Word-making.
It is surprising what a fund of amusement may be derived by the children from four or five alphabets, printed on card-board, and then cut up into, say, half-inch squares, with a single letter on each. A double supply of vowels will be found an advantage. The most simple mode of using the alphabets is for one person to pick out the letters forming some word, e. g., “nevertheless,” and then hand them, well mixed together, to another player, who endeavors to discover what word they form.
Another game is played as follows.—The players, each of whom is supplied with paper and pencil, are divided equally into two sides, and the leader having selected a word, suppose “notwithstanding,” each party sets to work to see how many different words they can make of the same letters. (Thus from the word above suggested may be made “not, with, stand, standing, gin, ton, to, wig, wit, his, twit, tan, has, had, an, nod, tow, this, sat, that, sit, sin, tin, wing, what, who, wish, win, wan, won,” and probably a host of others.) A scrutiny is then taken, all words common to both parties being struck out. The remainder are then compared, and the victory is adjudged to the one having the largest number of words.
Sometimes the division into sides is dispensed with, and each player depends on himself. Another purpose for which the alphabets in question is used is that of forming anagrams, in the composition of which they are a very great assistance, but this is hardly simple enough for children. We are inclined to doubt whether the results obtained in this game bear a fair proportion to the labor involved; though it is unquestionable that once in a way an anagram is produced that is curiously appropriate. We may instance the following:
| Telegraph, | Great help, |
| Florence Nightingale, | Flit on, cheering angel, |
| Astronomers, | Moon starers. |
A fourth Spelling Game is played by each person drawing, say twenty letters hap-hazard, and trying to form them into a sentence, the palm of merit being awarded to the player who at the same time produces the most coherent phrase, and also succeeds in using the greatest proportion of the letters assigned to him.
The “Young Folks’ Concert.”
The little players sit or stand round the room in a circle. The leader assigns to each some musical instrument, as harp, flute, violoncello, trombone, etc., and also selects one for himself. Some well-known tune is then given out, say “Yankee Doodle,” and the players all begin to play accordingly, each doing his best to imitate, both in sound and action, the instrument which has been assigned to him, the effect being generally extremely harmonious. The leader commences with his own instrument, but without any warning suddenly ceases, and begins instead to perform on the instrument assigned to one or other of the players. Such player is bound to notice the change, and forthwith to take to the instrument just abandoned by the leader, incurring a forfeit if he fails to do so.
Mary’s Little Lamb.
This is a great favorite with the young folks. When everything else has become tiresome, some one starts the first line of the verse,