Games Without Music for Children

by Loïs Bates

II. GAMES FOR THE PLAYGROUND

38. THROWING THE BALL

One child holds the ball in her hand and stands at a little distance from the wall against which it is to be thrown. The other children are gathered near in a group or semi-circle. When all are ready, the children say:—

Throw the ball against the wall,
Then we'll listen for your call.

The child who is holding the ball replies:—

'One, two, three, Pollie Burton' (supposing that to be the name of the child called), and throws the ball, all the children running off except the one whose name was mentioned. If the latter is successful in catching the ball, it is returned to the girl who had it first and the game is repeated, another name being substituted. If the ball is not caught, the child who was called picks it up and runs after the other children until she manages to hit some one with it. The child who is hit picks up the ball and all return to the starting place. The lines are again repeated and the game proceeds as before.

39. LAME LASSIE

At the commencement of the game the children stand in a large ring, and the girl who is to be 'Lame lassie' stands in the centre. The children then say:—

Now Lame lassie give us chase,
Get one quick to fill your place.

They all run off, and 'Lame lassie' follows until she manages to touch some other child. Wherever the latter is touched, she must place her hand on that particular spot and run after the others until she is successful in reaching some one else. Sometimes a child will be holding its shoulder or elbow, or it may have to hold up one leg and hop on the other. This is a game which causes much fun and merriment.

40. POLLY FLINDERS

The children form a ring, joining hands, and one child sits in the middle. Those who form the ring walk round singing to the tune of 'The Keel Bow.'

Here's Polly Flinders,
She sits on the cinders,
Waits for a fairy to come and bring her news.
Stand upon your feet, dear,
Take a look around here,
Kiss the one you love best, the one you like to choose.

At the word 'stand' the child in the centre rises to her feet, and when the rhyme is ended she chooses a child to take her place in the centre and returns to the ring. All the children stand still while the choice is being made.

41. DROP, DROP, DROP

The children stand eighteen inches apart in a ring, not joining hands.

One child walks round the ring, holding a handkerchief in her hand, and repeating the words:—

One, two, three,
Come follow me,
Drop, drop, drop,
Where shall I stop?

At the word 'stop,' she drops the handkerchief near one of the children, and runs; the child picks it up and follows her as she threads her way in and out of the ring, until she is caught. Then the 'chaser' goes round the ring with the handkerchief, repeating the rhyme, and the child who was caught stands in the other one's place.

42. PUSS IN THE CORNER

This game may be played by four children, each standing at a corner, with one in the centre for 'pussy,' or it maybe played by a ring of children.

The child who is 'pussy' stands in the centre of the ring, and the others say:—

Pussy cat, pussy cat looking so spry,
Might very soon catch us, if she would but try.

Two children then beckon to each other and exchange places. (If a ring is formed, the two children should come from opposite sides of it.) As they are crossing, 'pussy' tries to catch one of them; if she succeeds, the child who is caught stands in the centre, and the old 'pussy' takes her place in the ring or corner.

43. WOLF AND SHEEP

One child is the 'wolf' and stands on one side of the playground, while the rest of the children are 'sheep,' and stand in a row on the opposite side.

Wolf: Where's your shepherd, pretty sheep?
Sheep: In his cottage, fast asleep.
Wolf: I will catch you as you run,
Sheep: If we let you, there's the fun!

The 'wolf' and 'sheep' then change sides, and in crossing the 'wolf' touches as many of the 'sheep' as she can; these all go to her side and help to catch more 'sheep' next time. The game proceeds until all the 'sheep' are caught except one, and that one is 'wolf' next time.

44. DANCING GAME

The children stand in two rows facing each other, thus:—

How to line up for the dance

The following is sung to the tune of 'Pop Goes the Weasel.'

Have you seen my monkey, Jack?
Gay old Jack, so funny!
He can climb, or nuts can crack,
Or take your money.

As the children begin to sing, 'a' and 'b' join hands and dance down to 'o,' then change hands and dance back again to []; then 'a' goes behind 'e' as shown by line 'g,' and stands at 'c,' while 'b' goes behind 'f,' following the line 'h' and stands at 'd'; 'e' and 'f' proceed in the same way, and each couple follows in turn.

45. DUCKING UNDER

The children stand in rows facing each other, each child holding the handkerchief of its opposite partner, and so helping to make a long tunnel. As they stand thus the verse is repeated:—

Ducking under is the game,
Are you ready, children, all?
Hold your handkerchiefs quite fast,
Then run under when I call,
One, two, three.

At 'three,' 'a' and 'b' run under, and stand at 'c' and 'd' respectively, extending handkerchiefs as quickly as possible, so that the next couple may be able to pass under. The couple who stood next 'a' and 'b' at the beginning follow, then the next couple, and so on until the 'tunnel' has moved round the playground.

46. WHO'LL GO A-HUNTING

The children stand behind each other in couples at one end of the playground, ready to dance off when the song begins. They start from point 'b,' and each holds his partner's hand until the other end of the playground is reached, point 'a,' then the hands are dropped; one goes to the left (following direction of arrow 'c'), the other to the right (arrow 'd'), and they meet again at the starting point 'b,' where they join hands and repeat the movement.

The following is sung to the tune of 'Weel may the Keel Row.'

Who'll go a-hunting, a-hunting, a-hunting,
Oh! who'll go a-hunting this merry, merry day?
We'll catch the sly old fox—O,
Safe in a box—O,
Then who'll go a-hunting this merry, merry day?

47. SHEEP GATHERING

Two rows of children are formed facing each other, with a long chalk line between. The children join hands.

[The first row advances to the chalk line, singing:—

Key F.

[First line recedes as second advances.

[Second line advances singing:—

[Second line retires, and first again advances singing:—

Mary Burton [or any other name] is the name,
so send her right away, away,

[Second line advances as first retires and sings:—

Johnny Smith [or any other name] will come to
fetch her, then begins the play.

The two children named then come out, and joining hands with the line between them, try to pull each other over the line. If the child from first line succeeds, then both children join that line, or vice versâ, and the game begins again.

48. HOPPING GAME

Squares are chalked on the ground, thus:—

and a stone or pebble is put at the place marked ×.

The object of the game is to pass the pebble into each square with one foot only, following the numbers in order. The child who is to begin the game stands near the pebble, while the children say:—

Here is a game for you, hippity, hop,
Into the next place you make the stone pop.

The child then sends the stone into No. 1 square (hopping on one foot), from that into Nos. 2, 3, 4 and so on. If the stone be sent outside the square into which it should go, the player is out, and another begins. The child who first gets the pebble into No. 10 square, having passed it into each of the others successively, keeping on one foot all the time, wins the game.

49. MAKING A CHAIN

The game is started by one child who catches another and says:—

I have caught you, come away,
Let us make a chain to-day.

The two then join hands and catch another, repeating the same words; then the three start off and catch another, and so on until all are caught.

The last child caught starts the game again, or the completed 'chain' may form a ring and play one of the ring games, Nos. 40, 41, 42.

50. MOTHER, MAY WE GO OUT TO PLAY?

One corner of the playground may be the 'house' in which the 'mother' sits. If the game is played by the children elsewhere, they will probably mark out the shape of the 'house' on the ground with stones or pebbles, a practice of which they are very fond. The children come to the 'house' where the 'mother' sits, and standing in front of her, ask:—

Children: Mother, may we go out and play?
Mother: Yes, good children, that you may.

The children then run away, and after a little while return to the mother; she asks:—

Mother: Where have you been?
Children: Away up the hill.
Mother: What have you seen?
Children: A house by a mill.
Mother: Who was there in it?
Children: A little, old man.
Mother: What said he to you?
Children: Catch me if you can.

The children then run off, and the 'mother' chases until she has caught one or more; these are kept prisoners in the 'house,' and the game proceeds until all are caught except one, and she is the 'mother' when the game begins again.

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