Old Time Games for Children

Some games for children fall out of fashion. New, modern, updated games take their place. We've found quite an assortment of old time games and activities that you just might have fun bringing back to popularity.

One pupil is designated to play the role of cat, another the mouse. The mouse can escape the cat by sitting in the seat with some other pupil. Thereupon that pupil becomes mouse. Should the cat tag a mouse before it sits in a seat, the mouse becomes cat and the cat becomes mouse, and the latter must get into a seat to avoid being tagged.

Three pupils constitute a team. Two are machinists, one the aviator. Each team is to have a piece of string about 25 feet long, free from knots. A small paper cup is placed upon each string. The machinists hold the ends of the string taut, while the aviator, at the signal to go, blows the cup along the string. The string must be held level by the machinists. The aviator first succeeding in getting his cup to the other end of the string wins for his team.

The pupils sit or stand in a circle with their hands in front of them, palms together. The one who has been selected to be "It" takes a position in the center of the circle, with his hands in a similar position. A button is held between his hands. He goes around the circle and places his hand over those of various individuals, dropping the button into the hands of one. He continues about the circle, still making the motions of dropping the button in the hands of others, so as to deceive those making up the ring. After he has taken his place in the center of the circle, those in the ring endeavor to guess into whose hands he has dropped the button, the one who guesses correctly takes the button and continues the game.

Some object is determined upon for hiding, such as a coin, a button, a thimble, etc. A pupil is sent from the room. During his absence the object is hidden. Upon his return the children buzz vigorously when he is near to the object sought and very faintly when he is some distance away. The object is located by the intensity of the buzzing.

In this game all of the pupils except one are sent from the room. The one left in the room hides a coin, or some similar object, somewhere in plain sight. It must be visible without having to move any object. When hidden, the rest of the pupils are called back and start the search. When a pupil finds the coin, after attempting to mislead the others by continuing his search in different quarters, he returns to his seat without disclosing its whereabouts. As it is found by others, the group of seekers will gradually diminish until there is but one left. When he finds it, the coin is again hidden by the one first finding it.

A certain color is determined upon. Each pupil in turn must name some object which is of that color. Failing to do this he goes to the foot of the line, provided some one beyond him can think of any object of that color. If no more objects can be thought of, a new color is selected.

One pupil is given the privilege of thinking of some object in the room, of which he discloses the color to the rest of the pupils. For example, if he sees a red apple he says, "I see red." Thereupon the other pupils endeaver to guess what red object in the room is thought of. The one succeeding, next selects the object to be guessed.

This is a good quiet game for the schoolroom. A loud ticking clock is necessary for the game. All of the pupils are sent from the room. One personr is selected to hide the clock. The others, upon coming back, try to locate it by its ticking. The one succeeding has the privilege of next hiding the clock.

Some object—a coin will do—is selected to be hidden. The children of one of the aisles leave the room, the others determine upon a hiding place and hide the coin in plain sight. Those out of the room are called back and look for the hidden object. As soon as it is found, the first one finding it goes to his seat and calls, "First." He is not to call until he is actually in his seat. The second one to find it returns to his seat and calls, "Second," and so on until it has been found by all in the aisle. If there are six aisles in the room, the occupants of the first six seats in the aisle seeking the hidden object determine which aisle leaves the room next. For illustration,—if the pupil in the second seat is the first one to find the object, then the second aisle of the room will be the one to leave the room for the next hunt. Likewise if the pupil of the third seat is the first to find the object, the third aisle will be the one which next has the privilege of enjoying the hunt. If there are more pupils in the aisle than there are aisles in the room, the pupils in the last seats do not count.

The pupils of the room are divided into two groups. One side decides upon some action it will represent, such as sawing wood, washing clothes, etc., and thereupon represents the action. The other group has five chances to guess what the first group is trying to represent. Failing to do this, they must forfeit one of their players to the second group and the same side again represents an action.

When a group presents an action to the others, the following dialogue takes place:

First Group: Here we come.
Second Group: Where from?
First Group: New Orleans.
Second Group: What's your trade?
First Group: Lemonade.
Second Group: How is it made?
The first group then represents the action.

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Don't forget to read our Counting Rhymes to pick who's "it"!

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Old Time Games for Children