Very short and simple words should be called if the children are not sufficiently advanced to allow for longer or more difficult ones. Dog, Cat, Bird, will furnish just as much amusement as Prodigy, Yclept, Bask.
Intersperse the word exercises with marches and other movements, such as “Right-about-face,” to be done by a chord, or “wheel to the left,” to be done by another. Form squares and circles. Join hands, thus making a ring. Into this ring the letter A goes, the others skip around her, until she makes a motion like something commencing with A; for example, Apple, which she pretends to eat. One or more of the company guesses what word she represents, and then B enters the ring, and so on as long as the game amuses.
BLINDFOLDED PLATTER TWIRLING.
This game is similar to the old-time favorite.
All players should sit in a circle, and each number themselves in rotation.
Two of the party should be blindfolded. They are then each given a platter, and they enter the ring.
The others call, one, two, three. As soon as three is called, those inside the ring twirl the platters, and at the same moment they each shout a number which corresponds to two of the players in the circle. Should either of the bearers of the numbers catch his platter before it falls, the original twirler must try over again and continue to twirl and call until the platter is not caught.
But should the platter have fallen before the child bearing the number called has caught it, he must not only change places with the one who has twirled the platter, but also pay a forfeit.
Much amusement is derived, not only from catching the platter, but in watching the ridiculous movements of those who are blindfolded.