Database of Games » Tag

Stone

gamepac — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:30:01 +0000

A large circle is drawn on the ground or floor in the center of the play space. At either end of the ground a goal is marked off. One player chosen to be stone sits on the floor in the circle. The other players stand around outside the circle taunting the stone by stepping over into his territory. Suddenly and the more unexpectedly the better the stone rises and runs for the other players who are only safe from tagging when behind one of the goals. Any one so tagged becomes a stone and joins the first stone in sitting near the center of the circle. They also join him in chasing the other players whenever he gives the signal. This continues until all the players have been tagged.

Centipede

gamepac — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 15:30:01 +0000

The players sit in a circle on the floor with their feet stretched out and mingled in a promiscuous pile. One player who is leader and stands outside the circle touches one of the feet (he may mark it slightly with a piece of chalk if desired) and calling on some player by name commands him to tell to whom the foot belongs. When this player has named some one the leader commands the owner of the foot to stand up. If the guess be wrong the leader chases the mistaken player and whips him with a knotted handkerchief. If the guess be right the guesser is released from the game sits down at one side and chooses the next one to be It while the one who was It takes a place in the circle.

This game lends itself especially to the gymnasium or seashore where the dressing of the feet is inclined to be uniform.

The game is played by the modern Greeks.

Old Buzzard

gamepac — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 15:30:01 +0000

This is one of the old dramatic games probably better known in America than any other of this type.

One player is chosen to represent the “Old Buzzard” another player represents a hen and the remainder are chickens. All the players circle around the buzzard saying in chorus –

“Chickany chickany crany crow
I went to the well to wash my toe
And when I came back a chicken was gone.”

The hen finishes by asking alone “What oclock is it old buzzard ” The buzzard crouches on the ground during the repetition of the verse going through the pantomime of building a fire with sticks and in answer to the question may name any hour as eight oclock nine oclock ten oclock. So long as the buzzard does not say twelve oclock the players continue to circle around repeating the verse the final question being asked each time by a different player until the buzzard finally says “Twelve oclock ” When this occurs the ring stands still and the following dialogue takes place between the buzzard and the hen –

Hen. Old buzzard old buzzard what are you doing
Buz. Picking up sticks.
Hen. What do you want the sticks for
Buz. To build a fire.
Hen. What are you building a fire for
Buz. To broil a chicken.
Hen. Where are you going to get the chicken
Buz. Out of your flock

The buzzard who keeps a crouching attitude with face downcast during this dialogue suddenly rises on the last words and chases the players who scatter precipitately. When a player is captured the buzzard brings him back lays him down and dresses him for dinner while the rest of the players group around. The buzzard asks of the captured chicken “Will you be picked or scraped ” and goes through the motions of picking feathers or scaling fish as the chicken decides. The buzzard then asks “Will you be pickled or salted ” “Will you be roasted or stewed ” each time administering to the recumbent chicken the appropriate manipulations. At the end he drags the victim to a corner and the game goes on with the remainder of the players.

Hip

gamepac — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 15:30:01 +0000

All of the players stand in an informal group. One of them is provided with a stick about the size of a broomstick and about two feet long. He throws this as far as he can at the same time calling the name of one of the other players. The one who threw the stick and all the others except the one whose name is called then scatter in a run. The one who is called must pick up the stick whereupon he becomes “Hip” and must chase the other players. Any player whom he catches he touches with the stick (pounding not allowed) and that player at once joins him in trying to catch the others. Any one caught by the second player however must be held by him until Hip can come and touch the prisoner with the stick whereupon he also joins Hips party. As the number of players with Hip increases there may be some pretty lively “tussling” on the part of players who are caught pending the arrival of Hip to touch them with the stick as he may have several to reach in this way and the interval may be considerable in which the captor must hold his victim. The game ends when all of the players have been touched by Hip.