Games and Play for School Morale Part 3

SLAP JACK

The players join hands and form a circle. One is chosen to be "it" and runs on the outside. He taps another player, who quickly runs in opposite direction. The place he left remains vacant until one or the other shall have returned to it first. The unsuccessful player continues the running. The players upon meeting may exchange greetings, bow to each other or shake hands, before completing the circuit.

HAND TAG

The players form a circle facing inward. A tagger stands in the center of the circle. The players raise their hands forward, palms upward. As soon as a tagger tries to slap a hand it should be quickly lowered. The one who is tagged takes the place of the tagger.

DROP THE BEAN BAG OR HANDKERCHIEF

Players join hands and form a circle. One is chosen to be the runner and runs around the outside of the circle, dropping the bean bag or handkerchief on the floor directly behind one of the players. This player picks up the bag (or handkerchief) and tries to tag the runner before he can reach the vacant place in the circle. If he succeeds he returns to his place and the runner drops the bag (or handkerchief) behind someone else. If he fails he becomes the runner.

CHANGING SEATS

The cla.s.s is seated in full rows, each two rows playing together. One pupil having no seat stands in the aisle between the two rows.

The teacher claps her hands once and all exchange seats as rapidly as possible. The pupil in the aisle attempts to secure one of the vacant seats. If he succeeds the one left without a seat stands in the aisle.

The game is repeated as before until the teacher claps her hands twice when all take their own seats.

CAT AND RAT

The players join hands and form a circle. One is chosen "rat" and stands inside the circle. Another is the "cat" and takes her place outside. The "cat" tries to catch the "rat". The players favor the "rat" and allow him to run in and out of the circle, but try to prevent the "cat" from following him by raising and lowering their arms without bending knees. When the "rat" is caught, both join the circle and the next player to the right or left of each becomes "cat" and "rat". When there are a large number of players, two cats may be chosen.

ROUND AND ROUND WENT THE GALLANT s.h.i.+P

Players form a circle, hands joined. Stepping lightly around the circle, they recite the following verse, bobbing down quickly on the word "sank":

Round and round went our gallant s.h.i.+p, Round and round went she; Three times round went our gallant s.h.i.+p, Till she sank to the bottom of the sea.

Rhythmic.

JACK BE NIMBLE

Place a small object eight to ten inches high upright on the floor to represent a candlestick. The players run in single file and jump with both feet at once over the candlestick, while all recite:

Jack be nimble, Jack be quick.

Jack jump over the candlestick.

Each player tries to clear the candlestick without knocking it over.

Rhythmic.

HUCKLE BUCKLE, BEAN STALK

One row of players leave the room. The others hide some small object, placing it in plain sight, but where it would not be likely to be seen, as on the top of a picture frame, in a corner on the floor, behind the steam pipe, etc. It may be placed behind any other object, so long as it may be seen there without moving any object. When the object has been placed, the players are recalled, and all begin to hunt. As soon as one spies the hidden object, he goes at once to his seat saying, "Huckle buckle, bean stalk!" which indicates to the cla.s.s that he has discovered it. When all have discovered the object, another row is sent out of the room, and the pupil who found the object first, proceeds to hide it. The game continues until everyone has had a chance to locate the hidden article.

HANDKERCHIEF TAG

One player has a handkerchief, one is chaser. The players are scattered about the field. The chaser runs after the one who has the handkerchief, who, to save himself from being tagged, gives the handkerchief to another, who is chased. Should the chaser tag the one holding the handkerchief, that one becomes chaser.

ALPHABET GAME

Divide the cla.s.s into two teams. Cards about 57, containing in large type the letters of the alphabet, are pa.s.sed out to each team. The teacher flashes a word before the cla.s.s. The players, holding the letters necessary to make the word, come to the front and stand holding the cards in front of them, in correct order. The side spelling the word correctly first scores a point. Team scoring most points wins. (It is advisable to have one letter of the alphabet on one side of the card and a different letter on the other.)

RUN RABBIT RUN

Cla.s.s lines up in two groups. One group are rabbits, safe in their homes. The other group are foxes, walking about in the woods. The old mother rabbit takes her young ones out to look for food. They go softly, because they fear the old fox might see them. Suddenly the leader of the foxes cries out "Run, Rabbit, Run," at which all the rabbits try to reach their homes in safety before the foxes catch them.

All those who are caught become foxes, and help catch the remaining rabbits.

FAIRIES AND INDIANS

Let the girls be Fairies. The boys play they are Indians. The Fairies are in the woods. They run about and at last fall asleep in the woods, all but one Fairy, who keeps watch while the others sleep. The Indians, who have been hiding behind the trees, come out from their hiding places cautiously, and as they approach the sleeping Fairies, the Fairy on guard calls "Indians." At the call the Fairies rush out to catch the Indians before they get back to their wigwams. Every Indian caught becomes a Fairy.

Third Grade

AUTOMOBILE RACE

This game is to be played by the second and fifth, the first and fourth rows, or the third and sixth rows.

Place a flag on the front desk of the first row and name that row an automobile.

Place a flag on the front desk of the fourth row and name that row a different automobile.

At a given signal each child on the front seat rises, runs up one aisle and down the next and places the flag on the desk of the second child, who quickly takes the flag, runs up the aisle and down the next, placing it on the desk of the third child. When the flag reaches the child in the last seat he brings it to the teacher. The row which succeeds in getting the flag back to the teacher first is the winner.

To vary this game, name one row a steam engine, another an automobile.

Name one a bicycle, another a trolley car.

Insist that in every case the children keep their feet under the desks to prevent anyone tripping.

Community excitement.