School, Church, and Home Games. George Orrin Draper
seats, back on the left hand side, circling the rear seat, and sits down, touching off the next pupil in front of him, who repeats the performance. The aisle first accomplishing the run, wins.
CHAPTER IIIToC
SCHOOLROOM GAMES
For Advanced and High School Pupils
Geography
The group is divided into two equal teams. A leader is chosen for each. The leader of Team A begins the game by giving the name of a country beginning with the letter "A" (Austria). The leader of Team B gives another country beginning with "A". The second member of Team A, another; the second member of Team B, another; until one of the teams cannot think of any more countries beginning with "A". That team last thinking of a country wins one point. The other members of the team can help their team mate, whose turn it is, by suggesting other countries. The member of the team failing to name a country beginning with "A", starts with the letter "B" and the game continues, until one team has won ten points. The names of rivers, mountains, states, cities, etc., can be substituted for the names of countries.
Seeing and Remembering
Fifteen or twenty articles are placed upon a table under a sheet, in front of the pupils. The sheet is removed for a space of 10 seconds and the pupils are given a good chance to study the articles on the table. After the sheet has again covered the articles, each pupil is requested to write as many of the articles as can be remembered, on a sheet of paper. The one remembering the largest number wins.
Definitions
The teacher selects some word from the dictionary, which is written upon the blackboard. Each pupil then writes the definition of that word on a slip of paper. After this is done, the teacher compares the definition with that in the dictionary. The one giving the definition nearest like that in the dictionary wins, and gives the next word to be defined.
Jumbled Words
The pupils of each aisle constitute a team. Each pupil in the aisle is given a number. The one in each front seat is Number 1, the one behind him Number 2, and so on back. The teacher has prepared a different sentence for each aisle with just as many words in it as there are pupils in the aisle. One of these slips is handed to Number 1 of each team. Number 1 takes the first word of the sentence as his word, Number 2 the second, Number 3 the third, and so on. When the last one in the aisle has learned the last word in the sentence, the slips are returned to the teacher. Competition can be added to this phase of the game by seeing which aisle can return the slip to the teacher first.
When the slips have all been turned in, the teacher calls any number. Thereupon the pupils in each aisle having that number, go to the blackboard and write distinctly their word from the sentence. For example, the teacher calls Number 3. Number 3 of aisle 1 had the word "money"; Number 3 of aisle 2 "can," etc.
Next the teacher calls Number 5. All the Number 5's go to the blackboard and write their words directly after those written by their previous team mate. When all the numbers have been called there is a jumbled sentence on the board for each aisle. The pupils of the various aisles then try to guess what the sentences of the other aisles are. Each one guessed, counts 5 points.
Descriptive Adjectives
An historical personage is selected, such as Columbus, George Washington, etc. The first pupil called upon must describe the subject with a descriptive adjective beginning with "A". The second, third, and fourth, etc., adding to this description by using adjectives beginning with the letter "A". This continues until the adjectives beginning with the letter "A" have been exhausted. Then the letter "B" is used and the game continues. It is well to change the subject after every fourth or fifth letter. This is a good game for adding to the vocabulary of the pupil. A little fun can be had by using, instead of an historical subject, one of the pupils of the room for description.
Store
The pupils of each aisle constitute a team. The one in the front seat in each aisle is Number 1, the one behind him, Number 2, etc.
The teacher has a number of cards upon each of which appears a letter of the alphabet. The teacher holds up one of these letters so that it can be distinctly seen by the pupils. Number 1 of each aisle must name some article sold in a grocery store, beginning with the letter held up by the teacher. (For example—the teacher holds up the letter "F"; Number 1 of the second aisle calls, "Flour"). The pupil first naming an article of that letter is given the card containing the letter. The next card held up, the number 2's of each team are to name the article, and likewise the winner to be awarded the card. The aisle having the most cards at the end of the game wins.
The letters can be written on the blackboard if the cards are not available for the game and points awarded to each winner. The game can also be used with birds, animals, and other subjects in place of articles sold in a store. This is a good game to stimulate quick thinking.
Distinguishing Sounds
This game is good training for the ear. Various noises, such as the shaking of a pebble in a tin can, in a wooden box, in a pasteboard box, in a large envelope; knocking on wood, on tin, on coin (as silver dollar), on stone, on brass, on lead—are made. The pupils are allowed to guess just what the noise is caused by.
Laugh
This is a good relaxing game and one in which the practice of self control is a factor. An open handkerchief is tossed into the air. While it is in the air the pupils are to laugh as heartily as they can, but the instant the handkerchief touches the floor, all laughing is to stop.
Guessing Dimensions
The ability to measure with the eye is well worth cultivating. Each pupil is to guess the distance between various points indicated on the blackboard, the height of a door, the width and the height of a school desk, the height of the schoolroom, the thickness of a book, etc. Each of the guesses is written on a slip of paper. The pupil with the best guesses wins.
Mysterious Articles
An article is concealed under a cloth on the table. Each pupil is given an opportunity to feel the article through the cloth and guess what it is, educating the sense of touch.
Distinguishing by Smell
Various articles invisible to the eye, with distinctive odors, such as vinegar, rose, mustard, vanilla, ginger, clove, tea, coffee, chocolate, soap, etc., are placed before the pupil. The one able to distinguish the largest number of articles by the smell, wins the game.
Art Gallery
Pictures of a number of famous paintings by the masters are placed on exhibition. The pupil guessing the largest number of masters and titles, of the various pictures, wins.
Drawing Animals
The teacher whispers in the ear of each pupil the name of some animal, whereupon the pupil proceeds to draw that animal, each pupil being given the name of a different animal. Drawings are made and put on exhibition. All try to guess as many as possible of the animals represented in the drawings. The drawing securing the largest number of correct guesses wins for the artist.
Historical Pictures
A long sheet of paper is given to each pupil, with instructions to draw thereupon a picture representing some historical event. After