Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium

by Jessie H. Bancroft

5 to 30 or more players.

Gymnasium; playground; out of doors.

One player, who is the leader, holds a small pebble between the palms of his hands, while the others stand grouped around him, each with his hands extended, palm to palm. The leader puts his hands between the palms of each player, ostensibly to drop therein the pebble which he holds, as in the game called "Button, button." The player who receives the pebble is chased by the others, and may only be saved by returning to the leader and giving the pebble to him. This chase may begin as soon as the players suspect who has the pebble. Each player should therefore watch intently the hands and faces of the others to detect who gets it, and immediately that he suspects one, start to chase him. It is therefore to the interest of the player who gets the pebble to conceal that fact until the attention of the group is distracted from him, when he may slip away and get a good start before he is detected. He may do this whenever he sees fit, but may not delay after the leader has passed the last pair of hands. The leader will help to conceal the fact of who has the pebble by passing his hands between those of the entire group, even though he should have dropped the pebble into the hands of one of the first players.

If the pebble holder gets back to the leader and gives him the pebble before being tagged, he continues with the group. If the pebble holder is caught before he can get back to the leader, he must pay a forfeit or change places with the leader, whichever method is decided on before the game opens.

In a crowded playground it is well to require that the chasers follow over exactly the same route as the pebble man. Under such conditions, the game is more successful if limited to ten players to a group.

This game is from the modern Greeks. It is found to bear transplanting excellently, being full of interest and sport.

PINCH-O

5 to 30 or more players.

Gymnasium; playground.

This is a game of chase, an advancing line (rank) of players turning and fleeing from an odd player in front of them when a signal is given. The players in the advancing line pass a "Pinch" (hand pressure) from one to another along the line, the end players calling out "Pinch!" and "O!" respectively at the start and finish of this performance. The "O" is the signal for the chaser to start. The chaser therefore watches the hands carefully to detect the pressure and know when it is approaching the end; the other players naturally try to conceal this passing of hand pressure, delaying or hastening it to take the chaser unaware.