other. All questions and answers are gathered, the questions in one box and the answers in another. They are thoroughly mixed and then passed around, each one taking both a question and an answer. They are called on in turn to read their slips, and some of them are slips to be sure! At one party one of the men drew, “What did you do last Saturday?” and the answer was, “A permanent wave, a henna rinse, and a facial!”

Flattery.

Each guest writes his initials on the top of a piece of paper. These papers are collected, mixed up, and then passed around again. Players are to use the initials on their slips in writing out the most unctuous words of flattery they can think of about the owner of the initials, every word they use, however, having to start with the initials on the paper. The results are startling!

The papers are again collected and at refreshment time are passed out to their rightful owners to be read aloud.

Amateur Vaudeville.

The names of very well-known popular songs are written out on separate slips of paper. One of these slips is pinned on each guest as he comes in. Instead of greeting each other as usual, they are to shake hands with everyone and without saying a word in greeting, are to sing the song with which they are labelled. Anyone who is caught talking instead of singing his song is required to sing it alone before the group.

May the leader have mercy on her guests and not keep up this gentle game of greeting for more than four or five minutes!

Progressive Nonsense.

Tables are arranged as for any progressive game, the winning two advancing to the next table. Guests are in couples, two couples to a table. At table No. 1 the ladies are to compete in doing a sum in arithmetic, while the men’s contest centers around three buttons which are to be sewed on a piece of cloth.

At table No. 2 the ladies darn a sock with their left hands, while the men compete in paring one large potato apiece.

At table No. 3 the men write out a recipe for mince pie, while the ladies write a fifty-word essay on politics, which they must read aloud to the judges.

At table No. 4 the ladies tie their partners ties, the hostess acting as judge, while the men darn socks.

Further competitions may center about the following events:

For the Ladies.

1. Write a four-line limerick.

2. Write out your version of baseball and read it aloud.

3. Drive ten nails in a board.

For the Men.

1. Make a complete menu.

2. Embroider a very simple design on a doily.

3. Trim a hat and wear it the rest of the evening.

Almost any of these events may serve as separate contests, rather than as events in a progressive game.

Trades.

Each one chooses a trade for himself, the action of which he is to pantomime when the person who has been sent out of the room is called back in. This person is to guess what trades are being represented, and the first one whose trade she guesses correctly is the one to go out the next time.

At the entrance of this one, who has been outside the room, all begin pantomiming their trades at the same time. No one is to tell anyone else what trade he has chosen so that the same trade can be used over and over until it is guessed.

Transitions.

A very good quiet game for small groups is one in which transitions between words are made. For example, let the word “ship” be the starting word. From ship we wish to evolve the word “boat,” changing only one letter at a time. The transition might be as follows: Ship, shop, shot, soot, boot, boat.

Other very simple ones are the transitions between man and boy, boot and shoe, bed and cot, hog and pig, fun and joy, dry and wet.

Initials.

Each guest is given a sheet of paper and a pencil. He is to answer the questions written out on the paper, using only such words in his answers as begin with his initials. After about five minutes the papers are collected, mixed up and passed around again, and each one in turn is to read the paper he holds.

The questions run as follows:

1. What is your name?

2. Your occupation?

3. Your favorite pastime?

4. Your favorite food?

5. Your favorite color?

6. The thing you most abhor?

7. Your best feature?

8. Your one pride?

9. Your one embarrassment?

10. What do you long to be?

Typical answers are:

1. Charles Berner.

2. Combing beaches.

3. Caddying blithely.

4. Corn bisque.

5. Corn blue.

6. Cootie bites.

7. Cute bones.

8. Cunning baby.

9. Cracked bridge.

10. Colossal boob.

Stunts.

The group is divided into two sides. Both sides take a few minutes to see what resources they have in the way of stunts. They then throw up a coin to see which side is to perform first. The side which wins, that is, does not have to perform until the other side has given its stunt, starts to count slowly, “1, 2, 3, 4, 5,” and so on up to ten. If some member of the other side has not started to give a stunt by the time they count to ten, one point is gained by the counting side. If someone has started to perform however, they are to stop counting the minute the stunt begins.

Then their turn to put on a stunt comes, and the other side starts to count to ten. If they fail to have a stunt ready before “ten,” they lose a point to the other side.

There is always an intermission of one minute after a stunt has been completed, to give the opposite side that long to get a stunt ready. The stunts may include any possible kind of entertainment, from doing an esthetic dance to “speaking a piece” or a funny story. After ten minutes of this, the side that has the most points gets the most refreshments.

Games for Large Groups.

The Changeable Grand March.

There is nothing more valuable than the Grand March for a group of guests who don’t know each other and who have very little in common (as yet!). Just the ordinary Grand March will not do at all. It must be a grand Grand March, one which will thaw out every particle of ice, one which will cause the kind of laughter that creates that wonderful feeling of fellowship and friendliness. With that feeling once created you have nothing to fear for the success of your evening.

Guests are lined up in two lines, men in one, ladies in the other. There is something so blessedly impersonal about the Grand March in which no one, however bashful and embarrassed, is an individual but rather just a part of a long line, that you can almost invariably get every person present to “step into line.” Don’t make the mistake then of asking them to take partners. Rather, have the men march to the right and girls to the left, meet at the back of the room and come marching up the middle of the room with partners. That saves endless embarrassment and confusion.

The fun is on! Ladies take their partner’s arm, and the leading couple starts the line of march around the room. They are to start it with a walk, but suddenly the whistle will blow, and without stopping, they are to change their method of locomotion to the one called out by the leader. For example, they are walking along quietly and peacefully when the leader’s whistle blows and she calls out “Hippity-hop,” and they all hippity-hop. Next comes the order, “Fly like birds!” and away they all go, waving their arms like birds flying, and running on tiptoe. Then reverse and walk; walk forward on tiptoes.

Other directions may include orders to walk with eyes shut; reverse and limp every other step; walk and clap hands; stoop every other step; toe out; on heels; on one foot; get a new partner any place; walk and sing any song that no one else is singing; toe in; walk backwards taking large steps; forward and hum; whirl arms in circles; swim; keep feet together and hop like a toad; flap arms to the side and crow like a rooster; bend forward and swing heads from side to side; clap hands, first over head, and then behind back; whistle whether you can or not, and so on, changing the directions quickly and unexpectedly and in a good-natured way demanding immediate and accurate response. You’ll never get it.

It is not wise to continue this for longer than three or four minutes, or to give more than eight or nine changes. Your group will agree with you that that will be quite enough!

The Treasure Hunt Grand March.

Hide peanuts or small favors or covered candies in every conceivable spot. Guests are lined up with partners as if for a Grand March. The line of march is around the room without coming up the middle. When the music begins leaders start marching. Suddenly the director’s whistle sounds as the signal that the hunt is on. They break ranks and scramble to find the hidden peanuts. Two whistles sound sharply, the signal to discontinue the search at once, find your partner and get into the line of march, which is straggly and uneven at best, but it makes no difference as long as everyone is in it and no one is hunting peanuts. The music and marching continue until another single whistle proclaims an open season for peanuts, the last one.

At the double whistle they continue their marching as before except that the leaders bring the line down the center, and all halt while the director finds out who didn’t get any peanuts and who got the most.

The winner is called out, stationed in front of the line, and they are all obliged to pass by him and give him all their peanuts. They do this with weeping and wailing until they hear your announcement at the end that as a punishment for his greediness he in turn is to give up all his peanuts to the unfortunates who didn’t get any!

The Harmonious Hunt.

Are you looking for the kind of game that leaves guests exhausted with that comfortable exhaustion that comes from helpless laughter?

Divide your group into teams, each team having a captain and an individual team call. Calls may be braying like a donkey; mooing like a cow; cock-a-doodle-doo-ing; whistling; cat-calling; meowing; barking; quacking; baa-ing; gobble-gobbling; or imitating sounds of instruments like the drum, rubba-dubb-dubb; the piccolo, tweedle-deedle-dee; the trombone, boom-boom-boom; the triangle, knick-knock-knock; the mandolin, plank-plank-plank; the cymbal, zum-zum-zum; the accordion, yea-yea-yea, in each case pantomiming the action as well as imitating the sound. The action for the accordion inflicts real punishment on its imitators. Arms are bent upward and elbows are thrust out sideways and drawn in rapidly. This is particularly good for stout people.

Each team is assigned one of these calls and must use only that way of calling to the team captain. Peanuts or candy or favors are hidden in every conceivable spot. When the signal is given the hunt is on. No one, however, except a captain, is allowed to touch a peanut. That is the reason for the call. As soon as a person finds a peanut he stands beside it and sends out an S. O. S. for his captain, using his team call as the signal for help. The captain answers each call by running to the spot and picking up the peanut. After a definite length of time the closing signal is given and the hunt is over. Each captain counts his find, and the losing teams must give up all their peanuts to be divided equally among the winners in spite of inevitable protests.

This game may be used for either indoor or out-of-door parties.

The Inverted Spell-Down.

The formation for this game is two lines facing, partners side by side, twenty-six in each line. Two sets of alphabet letters, one set red and the other black, are given out, one to each line. In playing this with a small group where there are not enough guests to have twenty-six in each line, two or even three letters may be given to one person, those holding “unpopular” consonants like X. Y. Z. Q., etc., being given the extra letters. The leader calls out words, necessarily easy ones, and those from each group holding the letters making up that word must run to the appointed place and form the word, each one holding his letter high and facing the judges. The only rule to be observed in the spelling is that each word be spelled backwards. For example, kitty is not spelt k-i-t-t-y, but y-t-t-i-k! If a letter is used twice in a word the one holding that letter must go first to one place and then to the other. For example, in excel, e takes his place before x and then runs over to the place between c and l. In case of a double letter the letter is simply jiggled back and forth.

The place to stand in spelling a word should be chosen with the audience in mind. If the two lines are standing lengthwise in the room those forming a word should be at one end of the room and the judges and any audience at the other. In that way everyone can see. Those holding red letters when forming their words stand close to the red side, while those holding black letters stand close to the black. In this way one avoids having one color standing in front of the other.

The judges decide which side forms the word first and the score is kept and announced before each new word.

The time limit is left to the leader who tries within a reasonable time to run up a tie score, when, of course, interest is at its highest point. Then the announcement that the next point is the deciding one naturally creates a real tension which is hardly relieved when the leader calls out something like Mississippi or Pennsylvania for the last word!

Street and Alley.

Use a march to get your guests into lines, eight abreast, with enough room between the lines for passing. Lines must be straight. At a whistle from the leader each one is to make a quick quarter turn to the right, immediately joining hands with his new neighbors. Another whistle means another quarter turn to the right again joining hands with neighbors at once. Each whistle calls for a turn to the right and a joining of hands with one’s new neighbors. It is a good plan to let them practice the response to the whistle before the game itself begins.

When ready to begin, the lines face the front of the room. A policeman and a thief are chosen, a man for the policeman and a woman for the thief. The thief is given a very short start, and at a signal the policeman starts after her, chasing her in and out of the passageways or “streets” made by the lines of guests. Suddenly the whistle blows. Everyone takes a quick turn to the right, and new passageways or “alleys” are formed, with the policeman still doing his best to catch the elusive thief. Neither policeman or thief is allowed to break through a line or dodge under it.

The leader watches the chase very closely and blows his whistle at very short intervals, changing streets to alleys and alleys to streets, in some cases to help the thief escape and in others to help the policeman catch her. A good part of the fun of the game depends on the leader’s blowing her whistle at critical moments. When a thief is caught, the leader, who had already in her mind chosen a new policeman and thief, names these victims and they change places with the first policeman and thief.

Men almost always run faster than women, so it is a good plan to choose stout policemen and lively thieves.

Games for Either Large or Small Groups.

Musical Ruth and Jacob.

This is particularly for a group of guests who could in no sense be called musical. The guests are standing in a circle with a man and a girl in the center. If the group is large, have them crowd in to make the circle space smaller so that it will not make Jacob’s work too difficult. The game is played like the old-fashioned “Ruth and Jacob,” both of them being blindfolded, it being the task of Jacob to catch Ruth. Instead of calling “Ruth,” however, Jacob sings up the scale, whether he can or not, and Ruth answers by singing down the scale, both of them using “Loo” instead of do-re-mi.

The game is infinitely more ridiculous if neither one can sing, and if the leader has created the right atmosphere, even though a man protests, “I just can’t sing,” he will usually finish up by making a noble effort to do it anyhow!

When Jacob catches Ruth, the leader, who has in the meantime been looking over the circle, immediately announces the next two victims and almost invariably public opinion will be with her to such an extent that they step forth, willy-nilly.

Mimic.

If there are more than fifteen or twenty guests, choose about six men and six girls to form the circle. Even “Mimic” becomes monotonous in a large circle. Those forming the circle are seated, men beside their partners, the leader taking the part of one of the girls. She begins the action by doing something to the man at her right who in turn must mimic her action exactly to the girl to his right, and so the action goes all around the circle till it comes back to the leader who starts a new one. This may continue for about four or five rounds, and can be made the best game of the evening if the leader has planned sufficiently diabolical actions. For example, her first might be to do a funny step in front of him, at the time tra-la-la-la-ing in a high key. Her right-hand neighbor must imitate her to the very best of his ability. Her next action might be to sing up the scale to the highest note she can reach; next, she might cry as realistically as possible; and then laugh as musically as she can!

Shun the Circle.

Guests form a large circle, the men on the right side of their partners, all of them faced for marching. Four or more circles about four feet in diameter have been roughly drawn in chalk on the floor. The distance between them depends on the size of the circle formed by the group. When the music starts, everyone begins to march around in circle formation with the one rule that everyone must walk straight across each of the small circles described on the floor. Suddenly the leader’s whistle blows, the music stops, all movement halts, and anyone caught in any of the small circles is discarded. If the leader has a watchful eye she can blow the whistle at a bad time and make it mighty uncomfortable for some couple, just poised, to take the first step into one of the circles, or another couple just on the outer edge of the danger zone. The precarious balancing in either case is choice!

This continues at the leader’s discretion. Almost never is it advisable to carry it through till the last couple is caught.

Friendliness.

Men are in one line, girls in another. It is the object of the girls to be so friendly that the men, who are perfect glooms, cannot help smiling. The girls may laugh or giggle or smirk or make faces in their efforts to break the gloom that seems to be holding the men. Any man who forgets his manliness to the extent of smiling, even the least little bit, goes over to the side of the ladies. At the end of the three-minute time limit, all the men whose gloom has not been broken and who confidently wait for the prize they think forthcoming, are fined ten cents for being killjoys.

Another friendly effort is the revised version of the popular song “Smiles.” At first it is sung correctly, but the next time the word “smile” is omitted, and in its place, each singer smiles his sweetest possible smile at his neighbor. It is painful!

A Chinese Spell-Down.

The idea is like that of a regular spelling-match with two sides competing, except that words must be spelled backwards. The time given each person to reverse his spelling and think the word backwards is decidedly limited, according to the leader, who makes a pretense of timing each one. Instead of discarding those whose tongues and brains could not reverse, a score is kept of each error, and the score announced as each new word is given out. This will create a healthy competition, and if the leader will hint that the winning side will be favored at refreshment time such a hint usually acts as a powerful mental stimulant.

The time limit is left to the leader who tries within a reasonable time to run up a tie score, when, of course, interest is at its highest point. Then the announcement that the next point is the deciding one naturally creates a real tension which is hardly relieved when the leader announces the word “Hippopotamus!”

Dodge!

All guests are in a circle. Count off by twos. All No. 1’s go into the center of the circle. Three or more beanbags are passed out to No. 2’s who form the circle. At a signal they start to toss the bags at the ones who are in the center, no one being allowed to leave his place to get a better aim. It is the big business of life for those in the center to avoid the beanbags tossed at them, for anyone who is hit must get out of the center and take his former place in the circle. If a beanbag is caught it does not count as a hit.

When all No. 1’s have been hit, No. 2’s go into the center and take their turn acting as targets, while No. 1’s aim at them with the beanbags. When they have all been driven out of the circle, the last No. 1 and the last No. 2 to be hit by a beanbag go into the center and become targets. The one who stays in the longest without getting hit gets a prize, a bean.

Extry!

Ask your guests to line up in two lines, men in one and girls in the other, to march down opposite sides of the room to the back, meet their partners there and come marching up the center. As they pass the leader and her assistant, each one is handed a newspaper and a small strip of pins, after which they are to march to the back of the room. When everyone has been supplied with newspapers and pins the leader announces that partners will help each other make costumes out of the papers, and that the only requirement is that all costumes must definitely represent some character of history, or fiction, or popular interest, or be patterned after the mode of dress in some country.

Sounds impossible? You will find that there will be at least fifteen Hawaiians, eight Santa Clauses, nine babies, five Mary Pickfords with newspapery curly hair, seven Topsys and eleven Charlie Chaplins! Several pairs of scissors are available, and the hats from the cloakroom may be used. A period of twenty minutes is given for dress-making, which means working at top speed. At the end of that time there is a Grand March past the judges, and after everyone has passed the reviewing stand, the line is halted at the back of the room. Then the first couple is announced by the leader, “Punch and Judy,” and they walk slowly up the room past the judges. The second couple is then announced, as is each couple, with not too great an interval between couples so that monotony may be avoided. Prizes are given the most hideous, the most beautiful, the best made and the poorest made costumes, judges being careful to choose the costume made by some well-known, good-natured person for this last prize. The prizes, which are presented with much ceremony, range from a paper of pins to a week-old newspaper.

The Hunting Ground.

If tables the size of an ordinary kitchen table are procurable, and are placed end to end, they make an admirable hunting ground. However, chairs can be used if they are arranged so that they cover about the same space that the tables would, the seats turned in. A man and a girl are placed at diagonally opposite corners of this territory, both are blindfolded, and at a signal must begin to go around this unknown country, their only guide being the table on which they must keep their hands. It is the business of the man to catch the girl, whose aim in life, however, is to frustrate his plans. As both are holding on to the edges of the tables, feeling their way around it, and both are moving as quietly as possible in order to hear any movement of the other, it is inevitable that the girl in her stealthy efforts to evade her pursuer will eventually walk straight into his groping hands! When she is caught another man and a girl are chosen, with perhaps one more couple to follow them. If the audience is given strict orders to keep absolutely quiet and to refrain from all laughter, it makes for a ridiculous situation!

Laughter!

Does it seem stupid to exact forfeits of people who were unfortunate in a game that demanded skill or speed or ingenuity? That all depends on the forfeit. Four or five men, who are the left-overs in a game which provides the chance to get a partner, can be made to pay a forfeit that is a real one! These left-overs are lined up in a row facing all the other guests. They are told that they are to be given a chance to vindicate themselves in a try-out of a particular talent. The first test is as to the musical quality of each one’s laugh. Each in turn laughs for the audience in as musical a tone as he can muster up. The audience votes for the best. Next, each in turn must laugh as long as he can without taking a breath. The next test is for shrillness; the next for the heartiest laugh, and the last for the most contagious laugh!

The Quizz.

Some five or six people are chosen for the class which is to be quizzed. The teacher has her back to the guests, and her class faces them. She has prepared a list of questions which she puts to different members of her class, pointing to one of them at a time. All other guests are to act as judges, and as a question is answered they call out either “Right” or “Wrong.” The faction that shouts the loudest gets a verdict. A scorekeeper keeps a bogus score of points made by each member of the class, and at the end the prize is given to the one who made the poorest showing, although all through the quizz much ado is made about how close the score is between different members of the class.

The questions in the quizz can be on any subject under the sun, and the more impossible the better, for every member of the class must give some answer to the question put to him. “I don’t know” is not allowed under any circumstances. The following set of questions is typical:

1. Where do we get kerosene?

2. Who is the best looking man (or woman) present?

3. What man in this room is a model husband?

4. Who wrote Gray’s Elegy?

Hear! Hear!

This may be used as a penalty, but it is always wise to choose your victim with care. This victim is asked to stand before the other guests and then told to make a speech on some subject in which you are sure both he and the audience are very much interested. But—he is to take the opposition. For example, if he is a staunch Republican and most of the guests are Republican in sympathy ask him to say the harshest things he can think of about the Republican party. Or if he happens to be the Baptist minister, ask him to denounce the church; or if he is a man who is constantly boring his friends with tales of the wondrous deeds of his children, ask him to speak on “The Despair of My Life, My Children.”

The speaker is to pause after each statement, and everyone present must applaud loudly and call out “Hear! hear!” Anyone who neglects this little ceremony is in danger. The leader acts as monitor and announces that anyone whose applause is found to be unsatisfactory is liable to be the next one to be asked to make a speech. Here again the leader uses her judgment and cuts off the speaker just at the right time, calling for anyone she chooses as the next speaker, disregarding his assurance that he clapped hard!

With some groups it is mighty successful to use more personal subjects. For example, at a Methodist church party a man might be asked to speak on “Why the Baptist women are so much better looking than our Methodist women,” and the unfortunate Methodist ladies who would like to tar and feather him must clap their hands loudly and call out “Hear! hear!” In spite of their wrath, most of them remember to applaud, but Miss Brownleigh in the front row is laughing so hard, and is so busy shaking her fist at the speaker that she forgets all about her obligations and up on the platform she goes as the next speaker!

Scramble.

Ask everyone to bring his chair nearer to the center, to make a circle. Remove four or five chairs, the number depending on the size of the group, asking their previous tenants to come to the center of the circle. When the march time music begins, everyone must get up and start marching around to the right, those who are without chairs joining the line of march, no one touching a chair till the leader’s whistle blows and the music stops. Then it is up to everyone to get a chair or go into the middle of the circle. This is continued for four or five rounds.

Then the leader asks them to hippity-hop instead of march, at the leader’s whistle scrambling for a chair as usual. After three or four rounds of hippity-hopping they are to walk backwards instead, and for the last few rounds, they are to hop on one foot, and woe be unto those who are left in the middle at the end! Warn them of this, promising dire punishment, just before the last round, and you will have the funniest situation of the evening.

CHAPTER III.
RACES.

While big group games, which take in everyone, are splendid in promoting sociability and group spirit, nevertheless it is unwise to keep guests going at too strenuous a pace. The first result is a dropping out of participants and the next a growing lack of interest, which finally develops into an irritability that plays havoc with any spirit of play. On the other hand, it is almost as bad to ask guests to “just sit” and rest, thereby letting all the interest a leader has awakened die an early and natural death. Instead, it has proved very effective to have races, contests, stunts and trick games at this time, events that will keep up interest, but which will need only a few participants. The following chapter on “Races” was written for that purpose, to provide those very necessary fill-ins.