Omnibus Swing.
Take a plank about eight feet long and one foot wide and cut four notches in it, two on each side, about six inches from the ends. Place the plank so that it hangs held by the two ropes, which slip into the notches in the plank, the notches keeping the ropes in place. Upon this several children can swing back and forth lengthwise, and so play at rowing, riding, trolleying, etc., as imagination dictates. If a soapbox be nailed at one end the baby may be put into this for a safe ride.
Anagrams (Tinted Bristol board, black ink or paint, heavy pen or brush)
Cut the Bristol board into 1-inch squares and let the child paint or draw upon these squares the letters of the alphabet, one letter to each square. There should be at least a dozen of each letter and many more A's, E's and S's, as these letters occur frequently in English words. Two games may be played with these letters as follows:
1. Give the child the four or five letters that compose a word and let him try to put them together in the right way as: H-s-e-r-o (Horse).
2. Several players are needed for this game. The cards must be placed upside down in a box so that the letters are not seen. Each player takes a letter in turn, the first time round, and places it in the centre of the table. At the second time round, each, as he takes a square from the box, tries to form a word with it, either by using a letter from the central pool or by taking away an opponent's word. If he takes from an opponent he must take an entire word. As he forms a word he places it before himself, the aim being to get five or ten words before any opponent does. If he can form no word he puts his letter in the pool. The number of words making the game must be agreed upon beforehand. For example: In the pool are placed in turn the letters g, b, f, t. Player I, continuing, draws from the box the letter a and with the letters in the pool can form bat, which he places in front of him, leaving g and f in the pool. Player II draws an l, and as he can form no word, he puts it in the pool. Player III draws an e and takes away the bat of No. I, turning it into beat. Player II draws an o, which with the g from the pool, he turns into go. Player I then draws again, and so the game continues until one player has, we will say, five words, the number agreed upon, and so wins.
Weighing Honey
One child crouches, clasping his hands beneath his knees tightly. Two older persons then take the handles of the honey-jar (the child's arms) and swing him back and forth, counting one, two, three, etc., with each swing until the hands give way. The number of counts tells the number of pounds in the jar.