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: UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
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THE FUN BOOK
ee NE A coh ce ge
EDNA GEISTER
ie
THE FUN BOOK
Stunts for Hvery Month
an the Year
BY
EDNA GEISTER
ADVISOR AND DIRECTOR OF RECREATION
Author of “Let’s Play,” “It Is to Laugh,” “Ice-Breakers
and The Ice-Breaker Herself,” etc.
NEw WB vorx
GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY
COPYRIGHT, 1923,
BY GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY
THE FUN BOOK. I
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
CHAPTER
I Breraxine
Il Breaxine
Ili Breaxine
IV Breaxine
V Breaxkine
VI Breaxine
VII Breakine
VIII Breaxine
IX Breakine
X BREAKING
XI Breaxine
re. ore STUDIES,
CONTENTS
THE Ick IN JANUARY eaten
THE Ick In FepruaRY . .
THE Ick IN March: 23.4) '%
THE Ice in APRIL . . .«
THe Tce IN MAYS ie ae
THE IcE IN JUNE are
THE IcE IN JuLY anp AUGUST
THE Ick IN SEPTEMBER .
THE Icke IN OcTOBER igre
THE Ice IN NOVEMBER .
THE Ick IN DECEMBER . .
XII Sueerstions to LEADERS. . . .
InDEXx
120
136
154
166
GE
185
The different chapters include discussions of Decorations,
Personal and House; Mixers; Group Games; Stunts; Con-
tests; Tricks; Partners and Refreshments; Chapter VII
being devoted especially to Out-of-Door and Picnic Events.
A
ates
Hit,
THE FUN BOOK
THE FUN BOOK
CHAPTER I
JANUARY
For Either Large or Small Groups
Baby Show.
January is the month in which to show cute baby pic-
tures of the guests present. They are displayed as
lantern slides while the group guesses what burly in-
dividual in the crowd could possibly have started life
as dimpled a cherub as the one in the photograph.
_ This is a good way for wives to get even with hus-
bands—to respond to the urgent request for baby pic-
tures by bringing their husbands’ earliest likenesses.
There is such an appreciative response when a
dimpled darling is shown on the screen and the crowd,
trying to be funny, guesses it to be Mr. Burns, the head
of the Rotary Club. But that appreciative response
is as nothing compared to the hilarious uproar that
greats the leader’s ‘‘Correct!’’
Baby Caps.
Because January is the infant month of the year it
would be fitting for the committee to prepare infant
headgear for all the guests. A sheet of either white tis-
gue or white crepe paper about sixteen by twenty-four
10 THE FUN BOOK
inches, with a strip long enough to tie around the neck
with a small bow in front will provide an exquisite baby
cap. It is by no means amiss to have ‘‘milliners’’ at the
door to help guests make and put on their baby caps,
the making process being a matter of putting the large
piece of paper over their heads and fastening it on
securely by means of the tie with a coquettish white
bow under the chin.
If anyone thinks it might detract from the fun of an
evening to have all the guests, men and girls alike,
cavorting about with dainty white baby caps on their.
heads—let that ‘‘anyone’’ try it. Mayor Neilan’s pink
face framed in a frilly crepe paper cap with an adorable
chin bow is a sight not soon to be forgotten. |
Resolute Greetings.
The committee has written out resolutions on little
slips of paper, enough of them so that every guest may
have one to wear pinned on his shoulder. Then as
guests greet each other they may say only, ‘‘Happy
New Year. I resolve to give up using snuff!’’ or what-
ever resolution the committee has so thoughtfully pre-
pared for them.
Many of the resolutions are duplicated in a large
crowd, but it makes no difference as long as every vica-
rious resolution is as impossible as possible! |
Compulsory Resolutions.
January is the month in which perfectly good resolu-
tions are made—and broken. To remind guests of their
duty to resolve a thing or two, large signs are hung on
all sides bearing delicate suggestions for resolutions.
The following are typical:
JANUARY 11
. I resolve to control my wife’s temper.
. I resolve to lose fifty pounds.
. I resolve to sing in the choir.
. I resolve to smile sweetly when dinner is not ready.
. I resolve to make a new man out of my husband.
. I resolve to do what I please.
Guests are invited, or rather, warned, to pay strict
attention to these resolutions and to sign their name to
at least five of them. Later in the evening these signs
are taken down and the names of the signees read,
together with the resolutions. A check-up is then taken
and any guest whose name has not been signed to the
necessary number of resolutions is called to the platform.
The other guests are then given the great privilege and
even greater pleasure of choosing the five resolutions
he should have signed.
It will be found that 100 per cent of the men will re-
solve to control the temper of their wives.
Oo Oe © DS eS
Limited Sociability.
To start the year aright guests are asked to be social
but only within certain limits. They are asked to form
in groups according to the month in which their birth-
days come. After the different months have assembled
an announcement is made to the effect that January is
to go and call on June, February on November, March
on July, etc., ete., and that the only topic of conversa-
tion allowed is one of flattery, each month telling the
other month how wonderful it is. The leader has
‘‘snoopers’’ about who detect anyone making conver-
sation on any other subject. Their names are listed and
they are by no means forgotten.
There is another rule to the effect that members of
12 THE FUN BOOK
each month must hold each other’s hands on their way
over to visit other months. Also, in the two minutes
allowed for visiting there must be constant handshaking.
After two minutes a new visiting list is read, the
Aprils having to visit the Decembers, etce., etc., the one
topic of conversation allowed being just what April
thinks of the way December acts in church and vice
versa, opinions being delivered in no uncertain terms.
If the guests have survived their individual arraign-
ments a third and last visiting list is read, and when the
various groups have fouzd each other they are in-
formed that they are to entertain one another by singing
heartily any seme they choose. |
Guests will be either social or extinct after this last
elfort at sociability.
Conceited Calendar.
Just after the above game, while guests are still
divided into their monthly groups, each month is asked
to show in no vague way why that particular month is
the most interesting and worthwhile of all the months.
In each group there should be a leader who has ready
a suggestion for that group, some stunt which will por-
tray the big outstanding event of that month. Stunts
should be as far-fetched and foolish as possible.
January shows resolutions made—and broken. March
is both ‘‘fresh’’ and ‘‘green.’’
The group whose stunt is chosen by the judges as
being the most impossible (although no announcement
has been made to that effect beforehand) gets the prize—
end the ridicule of the other months.
JANUARY 13
The Straight and Narrow Path.
A racecourse for each contestant is marked out by a
string stretched across the length of the room. Con-
testants are given opera glasses and are asked to show
to the assembled multitude how straight and narrow a
path they are going to follow in the coming year, by
walking along their piece of string and at the same time
looking through the large end of the glasses.
The outlook for a straight and narrow path for the
community for the coming year will be a poor one if
judged by the results of this contest.
Vicarious Bad Habits.
Each guest has been asked to bring something that he
wishes to throw away as symbolic of his bad habits.
Those who forget to do so are gladly furnished with such
symbols of such habits by the committee members who
have put deep and ‘‘with-evil-intent’’ thought on the
subject. When all the guests have arrived each guest
changes his symbol for that of someone else. All guests
are then lined up and in turn they are to mount the
platform, place the discarded bad habit on the table, tell
whose bad habit it was and just why it is being thrown
away.
There is positively no rule against the imagination
running riot. At one New Year church party the min-
ister innocently brought a stick of gum to throw away
as symbolic of one bad habit being overcome. The
choirmaster’s wife got the gum and when her turn came
went into elaborate explanation as to why the minister
was giving up the gum-chewing habit. She told of his
loose, false back tooth; how the last time he was chew-
ing gum, when he took it out in his preparations for
14 THE FUN BOOK
prayer meeting he was in such a hurry that the gum
got mixed up with the tooth and he swallowed them
both—and the tooth not yet paid for!
The Slippery Slide.
To make this event successful the floor should be
fairly well polished and slippery. There are eight con-
testants, paired off in twos to make four teams. Each
team is given a small rug and at the signal the first
runner on each team puts his left foot on the rug and
the right one on the floor. He then starts propelling
himself down the room just as a child propels a scooter,
using the right foot as the motive power and keeping the
left one on the rug. At the far end of the room opposite
each team is stationed a human post around whom the
scooter must go. He then returns to give the rug to the
second member of his team who goes through the same
performance.
Mature and substantial citizens of a community have
been known to acquire real skill and real speed in this
Slippery Slide!
A Snappy Happy New Year.
Each guest is provided with from five to ten bright
red tags in each of which is stuck a pin, the number of
the tags varying with the size of the group. An an-
nouncement is made to the effect that any guest who
can grasp the right hand of any other guest, shake that
hand, make a deep bow and say, ‘‘ Happy New Year to
you!’’ is privileged to pin a red tag on the back of that
friend whom he took unawares. The first three to dis-
pose of all their tags in this way get a prize—and will
have earned it. The first three on whose back repose
JANUARY 15
a full quota of tags are put on the list of victims slated
for a later reckoning.
There will inevitably be a great deal of altercation,
but it is just as inevitable that such altercation will be
of the friendly, foolish kind. However, the leader’s an-
nouncement makes it plain that a few rules must be
observed, namely:
1. A person’s right hand must not be clasped in his
left, thereby making it impossible for another guest to
grasp his right hand. (We say ‘‘ Hts right hand’’ ad-
visedly. No lady would employ such methods!)
2. The one who first reached out to grasp a hand is ~
the one who is privileged to tag. If right hands go out
simultaneously to meet each other it is called a draw
and neither one may tag the other.
3. It is absolutely essential to shake hands, bow, and
say ‘‘Happy New Year to you!’’ and say it with a grin.
Courage.
Four of the women who owe a fine are asked to stand
facing the group. Each one is given a toy balloon of
the sausage variety and told that the one who first blows
her balloon to the point where it explodes will be given
a prize and that the last one to explode her balloon will
have to pay any penalty the other three contestants
decide upon.
Well ! It takes real courage to blow up a balloon —
or anything else to the point where it will explode be-
fore your very face. Then too, if you happen to be fat
and of the type that can hold in just so long and then
must laugh or burst—the steady blowing up of a
balloon is no laughing matter.
16 THE FUN BOOK
Virtuous Tableaux,
Guests are divided into groups according to directions
for the division of groups under Suggestions to Leaders.
Each group is then given ten minutes in which to pre-
pare a stunt that will show the virtue which that par-
ticular group is to practice for the coming year. When
the ten minutes are up each group in turn is called out
to perform, and must continue performing until the
audience guesses the virtue they are portraying. The
group that gives the best stunt is given a double share
of refreshments.
It is a wise plan for a leader to have at hand a list
of ‘‘virtues’’ as suggestions. The following list is typi-
eal: 1. Go to church. (No group needs help on pan-
tomiming that stunt!) 2. Pay one’s bills. 3. Tell the
truth on all occasions.
Chin Chin.
“Three of the men on the list of legal victims are
politely but firmly requested to play ‘‘Chin Chin.’’ A
sheet is spread out on the floor, the three men being
asked to kneel on one end of it and then to push the
cotton snowball with which each one has been provided
to the other end. Chins only may be used as pushers.
Double chins serve as admirable pushers.
Sticky Snowballs.
Four delinquents are cordially invited to participate
in a snowball race. Four snowballs are hung in the
doorway between two rooms. These snowballs are apples
which have had a light coat of white syrup put on them,
after which they were dipped in powdered sugar and
then again covered lightly with white syrup. They are
JANUARY 17
suspended on rubber strings in an open doorway. Each
contestant is assigned a snowball and when the signal
is given they race to see which can first get three bites.
The one who succeeds surely deserves a prize, while all
of them deserve a bit of soap and water. A swinging
snowball is at best hard enough to catch with one’s teeth,
but a swinging snowball suspended on rubber and cov-
ered with syrup offers food for thought!
Initial Resolves.
Just before refreshments each guest is given a card
on which is written ‘‘I resolve to ——————..’”’ He is
asked to write his name on it and fill in the blank with
the resolution he is prepared to make regarding his
conduct in the coming year. The only requirement is
that the resolution is to be made up of two words, which
words are to begin with the initial of the resolver’s
name. A typical card reads as follows: ‘‘Fred Jarvey,
I resolve to Forget Jennie.’’
Each eard is pinned on its owner’s back and it is the
business of guests to go about getting resolutions
together with the resolvee’s names. They are to get as
many of these as possible but not to let anyone get theirs.
After ten minutes a count is called for and the one who
got the most is asked to stand before the group and
read aloud the resolutions together with the names of
the resolvers he has gathered.
Some embarrassing disclosures are inevitable.
Golash!
Women contestants are divided into two lines. The
first one in each line is given a pair of large, very
floppy golashes. At the signal these two put on their
18 THE FUN BOOK
golashes without buckling them and run to the goal and
return, giving their golashes to the next runner. This
continues until all members of both teams have run the
course, a la golashes.
This race is as hard to look at as it is to run!
Stork Race. hii
Men contestants are divided into lines of equal length.
The first player in each line takes his right ankle in his
left foot, hops to the’ goal and returns to the starting
point where he touches off the next runner. This con-
tinues until all the players of a line have hopped to the
goal and back.
The winning line may name some stunt which all the
losers must perform. That is, all losers who are not per-
manently crippled.
Refreshments.
The committee may arrange the food on a table past
which each guest is invited to file and help himself to
refreshments, the only requirement being that every
guest is to show the spirit with which he is meeting the
New Year by singing lustily some song other than those
his neighbors are singing!
This has been known to turn out to be harder on the
committee than on the performers.
For Small Group
_Duties.
Each guest writes out what he considers to be the
duty of an honest and upright citizen. These duties are
then collected, mixed and passed around again and each
guest is asked to sign the name of his right-hand neigh-
bor. After a final collecting and mixing and passing out,
JANUARY 19
these duties are then read aloud together with the
names of the people whose names are written on them.
It would be a bit embarrassing for the ladies in the
Old Folks Home if the principal of the High School
followed instructions and did his duty every Sun-
day afternoon by singing sentimental solos for their
entertainment.
Advance Fashions.
Guests are paired off into couples and are asked to
show their conception of what the coming year will
bring as to new fashions. Impromptu properties such
as hat trimmings, ribbons, old-fashioned hats and cloth-
ing of any and every description, newspapers, pins,
paste, etc., are made available.
After some ten or fifteen minutes of preparation the
fashion show starts, each couple in turn parading for
the benefit of the other guests. The couple which shows
the most startling originality in its conception of com-
ing fashions gets the prize.
F A f
Extinct Fashions, \ VLLAA,
me as
~““This may be played backwards and with pencil and
paper instead of with real clothes. Each guest is asked
to name five articles which will probably become extinct
within the coming year, in each case giving his reason,
as well as describing the article which will probably re-
place the old one.
Liavd
My Diary. WM
Guests are given sheets of paper, on the left of which
are written the days of the week. Hach guest is to sign
his name at the top, fold it over and pass it on to his
20 THE FUN BOOK
right-hand neighbor. Then each player fills in the blank
opposite Monday with a four or five word account of
what he did on Monday. After this is folded over and
passed on he does the same for Tuesday on the new
diary handed to him, and so it continues until the week’s
diary is completed.
Then each guest reads aloud the complete week’s
diary he holds, being very careful first to give the name
at the top of the paper, the supposed writer of that wild
diary. One president of a bank whose diary was made
and read in this way learned that on Monday he had
had a henna rinse; on Tuesday had attended a musicale;
on Wednesday a sewing bee; on Thursday he had
pickled pears; on Friday he had cleaned the pantry;
on Saturday had made over his little lace dinner dress;
and on Sunday he had washed his teeth.
I Confess!
Immediately upon entering the door each guest is
handed a slip of paper on which he is to write his name.
After being folded so that the name does not show, those
belonging to the men are dropped in one basket while
those of the girls go into another. Later in the evening,
perhaps just before refreshments, each man is asked to
take one of the slips out of the girls’ basket, while the
girls take a slip out of the men’s basket. Then, with-
out looking at the names on their folded slips of paper
guests are to write out a confession, using these words:
**T confess that I —_————,”’ filling in the blank with
their confessions which must number at least two words.
These confessions are again collected, mixed up indis-
criminately, and just after refreshments passed around,
JANUARY 21
each person being asked to read aloud the confession on
his paper together with the name signed to it.
It is hardly necessary to go into detail as to Bill
Huber’s feelings when he hears the pretty school teacher
read aloud the confession she holds which tells the wide
and interested world that ‘‘I confess that I use curl
papers. Signed, Bill Huber.”’
avert Wesotutions.
Guests are divided into two groups, the groups taking
turn in pantomiming resolutions until the other side
guesses what resolution is being portrayed.
Ambitions.
Each guest in turn is to pantomime the thing which
as a child he most longed to be. The others guess his
ambition.
In the next round each guest is to demonstrate his
childhood conception of the last word in looks. Fat
Miss Butterfield, showing her High School ambition to
look slinky is a sight for tired eyes.
Vicarious Resolutions.
Each guest is given a slip of paper on which is
written the name of some other guest, for which other
guest he is to write a stern resolution. After having
performed this pleasant duty guests sign their own
names on the backs of these resolutions and turn them
in to the hostess, who then proceeds to read aloud the
resolution and the person it was written for, leaving it
to that unfortunate person to guess who wrote it. If he
guesses correctly he can demand any forfeit he chooses
of his resolving friend.
22 THE FUN BOOK
Vicarious Wishes.
The above game may be used with wishes rather than
resolutions. It doesn’t take Dr. Marmon an hour or
two to guess that it was his wife who wished that he
would lose his false tooth, and when he demands that
she sing a solo as a forfeit he has the backing of the
whole group!
A Resolute Story.
Resolutions are made out for other guests as in Vica-
rious Resolutions, but instead of being read aloud they
are given to the hostess who has prepared a story in
which blanks have been left. When they are ready the
hostess reads this story aloud and whenever she comes
to a blank she puts in one of these resolutions. This
usually results in ‘‘The hero rushes madly down the
hill resolving that I, Mrs. Henry Stowell, will never
again dye my mustache!’
I Make My Will.
Each guest is asked to write out his will giving away
five of his most precious possessions. However, he is
not allowed to say to whom he wishes to give those pos-
sessions. When he has listed his five possessions he folds
the paper so the list cannot be read. When the hostess
gives the signal he passes this list to his right-hand
neighbor, in turn receiving one from his left-hand neigh-
bor. Each guest is then to write out the names of five
people to whom the possessions are to be willed, folds
over his paper and again passes it to the right.
The third and last time each one is to write out five
‘‘uses,’’ one for each of these possessions. The wills are
JANUARY 23
then collected, mixed and passed around and in turn,
read aloud.
The guests are delighted to learn that Deacon Prouty
wills his false teeth to Mrs. Barnes for decorative
purposes.
Refreshments.
To find partners have a snowball fight. An imaginary
line is drawn across the middle of the room about ten
feet off the floor, the men standing on one side the line
and the girls on the other. The girls are given strict
orders not to move for any reason whatsoever, while the
men are asked to turn their backs to the girls and to
number off. Each man is then given a snowball and in
turn, according to their numbers, they are to throw
their snowballs backwards over towards the group of
girls, As soon as the hostess sees which girl the snow-
ball of man No. 1 hit she calls out, ‘‘Mr. Graham hit
Violet Derby!’’ and the two become partners. Imme-
diately No. 2 throws his snowball backwards and the
girl he hits becomes his partner, and so it SdesiMtil all
the men have hit a partner.
If a snowball does not hit anyone the girl nearest it
picks it up and the man who threw it must try again.
Snowballs are made by making small balls of cotton,
tying a piece of white thread around them, putting a
bit of glue on them and then sprinkling them with
diamond dust.
All snowballs must be turned in after the snowball
fight !
Then, as partners pass before the tables on which the
refreshments have been placed, no guest is allowed to
help himself until he tells the refreshment committee
24 THE FUN BOOK
what he promises to give up eating in the coming year.
If stomachs could tell tales!
Note: The following games written up elsewhere in
the book may be used for January parties:
1. Leap Year Partners. See Dramatic Partnership.
In this case the girls do the performing, and are called
upon to do men’s occupations,
2. Leap Year Hunt. Any of the Hunts described in
the February chapter may be used if mittens instead of
hearts are hidden.
3. See the Hallowe’en Witch. Father Time takes the
part of the witch and pointing at the different guests in
turn, makes out very-much-to-the-point resolutions for
them.
4. See Nicknames. Quests use the names they would
have chosen for themselves had they been given a choice.
Dd. See Celebrities, and Great Men. Guests use their
own names.
6. See Hooray! George Washington is replaced by
Father Time.
CHAPTER II ©
FEBRUARY
For Either Large or Small Groups
Heart-y Singing.
- After guests have found partners through the grand
march they are asked to break ranks and look for the
little hearts hidden all over the room.
But—no man is allowed to pick up a heart. Instead,
as soon as he finds one he puts his finger on it and im-
mediately sings up the scale to his partner. As soon
as he has done this she may pick up the heart, but not
before.
Committee members warn them that they will be
vigilant in looking for violators of this rule; that any
girl found picking up a heart before her partner has
sung up the scale to her will be given considerable pub-
licity later, her partner making a ‘“‘personal appear-
ance’’ with her. Nor is it enough to sing up the scale
for the first heart. It must be repeated for every heart.
For those with truly musical ears this game is some-
what of a hardship. The two who find the most hearts
are given a kazoo in appreciation of their nimbleness and
musical ability, while the two who found the least are
gently but firmly asked to sing a duet.
25
26 THE FUN BOOK
Intermittent Heart Hunt.
In this hunt for hidden hearts—truly a game of the
ages !—a sudden toot of the leader’s whistle calls for an
immediate halt. Even if players are in the very act of
picking up a nice, red heart they must resist temptation,
quickly find their partners, join the line of march and
continue in it until another whistle gives them the signal
to hunt again.
This continues for two more rounds. Then all hearts
are counted and a record is given to the leader as the
players march past her. The man and the girl who
found the most hearts are admitted to be the most agile
guests present, so they will be given an opportunity to
show their speed in the next event, a race. The two who
found the least are deemed the slowest, and as an incen-
tive to speed up they are obliged to race against the
two winners.
All players are then Asced to march past an im-
promptu refreshment committee and exchange their
paper hearts for an equal number of more honest-to-
goodness hearts.
Noah’s Ark.
“Still another kind of hunt is this Noah’s Ark version.
The entire group is divided into smaller groups by
using the grand march to line guests up in rows of
eight. Each group of eight then forms an ‘‘animal
family,’’ the leader telling the different groups what
animal they are to be. One group is to be dogs, another
group roosters, another group pigs, and so on. The
dog group can talk in bow-bows only, the rooster group
in eock-a-doodle-doos, and the pigs in oi-ois.
After each group has chosen a leader the signal for
FEBRUARY 27
the hunt is given and they all start out to hunt for the
hidden hearts. But when they find a heart, instead of
picking it up they are to put a finger on it and call for
their leader by using their animal ealls. The dogs
‘‘Bow-wow!’’ until their leader hears them and comes
over to pick up the heart. None but leaders are allowed
to pick up hearts, the other players using their animal
calls to signal to their leaders that they have found a
heart. :
After about five minutes of this the call for counting
is given. The group that found the most hearts is
privileged to act as audience while all the other groups
must in turn, and with much gusto, give their animal
calls for a full minute for the entertainment of the
audience.
Perhaps the words ‘‘privileged’’ and ‘‘entertain-
ment’’ are poorly chosen!
Hooray! <«
The leader stands out before the group and makes a
speech on which she has put just a little preparation.
This speech should be freely interspersed with mention
of George Washington. Every time she says his name
she is to raise either her right or her left hand, or both
hands in gestures.
If she raises her right hand the group must cry
‘*Hooray!’’ until she lowers it; and if her left hand,
they are to clap vigorously; if both hands, they are to
clap and shout ‘‘Hooray!’’ until she lowers her hands.
Anyone who does the wrong thing at any time is to
come up and stand beside her in front of the others.
She will have two-thirds of the group beside her be-
fore she has made half her speech.
28 THE FUN BOOK
I Am a Great Manz {U4 Oth
A player who is a fluent talker is chosen to start this
game. He stands before the group and starts to boast
about himself, stopping after each sentence for the
handclapping and the ‘‘ Hear, hear!’’ which is his due
from each listener who does not wish to pay the penalty
of having to be the next speaker. Anyone who does not
clap his hands after every boasting sentence and ery,
‘‘Hear hear!’’ may be called upon by the speaker to take
the floor.
It comes hard to the best of goodly women to applaud
another woman who has just\made a statement to the
effect that she is the only good*looking woman present;
that she is the only woman present who is under forty
years of age; or under two hundred pounds in weight!
tt.
Celebrities. TNS
Men form one line while girls form another, the
receiving committee standing in a line at the front of
the room. The first girl goes to the first member of the
receiving line, shakes hands with him and tells him her
name which must be that of some great celebrity, every
guest having been asked to assume the name of some
great person.
This first guest is passed down the receiving line, in
each case being introduced by her famous name. When
she reaches the end of the line she becomes a part of it.
She is immediately followed by the first man in the
men’s line; he is followed by the second girl in the
girls’ line and so it continues, first a girl and then a
man, a girl and a man, each one using a famous name
and becoming a part of the receiving line when they
FEBRUARY 29
have finished being introduced and shaking hands with
members of that line.
In this way every guest will shake hands with every
other guest, and every George Washington will have
met every Queen of England.
My Heart Is Broken!
As each guest comes in he is given a red paper heart
across which a black line has been drawn to indicate
that the heart is broken. He is asked to write on that
broken heart some well-known name, preferably that of
some guest present or someone well-known in the com-
munity. Men are to write a girl’s name, and girls are
to write a man’s. As soon as a name is written on a
heart it is dropped into a box, those bearing men’s names
in one box and those with girls’ names in another.
When most of the guests have arrived the men file
past the box of hearts on which girls’ names have been
written and each man helps himself to one. The girls
do the same with the hearts in the other box. When the
signal is given they are all to pin these hearts on their
backs; are given cards and pencils and are told to go
- about finding out who it was that broke the hearts of
fellow guests, the name written on the heart indicating
who broke the heart of the owner of that heart.
Moreover, they are urged to make it as difficult as
possible for other guests to see their own hearts. There-
fore, while Mrs. Sands is trying to find out who it
was that broke Deacon Bower’s heart, he is dodging
her and at the same time trying to find out who broke
his wife’s heart! In each case, they must take the
name of the owner of the heart and the breaker of the
heart. After ten minutes of this the lists are collected
30 THE FUN BOOK
and the most complete one is read aloud. A prize of a
large red candy heart is offered the one who was the
speediest in finding out the secrets of other people’s
hearts.
It proves a bit startling to hear that the minister’s
heart was broken by the high soprano.
I Give My Heart To :
This may be played exactly like ‘‘My Heart is
Broken’’ except that instead of the black line indicating
the broken heart, are the words, ‘‘I give my heart
to .? The reception committee is very canny
and hides that part of the heart, covering it and point-
ing with a finger to the place where the guest is to sign
the name of someone of the opposite sex.
It is not only startling, but tragic as well to learn that
the principal of the High School is willing—yes, even
eager !—to give his heart to Mrs. Burnham, who already
has a very healthy husband and four grown-up sons.
Hearts and Flours,
Each of the four contestants is to kneel in front of a
chair on which has been placed a saucer of flour. In
this flour there has been placed a large, flat, candy heart
with some silly, sentimental verse written on it. Hands
are to be held behind them, and when the signal is
given the four contestants are to find their hearts—with
their teeth.
No blowing into the flour from the sidelines is en-
couraged! The one who first finds his heart with his
teeth gets a real prize, while all contestants get a chance
to recuperate!
(Truth.
FEBRUARY 31
Snub Nose Race.
Three unfortunates are to kneel on one end of a sheet,
and after having been given a cherry apiece, are told
that they are to push their cherries to the other end of
the sheet and back, using their noses as pushers.
It might be well to have a supply of some soothing
salve at hand!
Nol
$
‘
“Whe leader sweetly asks five guests to stand before
_the other guests who are invited to prepare some ques-
tions which would be painful to answer truthfully and
which could be answered by the words ‘‘It was I!’’ The
victims are then lined up and and the inquisition begins.
Questioners must be recognized by the leader, and in
turn they are given permission to ask the painful ques-
tions which must be answered by the words ‘‘It was I!”’
One by one the victims take turns in answering
questions.
Beads of perspiration show the stress under which the
minister is laboring when he answers the question, ‘‘ Who
blew snuff around church last Sunday?’’ by answering
“Tt was I!’
\\ Great Men.
All guests form a large circle, three or four having
been chosen to go into the center. Each guest is asked
to take the name of some great person, man or woman,
and to keep that name throughout the entire game.
When they are ready they are told to get the assumed
names of their neighbors on either side, and to be ready
to give them at a second’s notice. At the hostess’ whis-
tle each one of the people in the center suddenly turns
32 THE FUN BOOK
around, points a finger at someone who is not expecting
it and asks the assumed names of the people on either
side of the person at whom he is pointing. If that per-
son fails to give the required information instantly, into
the center he goes, changing places with the player who
pointed his finger at him. If he is able to give it, his
Inquisitor must try to catch someone else napping. The
other people in the center have been asking the same
information from other players at the same time. Sud-
denly the leader calls out, ‘‘Change your neighbors!’’
and everyone is required by law to get a new set of
neighbors.
The game is continued for about five minutes. It will
not take longer than that for George Washington to
feel socially inclined to his erstwhile neighbors, Mary
Pickford and Paul Revere. _-
The Black Heart.
Hearts of assorted colors are hidden. Most of the
hearts are red; a few are green; some are yellow; one
is black and one is blue. No information is given out
until after the hunt is over as to what the different
hearts might stand for or as to how they will be counted.
The hostess may make any scale she chooses, but the
following one has been used to good advantage. Red
hearts count one apiece; green hearts put one in debt
one apiece; yellow hearts put one on the list of cul-
prits who are used as martyrs in contests; the finder of
the blue heart gets a prize; while the finder of the black
heart is used as the victim in some particularly awful
hoax.
When the final whistle is blown all guests are asked
to sit facing the stage or one end of the room where the
FEBRUARY 33
hostess is waiting to take the count. She asks the finder
of the black heart to come and stand at her right side,
and the one who found the blue heart to stand on the
other side. Then those who found yellow hearts are
asked to raise their right hands, a list is taken and it
is announced that they will have to be the contestants
in a kiddy kar race. Next, those who found green hearts
are to stand, and for every green heart they found they
are to give up two red hearts. Finally, the one who
found the most red hearts and the one who found the
blue heart are given prizes, while the finder of the black
heart is led forth to his punishment.
Have a Heart!
Guests are lined up as for a relay race. The first con-
testant in each line is given a silver knife and a piece of
wet soap. He is to race to the other end of the room
and back and give his knife and soap to the next runner.
However, before any runner can give his soap to the
next runner he must dip it in the pan of water provided
for this purpose.
_ This does not exactly make for a more finished per-
formance or for a speedier race.
Washington Without Lincoln.
The leader asks the group to try to be clever enough
to follow her directions in the initiation ceremonial of
the Washington Without Lincoln Association. Pointing
to one player at a time she asks him to rise and imitate
her when she says ‘‘ Washington without Lincoln”’ in
a falsetto tone, at the same time waving her hands in
a foolish fashion and glaring fiercely at her pupil. In
34 THE FUN BOOK
all probability he will get it all wrong so she picks out
another pupil, changing all her tactics. !
Finally someone arrives. The facial expressions, the
handwaving, etc., mean nothing whatsoever. The real
point of it is to say ‘‘ Washington’’—without Lincoln!
A. Penalty.
As a penalty one guest is asked to stand before the
sroup and number the words of the first verse and
chorus of Yankee Doodle thus, ‘‘Yankee 1, Doodle 2,
“went 3, to 4,’’ etc., ete.
The Narrow Course.
A long piece of white string is used as the ‘‘stem”’
which connects two cherries placed on the floor the width
of the room apart. These two cherries with connecting
stems form a race-course, there being a course for each,
of the two or three contesting teams. The first one of
each team stands on one of his cherries, and, when the
signal is given must walk on the stem over to his other
cherry, return and touch off the next player. This con-
tinues until all players of a team have walked the
straight and narrow path which George Washington
walked. The team which first successfully walks the
path gets the prize.
However—there is always a ‘‘however’’ in this life—
if any runner falls off the string and leaves the straight
and narrow path, he must go back to the beginning and
start again. Not so good.
Refreshments.
Refreshments should never be served to guests. They
should always be asked to go and get their own. This
FEBRUARY 35
may be more trouble than to serve them, but it is in-
finitely more social. It should be done in cafeteria
style, with partners passing by a small window or open-
ing and taking their food from the counter. However,
they should be made to pay for the food. When they
are all lined up in their cafeteria line, the leader an-
nounces that no one will be given a bite to eat until he
has demonstrated to the committee in charge how he
can sob and weep as though his heart were broken.
This sob-fest usually turns into tear-producing
laughter.
For Small Group
Cupid.
The outline of the form of a man is drawn in charcoal
on a large red heart, the heart of this man being out-
lined in charcoal too. This picture is pinned on a cur-
tain. The guests are divided into two groups, men in
one line and girls in the other, the first one in each line
being given a slingshot and a small piece of tissue paper
with which to make a paperwad. A bowl of water is
at hand. When the signal is given, the first man and
girl, standing about ten feet away from the heart, take
turns in shooting their paper wads at the heart of the
man to see which one can successfully act as Cupid and
- come nearest to piercing the heart. The one who strikes
the nearest wins a point for his side. In ease of a tie
there is no score. The slingshots are then passed on to
the next players who take their turn, all the players
being provided with paper for paperwads and the sling-
shot being passed from one to the other.
The members of the team which gets the highest score
of Cupid’s shots (and it will not be the girls!) get a
36 THE FUN BOOK
lollypop apiece, but these prizes are not given until both
slingshots have been confiscated. If this were not a rule,
there would soon be no party !
Complimentary Valentines.
A great many advertisements from magazines are
made available, together with paste and pins and scissors.
Each guest in the five minutes allotted is to make a
valentine for the guest whose name is written on the
top of the large and rather heavy sheet of paper given
him.
These valentines are to represent exactly what the
artist thinks of his subject. Tod Barret thinks Betsy
Dolby a peach so he cuts out the picture of a large and
luscious peach and pastes it on the top of his paper.
He also thinks her a bit too fat so he adds a picture of
reducing exercises. He doesn’t at all like the way she
sings, so he adds a dog muzzle. He thinks she should
so to church more often so on goes the picture of a little
country church. He also thinks her heart is sluggish
and needs stimulating so he concludes by pasting a
large advertisement on the bottom urging her to ‘‘ Have
Your Heart Examined!’’
Cherry Race.
Guests are divided into two equal lines. The first one
in each line is given three or four large cherries which
he is to carry on the back of his hand. When the signal
is given, these first two contestants with cherries on
their hands race to the goal and back, and give their
cherries to the next runner who does the same thing.
If one cherry, or all the cherries (which is more
likely !) roll off, the runner must pick them up unassisted.
FEBRUARY 37
My Heart Troubles. —
~ Each guest puts the letters of his name in a column
along the left margin of a piece of paper. These papers
are gathered, mixed and passed around again, where-
upon each guest diagnoses the heart troubles of the per-
son the letters of whose name are written on his paper,
by writing out adjectives beginning with these letters.
After five minutes these are read aloud, and all casual-
ties checked up.
Jean Norris finds out that her heart is jaundiced,
empty, absent, needless, naughty, ornery, rundown,
rattled, icy and scandalous.
My Future.
This is played like My Heart Troubles except that
one’s future 1s planned for one. Jean Norris might find
that she was going to be a junkdealer, editor, an avia-
trix, a nonentity, etc., etc., cruel world without end.
Again, guests might help each other discover future
fortunes, which could easily include for our friend Jean,
~ jewels, elephants, alms, and nuts!
Word Hunting.
Complimentary words which could be used in mak-
ing up valentines are written on small red hearts and
hidden all around the room. The prize goes to the first
one who finds enough words to make a logical and
effusive valentine message.
Valentine Hunt.
Little favors are hidden all around the room, each one
having on it the name of one of the guests. No one is
allowed to tell another guest where his valentine is, but
88 THE FUN BOOK
each one must search until he finds his own valentine.
Guests are warned that the last four to find their favors
are to be victims in the Hearts and Flours Contest—
than which nothing could be worse.
My Dream.
Each guest is to write his name on the top of his
piece of paper and then pass it to his right-hand noigh-
bor, who, from the magazine pages available makes a
picture of the dream this first person had as to what he
wanted for a sweetheart.
These revelations passed around later make for human
interest !
Fishpond.
The old-fashioned ‘‘Fishpond’’ is played as a contest
between two teams who fish for hatchets, or cherries, or
hearts. The team which first succeeds in a successful
haul for each of its members wins the prize.
George and Martha.
The old-fashioned ‘‘Ruth and Jacob’’ may be played
using the names of George and Martha rather than Ruth
and Jacob.
Valentine Postoffice.
A valentine is prepared and labeled for each guest,
the valentine taking the shape of a small favor and
Some good advice to go with it. Each guest is called
up to the postoffice in turn, and he must open his pack-
age and read aloud the advice. Edward Braun, for
example, is given a nice white egg and advised to
beat it.
FEBRUARY 39
Initial Stun ht (varualre
Each guest is given a piece of paper on which he is
asked to write his initials, initials which may yet be those
of a great man, like Washington or Lincoln. These
papers are collected, mixed up and passed around again.
Guests are then asked to think of some ridiculous stunt,
the words of which begin with the letter on the paper
they hold. They are to write out brief directions for
that stunt on the paper. When everyone has done this
the papers are again collected, sorted out, and then
passed to the ones whose initials are written out on the
top of each piece of paper.
Needless to say, the owners of the fatal initials are
then privileged to obey the orders written out on their
papers. It is carefully explained that all great men
should be able to take orders. Even that does not make
it easy for Charles Graham who is shy and never
‘‘acted’’ in his life, to obey the order for ‘‘cute ges-
tures,’’ but it is up to him to simper and cavort to the
immense satisfaction of his onlookers; and the minister,
whose name is Willis Nott, is politely but firmly re-
quested to ‘‘wink naughtily.’’ Much against his wishes
he has to wink naughtily at all the ladies present!
His poor performance speaks well for his habits.
Marooned. ©
The men form one circle and the girls another, the
two circles being as far apart as possible so that the
players in the two circles cannot see who is marooned
each time. A large red paper heart is laid out in each
circle in such a way that the players cannot avoid step-
ping on it when marching around in a circle. Players
40 THE FUN BOOK
are told that they must walk across the heart and not
jump over or around it. When the music starts they
are to march around in a circle, and when the whistle
suddenly blows and the music stops the one in each
circle who is caught stepping on the heart is taken out
by the leader, and these two awkward ‘‘offenders’’ are
made partners. This continues until all of them have
been caught marooned on the heart and have thus found
partners.
a
three feet in diameter, and are made out of red paper.
2. See Be-witched Hearts.
3. See The Bump Reader. Guests’ hearts are read.
4. See Christmas Messages. Valentine messages are
sent down the line.
5. See Piggy. Use a candy heart in the middle of the
string.
6. See Hidden Gifts, and Gifts on a String. Valen-
tines or favors are used in place of gifts.
CHAPTER III
) MARCH
For Either Large or Small Groups
Wearing of the Green.
Each guest has been warned to wear something vividly
green in the most prominent place possible on his cloth-
ing. It is hoped that some of the guests will forget, for
the receiving committee is all set for those who chose
to disregard the warning. A committee at the door
carefully examines all guests as they come in, and if
the green they are wearing is not sufficiently green or
sufficiently prominent they pay the penalty of having
to wear green spots the rest of the evening. The spots
are circles of bright green paper, about one inch in
diameter, with pieces of gummed paper pasted to the
wrong side so that they may be wet and stuck on the
face in the most unbecoming places the committee can
find. |
Green spots on the cheekbones always add greatly to
one’s natural beauty. Any wearer of the spots who
**loses’’ his two spots during the evening is given four
spots as consolation.
Another way of having ‘‘forgetters’’ pay a penalty
is to have both ears decorated with large green bows
which are to be worn all through the party, regardless
of what this may do to individual styles of beauty. Nor
41
42 THE FUN BOOK
are the bows to be attached to hair covering the ear.
The bows are to be tied around the ear, both ears being
fully exposed to the light of day. Every woman knows
what that does to her beauty!
If no one forgets to wear vivid green, the hostess
appoints herself a committee of one to decide who is not
sufficiently vivid and sufficiently green, thereby pro-
viding herself with an alibi and with victims for the
Wearing of the Green.
Still another punishment is to have the men taken
aside by the willing committee to have nice hair ribbons
of brilliant green cheesecloth attached to a lock of their
hair. They are to keep them there all evening. The
failure to do so brings an additional penalty of having
to serve as a victim in a hoax. Girls who are without
some green adornment are given nice, large green neck-
ties tied in a bow tie, and these too are to be worn all
evening, regardless of how unbecoming they are to
individual styles of beauty.
Nicknames,
Instead of asking guests to introduce themselves in
perfectly proper fashion, ask them to do it in very
improper fashion. Girls are lined up against one wall
while men line up against the other. The first man is
then asked to go across the room and introduce himself
to the first girl, who introduces him to the second girl,
and so he passes down the line of girls. He is closely
followed by all the other men who in this manner are
introduced to every girl present.
But—only nicknames or first names are allowed, and
they must be used through the entire evening. The
resultant hilarity just about permanently cripples the
MARCH 43
laughing apparatus of some of the less hearty brothers
and sisters. Imagine the social effect of calling one’s
minister his college nickname, ‘‘Peanuts,’’ all through
an evening!
Shamrock Hunt.
A great many shamrocks or, if possible, little paper
snakes, are hidden all about the room. Guests form a
circle and to the accompaniment of march-time music
they march around in a circle. Suddenly a whistle
~ blows, at which signal they are to break ranks and hunt
for a shamrock. As soon as each one finds one he
shouts, ‘‘ Hooray!’’ runs back to the center of the room,
drops his shamrock in a basket held by the leader and
joins the line of march around the room, the music
being a continuous performance throughout the entire
game.
_A few seconds after they have all joined the march
again the whistle is heard a second time, and again they
all hunt for a shamrock, shouting ‘‘ Hooray !’’ when they
find it and bringing it back to the leader before joining
the marching circle.
However, the supply of shamrocks soon runs out and
it becomes a difficult matter to find a shamrock which is
not present. The leader starts to count immediately
after she blows her whistle, and anyone who cannot pro-
duce a shamrock before she counts to twenty is given a
seat of honor, which seat is located on the floor in the
middle of the room where a large rug or newspapers
have been placed. All the players who were successful
in their search march around them, but gradually the
*“Hoorays!’’ grow fewer, the outer circle gets smaller,
and the inner one correspondingly larger. The prize
4:4. THE FUN BOOK
goes to the last person to find a shamrock and ask
‘* Hooray !”? : ae y
How Do You Do! if :
As a St. Patrick’s Day mixer vie a group of young
people who are not quite sure that they are going to
have a good time, there is nothing more mixing, men-
tally and socially, than this game. It is so futile to ask
guests to ‘‘shake hands and be social!’’ There is no
incentive, and the only ones who respond to the request
are those who do it from a sense of duty. But a sense
of duty is hardly conducive to a truly social spirit,
so instead of appealing to a sense of duty let a leader
appeal to her guests’ sense of humor, as well as their
sense of safety first!
The leader announces that guests are to shake hands
with each other while soft sweet music is heard; that
suddenly her whistle will blow and the music stop, and
that all guests who are shaking the hand of another
guest are to hold those joined hands high in the air and
shout ‘‘How do you do!’’ so that the leader can easily
see that they are obeying orders and are shaking hands
in all good faith.
Any guest who is not at that particular moment
shaking the hand of some other guest is—out of luck!
He will be spied by the leader, his name will be taken,
and he will be used as a victim later on in the evening
in some hoax. This unfortunate usually thinks that he is
then to drop out of the handshake game, but after his
name is taken he must get back into the group and take
his chance of getting caught again without a fellow
handshaker when the next whistle blows.
This announcement is always sufficient to start the
MARCH 46
most unsocial group ever assembled into violently shak-
ing the hands of any and every other person present.
The leader makes it plain too, in no uncertain terms,
that no one is allowed to continue shaking hands with
the same person. This continues for about three or four
minutes, the whistle blowing at intervals of thirty sec-
onds and the leader immediately searching the crowd
for unsocial laggards who are not at that moment en-
gaged in earnestly shaking the hand of some other guest.
“="""Y£ she likes, the leader may announce that both hands
;
must be ‘‘shook’’ and held up in the air when the whistle
blows; or that guests must shake hands backwards or
left-handed.
It will hardly be necessary to urge a group to be
‘*social’’ after a handshake of that kind.
\ Muddy March.
Contestants are lined up as for a relay race, the first
one in each line being given two waste baskets. When
the starting signal is given each of these first con-
testants is to put his right foot in one of his baskets,
put the empty basket one step ahead, and then put his
left foot in that; take his right foot out of its basket,
put that basket one step ahead, and so forth, continuing
in this manner all the way to the goal and return, giv-
ing his basket to the next runner.
Contestants are not allowed to shuffle along with both
feet in baskets. They will try to.
March Madness.
The place in which this race is to be run should be
made as clear of furniture as is possible. There should
be two lines of contestants, with about three in each
46 THE FUN BOOK
line. The first one in each line is given a cane and at a
signal is to plant the cane firmly on the floor, put his
forehead down on the head of the cane, and keeping
it there, is to walk around in a circle five times, count-
ing out loud. When he has finished the fifth round he
is to walk as rapidly as possible to the other end of the
room, touch the wall, and then go back to give the cane
to the next contestant who does the same thing.
The line which first completes this wins a prize and
a long rest.
After a leader had tried this stunt himself he will
understand the advice to have the room cleared of fur-
niture as far as possible. The first time the writer tried
it she did her best to walk over the piano. Onlookers
may think the wild courses taken by the contestant after
the round and round process are exaggerated in their
zigzaggedness.
Mashed Potatoes.
Two men are asked to kneel down before chairs on
which have been placed saucers of mashed potatoes, one
for each. When the signal is given they are to start
in eating their potato without the use of their hands.
The decorative effect on their faces will soon be notice-
able, this last being a conservative statement. Even
the handsomest man will look somewhat goofy with
mashed potato all over his face, his nose bearing the
greater share of the burden.
One Third of a Pig.
If there are more girls than men present (and there
will be) let the men take chairs and sit in a large cir-
cle, each man seeing to it that there is a vacant chair
MARCH 47
at his right. All the girls and women form a circle out-
side this ring of chairs and to the accompaniment of
music they march around until suddenly the music
stops. This is the signal for them to get a chair—and
a man—and to immediately begin talking to that man.
All girls who did not get a chair and a man become
one third of a pig, and everyone is asked to notice
expressly who they are. But any ‘‘third’’ who sees a
girl who has captured a chair and a man but is not in
conversation: with that man, may quickly call the leader’s
attention to it, and change places with the unsocial girl
who then becomes a third of a pig.
The leader allows exactly one minute for conversation
and then asks all girls to march around the outside
again, repeating the same performance. Each time a
airl ‘‘misses out’’ she becomes another third. There are
only three thirds to a pig, however, and when a girl
has come to that regrettable state of affairs she is to rise
and give her best possible imitation of a pig’s ‘‘Oi, o1!”’
all through the conversation period.
Emerald Isle.
“Several “Emerald Isles’’ are cut out of large pieces
of green paper. These isles are placed on the floor in
such a way that the guests, all of whom have taken
partners and formed a double circle, cannot avoid cross-
ing the isles in their marching. When the music starts
everyone marches around in a circle, no one being
allowed to jump over or straddle the isles, but being
obliged to go directly across Ireland. Suddenly the
music stops, and anyone caught on Irish territory is
taken to the platform or some other prominent place.
This continues until the circle gets so small that the
48 THE FUN BOOK
isles must be moved closer together. The last couple
to stay in the circle without getting caught in Ireland
gets the prize.
It is not entirely forbidden for the pianist to watch j oa
the different couples and/ to stop the music just asa | ~»
stoutish couple is about to step in Ireland. Their efforts
to keep from completing that step are a Py ipemn to look
upon.
Complimentary Abbreviations.
All guests are seated, resting after some strenuous
game. As a very brief fill-in before starting some more
lengthy game the leader may ask everyone present to
crook his forefinger under the chin of his right-hand
neighbor, and then very quickly and without stopping
to think, to give the abbreviation for quart. They will
look like ‘‘Cuties!’’
They are then asked to point their fingers at tien
neighbors’ head and just as quickly to give the abbre-
viation for mountain.
The leader takes no responsibility whatsoever for re-
sultant arguments!
Piggy.
A candy shamrock has been placed in the middle of
a string which is about one yard long. A fat man is
placed at either end of the string. When the signal is
given both contestants put their end of the string in
their mouths and start to chew their way to the sham-
rock. The one who gets to it first certainly deserves it
for a prize.
Flat-heads.
All guests are divided into lines of equal length, the
first one in each line heing given a large potato. When
ee
MARCH 49
the signal is given all these first players put their po-
tatoes on their heads, run to the goal and return, and
give their potatoes to the next runners. That is, they
-may run as long as the potato stays on their heads, but
few of us are flat-headed enough to be able to balance a
potato on our heads and run at the same time! When-
ever the potato falls, the runner himself must pick it
up and put it back on his head before he can continue.
~ Pan Balance.
This is played exactly like the race above except that
the potato is placed on a pie tin which must be balanced
on the head during the race.
. Potato Relays.
1. Groups are divided into columns of equal length,
all players facing the front of the room. A potato is
passed down the line over the heads of the players. The
team which wins two out of three events wins the
contest.
2. This may be used with the potato in a pan as it is
in Pan Balance.
3. Potatoes must be rolled to goal and return.
4, Each contestant must peel a potato. This is par-
ticularly good for men contestants.
5. Contestants are on roller skates and balance pota-
toes on heads.
A Mad March Party.
Hverything is jumbled in this party, from the invita-
tions to the refreshments. Invitations are as incoherent
as it is possible to make them, guests being invited to
stay away from the party; then given explicit direc-
50 THE FUN BOOK
tions as to how to get there; how to dress for the party
—to wear one white and one black shoe, or a bedroom
slipper and a riding boot; to carry a fan and a muff.
The decorations should be just as mixed up, an onion
and a carnation joining forces in one vase; an empty
kerosene can forming the receptacle for a lovely bunch
of roses. Games should be of the Hallowe’en and April
Fool type, including tricks, and blindfolded and back-
ward contests.
A Trip to Ireland.
The group is divided into two teams. A ‘‘race-
course’’ has been carefully planned by the committee in
charge. Each team is taken in charge by a leader who
leads his team to the place in the building which is the
farthest distant from the room in which the refresh-
ments are to be served. The two teams are thus as far
apart as they can possibly be, and at the same time are
at equal distances away from the refreshments. When
a shrill whistle is heard, both teams start racing for
the dining-room and the one that gets there first is to be
served by the losing team.
However, there are obstacles to overcome. All mem-
bers of a team must have hands on the shoulders of the
one in front of them, and must keep them there. The
line must be unbroken at the time it reaches the ‘dining-
room. Also, the race-course must be as full of difficul-
ties as the committee can make it. It should be a wind-.
ing course, up stairways and down stairways, through
cellars and over boxes and chairs, the committee being
very careful to have the two courses equally difficult!
The guests will have earned their refreshments by
the time they have taken this course. Add to this the
MARCH 51
fact that they are racing against another team—and
there will be excitement aplenty.
he
For Small Groups —
* Potato Jerusalem. ) og
This is played on the principle of the old-fashioned
‘Going to Jerusalem’’ but potatoes are used instead of
chairs. Players form a circle and when the music stops
snatch for one of the potatoes which have been placed
in a circle on the floor. The one who does not get one
ooes to the center of the circle. Each time one more
potato is taken away from the circle, so the lonesome
person in the center will soon have plenty of company.
Kiss the Blarney Stone.
Six or seven of the guests are asked to leave the room
and are brought in one at a time; are blindfolded and
asked to kiss the Blarney Stone three times. The first
two times they kiss a stone over which a clean piece of
gauze is placed for each contestant. The third time,
however, they receive a salty answer to their kisses. A
_ large lump of salt is substituted for the rock.
Blarney.
Partners are found in the following manner :—Men
go to one side of the room and form a line while the
women go to the other. They draw shamrocks from a
hat, each shamrock bearing a number, those of the girls
corresponding with the numbers of the men. When they
all have their shamrocks and their numbers the leader
asks the first man in the line to call out his number
loudly and to blarney his unknown partner by telling
52 THE FUN BOOK
her just what he thinks is the loveliest thing about her.
After he has delivered his blarney the girl who has the
corresponding number steps out and the two go to the
sidelines together to listen in on the other blarneying.
This continues all down the line until all of the men
have found partners and all the girls have been duly
blarneyed.
To her dying day prim Miss Simpson will thrill over
the fact that Captain Brooks told her she was as a lovely
summer morn!
Note the following adaptations:
1. See The Vicious Donkey. Use a pig.
2. See Egg Balance. Use potatoes.
3. See Hooray! Substitute St. Patrick for George
Washington.
4. See Cherry Race. Use potatoes.
CHAPTER IV
fia Ti
3 SP * mer
= + jit.
For Either Large or Small Groups
A large sign is hung on the outside of the house,
reading ‘‘Not at home!’’ If the party is to be given at
night this sign should be illuminated.
As guests come in the front door a hand is extended
in greeting through a curtain at the side. However,
when it is grasped for a handshake it does the most un-
canny thing a hand can do—it comes off!
It is, of course, a stuffed glove held through the cur-
tain by means of a stick. As soon as it is grasped the
stick is withdrawn. There are more pleasant sensations.
Signs may be hung all around the rooms wishing the
~ guests a ‘‘Merry EHaster!’’ a ‘‘Happy Labor Day!’’ and
a fond ‘‘Good night !’’
Misguided proverbs too, add to the seriousness of the
occasion. ‘‘He laughs best who gathers no moss!’’ is
very much to the point.
Rebecca’s motto, ‘‘ When joy and duty clash let duty
go to smash!’’ is always welcomed at an April Fool
party. :
Other signs warn guests that as they sew so shall
they rip; that they can kid gloves but they can’t string
beans.
53
54 THE FUN BOOK
Let us hope there is no significance attached to the
signs bearing the words ‘‘There is no place like home’’;
‘‘Speed the parting guest!’’ ‘‘For rent!’’ ‘‘To be
vacated !”’
! Decorations are April Foolish with a vengeance. A
little tin shovel with a coy bit of red ribbon tied to
its handle hangs in a door way. A frying pan hangs in
another doorway. A flour sifter with artificial flowers
in it graces the piano. The shade has been removed
from a tall lamp and a floor mop is tied to it in such
a way that the mop takes the place of the shade. News-
papers substitute for rugs and curtains. Hideous
chromos are hung on the walls, as are the blatant mot-
toes and signs mentioned above.
The receiving line should be very cool in its welcome
of the guests and pretend to know none of them, asking
in each case, ‘‘The name, please?’’
False Fronts.
If the guests have been able to stand up under this
effusively cordial hospitality they are invited to take
off their wraps and put on the false faces which each
guest was asked to bring. These false faces may be
ever so impromptu and home-madey. It is always wise
for the committee to have some extra false faces at
hand for those who forgot to bring their own.
As each guest puts on his false face he also pins on
a large number which the hostess has given him. In
every way he is to disguise his personality and his voice
so that when the first event of the evening is announced
he may be ‘‘protected.’’ Guests are given cards and
pencils and are told to find out who is behind the various
April Fool faces. As soon as they can discover an
APRIL 55
identity they put down the name and number of the
individual. At the end of a ten minute interval the
hostess calls for all the cards, and while another game
is going on the cards are checked up.
The guest whose identity was guessed the most times
is called upon to pay a heavy penalty. The guest who
correctly guessed the most identities is given a shiny
policeman’s star and is privileged to act as policeman
for the rest of the evening, and check up and fine any
guests who are not coming up to his particular idea of
April Fool Jollification.
He may‘fine Mrs. Morrison, who is weak from laugh-
ter, for being such a killjoy, and little Mr. Carson pays
a penalty for having feet too big for any party!
These April ool faces are to be worn through at
least half an hour of the evening’s fun. If there is any-
thing more ridiculous or moxg socializing than a group
of solemn or hideous false faces playing games I have
yet to see it.
No Fair!
Nothing ever was or ever will be any funnier than
this April Fool stunt. One of the most socially inclined
guests is privately told that a newcomer in the group
is extremely deaf, and that it would be a kindness to
single him out and be nice to him and talk to him, being
sure to shout directly in his ear. The newcomer is told
the same thing about this man.
Under some pretext, and quite as a casual thing, both
of them are sent out of the room on separate errands.
While they are gone the group is told the situation and
asked to help along the delusion.
To see two men, both of them possessed of perfect
56 THE FUN BOOK
hearing, shouting in each other’s ears, laboring under
the impression that they are doing their painful duty,
is a sight to make strong men weep!
An April Foolish Mixer.
Large molasses kisses are passed around. After the
paper is taken off they are to be put in the mouth entire
and chewed, while guests pass down the receiving line
shaking hands with other guests and calling them by
name. This last is made inevitable by having a receiv-
ing line stand in place while all guests form a line, alter-
nating a man and a girl; each one in turn goes up to the
receiving line, introduces himself, shakes hands with each
one in the line and then becomes a part of it, standing
next to the last one in line.
The rule of calling every other guest by name, as well
as shaking hands, should be strictly enforced. While
enunciation could hardly be ‘said to be improved by
an accompaniment of the chewing of molasses kisses,
nevertheless the resulting difficulties surely do effect the
social spirit of a group most favorably !
To greet the minister with ‘‘Good eyening Reverend
Ridenbaugh!’’ with a mouth full of a molasses kiss, calls
for a nimble tongue, a large mouth and a social spirit.
April Fool Jump.
Three or four stout men are chosen—with friendly
determination on the part of the leader—for the victims
in this race. A washline is stretched across the room,
some two feet off the floor. In order to get an idea of
its height these men are asked to try Jumping across it
in turn, as they are to jump it blindfolded in a few
minutes. After they have all jumped it with their eyes
APRIL 57
open they are blindfolded at the same time and one at
a time are faced in the right direction and told to jump
the rope blindfolded.
In the meantime the rope has been removed. Three
substantial citizens of the community making a frantic
jump over a rope which is not present, do not exactly
ymake for a solemn occasion.
»/
~., April Fool Harmonics.
iy There is nothing more April Foolish than this stunt.
_ Two people who really can sing are asked to sing a
duet. Then for an encore they sing another duet, but
this time both the singers and the accompanist get con-
fused and each one carefully chooses a key which is en-
tirely different from the ones the other two are using.
The soprano may sing in one flat, the alto in two sharps,
while the pianist plays in C natural, all of them keeping
their faces perfectly straight all the while.
However, the audience is funnier than the perform-
ance. First there is evidence of pain; then of wonder-
ment as to whether it is supposed to be right or not;
and finally the pent-up pain will not be contained any
longer and the performers are inevitably drowned out in
/ the helpless laughter of the audience!
Deformity Race.
Contestants must first race as though they were
knock-kneed. Next they must toe in, and finally, toe out.
April Fool Races.
Any backward or blindfolded race, or a contest in
which the contestant’s feet are tied together or ham-
pered in some way, serve very well as April Fool Races,
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April Fool Hunt. rf ve 43 aa
Guests are asked to search for hidden candies. Two
very lovely prizes are exhibited as an incentive.
It does not take more than an hour or so for the
hunters to discover that the hidden candies—ain’t! gig
April Fool Locomotion. +,
No April Fool party is complete without a kiddy kar te
race. If ever contestants did look April Foolish! Four ~*~
of the stoutest or longest men are invited (which is
hardly the word!) to run this race, the four of them
making two teams, two men on a team. The first one of
each team is given a kar and at the signal sits down on
it and without a push from his partner starts propelling
his kar to the goal.
Ofttimes he only starts. If he does get back he gives
his kiddy kar to the other member of his team who goes
through the same torment.
April Fool Spelldown.
Words must be spelled backwards, the leader giving a
certain time limit to each speller. One hard-hearted
teacher gave Russian names at a recent April Fool
Spelldown!
The Vicious Donkey.
The picture of a donkey with a huge ear is drawn in
charcoal on a large piece of white paper. About ten of
the guests or a losing team are asked to go into another
room and are brought back one at a time. As each one
is brought in he is shown the picture of the donkey, and
told that after he is blindfolded he is to go up and poke
his finger in the donkey’s ear. He is then blindfolded,
led up to the donkey, and told to poke ahead!
APRIL 59
Just as he is about to poke, one of the leader’s
assistants who has been ‘‘casually’’ standing near the
donkey, kneels down and as the exploring forefinger is
- about to touch the picture he gives that finger a ees
bite.
It never takes very long for the blindfolder to come
off! The healthy bite is accomplished by using some toy
animal with teeth, or one of those large clips with which
office papers are clipped together; anything in fact that
will give a most unpleasant sensation to a blindfolded
person who is about to poke his finger in a donkey’s ear.
To be bitten, even gently, when one is blindfolded is a
real sensation.
April Fool Mending Party.
For a group of women this 7s an April Fool event.
Their invitations ask them to bring a bit of difficult
mending along, something which they have rather
dreaded doing themselves. After all the guests have
arrived the hostess asks them to exchange mending, sight
unseen.
Le" Refreshments.
It would not be amiss to have garlic in the refresh-
ments.
It might help too to pass around perfectly bona fide
candies. Guests always avoid candy on April Fool’s
Day. The refreshment committee can feast on the dis-
dained candy after the company goes home!
To make the supper hour truly April Foolishly formal,
guests are given the most impossible hats which the
hostess has been able to find. Each guest must wear his
hat all through the supper hour. If there is anything
60 THE FUN BOOK
funnier than a large, fat man wearing a lady’s little hat,
the hat being trimmed with pink ribbon and forget-me-
nots,—the man all the time trying to look unconscious of
his appearance—it has escaped my observation.
The napkins are squares of cheesecloth; the chairs are
wooden boxes; the dishes are paper containers; and the
silver takes the shape of tin spoons.
For a further assurance that all guests are perfectly
at ease, the hostess announces that anyone who eats with
his right hand instead of his left will have all his re- / 4 37
freshments taken away from him,
ae Le 4
EASTER /¢ S| OvpRAe .
For Small Groups <
Rabbits’ Ears.
As each guest comes in and takes off his wraps he is
given a headdress peculiarly suited to the season. It is
a pair of rabbits’ ears, which can easily be made or
bought. They are usually made of white crepe paper,
and are wired so that they will stand appropriately—
and unbecomingly—straight up into the air. They may
be fastened on with hairpins.
These ears lend atmosphere to any social function.
The Musical Egg. \
The hostess passes a hard-boiled egg to her right-hand
neighbor with instructions for her to hold it while she
sings up the scale. After the holder of the egg sings she
quickly passes on the egg to her right-hand neighbor.
This guest too must hold it until she sings up the scale
before passing it on to her neighbor. The object is to
APRIL 61
sing the scale and to get rid of the egg as soon as pos-
sible in order not to be caught with it at the crucial
moment, these crucial moments being determined by the
hostess who blows a tiny whistle at intervals of thirty
seconds. Any guest caught with the egg in her hand
when the whistle blows is listed. These listed guests are
later on invited to pay the penalty of their ‘‘careless-
ness.”’
It is remarkable how many guests who just cannot
sing up the scale, can sing up the scale in certain situa-
tions! |
«The Feminist Easter Bonnet.
Each guest is given a man’s old hat. It may be a
derby or an old straw hat, any kind of a man’s hat.
The name of the guest is pasted inside. (The writer’s
advice to the hostess is that it should be an old hat!)
On the table are placed bits of brightly colored ribbon
and chiffon, flowers, feathers, and any kind of ornament
that would lend dignity to a man’s hat. Needles, thread,
pins and scissors are provided. When the signal is given
each guest is given exactly two minutes in which to put
some ornament on his hat. At the end of that two min-
utes, no matter how incomplete his work is, he is to pass
his hat to his right-hand neighbor and in turn to receive
one from his left-hand neighbor. Trimmers are again
given two minutes in which to add to the artistic develop-
ment of these hats, after which they are again passed to
the right.
. This continues until the hats come back to their orig-
- Inal owners, who, it must be. confessed, do not always
recognize them but have to look inside for their identifi-
cation tickets! The one who must own up to the worst-
62 THE FUN BOOK
looking hat is obliged to wear it during the rest of the
party, while the owner of the best-looking hat is given
the hat as a reward for his skill.
If the hostess has a shock-proof eye she may ask all
guests to wear their hats for the rest of the evening.
' Fortune Telling Eggs. | 7 3S |
Each guest is given an Easter egg, painted in a color
which is light enough so that writing done on the sur-
face of the egg can easily be deciphered. Guests are
given pencils and are asked to write their initials on the
large end of these eggs. The eggs are then collected,
mixed up and again passed around. Guests are then
given exactly one minute in which to write the answers
to each of the questions the hostess asks, the only require-
ment being that they use the initials on their eggs for
the first letters of the two words to their answers.
Answers must be written on the eggs.
The following is the list of questions for which the
hostess wishes two-worded answers:
What does he look like?
How old is he?
What does he sing like?
His pet hobby?
His one hope?
His saving grace?
After all the questions are answered the eggs are again
collected, and again mixed up and passed around, this
time for reading. Each guest in turn reads the initials
on his egg, gives the name of the person to whom the
initials belong, and then reads the descriptive sketch.
Imagine the amazement of stout Henrietta Forbes
when she hears that she looks like a helpless feather-
> oR go Po
APRIL 63
weight; that she is ‘‘Heaven forbid!’”’ as to age; that
her pet hobby is nOPD aE Soria
sil “The Egg Balance. ; Y oF :
Guests are asked to line up in two lines, the first one
in each line being given a yardstick and an egg which is
hardboiled, very hardboiled! When the signal is given
these first contestants race to the end of the room and
back balancing their eggs on their yardsticks. They
give the sticks and the eggs to the next one in line. This
continues until all members of a team have raced, the
team to finish first being given a box of Haster candies
which they may or may not divide with their slower fel-
-low guests, just as they like. If an egg falls off the stick
the runner must pick it up, go back to the starting point,
get another egg and begin over again.
We say ‘‘the runner,’’ but we have yet to see the guest
the dangerous end of a yardstick.
Easter Eggshell Contest.
The contents of eggs are blown out and the empty shell
must be blown to the goal and return.
An eggshell may be used as a football on a table, the
objeet being for the two opposing teams to blow the foot-
ball over the enemy’s goal line (far edge of the enemy’s
territory).
The Red-eared Bunny.
A small bunny with bright red ears is put on display
before the guests, with the explanation that this bunny
is to be hidden somewhere in the room in such a way
that only his ears will be visible; that when the signal
who can do any running while he is balancing an egg on Wy Wg
64 THE FUN BOOK
is given guests are to go and look for the red ears; that
when they find them they are to say nothing at all about
it, but to sit calmly and sing as musically as they can
some song published at least five years ago, no two guests
being allowed to sing the same song.
By the time that all but one guest have found the red
ears there will probably be need of smelling salts and ear
muffiers. The last guest to find the ears is requested to
stand and sing K-K-Kay. Any guest who sits down
without singing—whether he can or not—pays the same
penalty as the last one to find the ears.
Note the following adaptations:
42) Seat Discard.) Meet a,
2. See a Snappy Happy New Year. Use ‘‘A happy
- Kaster to you!’’
3. See Piggy. Use a prune.
4. See A Mad March Party.
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For Either Large or Small Groups
Discard.
May is the time for all good housekeepers to clean
house and to put in the discard all the undesirable and
unnecessary articles of clothing which have been hanging
about the house all winter. (HEather’s favorite fishing
clothes.are.a good example.)
Guests have been asked to bring some piece of wearing
apparel which has found its way into the discard and
which they no longer want. Before they appear in the
social hall they are asked to put on that discarded piece
of apparel and to wear it until someone else asks - for it
in exchange for > the thing he ‘wishes to eet rid of. These
things must be worn all evening, one’s only hope resting
on the chance of being able to change one’s own misfit
for that of someone else. At the close of the evening’s
program all these discards are put in a box for some
charitable institution, —
If you think it, makés for a more solemn occasion for
the minister to go “hout all evening wearing his wife’s
faded hug-me-tight which he can wish off on no one else,
you really aremistaken.
Men's s Fashion Show.
YEP RNG Baster § seems to be the time for displaying
65
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66 THE FUN BOOK
new spring clothes, people are always interested in lovely
dresses and hats and wraps, especially when the models
are unique. The models for this Fashion Show are
unique to say the least. The mannikins for the display
are men taken from the group of guests, men who have
in no way been prepared for this bit of publicity. The
displays themselves and the general order of things have
been carefully worked out beforehand by the committee
in charge so there may be no hitch in the proceedings.
It is unnecessary to add that the announcer is given free
rein!
The mannikins are of course dressed up behind the
scenes. It is hard enough on the audience to see the
finished product. Nuan. = CUAL UVCHe «6
The mannikin selected by the aidrerids as i ae: the
most touchingly lovely is.given-a-vanity Case-as-a- prize.
Se Spring Flowers.
The entire group is divided into smaller groups, each
of the small groups being assigned the name of some
flower and asked to prepare a pantomime which will in
some way show the character of the flower they represent.
The following flowers have been used to good advan-
tage:
1. The poppy. (Heads representing flowers pop up
everywhere. )
The modest violet.
Tulip.
Rose. (Much rising).
Forget-me-not.
Sweet William.
Thistle.
Sunflower (son-flour).
Cl SEER IE anesthe
MAY 67
9. Jack in the Pulpit.
10. Four o’clock.
11. Dandelion.
12. Ladies’ Slippers.
Men are asked to file past a certain table on which
have been placed various kinds of wraps, hats, furs, rib-
bons, umbrellas, gloves, flowers and the like. Each man
is given a small bundle of these things by the committee
in charge, whereupon he immediately goes to his partner
and proceeds to dress her up in the things at hand. The
ladies are warned against being of any assistance to their
partners.
After the five minutes allowed all couples line up for
the grand march which will lead past the judges, who
look with critical—and oftimes hysterical—eye on the
handiwork of mere man. The man who best succeeded
in really making his partner look like something gets a
lady’s pocket handkerchief as a prize, while the man
whose unfortunate partner looks the most terrific gets a
he-man’s bandanna.
«) Spring Beauties Race.
_ fter the flower families have done their stunts in
Spring Flowers, each family selects a leader and then
forms a line behind him, each one putting his hands on
the shoulders of the one in front of him. These teams
line up at the back of the room, the leader seeing to it
that the lines are even. The daffodils help to fill out the
roses’ line if there are not enough roses, and the pinks
help the anemones, the point being that all families must
have an even number. When they are all ready the
68 THE FUN BOOK
leader announces a race between families. Opposite
each team is a human ‘‘post’’ around whom the team
must run.
Each event is different, the hostess calling out the dif-
ferent events and keeping score of the winning team of
each event. The first one is a walking race. Hands
must be kept on shoulder throughout the race! The next
time they are allowed to run; next, to hippity hop; and
lastly, to sing as loudly as they can while they are hop-
ping on one foot! No team is counted as a winning team
if the line is broken at the finish.
It is not only the winning team that deserves a prize.
Adornment.
“The committee has collected a number of small things
which are usually used for purposes of personal adorn-
ment, enough of them so that every guest may have one
—whether he wants one or not. Most of them are things
which have been put into the discard, like a faded arti-
ficial rose; an old hat; a shawl; a pair of lace mits; a
gaudy fan; or a fancy comb. About half-way through
the evening’s program these evidences of an earlier
vanity are put into grabbags, the guests filing past the
bags and taking just one ‘‘grab.’’ Whatever they draw
must be worn the rest of the evening.
The picture Mr. Graves makes in an Eton jacket is
something to remember.
Spring Will Come.
Pour well chosen victims are asked to sit in chairs —
before the group, are blindfolded and then asked to say
as loudly as possible ‘‘Spring will come!’’ the object
being to see which one can open his mouth the widest
MAY 69
and hold the ‘‘come’’ longest without taking a new
breath. Each participant has a timekeeper who will
_ time him and measure the width of his open mouth as
compared to the other open mouths.
That is, that is the obvious duty of the timekeepers.
Their real duty is a different matter. Just as their vic-
tims have opened their mouths they urge them to open
up a bit wider, and at that crucial moment they drop a
bit of quinine powder on their tongues to stimulate
action !
The Garden.Maze.....
Sess
“Guests stand in fies of equal length. In front of each
line is placed a row of ten Indian clubs which will look
exactly like rows of delicate flowers in a garden. At the
starting signal the first runner in each row starts to hip-
pity hop his way through the row of ‘‘flowers’’ in his
garden, passing one club at the right, the next one at the
left, and so on down the line of clubs. If a club falls
down it must be put back in place before the hippity
hopper can continue.
Can you see what will happen to the other clubs when
a person stoops over to set one club upright?
sh aS ,
he team which made the poorest showing in the Gar-
den Maze is gently but firmly requested to give an
exhibition of fancy skating before a group of judges.
Whether they can or not all these delinquents are asked
to pair off in couples and to skate to the goal and back,
doing the most elaborate skating of which they are
capable.
This last event has been known to precipitate back-
sliding among prominent churchmembers!
70 THE FUN BOOK
A May Walk.
About six couples take this May Walk, two couples to
each team, the girls standing in front of the men whe
put their hands on their partners’ shoulders. When the
signal is given the first couple of each team is to walk to
the goal and return to touch off the next couple of their
team. The team which first accomplishes this gets one
point to its credit. The next time they must run to the
goal and return; then hippity hop; and lastly, after the
whistle blows they are to turn around and come back-
wards.
In all four events the girl stays in front, her partner
being behind her with both hands on her shoulders.
Women are always pushed so much more easily than
they are pulled!
Flowerlike Faces.
A team which has won no events is quietly taken out
of the room before the others have much time to see who
the members are. They are taken behind a large paper
curtain on which has been drawn in colored crayon the
stem and leaves of almost any kind of flower, the place
for the head of the flower being cut out and left vacant.
Then each of these victims in turn is to put his face in
the opening and keep it there until the audience has
guessed who he is.
But—his face has gone through sad changes. In every
possible way every face is changed to look as far from
natural as possible. Those who wear glasses are asked
to part with them and to give them to those who never
wear them. Little patches of whiskers, heavy artificial
eyebrows, blackened teeth, huge paper noses, flower-cov-
ered ears, rouge, heavy white powder, lipstick, false
MAY 71
braids ‘‘orange peeling teeth,’’ paper-stuffed cheeks, and
blackened eyelashes,—every means of disguise is used to
hide the identity of the owner of each face. The one
- whose identity it takes the audience longest to guess gets
a false face as a prize.
Regular Fashion Show.
EE eae EO EHC A INR,
For a group of girls or women a Conan fashion
show is very much to the point. The whole affair has
been arranged so that a ‘‘ wrong version’’ of a fashion is
shown, and after the audience fully appreciates all its
bad points the correct version is shown.
For example, a girl dressed in a knicker suit and high-
heeled pumps and jade earrings is one preview ae
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ind Parthory.
After some game in which partners have been together
for at least three or four minutes, all the men are asked
to sit down in chairs in a circle while their partners
stand behind them. Then one by one the men are called
upon to stand and describe the costume worn by their
partners,
The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Men should
have something to say about this.
Spring Birds.
This should be played in a fairly large room. Guests
are asked to choose the name of some spring bird -for
themselves and to group themselves in the four corners
of the room. Then when the Catcher in the middle of
the room calls out ‘‘I want the robins to fly,’’ all those
72 | THE FUN BOOK *
who chose the part of robins must run from one corner
to the next, flying for all they are worth as they run.
The Catcher tries to tag as many of them as he can.
Anyone who is tagged must help him catch the other
birds until they are all caught. If a player is about to
be tagged and wishes to be safe he needs only to flap his
wings and sing at the top of his lungs.
2
Each guest is asked to put his initials on the top of
the piece of paper given him. These papers are then
collected, mixed up and passed out again. Guests are to
study the initials on their papers and then write out the
name of the flower which they think the owner of the
initials must closely resemble, the only ruling being that
the initials on the top of the paper be used. For instance
the man whose paper reads ‘‘F.. D.’’ writes ‘‘Fat Daf-
fodil’’ on his paper.
The papers are again collected and given to the leader
who takes them up, one by one, calls out the initials and
asks the owners to claim their papers. As they come to
the front of the room she says, ‘‘ Frank Davis, you look
like a fat daffodil!’’
Frank Davis is a tall lean professor and looks about
as much like a fat daffodil as he does like a Gold Dust
Twin.
Initial Flowers. |\'
The Flower Jump.
Several large ‘‘flowers’’ are cut out of colored paper,
none of them being less than six inches across. These
flowers are set out in rows as in a garden, about a foot
apart and with four or five in a row. Facing these rows
are the guests, standing in lines of equal length. When
MAY 73
the signal is given the first one in each line is to hop
down his row of flowers, hopping over the posies on one
foot. When he reaches the end of the row he turns
around and hops back, touching off the next hopper on
his return. Anyone who steps on a posy, or has to put
both feet down on the floor is made to start all over
again. They may, however, change from one foot to the
other, but at no time can both feet be on the floor. The
line which first jumps its row of posies is given a bag
of peanuts.
Flower Petal Partners.
All the girls are asked to go into another room while
the men line up in the main room. Four of the girls
stick their forefingers through a paper curtain which
covers the doorway. The first man in the line is blind-
folded, goes up to the curtain and grasps a ‘‘flower
petal.’’ As soon as he gets a finger he calls out his name
and the other end of the finger calls out hers and they
become partners.
When these four flower petals have been plucked, four
more take their places and so it continues until all the
girls have partners.
Refreshments.
All refreshments are under cover and numbered in a
room apart from the main room. One couple at a time
is admitted and asked to choose the number of the food
desired and to promise to tell no one that number. On
each round guests are given one choice.
It does not exactly make for a serious frame of mind
to have one-third the crowd eating ice cream, while
another third is wistfully holding a napkin and nothing
else, and the last third is chewing on a pickle.
race
gree
£ 7
, i Ld
of CLA t ERMAAS
& Die te i g we $
4
CHAPTER VI
JUNE
For Either Large or Small Groups
Wedding Finery.
As soon as guests have disposed of their wraps the
men are sent to one corner of the room and the girls to
another. In the men’s corner is a committee of three
girls who will deck the men in finery fit for a June wed-
ding, and in the girls’ corner there have been placed
pieces of white cheesecloth, gayly colored ribbons, and
artificial and real flowers. The girls are to adorn them-
selves as only girls can.
When they are all ready the men should look very fes-
tive—to say nothing of foolish—in their huge buttonhole
bouquets, their knots of tulle or chiffon for neckties and
-wristlets and anklets, and their small, old-fashioned
women’s hats, covered with flowers!
Changing One’s Name
This is done in far more mise a manner than the
usual manner of changing one’s name in June. Men
form one line and girls another, and marching down
opposite sides of the room they come up the center with
partners. When they reach the front of the room they
march around the room in a big double circle, finally
forming a single circle, each girl standing at the left of
her partner. Then the leader explains that they take on
74
JUNE 75
new names for the evening, partners exchanging | last
names. Each player in turn announces his or her new
name, by which name he or she is to be called the rest of
the evening. For example, Mary Yorke has Bill Howell
for her partner. Therefore, for the rest of the evening
Mary Yorke becomes Mary Howell and Bill becomes Bill
Yorke.
a “0 Wedding Music.
~The y wedding guests must furnish the music so they
use the grand march in forming fours, each four making
a family group which is to quickly prepare a song, this
whether they can sing or not. If the company of guests
is a large one, have guests make groups of eight instead
of four. They may sing any song they like but they
must sing a song or suffer the consequences.
They are given four minutes in which to prepare a
song and then each group is called out in turn by the
leader to sing through one verse and the chorus of their
song. That will be quite sufficient! When all the
groups have done their best—or their worst—they are
asked to make a community chorus and all of them sing
their song at the same time.
It is to be hoped that there are no near neighbors,
3 ~ The Gymnastic | Wedding. |
Guests then arrange themselves for the wedding, mem-
bers of the musical family groups sitting together as
all good family groups should. The wedding ceremony
should have had a bit of preparation put on it but it is
made to look as impromptu as possible. The master of
ceremonies who is a ‘‘gymnasium instructor’’ calls on
the participants to step out of the audience, and right
76 THE FUN BOOK
before the other guests they are Reh ae for the cere-
mony. The bride’s veil, the groom ’s gloves (which are
ten cent store work cloves), all the wedding finery is at
hand and is put on the victims before the other guests.
The music is all very decidedly march-time Cappel
music, like Sousa’s ‘‘Stars and Stripes Forever.’’ The
flower girl, who is some husky man, is the first to enter,
and comes in doing arm exercises and violently flinging
bits of paper about for flower petals. Next the three
bridesmaids, who are tall and muscular men, come goose-
stepping in, and then the maid of honor enters doing
gymnastics. Finally the bride and groom come in, the
eroom stalking along with mighty tread and doing deep
breathing exercises, while the bride is constantly touch-
ing the floor without bending her knees.
After the wedding party is assembled the master of
ceremonies reads a.mock ceremony, all the while inter-
rupting himself with ‘Arms sidewards fling !’’ where-
upon the entire wedding party must ‘‘arms sidewards
fling’’ until another command is given. All responses
by the bride and groom must be given at the same time
that the exercises are being performed. After they are
safely married the wedding party slowly files out, using
the same step with which they came in and doing their
exercises as violently as ever.
This is merely a suggestion of a plan for a | Symnastic
wedding, and can be enlarged pee to a ereat extent.
A groom who is called upon to do ‘‘prone falling’’ while
answering ‘‘Yes,’’ is most effective!
A la Carte.
Hight heavy women, four stout wagons and eight
brave masculine souls are the necessaries for this race.
JUNE 1
Each heavy woman chooses one of the brave men for her
guide and motive power, two couples making up a team.
The first couple of each team is given one of the wagons.
At the signal the women of the first team sits in the
wagon facing the front, and does the steering while the
man pushes from the rear.
The committee should have a Ratt and not make the
course too long! The man pushes his lady fair down the
course around the designated ‘‘post’’ which has been
pointed out as his, and comes back to give the wagon to
the next couple—and to take a much needed rest.
The team which first completes this race without any
casualties gets an all-day sucker apiece. It is amazing to
see how many ladies have lost the fine art of steering a
craft. It is made clear to them that it is no fair steering
poe
into the piano.
| Valet & Service.
“Bivery man present is asked to take a girl for a part-
ner, the only stipulation being that the girl he chooses
ean be no relation of his, thereby making it impossible
for a man to take his wife as his partner. These couples
form teams, an equal number of couples being on each
team. At the signal the first couple of each team runs
to the opposite end of the room where the man sits down
on the chair provided, the lady takes off the man’s tie,
and then puts it back on again, tying it as neatly as she
ean. When she has finished they run back together to
touch off the second couple of their team who go through
the same process. This continues until all the men of a
team have had their ties taken off and put on again.
The women cannot understand the general exodus of
78 THE FUN BOOK
the men toward a mirror immediately after this game is
finished.
Makeup...
Four girls and four men who were the losers in some
other event are to be the victims for this contest. The
four girls are to stand some place where they can be
plainly seen by all the other guests. Each man is then
provided with a makeup box which contains an old-fash-
ioned hair ornament of some kind, a beauty patch made
out of court plaster, lipstick, rouge, eyebrow pencil, and
plenty of powder. When the signal is given he is to
start in making his lady beautiful. The degree of his
success,is doubtful.
When the ladies are ready for the beauty contest they
stand before the three judges, waiting for the decision as
to which man achieved the most artistic effect. The
judges have been instructed beforehand to choose the
most garrishly awful makeup as the best.
The benefits of this game are not alone social benefits!
The Obstacles of Married Life.
~Pourtouples w who deserve a penalty are asked to form
two teams, two couples to each team. The teams stand
in diagonally opposite corners of the room. When the
starting signal is given the first couple of each team
starts to race around the room, but—there are obstacles
to overcome.
First of all they are not allowed to run this race, but
must walk it. As for the obstacles—in one corner they
will find two.chairs which face each other. They must
climb over these, the man helping the lady, it is hoped!
In the next corner they are met by an assistant to the
JUNE 19
leader who tells them that together they will have to
count to twenty before they may pass on. In the next
corner - they ‘find hoo 100ps which they are to draw down over
themselves before ‘they are privileged to continue, and in
the fourth corner they must sing up and down ile scale.
This last is no more painful to the contestants than to
the onlookers.
When these first couples, who have started from oppo-
site corners, complete the four requirements they quickly
touch off the second couples of their team who go through
the same performance. The team which first overcomes
all its obstacles is given the promise that it will live
jappily ever afterward.
Jramatic P rship.
This is the month in which ‘‘partners”’ are taken, and
while the matter of taking partners is no laughing mat-
ter, nevertheless we might just as well get all the fun out
of it we can.
This game is used most successfully with a group made
up of not more than fifty guests. On arrival each guest
is given a slip of paper. Those given to the men bear
directions which govern their part of the performance.
Those given to the ladies tell them to look for a certain
gentleman whom they will recognize by his actions.
Directions for the men may include the following:
1. Pose as the Statue of Liberty.
2. Preach a one-minute sermon in pantomime.
8. Lead a choir through an anthem.
4, Pantomime a lady dressing her hair before a
mirror.
5. Teach a class in Geography,
6. Give two Mother Goose rhymes in pantomime,
7. Teach a gymnasium class.
i} tf ay pAdé
X Double Dead Ball. |“.
¥ Guests are divided into two teams, each team being
provided with three or four soft rubber balls. The two
teams face each other across a line stretched between two
trees, about three feet off the ground.
When the signal is given they start shooting at each
other. Anyone who is hit by a ball is dead and must
drop out. If a player sees a ball coming his way and he
catches it, he is not dead, but may continue in the game.
The team which stays alive the longer gets a prize of
a bag of peanuts.
MY Obstacles, |
“Players form a circle, It and the player who is to be
chased standing on the outside of the circle. Two obsta-
cles, which are just alike, have been placed just outside
the circle. They may be barrels, one for the runner and
one for It to climb through; they may be a rope which
they will have to jump; or any obstacle which is
awkward to climb over or through. Whatever these
obstacles are, the one who is being chased cannot run
88 THE FUN BOOK
back to his place in the circle before he has gone over
or through one of the obstacles, nor can It tag him
before he too has jumped over or through his obstacle.
It is so easy to go through a barrel when one is in a
hurry.
Four-legged Cat and Rat.
This is played exactly like the old game of ‘‘Cat and
Rat’’ except that both cat and rat must run on hands
and toes. Players form a circle, one player being chosen
for cat and another for the rat. The rat is given just a
short start, and then the chase is on,—on hand and foot.
The rat is not allowed to run away from the circle in his
efforts to avoid the cat. When the rat is caught he
chooses a new rat and the old cat chooses a new cat.
Double Cat and Rat.
This is played like the game above except that there
are two cats and one rat. All three must go around on
hands and knees. If the cats are fat and the rat is not,
the rat stands a better chance against the two cats than
one would think.
Horseshoe.
No picnic is complete unless a horseshoe game is going
on in some part of the grounds. If horseshoes are hard
to get rope quoits are just as acceptable.
After some ‘‘regular’’ horseshoe games it is never
amiss for the ladies to challenge the men, the only re-
quirement being that the men who play against the
ladies must throw with their left hands.
At that, they usually show up the women.
: JULY AND AUGUST 89
o Pigtail.
When only a few players are available and the base-
ball fever is burning Pigtail, Long Ball, and Workup
show up to good advantage. Pigtail may be played with
as few as five players, a pitcher, a catcher, a baseman
and at least two batters. The baseman may be dispensed
with if necessary, but it helps considerably in putting
a runner out to have a baseman on the job. There is
only one base and it is located about half-way between
where first and second bases would ordinarily be. If
the runner is put out he becomes pitcher, the pitcher
becomes catcher and the catcher becomes one of the bat-
ters. Any ball which lands in front of the catcher is a
good ball.
Workup.
This too is a very flexible adaptation of baseball. It
ean be played with a minimum of nine players, pitcher,
catcher, the three baseman and four batters. If any
more players are available they fill the places of short-
stop and fielders. When a batter is put out he goes to
the position of least importance and every other player
moves up a notch, the catcher becoming a batter. If
there is a full nine on the field the one put out goes out
in the field, and as the different batters are put out works
his way up through the field, shortstop, third, second
and first bases, pitcher, catcher, finally becoming a batter
again. Rules are exactly like those of Indoor Baseball.
uv Long Ball.
There is only one base and it is located directly behind
the pitcher’s box, the pitcher being about equidistant
from the home plate and the one base. There may be
é
~~
90 THE FUN BOOK
any number of runners on the base at the same time.
Runners may be put out by being hit with the ball. Any
ball which lands in front of the catcher is a good ball.
Kick Baseball.
This is played exactly like Indoor Baseball except that
a football is used instead of a baseball, and that there is
no pitcher. The football is laid on the ground at the
home plate and is kicked by the ‘‘batter.’’ No batter is
allowed to pick up the ball to kick it. It must be kicked
off the ground. Foul lines are the same as for regular
Indoor Baseball.
If the batters are too husky and their hits land too
far away to make the game interesting, a rule is made
to the effect that all kicks must be made with the left
foot. This has been known to land awkward kickers in
a prone position.
Kick the Stick.
This too is played like Indoor Baseball except that a
heavy stick or a strip of rubber hose is used instead of
a ball. The stick is about twelve inches long and is laid
between two bricks at the home plate. There is of course
no pitcher. The batter kicks the stick and the rules for
foul or good balls are the same as for Indoor Baseball.
Zen Pins. |
If the committee can supply about twenty Indian
clubs, there are several splendid picnic games for which
they can be used. Two separate bowling alleys are set
up for two rival teams, there being ten clubs in each
alley, set rather far apart. The first player in each team
is provided with an old bicycle tire. At the starting
signal these first players roll their tires and try to knock
JULY AND AUGUST 91
down as many ten pins as possible. Only one trial is
given each player. Score is taken and the tire is given
the next player. This continues until every member of
both teams has rolled the tire. The team which scored
the greatest number of hits is given a point for this first
event. |
The team which wins three out of five events wins the
game—and the tire. There should not be more than ten
players to a team.
Bombardment.
Players are divided into two teams, members of which
form lines and stand facing each other, the two lines
being about fifteen feet apart. Hach player is provided
with an Indian club which stands beside him. Lach side
is given two basketballs and at the starting signal these
balls are shot across the open space, the object being to
knock down the club of an opponent. As soon as a club
is knocked down its owner picks it up, but not before the
scorekeeper has taken a record of it. The winning team
is the one which knocks down the most clubs in five
- minutes.
Club Feet.
This game is used to very good advantage with men
and boys. Players form a circle, each one having an
Indian club between his feet. The one who is It stands
in the middle with a basketball in his hands. At the
starting signal he throws the ball at the club between any
pair of feet, trying to knock over the club. If he is suc-
cessful the owner of the pair of feet becomes It and takes
the ball and the center of the circle.
If there are more than ten players to a circle there
92 THE FUN BOOK
should be three or four Its. This will call for consider-
able stepping about and considerable agility!
Guarding the Cea ii IP? ¥ BD i PEL he r » er
An Indian club is set up on a cushion i in the ie of
a circle made by the players. It is stationed near the
elub as a guard. Players are provided with two or three
soft balls and when the signal is given they start to try
to knock over the club. It of course tries to prevent
them either by catching the balls or guarding the club in
any way he chooses except by picking it up. The one
who is successful in knocking down the club becomes the
next It. If possible, a time score is kept and the one who
was It the longest may.name some ridiculous stunt which
the one who guarded his club the shortest time must
perform.
Competitive Catch.
Players are divided into two competing lines, each line
choosing a captain, and the two lines facing each other
about twelve feet apart. The captain from team No. 1
faces team No. 2, while the other captain faces team No.
1. Hach captain has a basketball and at the starting sig-
nal starts throwing the ball to members of the team
which he is facing, not throwing it to the players in turn,
but trying to take them by surprise by throwing it to
people who do not expect it. The captain keeps score of
misses and calls out the new score every time a player
misses a catch.
After about five minutes of this the game is called and
the side which has the greatest number of misses to its
credit must run any race the winning team sets for it.
JULY AND AUGUST 93
Competitive Teacher. _
Formation is like that of Competitive Catch, but the
captains face their own teams and act as ‘‘teachers.’’
At the starting signal the teachers start throwing the
ball to the different players of their team in turn, and
the teacher who first gets the ball down the length of his
line to the last player wins one point for his team. This
is repeated and the line which wins two out of three
events wins the game. Ifa player misses a catch the ball
- must be thrown at him again until he does catch it.
One Basket Basketball.
Players are divided into two lines of equal length, the
first one in each line being given a basketball. Both
lines are facing a basket and at the starting signal these
two first players run up to the basket and try to throw
the ball through the basket. As soon as they succeed
they run back to their teams and give the basketball to
the next player in the line. This continues until all
members of a team have made a basket, the team suc-
ceeding in doing it first being of course the winning
team.
“Team Pass.
Members of a team form two columns. The first one
of the column on the left holds a basketball. At the
starting signal he starts passing the ball back over his
head. When it reaches the last player in the line that
last player throws it across to the last player in the other.
line of his team. It is then passed forward and when it
reaches the first player of that line he runs across to
the head of the left column and starts the ball back
again, every member of that line moving back one place,
94 THE FUN BOOK
the last one going across to the other line every member
of which has moved forward one place. This continues
until the leaders are back again in their original places,
the two teams competing of course to see which one can
first get its leaders back to their places.
Circle Safety.
A circle about ten feet in diameter is marked off in
some way, possibly by a marking on the ground. This
marked-off space is guarded by It who stands just out-
side the circle trying to prevent players from getting
inside it. At the beginning of the game all players
gather at the goal, a spot about fifteen feet away from
the circle, and when the starting signal ‘‘All in!’’ is
given, they start trying to get inside this circle. Any-
one who is tagged by It before stepping inside must
become a helper and help It tag other players.
After all the players are either inside the circle or on
the outside helping It. The call ‘‘ All Out!’’ forces those
inside the circle to leave it and to run back to their goal.
Anyone who is tagged on the way becomes another It.
Then the call ‘‘ All in!’’ calls them back to the circle,
and so it continues until all the players have been
caught.
Friendly Enemies.
Players, who are standing in a circle in the center of
which are placed several newspapers, are numbered off
by 2s, it being the business of the ls to compete against
the 2s. All players join hands, and when the starting
signal is given they all start to try to force their ‘‘ene-
mies’’ into the center of the circle so that they will have
to step on the newspapers. Any player who is forced
JULY AND AUGUST 95
to take even one step onto a newspaper must go to the
center of the circle and sit. The team which in five min-
utes forces most enemy players to take their fatal step
inside is the winning team.
Players cannot unclasp hands in their forcing, but if
two sufficiently determined 2s unite their strength to
force the unfortunate 1 who is between them to step
on the newspapers, their hands will furnish enough
motive power. However, if while a 2 is helping to force
a1 into the center he too should lose his balance and
step on the newspapers, into the center he goes!
_The Wreck.
“This game is played exactly like the game ‘‘Steam-
boat’’ except that trees are used instead of chairs. It
should be played in a place where there are several trees
rather close to each other. Each player, after having
been assigned the name of some part of a merry-go-
round, chooses a tree. When all the players have been
given names and are standing against trees, It stands
out in the open and begins his story about the wreck and
what happened. The story should bring in the names of
all the parts of a merry-go-round, and is brought to a
close by the remark, ‘‘We were going along at a great
rate, getting faster and faster, like this, ‘Chug, chug,
chug’ (to be given about twenty times, each chug get-
ting faster than the preceding ones) when all of a sudden
the whole thing blew up, Bang!’’
As he has mentioned the different parts of the merry-
go-round, names of which have been assigned to the
_ various players, each player, as his name is called goes
over to where It is standing and puts his hands on the
shoulders of the player in front of him. Finally they
96 THE FUN BOOK
are all standing in a line with hands on each others’
shoulders, It leading the line. When the assembling of
parts is finished and they are all im line, and It has come
to the place where ‘‘We were going along,’’ etc., he
starts to lead the line around through the trees, at first
walking slowly but gradually getting faster and faster
until they are running just as fast as they can. Sud-
denly It cries, ‘‘ All of a sudden the whole thing blew
up, Bang!’’
At that the whole merry-go-round breaks up and each
part must find a tree as quickly as possible. The last
one to find a tree is It for the next time. It may repeat
this, or he may use an automobile, or a stagecoach or a
train for his vehicle, the main point being to give all the
players a speedy ride and an exciting one, with a chase
at the end for a tree.
Overtake.
Players form a circle and number off by 2s. Both
ls and 2s choose a leader to go into the center, each of
these leaders being given a basketball or an indoor base-
ball. At the signal they start throwing their balls to
players of their team only, the two leaders starting at
opposite sides of the circle and working their way
around the circle, throwing the ball to each one of their
own players in turn. If a player misses the ball it must
be thrown to him again until he does make a good catch,
the point of the game being to see which ball can first
overtake the enemy ball thereby winning one point. As
soon as a ball does overtake that enemy ball, the leaders
again start at opposite sides of the circle to throw the
ball to their players in turn. The side which wins four
out of seven events wins the game.
4 JULY AND AUGUST 97
New Puss in the Corner.
This is played exactly like the old ‘‘Puss in the
Corner’’ except that each player chooses a tree for his
corner, in a spot in which certain trees have been marked
in some way as being ‘‘legal’’ corners, there being one
more player than marked trees. Also, the puss who is
looking for a corner does not try to tag two players who
are trying to change places but tries to hit them with
the basketball with which he has been provided. The
player who is hit gives up his corner and becomes the
new puss who wants a corner.
Nature Study.
~For childrén”’ and even for grownups whose Nature
Study has been neglected, it is interesting to have a con-
test based on the recognition of certain plants, flowers,
birds, leaves, trees, ete. Players are divided into two
groups and the group which in the allotted time recog-
nizes the greatest number of the things listed, is the
winning group.
The leader may make his list to suit his own group
and locality. In the case of leaves, for instance, players
may hunt for as many kinds of leaves as they can name;
bring them to the leader and have him check them up.
Trees in a limited area may be numbered and players
who carry cards bearing similar numbers write out the
names of the different trees opposite their numbers.
Birds are difficult because they can scarcely be brought
to a leader for identification, but with a few assistants
the leaders can cover a great deal of ground and check
up on the bird hunters. Flowers and grasses can of
course be brought to the leader.
This Nature Study should end in a very strenuous
98 THE FUN BOOK
game and should be followed by some contest in which
the losers of the Nature Study Contest are made victims
in some particularly ridiculous stunt.
Grass Loops.
This game is best used as a quiet game for tired play-
ers. There are only two players in each game. Hach
one of them takes a blade of grass and with it forms a
loop with the grass of the other player. They then start
to pull, and the one whose blade breaks first loses that
particular event. They may do this nine or ten times,
the one who wins the most events being the winner.
. Lag Games _
Hide and Go Seek Tag.
In this tag game It hides and the player who finds
him gives out the alarm, whereupon It dashes out of his
hiding place and tries to tag one of the fleeing players.
The one whom he tags becomes the next It.
If grownups play this game and it is found that they
have the same weakness that children sometimes display
—a, desire for the limelight which leads them to try to be
tagged and become It, a rule is made to the effect that
the one who is first tagged must help It tag all the other
players and that the one who is last tagged becomes the
new It and is privileged to hide.
Pass the Buck Tag.
The one who is It must carry something awkward in
his left hand. As soon as he is able to tag anyone he
gives the new It this ‘‘something awkward,’’ which must
be carried until a new It is tagged. The object may be
a tin pail or a long vine or a bunch of grasses, anything
that will be awkward to carry when one is in a hurry.
JULY AND AUGUST 99
Hippity Hop Tag.
All players and It are required to hippity hop.
Beanbag Tag.
It must carry a beanbag on his head. If the beanbag
falls off he is not allowed to tag anyone until it is put
back on his head.
Shadow Tag.
This can be played only on a bright, sunshiny day.
When It is chasing a player, if that player can step into
the shadow of another player both of them are safe and
It must look for another victim. However, if ‘‘shadows’’
play safe too long, It needs only to call ‘‘ All out in the
sunshine !’’ and all players must move.
Fat players who make fat shadows are always popular.
VGrand Opera Tag.
When It is close upon a player and just about to tag
him, this player may make himself safe by quickly as-
suming a position with arms stretched out widely, feet
apart. At the same time he must be singing any song
he chooses, as loudly as he can.
He deserves to be safe.
Nose and Toe Tag.
To avoid being tagged by It players must touch their
noses and toes. Anyone in such a position may be safe
from being tagged, but is anything but comfortable.
Trio Tag.
All players form threes, even It being a line of three
players with hands joined. The It team must be given a
100 THE FUN BOOK
large red handkerchief which must be waved constantly
to show who is It. When they are able to tag some other
three that three is given the red handkerchief and
becomes It.
It is so easy to run when two other people as deter-
mined as you are are pulling in the opposite direction.
Picnic Races
The Duck _Waddle,.
“three ‘ducks, hres canes, and three stout women are,
the ingredients necessary to make this a real race. The
contestants stand in an enclosed space which is about
forty feet in length. Hach woman is given a cane and
a duck with a string around its neck and when the signal
is given, is to start driving her ‘‘beast’’ to market, which
market of course is the goal line. The woman who first
succeeds in driving her duck to the goal line, guiding it
by means of her cane, wins her duck.
She will have earned it.
The Dustpan Race.
A grassy plot is chosen for this race. Eight big men
and eight small men or boys are chosen. Each big racer
takes a little racer as his partner, and two couples form
ateam. The first big man of each team is given a dust-
pan. When the signal is given the small man sits on the
dustpan with his feet under him; the big man takes hold
of the handle of the dustpan and starts pulling him
down the length of the racecourse around the tree which
each one has had pointed out to him as his goal, and then
back to his team where he gives the dustpan to the other
_ big man of his team. That second couple goes through
JULY AND AUGUST 101
the same process, and the team which first finishes this
agony Wins a prize.
Big men have been known to pull too zealously and to
Spill their little Min paienche
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; Fi Po a fie if Pe
‘Oe The Timid Tossers. ve £2 agg ; Pye A eetbt 43 fh @ et Sir
All the women are lined up for the toss. Each one in ,
turn is given an indoor baseball and is asked to throw
it as far as she can. The five who threw the farthest are
then lined up with five of the men and the real contest is
on. The men are to throw as far as they can with their
left hands while the women try to overthrow them with
their best right-handed throwing.
At that, if the men don’t outthrow the women——!
The Blind Leading the Blind.
There are two men contestants for each team, one of
them being small. They are all blindfolded and the
small one of each team gets down on all fours. When
ready this horse puts up his feet and his blind driver
* takes hold the feet and drives his blind horse to the goal
and back. Or at least, maybe he does.
He is far more likely to drive his horse straight into
the creek. The blind team which completes anything
that even looks like a ae aa course is given a real prize.
{ The Monkey Relay.
' ~ Boys are divided into lines of equal length. When
the signal is given the first boy in each line goes down on
all fours with his hands behind him, scrambling to the
goal and return on hands and heels. When he returns
to the starting point he touches off the next runner and
the race goes on in this way until every member of a
team has run.
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Two in One Sack Race.
Two contestants race with inside feet together in one
sack and go back to give the sack to the other couple of
their team.
Obstacle Race.
The race course for each line of contestants consists
of a line of obstacles, the worse the better. As soon as
one player has completed his line he hurries back to
touch off the next runner, who must go through the same
performance. The line which first overcomes its ob-
stacles gets all the ice cream it can eat.
Obstacles may be as follows:
1. Run with hands on ankles to the place where an
automobile tire has been placed.
2. Crawl through the tire.
3. Hat a cracker without the aid of hands.
4. Run toa barrel hoop. Draw down over shoulders
and step out of it.
5. Thread a needle.
6. Find a nickel which has been hidden in a saucer
of flour.
7. Run back to starting point on all fours.
Burden Race.
Three players form a team. The two larger ones form
a chair by clasping their right hands on their own left
wrists, and their left hands on their partner’s right
wrists. They carry the lightest member of the team
to the goal and return.
They may next be required to run this race back-
wards. In this event one’s entire sympathy is with the
one who is being carried.
JULY AND AUGUST 103
Eating on the Level.
Two players who admit a fondness for ice cream are
blindfolded and asked to lie flat on the ground, their
faces close to each other. Each one is then given a dish
of ice cream and asked to feed the other one.
At this point our imagination ceases to function.
Eating Contests.
Further eating contests, which for some reason or
other always seem to be popular at picnics, might in-
elude the following:
1. Eating a cracker without the aid of hands.
2. Hating a large ripe tomato placed on a plate on
the edge of a chair. Or on a newspaper on the ground.
3. Eating cracker crumbs from a saucer.
4. See Piggy.
5. See Mashed Potatoes.
6. See Chopstick Chew.
Individual Contests.
1. Backward Shake. Contestants are asked to put
their right hands over their right shoulders and their
left hands under their left shoulders and to shake hands
with themselves across their backs.
2. Touch Toes. Contestants are seated with legs
stretched out straight in front of them and they are to
touch their toes without bending their knees.
3. Stiff. Contestants lie on the ground with arms
stretched out stiffly at their sides. Without touching
anything they must rise to a sitting position and then
stand up.
Note: Other races written up elsewhere in this book
which could be used for out-of-door races include the
following:
104 THE FUN BOOK
Spring Beauties.
May Walk. */
Flower Jump. * |
Garden Maze. ‘» ©’
A la Carte. Fé a
April Fool Locomotion... \
Slippery Soap.
j March Madness. }..' .
w/ 9. Deformity.4°%
10. Egg Balance. « °
11, Muddy March.
/ 12. Flatheads. +4 7
13. Pan Balance. |
14. Potato Relays. ©
15. Haste Makes Waste.
16. Golash! —
17. The Straight and Narrow Path.
18. Stork Race. )
19. Witches’ Ride.
20. April Fool Races.”
oe es
WATER EVENTS
Races
Whoops My Dear!
Four hoops are placed in the water, one for each team
of contestants. They will not stay in position but that
makes no difference. At the starting signal the first one >
of each team must swim to the hoop which has been
pointed out to him as his, pull himself through the
hoop, and go on to the goal and return to touch off the
JULY AND AUGUST 105
other member of his team who goes through the same
performance and the same hoop!
The Swimming Boxes.
Each contestant is given an ordinary soapbox. At the
signal he lies on it and swims to the goal and return,
giving the box to the other member of his team who does
the same thing.
Impediments.
Each contestant is given a woman’s wash skirt which
he is obliged to put on over his bathing suit before ‘he
gets into the water. He is to swim to the goal and return
to touch off the next runner—with the skirt on.
A man looks and acts funny enough wearing woman’s
clothing while it is dry, but a woman’s skirt wet, on a
full-grown man, and in a swimming race—well, there
may be funnier things, but I doubt it!
Wet Weather.
Contestants swim to the opposite side of the pool or
the place marked off for swimming; each one reaches up
and gets an umbrella which is held open for him, takes
it in his left hand and swims back to the starting place.
There he gives the open umbrella to his partner who
must take it in his left hand and swim back to the other
end, give up the umbrella and swim home. The couple
which first completes this gets the prize,
Suitcase Race.
Contestants swim to far end of pool where an old suit-
case awaits each one, each suitcase containing a skirt
106 THE FUN BOOK
of generous proportions, a hat which may be tied on,
and a searf of some gaudy color.
It seems hardly necessary to say that these articles
should be of ancient vintage. The swimmer who first
gets to the starting point wearing the articles he found
in his suitcase is given his fancy wearing apparel as
a prize!
Plank Race.
Contestants le on a plank and swim to goal and
return.
Balloon Blow.
Contestants are given balloons of different colors
which they are to blow to the goal and return.
Stone Carry.
Each contestant must carry two or three small pebbles
on the back of his right hand and keep them there till
he returns to the starting point.
Pie Tin Race.
DAT rorisctants balance a pie tin on their heads while
they race from one end of the pool to the other. A pie
tin which rolls off must be recovered and put back on
before a swimmer can continue.
Singing Race,
Contestants must sing any song they choose all the
way to the goal and back.
Frogs and Crawfish.
If such ‘‘animals’’ are obtainable let their obtainers
pit them against each other in a race on the bank!
JULY AND AUGUST 107
Couple Race.
Drake et
Swimmers race in couples inside arms locked.
Ankle Race. __
Pe antendnts ta race aah left hands on left ankles.
Ice Water r Relay.
a eee
Swimmers stand on the bank in lines of equal length,
the first one in each line holding a large pan of ice
water. At the signal these pans are rapidly passed back
over the heads of the contestants to the last one who
runs to the front of the line and immediately starts
passing it back again. This continues until the original
leaders are back: in their places.
A shallow pan full of ice water passed in a hurry over
one’s head——!
Water Games
Under Cover.
One swimmer is It and tries to tag some other swim-
mer who must get under water to be safe. Anyone who
dives and gets under cover is safe from being tagged—
for the time being.
Water Pom Pom Pull Away.
It gets out in the middle of the pool or swimming hole
while all the others line up on the bank. When It calls
out ‘‘Pom Pom Pull Away!’’ they must all leave the
bank and swim across the pool to the other bank. Any-
one whom It tags on the way over becomes It with him
and helps him tag the others. When they are all
caught the one who was caught first becomes It and they
start over again.
x
108 THE FUN BOOK
Water Animals.
This is played very much hike Pom Pom Pull Away
with the difference that all players take the name of
some barnyard or circus animal. When It calls for the
horses, all horses must try to get to the other bank with-
out being caught. So it continues until all ‘‘animals’’
have been called for and caught.
Takeaway.
A basket ball or a large indoor baseball is provided.
The players are divided into two teams, and the object
of the game is for one team to keep the ball away from
the players of the other team. When the starting signal
is given the player who holds the ball throws it to some
member of his team, who in turn throws it to another
member of that team—unless one of his opponents has
snatched it away from him.
The rules for getting possession of the ball are as fol-
lows: No player is allowed to snatch the ball from an-
other player’s hand, but can snatch it when it is flying
through the air or after it has been fumbled. There is
no score, but there is enough fun in this very simple
water game to last a group a long time.
Treasure Diving.
Players are divided into two teams with a captain
for each team. The captain of one of the teams throws
some heavy object in the water, something which is small
and hard to find, and heavy enough to sink. Members
of the opposing teams then dive for the object, a time-
keeper keeping a record of the time it took for the
object to be brought to the surface after it left the
captain’s hand. After it has been brought up, the other
JULY AND AUGUST 109
captain throws it in and members of the first ecaptain’s
team dive for it. This is repeated several times and the
team which wins may duck the losers!
If the game committee is of a plutocratic standing
they may throw in pennies to be dived after.
Water Butt.
Each player is seated in a canoe and is provided with
a long pole, the end of which is heavily padded. The
object of the game is to butt the other contestants out
of their canoes by means of these long poles. The one
who stays in his canoe to the last deserves a reward.
Water Dash.
Players are seated on the bank in their bathing suits.
Two of their number stand in front of them, one of them
holding a glass full of water. The other one is instructed
to decide upon some flower and to whisper it in the ear
of the one holding the glass of water. When he has
done this all the players start guessing in turn as to
the name of the flower decided upon.
Suddenly one of them gets the entire contents of the
glass dashed full in his face for he has guessed the right
flower. This means of rewarding a bright guesser is
startling to say the least! This bright guesser then
becomes the one who must decide on some flower, while
the one whose place he takes becomes the water thrower
and the water thrower becomes one of the guessers.
Birds may be used instead of flowers, or animals or
colors.
Formerly, this game was played with only one person
standing in front of the group. This player did both
the deciding upon some flower and the throwing of the
110 THE FUN BOOK
water. However, it proved to be too much of a tempta-
tion to decide on no flower but to wait until one’s par-
ticular enemy of the hour named a flower and then pre-
tend that that was the flower decided upon and let go
at him with the water!
Water Football.
Players are divided into two teams, the two teams
having goal lines at opposite ends of the pool as in
football. Points are made by touching the enemy’s goal
line with the ball which may be a volleyball or a regular
water ball. The ball is thrown up in the center by the
referee and after that members of the two teams make
every effort to get the ball and to make a touchdown
with it on the enemy’s goal line, the enemy doing their
best to prevent it and to make a touchdown of their own.
The only kind of guarding permitted is one with arms
outstretched. Every time a touchdown is made the two
teams change sides.
Water Newcome.
A line is stretched across the middle of the pool, the
two teams being on opposite sides of this line. They
are furnished with some three or four hight rubber balls,
and at the starting signal start throwing these balls into
the enemy’s territory, trying to make their balls land in
the water. A scorekeeper for each side keeps score of
the numbers of enemy-thrown balls which touch the
water, loudly announcing each score.
Of course a ball which is caught does not make a
score. This continues for about five minutes, the team
which registers more landed balls on the opponent’s side
being the winning team.
JULY AND AUGUST 111
Watery Three Deep.
The old-fashioned game of ‘‘Three Deep’’ may be
played in the water as well as on dry land.
The same is true of ‘‘Blind Man’s Buff,’’ as well as
**Cat and Rat.’’
Circle Tag.
Half the swimmers form in groups of three, members
of each group forming a line and holding hands. As
they catch and encircle any of the other swimmers they
too must form lines of three and help catch the rest of
the swimmers who are ‘‘running’’ around loose.
Ruth and Jacob.
Rules for swimmers are the same as those for
landlubbers.
Exchange.
- Swimmers are scattered about on the edge of the pool.
It is blindfolded, stands in the center of the pool and
asks for two people who are on opposite sides to change
places with each other, trying to tag one of them on the
way. The one tagged changes places with It.
Water Baseball.
This is played like Workup, or Long Ball, or Pigtail,
the runners swimming from one base to another.
Animal Guess.
Players form two teams on opposite sides of the pool,
each team having a leader. They take turns in decid-
ing upon an animal, advance to within five feet of the
enemy line and when the enemy guesses correctly what
animal was decided upon they fly for ‘‘home.’’ Any
swimmer tagged on the shoulders goes over to the enemy.
112 THE FUN BOOK
Overtake Tag.
Swimmers form as large a circle as is possible. At the
starting signal each one tries to tag the swimmer directly
in front of him. As soon as a swimmer is tagged (on
the shoulder) he must drop out. The last two to stay
in the race fight it out between them, the one who can
maneuver to touch his opponent’s shoulder being the
winner.
Poison Touch.
Swimmers throw a large heavily knotted handker-
chief at each other. It, in the meantime, tries to tag
some player while the handkerchief is in his possession.
Catch Contests.
Any of the ball catching contests may be used. Com-
petitive Catch, Competitive Teacher, and Overtake,
found elsewhere in this chapter are typical. Instead of
a ball a small stone or something that will sink if not
caught should be used.
Pass Ball Relays,
Relay races in which balls or any object of any kind
are passed from one to another can be used for water
races. A race in which the contestants stand in the
water in two columns and pass the object back over their
heads is typical. Again the object should be something
which will sink if not caught.
Water Tag Games.
1. A swimmer who is tagged must keep his left hand
on the spot on which he was tagged.
2. A swimmer can be tagged on the feet only.
3. The one who is It must keep his right hand on his
right ankle.
JULY AND AUGUST 113
4, Two swimmers lock inside arms and form an It
team.
5. To become safe a swimmer must tread water; or
sing,
6. If, while It is chasing another swimmer, any player
swims between It and the person chased, then It must
chase this intruder.
Hayrick Ride Games
Traveling Sights.
' This is the month of hayrick rides; bacon, bats;
wiener, corn and marshmallow roasts. If a hayrick ride
is taken early in the evening when it is still light this
game is used to good advantage. The leader has made
out a schedule of things visible from a hayrick which
may count for a score, the things seen on the left side
scoring for those sitting on the left side, the same being
true of the right side. The number of points allowed
each ‘‘sight’’ depends upon how ordinary these differ-
ent sights are. For example, a woman milking a cow
eounts twenty, while a man milking a cow counts only
five! The side which first gets one hundred points to its
-eredit can make the other side get off the hayrick and
walk a full two blocks.
Sitz.
This game is made difficult by the fact that beards
have gone out of date. It is made a bit easier, however,
by the fact that it may be continued for as long a time
as the players desire, several days in fact. The only
rule is that no score is made unless all players are pres-
ent. It may be played any and everywhere there is a
114 THE FUN BOOK
passing crowd.
Lia
Going to School.
Two children’s scooters are provided as are four of
the stoutest guests present, preferably guests who have
fallen short in some other game and who have been
listed as victims. They are divided into two teams, a
girl and a man to each team.
Contestants line up at the starting line with their
scooters and when the signal is given the man of each
team puts one foot on the scooter and uses the other as
his propelling power, and ‘‘propels’’ as fast as he can
(which will not be very fast!) to the other end of the
room and back. He immediately and gladly gives up
his scooter to the girl who goes through the same
performance.
Unlimited Vocabularies.
Two players of opposing teams stand in front of the
rest of the group and at the signal start talking as fast
as they can on any subject whatsoever. The one who
can talk the longest without repeating himself wins a
gas bag in the shape of a toy balloon.
Haste Makes Waste.
On the goal line, across the room from each line of
contestants there is a row of Indian clubs, three abreast.
Runners from each line must run around their three
SEPTEMBER 129
clubs and back to touch off the next runner. If they
knock down a club—and they will!—they must put it
up again before continuing. Haste does make waste.
Labor Day Trades.
The group is divided into small groups of about six
or seven guests each. These groups take turns in pan-
tomiming trades upon which they have decided in
secret.
Picking Up Business.
After the summer slump merchants usually start a
brisk advertising campaign in the fall. Being of a help-
ful nature we offer the following games as a suggestion
for attracting attention.
Guests are divided into small groups, each group
being asked to prepare a stunt which will portray some
widely advertised product, each portrayal to continue
until the other guests have guessed what it is. The
following suggestions are typical:
1. Sun Kist. (A son kissed by his mother.)
2. Eventually, Why Not Now? (An engaged couple
being married. )
3. Bunte. Stop That Tickle. (Giggling husband bhe-
ing tickled by his wife. )
4, Walk Over. (One man walking over another—this
last if the teacher can find a man who will let another
man walk over him!) ;
Book Characters.
Guests are divided into small groups, each group being
asked to dramatize the name or story of some very
familiar book. Tom Sawyer and Elsie Dinsmore i invar-
iably appear in person. ree)
130 THE FUN BOOK
Do It, Don’t!
~“Wvfén are lined up in rows on one side of the room and
girls are on the other, while the teacher stands in front
and goes through simple gymnastic movements to be
followed if she calls out, ‘‘Do it!’’ but which are to be
utterly ignored if she says ‘‘Don’t!”’
The leader may snap her fingers, jerk her elbows back,
rise on her toes, etc., etc.
Dramatic Spelling.
AR guests come in each one is given a slip of paper
on which there is written a letter and a number. When
the signal is given all guests having the same number
on their slips get together and figure out the verb they
think their combined letters form. When their turn
comes they are to dramatize that word until the others
geuess what word it is.
For Small Groups
Train of Thought.
Players put some word like ‘‘schoolhouse’’ at the top
of their papers and are then given three minutes in
which to write down in order the words that are brought
to mind by thinking of a schoolhouse. These lists are
read and the most logical one is rewarded.
Schoolhouse, teacher, glasses, eyes, blind man, beggar,
policeman, jail, mice—there are no limits to the places
a train of thought might carry one!
This game was written for the purpose of increasing
the vocabularies of the guests who play it. They are
SEPTEMBER 131
divided into two even sides with a scorekeeper provided
for each team. When the signal is given the first one
on one side quickly gives his favorite slang expression.
The minute he has finished the first one on the other side
must give his favorite slang expression; then the sec-
ond one on the other side, and so on down the lime,
the sides taking turns in giving their favorite slang
expressions.
No one is allowed to repeat an expression that has-
been given. Any player who is not at once ready with
a slang expression when his turn comes scores a failure
for his team. The side which has the greatest number
of failures to its credit must sing any song the other
side asks for, whether they know it or not.
root!
“"Thig game is primarily an exercise for one’s self-
control. It is used to best advantage at a party for girls,
gigoly girls. They are divided into two lines, the lines
facing each other. Hach side has a teacher whe is going
to make a test of the will-power of the girls on the other
side. The teacher from one side goes over to the enemy’s
line, all the girls of which line have filled their cheeks
with wind. The teacher moves slowly down the line and
as she passes each girl she uses her two forefingers to
poke at the puffed-out cheeks, being allowed only one
poke at each girl to see if she has enough control not to
let the wind out of her cheeks. Every girl who lets her
cheeks collapse gives a point to the other side.
After the list of fatalities has been taken the teacher
goes home and the other teacher goes through the same
performance on the other side. The team which has the —
fewest collapses gets a real prize.
132 THE FUN BOOK
C-John-t. ae
The rules of this game are exactly like those for a
spelldown except that no vowels are allowed In every
case a speller must use his own name in the place of
a vowel.
This is no laughing matter. Let any sceptical reader
who has a name like Alexandria try to spell the word
‘‘irreproachable’’ in this perverted manner, and do it in
a hurry.
Boomerang Conversation.
Without being told what is coming next, men are
asked to talk to their partners for two minutes on any
subject the hostess chooses. Perhaps it will be on ‘‘ How
a differential works.’’
At the end of the two minutes the hostess announces
that time is up and that the ladies will now talk for two
minutes on the subject, ‘‘The best way to make a clear
soup.”’
At the close of this interesting conversation men are
sent to sit on one side of the room, ladies sitting on the
other while they all write an explicit account of their
late conversations. These must all be signed and handed
to the hostess at the end of five minutes. They are read
aloud later on.
One prominent man in a western town hasn’t yet
lived down his desperate account of the remarkable in-
formation he thought he received from his partner!
Headwork.
Players are divided into two teams, members of which
form two lines which face each other. The first one in
team A names a letter. Immediately the first one in
SEPTEMBER 133
team B must give the name of a river beginning with
that letter and tell where it is located. He, in his turn,
names a letter and the second one in line A must name
a river beginning with that letter and is then privileged
to name the letter which the second one in team B must
use for the first letter in the river which he names.
Failures to name rivers in the time it takes one’s oppo-
nent to count to ten are noted and the side which has the
most failures to its credit must do the stunt which the
winning team names for them.
If a facetious player insists on naming letters X, or
Q, or Z, in the hope that his opponent cannot name any
river beginning with those letters, the tables may be
turned on him by having the referee give his entire team
the chance to name and locate a river beginning with
one of those initials. If no one in his team is able to
do so, the team gets a demerit of ten points.
Instead of naming rivers players may be asked to
name cities or lakes or mountains.
Another way of playing this is to have a player on
one side name a city or a river or a lake and have the
opponent locate it.
Watchful Waiting.
This is played very much like Headwork. Instead of
dividing guests into teams, however, each player is ‘‘on
his own.’’ Players sit about a table, each one being
supplied with a small pile of cards bearing letters. In
unison players turn up the cards which have been face
down and as they turn them those who have turned up
similar letters are opponents for the moment, each one
trying to be the first to name some river beginning with
that letter before his opponent is able to. The one who
134 THE FUN BOOK
succeeds may give a card to his opponent, the object of
the game being to get rid of one’s cards.
Again they may name cities, or lakes, or anything they
choose.
Progressive Watchful Waiting.
Guests may be divided into small groups about differ-
ent tables, each table requiring a different object to be
named when similar letters are turned up. The one
who first gets rid of his pile of cards ‘‘ progresses. ”’
Schoolroom Races...
Any races in which contestants must run to the
blackboard and finish a word or a sentence or a picture
or an arithmetic sum, are very appropriate for
September.
Relay races in which contestants sit in rows of chairs
placed like the seats of a schoolroom are also used to
good effect. For example, the first one in each row may
start the race by running around his row and touching
off the second runner before he sits down, the object
being to see which row can first run round its row of
chairs.
Half a Quotation.—
“Guests sit in a circle. The leader holds a knotted
handkerchief and when they are all ready she gives
half a quotation and throws the handkerchief at some
other guest who is then obliged to finish the quotation.
Any guest who fails to do this must pay a forfeit.
Instead of finishing a quotation the handkerchief
thrower may ask a geographical question which must be
answered by the one at whom the handkerchief is thrown.
SEPTEMBER 135
Lunch Hour.
The committee has prepared several slips with chil-
dren’s names written on them, being careful to make
sure that there is a Jack for every Jenny, a Bert for
every Bessie. The men draw slips out of one box while
the girls draw their slips out of another. Then
‘‘teacher,’’ who has a list of all the names which were
put in the box and who has crossed off the names which
were not used, calls the roll. The first letters determine
who one’s partner shall be. She ealls out, ‘‘ Johnny and
Julia, step forward,’’ and Johnny and Julia step. Next
come F’reddie and Freda, and then Roland and Rosie,
etc., etc. If there is an uneven number present and
they are not matched up evenly, the teacher pairs off
the names left on her list at will. As each couple passes
the refreshment table they must sweetly give their
names to the committee in charge.
Ten to one the minister and his partner will be
‘‘Teddie and Tillie!’’
Note the following adaptations :
“I. See Nicknames. Use school children’s names.
2. See Dramatic Partnership. Use trades.
3. See Wedding Music. School music.
4. See the Bump Reader. Minds are read.
CHAPTER IX
OCTOBER
For Exther Large or Small Groups
Hallowe’en Hairdress.
In the invitations guests are asked to change the style
of their hairdressing for the party. Anyone who does
not make a drastic enough change in his hairdress is
given a bit of assistance on arrival by the ‘‘helpful’’
committee. Men who part their hair on the side are
gently but firmly helped to part it in the middle and
wear it with a brilliant orange paper bow over one ear.
Girls who have not followed instructions are given black
headbands which are to be put on at awkward angles,
together with yellow pompoms which must be put on
with hairpins at very obviously wrong positions.
After they have passed the rigid inspection at the
door guests are instructed by the doorman to wait in a
certain darkened room until the other guests have
arrived. The room has been made very dark, and there
are no chairs. From time to time hideous noises
‘‘happen.’’ No one is allowed to speak, so a sudden
blood-curdling scream does not go by unnoticed! Water
is dropped, trickle by trickle, from over a staircase to
a pail down below. Manipulations on a piece of string
attached to some resin in a tin can make a beautiful
136
OCTOBER 13%
noise. A sudden dropping of a tray full of tinware or
a dishpan of broken glass has a soothing effect on the
nerves.
After most of the guests have arrived they are in-
vited to proceed with the party. They are led, single
file, to the basement door through which each one must
pass alone shutting the door behind him, the point being
that the handle of the doorknob is charged with elec-
tricity. In a semi-blackness they are led through the
basement over every conceivable kind of obstacle. The
leader is wearing golashes and when they hear him
stepping into a tub of water and think they have to
follow suit there is consternation! He, however, after
making as much of a splash as he can, shoves the tub of
water aside and proceeds.
One of the guests near the front of the line is
coached to scream shrilly on every possible and impos-
sible occasion. Speaking of the power of suggestion é
After the tour of the underworld they are led up to
the room in which the party is to be held. If possible
they should enter that room by crawling through a win-
dow and then be required to walk across the room back-
wards before the party can begin.
Inflated paper sacks are hung all about the room, in
addition to the witches and black cats and moons and
pumpkins. Faces have been drawn on these sacks in
charcoal—very foolish faces, none of the features in any
way resembling those of guests, of course!
Sacked.
Each guest is given a yellow sack which he is to put
on his head, punching holes for the eyes, nose, and
mouth. Charcoal and black crayons are applied so that
138 THE FUN BOOK
he may draw any facial expression he desires on his own
face. When all the guests have put on their sacks they
are to start shaking hands with each other, calling any-
one whom they recognize by name. If a person’s guess
is correct he is privileged to mark a large X on the face
of the one whose identity he guessed. The one who first
gets his ‘‘face’’ full of X’s is taken in hand by the
leader and used as a victim later on.
An announcement is made to the effect that addi-
tional victims are to be gleaned from the ranks of
those who do not continuously shake hands left-handed
for the four or five minutes allotted to this event.
Hallowe’en Hospitality.
After the room has been fully lighted again guests
are told to shut their eyes and go about shaking the left
hands of other guests as though their-lives depended
upon it. Culprits caught with their eyes open or not
shaking hands are made to be mighty sorry they were
caught by being used as the contestants in ‘‘I.See a
Ghost.’’
Fated Spots.
Guests are told that there are certain spots in the
room which are very unlucky; that no one but the
chairman knows where they are; that they are to move
around from place to place shaking hands with each
other; and that when the leader’s whistle blows they
are to stand stock still, still grasping the hand which
they had been shaking when the whistle blew. The
leader then reads from her list: ‘‘The first unlucky
spot is on the right-hand side of the piano.’’ The man
and girl standing there are requested to sing a duet and
OCTOBER 139
sing they must. The handshaking then goes on as
before, with a half-minute interval of handshaking
before the second unlucky spot is named.
There should be about five of these unlucky spots,
which will bring out five unlucky couples who are
obliged to do some stunt which the leader has planned
with malice aforethought. The real point of the game,
however, is the very elaborate avoiding of the unknown
while guests are violently shaking hands and trying at
* the same time to keep off an unlucky spot!
€ “@errific Tableaux.
Guests are divided into small groups each one of
which is to prepare a caricature tableau, the more
ridiculous the better. Some impromptu properties are
made available as a means of helping a good cause.
‘*Tiittle Bo Peep’’ and her lost sheep are typical of the
kind of thing that has great possibilities for a Terrific
Tableau.
A magnificent prize is awarded to the winning group,
the prize being as magnificent as a bag of molasses
kisses can be made to look.
The Hand of Fate.
Partners slowly march past a paper curtain where
each one is invited to grasp the three hands of fate, the
leader’s helpers standing close at hand to enforce the
invitation. Guests are warned that if they drop any-
thing they will be punished later. The first hand to
come through a gap in the paper curtain (the room
being darkened so that no one can see what the hands
hold) has in it a very hot potato which the holder gently
but firmly presses into the hand of the guest as he
140 THE FUN BOOK
shakes the hand of fate. The committee member behind
the curtain wears a glove so that potatoes may be very
hot indeed, with a fresh supply of even hotter ones
always at hand.
The second hand of fate lovingly presses a very large,
and very wet, and very cold oyster into the hand of
each guest as he passes by; and the third hand of fate
has dipped its finger tips in thick molasses, so its hand-
shake gives assurance that it will stick closer than a
brother !
The Witch’s Cat.
As many of the girls as possible are seated around
a sheet, each one of them taking hold of the sheet with
her right hand leaving her left hand free for passing
things. It is carefully explained that the Witch of
Hallowe’en had a favorite cat; that as long as the witch
lived her cat prospered; that at the passing of the witch
the cat pined away and finally died from grief; but
that certain ‘‘phases’’ of the cat had been preserved
and would now be passed around under the sheet. As
each part 1s passed the name of it is announced. It is
also made clear that if any part is dropped the dropper
will be heavily fined. The room is then partially dark-
ened, all the men and extra girls crowding around the
sheet.
The first thing passed is the cat’s head, which is a
ball of yarn with dull-pointed needles sticking through
it for whiskers. When that has gone the rounds the tail
is passed, a tail taken from a fur. Next the hide, a piece
of fur; then the teeth, a set of false teeth; the tongue,
a pickle; the eye, an oyster, and so on!
If at the end they are not all reduced to helplessnesg
OCTOBER 141
from hysterical laughter, the last thing passed is the
heart of the cat which is one of those creepy spiders,
while someone who is gifted in that line emits a most
blood-curdling meow!
The Bump Reader.
Two of the committee may work out a stunt with very
little preparation, but with results that are worth a
ereat deal of effort. One of them is to dress as a witch
who is able to read the bumps on a person’s head. The
other is her manager who introduces her with a very
profuse and elaborate introduction. The witch is then
blindfolded and one of the worthy members of the
audience is pointed at by the manager and asked to
come to the platform. His name is not used, and there
is very little talking done by the manager so that the
witch can in no way tell from his conversation who is
the owner of the head to be read.
The witch then proceeds to feel and ‘‘read’’ the head
of the man on the platform. It is amazing how very
good she is and what close hits she makes! She does
not hesitate to put a ‘‘punch’’ into her readings, and
brings in a great many good shots. The audience is
amazed at her blindfolded cleverness! After a two min-
ute reading this subject is dismissed and another one is
pointed at and asked to come forward. This continues
for four readings, the manager being very careful to
make his choice of subjects seem casual. The truth of
the matter is that he and the witch have carefully
worked out a list of five people who are to be read, and
have prepared the readings as well in order to make sure
of the ‘‘hot shot!’’
The witch ean easily memorize the order in which
142 THE FUN BOOK
her four subjects are to appear. If there should be a
slip-up and one of the subjects should not be willing to
be read the manager says rather loudly, ‘‘ Well, that’s
too bad!’’ and the witch knows that they have slipped
up on one and that she is to slip up on her readings
accordingly.
Palmistry.
It is always to the point to have a bona fide palmist
at hand, as well as one who professes to know palmistry.
After making much ado over the marvellous lines in the
hand of some very prominent man she exclaims, ‘‘ And
your heart line shows that you are an awful flirt!
Letting me hold your hand.’’
Domestic Difficulties.
Two or three men are asked to stand in front of the
other guests. Each one of them is given a kitchen
apron which is tied up around his neck. When this
armor has been put in place each one is given a pint
bottle of milk with instructions to open it using fingers
only.
Never did performers of any kind have more sympa-
thetic watchers.
Hallowe’en Fishing.
Guests are asked to stand in a line with elbows locked,
men facing one way and the girls the other. The two
leaders stand at either end, and when the line is ready,
one of them calls across to the other, ‘‘Hello there, New
York. How are you?”’
New York answers that everything is going fine and
wishes to know if Los Angeles has had any fishing of
late.
OCTOBER 143
**Oh, yes!’’ exclaims Los Angeles. ‘‘Look at the
suckers on my line now!”’
Bell Swat.
The two contestants are seated on the floor facing each
other and with knees touching. Both of them are blind-
folded, both have a little bell hung on a cord hanging
around their necks, and both of them hold a swatter
made of many newspapers folded together. At the sig-
nal they are to start swatting each other, being guided
as to the whereabouts of the enemy by the sound of
the bell.
The only disturbing feature of the game is that the
director too, who referees the game and therefore must
crouch very close to the two contestants, wears a bell!
Hallowe’en Feeding.
Three eouples are asked to stand before the other
guests. Then the men, who must at all times face the
audience, are asked to take three steps back while
the girls turn their backs to the audience and face their
partners. Each of the girls has been provided with a
pan containing ten whole English walnut meats. At
the signal the girls are to feed their partners whose
hands are held behind them, by throwing the nut-
meats at them. The couple that shows the best aim, of
hand and mouth, get a whole box of nutmeats. —
As a word of warning to hostesses, however, we should
add that no hostess should count on any one of these
three men getting enough nutmeats to enable him to
last through the party without a more assured supply of
refreshments.
The hostess is in no way responsible for dilapidated
eyes due to a poor aim.
144: THE FUN BOOK
The Hallowe’en Witch.
Guests make a circle surrounding the Hallowe’en
Witch who is in the center. The witch has a cane, and
after she has been turned around three times, in order
that she may not know at whom she is pointing, she
points her cane at someone and immediately gives her
frank and free opinion of that person. After that
player fully understands just what the witch thinks of
him she passes to the right and points at some other
player and gives him too the benefit of her candid
opinion.
This continues until about ten players have been
diagnosed by the witch. Though the witch has care-
fully thought out her different ‘‘opinions’’ beforehand,
they appear to be entirely impromptu.
It will be just the minister’s luck to have her point
at him and tell him what she thinks of him for having
deserted his wife and ten children in Alaska.
The Witches’ Ride.
Four men are chosen as contestants, the four of them
making two teams. The first one in each team is given
a broomstick, and when the starting signal is given is
to ride his broomstick to the goal and back and give it
to the next rider.
Usually he is willing enough to part with it.
Shadows.
Shadow pictures, made by different groups of the
guests in turn while their identity is guessed by those
watching, make a very good Hallowe’en event.
Races.
See April Fool Races.
OCTOBER 145
I See a Ghost.
This game is too familiar to call for a description.
Every Hallowe’en party program should include it.
Tricks.
Tricks of every description, several of which are writ-
ten up in other books, may be included in Hallowe’en
party programs.
Refreshments.
Just before refreshments guests are told about the
old and truthful superstition that if before eating oné
should sneeze, good luck is on its way.
Just at that time the committee very surreptitiously
becomes active in blowing snuff all about the room.
Evidently plenty of good luck is imminent.
For Small Groups
HALLOWE’EN PARTNERS
Be-witched Partners.
The witch does her best—or her worst—in choosing
partners. The men are lined up in one row and the
girls in another, while the witch stands between them.
The witch, who is blindfolded, walks down the men’s
line and touches a man, immediately going across to the
girls’ line and touching a girl. These two step out and
become partners.
This continues until every one has a partner—for bet-
ter or for worse.
~ Be-witched Hearts.
A large yellow moon is pinned on a curtain or drapery.
On it the hostess has pinned the ‘‘heart’’ of every man
146 THE FUN BOOK
present, these masculine hearts being black (no impli-
cation whatever) and bearing their owner’s initials in
yellow chalk. Each girl is provided with a yellow witch
and in turn is blindfolded, goes to the moon and pins
her witch on some man’s heart, or as near to some man’s
heart as she can come in her blindfolded condition.
That heart and the girl’s witch are then taken off the
curtain and the rest of the girls try their luck at pin-
ning down men’s hearts,
Spider Web.
It is up to each man to find the spider at the end
of his web, a web having been prepared for each man.
A number is tied to the end of the web. The webs are
difficult to disentangle, being tied to the legs of furni-
ture, to chandeliers, to other webs, etc. But it is worth
the necessary trouble to find one’s way to the end, for
the reward is a number which corresponds with the
number held by some girl, girls having been asked to
pick a number out of a box at the same time that the
men are asked to choose a web.
HALLOWE’EN FORTUNES
A barrel hoop is suspended from the ceiling, hanging
low enough so that the guest of average height may
reach it with his teeth. From it are suspended for-
tunes, one for every guest. Guests are blindfolded in
turn, led up to this fortune hoop and asked to bite a
fortune off the hoop. |
Fortunes should include sticky apples which indicate
a somewhat messy future; pickles, which of course fore-
tell a lifelong matter of being in pickles; pieces of cake,
which, although somewhat unpleasant to fish about in
OCTOBER 147
the dark for, promise great luxury and a life of good
things to eat; carrots, foretelling a call to the farm;
rulers for school teachers; pieces of cloth for tailors;
and last but not least, a nice red pepper for the one
who is to have a very spicy time for the rest of his life.
It will probably take him the rest of his life to get
the taste of red pepper out of his mouth!
If the guests number more than ten, fortunes should
be hung on a line rather than on a barrel hoop.
Touch Fortune.
Guests are shown a tray on which three things have
been placed, objects which will indicate future gifts.
They are told that they are to be blindfolded and then
asked to touch one of these fortune-telling objects. They
are sent out of the room and are brought back one at
a time to touch their fortune.
In the meantime, however, a cup of exceedingly sticky
molasses has been added to the tray and as the groping
fingers reach for some prize fortune they are thrust deep
into the molasses.
No rules of etiquette which forbid the licking of one’s
fingers are enforced after this procedure.
Couple Fortune.
Just after partners have been chosen and are ready
for refreshments the blindfolded witch again comes to
the fore and tells their fortunes by couples. Couples
are to line up in a column and starting with the first one
the witch tells their fortunes couple by couple. She
should prepare a list of fortunes beforehand and memor-
ize them.
She may tell the first couple that within a month they
148 THE FUN BOOK
will be married to each other. This fits the individual
case beautifully, especially if the first couple happens
to be the hostess, fat and fifty, and young Jimmy Burns
who is still in his teens and madly in love with the
hostess’ daughter.
Mirror Fortune.
Girls are taken to one room while men go into an-
other. One by one the girls are brought to the doorway
of the room in which the men are seated, the room being
in darkness. As each girl in turn comes in she is given
a mirror and a candle, told to take four steps backward
and then look in the mirror over her left shoulder to
see the man she will marry, or the one she should have
married.
In the meantime the men have lined up and in turn
are brought up to peer into the mirror over a girl’s
shoulder.
While we should hardly like to take the responsibility
of pairing off these guests for life, we are ready to take
a chance on pairing them off as supper partners.
Musical Fortunes.
The hostess has arranged a scale of fortunes which
corresponds with the notes of the two middle octaves on
a piano. Blindfolded guests strike one of these notes
and then are publicly informed of the fate they struck
for themselves.
Signs of the Zodiac.
These can be found in any public library and copied
off on slips of paper.
OCTOBER 149
Initial Fortunes.
There are several guaranteed ways of finding the
initials of the man one will marry. Among them are
the following:
1. To pare an apple and throw the peeling over the
left shoulder, while other guests decide on what initial
the peeling forms. Friends are usually only too eager
to help perform this little act of friendliness.
2. Another way is to spear a pumpkin while blind-
folded. The pumpkin has had letters cut all over its
rounded sides, and the letters speared with the pin are
without doubt those of one’s future husband.
3. A third way is to fish for soup paste letters which
have been put into water.
4, A fourth way is to melt lead and drop it into
cold water.
Number Fortune.
Each guest draws a number out of a box. When
they are seated each guest in turn tells his number to
the hostess who reads aloud the fortune belonging to
that number.
Progressive Fortunes. ¢
Each guest is given a piece of paper at the top of
which he writes his name folding it over so that it can-
not be read by his neighbor to whom he passes his paper.
When all slips of paper have been passed to right-hand
neighbors guests are asked to write out a four word
description of the owner’s past life, fold it over and
pass it on,
Next comes a four word description of the owner’s
wife, sweetheart or husband. Next, four words on what
150 THE FUN BOOK
they think of each other. Finally, what their future
will be.
They are read at refreshment time, but not by their
owners.
Analysis.
This is played like the game above except that players
write only their names on the top of the papers, fold
them and pass them in to the hostess who mixes them,
again passes them out, and then asks for each player to
write an adjective and a noun that will describe a person.
These too are read aloud and again, not by the people
whose names are on the papers!
Infallible Fortunes.
Other absolutely infallible ways of telling fortunes
include the following:
1. Wish over two wet apple seeds. Place them on the
eyelids. The one which stays there the longer shows
which wish will come true.
2. Each girl has two small candles placed in front of
her at the supper table. She names them both. The one
which burns the longest shows which ‘‘gentleman
friend’’ will remain true the longest.
3. The same is true of tiny candles placed in nut-
Shells and set afloat in a basin of water.
Cake Fortunes.
The usual fortune telling symbols are found in Hal-
lowe’en cakes. They are as follows: A ring for mar-
riage; a thimble for spinsterhood; a penny for poverty;
and a tiny elephant for good luck.
OCTOBER 151
Saucer Fortunes.
Symbols are placed in saucers and blindfolded for-
tune hunters put their fingers in the fortune they choose
for themselves. Symbols are as follows: A piece of
dough for a soft life; a thorn for a thorny life; clear
water for a life of smooth sailing; soapy water for
stormy sailing; an empty dish for spinsterhood; a tooth-
brush for a dentist husband; and a rubber band for a
snappy life.
Some of these symbols as well as those for Cake For-
tunes may be hidden in sand and guests required to
shovel the sand for them.
Again they may be fished for by the fishpond method.
Candle Blowing Fortune.
| Guests may be asked to blow out candles while blind-
folded, each candle standing for a different fortune or
future. Those blown out promise their particular for-
tunes to the ‘‘blower.’’
Fortunes may include a week in jail for speeding, and
the like.
GAMES
Telltale Milk bottle.
“While guests sit in a circle a milk bottle is spun around
just after some very pertinent (not to say impertinent)
question has been asked. The one at whom the milk-
bottle points when it stops is the answer to the question.
Questions may run as follows:
1. Who likes himself?
2. Who dyes his hair?
3. Who is the next mayor?
4, Who flirts outrageously.
152 THE FUN BOOK
Apple Bobbing.
Bobbing for apples in water has never gone out of
fashion. Nor has the method of spearing apples
with pins.
Hallowe’en Story telling.
This should bé done in front of the fire of course,
One cf the guests is given a ball of yarn and as she
slowly unwinds it she tells a weird story. As soon as
she comes to the end of her piece of yarn, for the ball
is made up of different pieces of brightly colored yarn,
she gives the ball to her neighbor. He in turn must
take up her story until he has unwound his piece. This
continues around the entire circle, the last one being
obliged to put a thrilling climax to the story.
Fagot Stunt.
Each guest is given a fagot which he, in turn, is to
throw into the fire. While it burns he must do a stunt.
Toasts and Roasts.
Marshmallows are roasted on the end of long wires.
Chestnuts are thrown in the fire to be roasted. If they
jump outside the fire they foretell a long, unexpected
journey. If they pop up and down they foretell a life
of intense excitement. If they roast peacefully like all
good chestnuts should they foretell a life of placid peace
and ease. If they sputter life will undoubtedly be one
spat after another.
Poor Pussy!
This old-fashioned game is used to good advantage at
a Hallowe’en party.
Note the following adaptations :
dame oes
clap ea Se Raggi UMRO Tiara isis
Pee NAS oni
a
ig
P
f
F |
:
OCTOBER 153
1. See Blind Man. Instead of blindfolding players
who are It for games like Blind Man use a paper mache
black cat’s head. They can be bought in any novelty
store, and heavy pieces of black paper may be pasted
over the eyes.
2. See Imitation.
face at his neighbor.
3. See A Fabricated Santa Glee Use a witch.
4. See Fortune Telling Eggs.
5. See Discard.
6. See April Fool Locomotion. Have contestants race
blindfolded or backward.
7. See Ouch, and Gobble. Substitute ‘‘Meow!’’
Each different ‘‘starter’’ makes a
CHAPTER X
NOVEMBER
For Evther Large or Small Growps
November makes one part of us very thankful for all
our blessings and another part of us thankful for all
the good things to eat that are inevitable, so a Thanks-
giving party is made up of thankful stunts, those of the
heart and those of the appetite.
Thankful Stunts.
The eroup is divided into smaller groups by using the
grand march to bring the company up the room in lines,
eight abreast. Each line of eight then forms a thankful
family which is to prepare a stunt portraying the thing
for which they as a group are thankful.
They are allowed to forage around for impromptu
properties and at the end of ten minutes they are called
out in turn to do their stunts before the others. Three
judges pass upon them and decide which group ap-
pears to have the best grounds for being thankful.
Suggestions for leaders to offer groups may include
these :
1, One group is thankful for its wonderful beauty,
and its admiration of itself is amazing to say the least!
2. Another group is thankful for its strength and ex-
hibits that strength in most astonishing ways.
154
NOVEMBER 155
3. A third group is thankful for its brains, and with
a teacher to lead them on shows how extremely smart
they all are.
Each group is to continue its stuntifying until the
audience has guessed what that group thinks it has to be
thankful for.
| More Thankful Stunts,
“This game is ‘played exactly like the one above except
that the different families prepare a thankful stunt
depicting some quality which they are glad they as a
family do not possess. Undesirable traits which are
typical are as follows: 1. Meanness. 2. Pugnacity.
3. Pride. 4. Stinginess. 5. Rudeness. 6. Laziness.
7. Insolence. 8. Timidity 9. Sarcasm.
The committee will get the surprise of its life when
it sees how thoroughly the guests will enjoy being as
pugnacious as they please; as rude ang as insolent !
Stormy \ Weather.
The erand march is isda to ue the guests lined up
in eight lines, each guest taking plenty of room for
himself. The leader tells them that a terrific storm has
arisen and that if they are keen barometers they can
sense the feeling of the storm. She will read weather
reports to them and as she does this they are to pan-
tomime the action of the storm. However, when she
calls out the direction in which the wind is blowing they
are to face in the opposite direction. For example,
when she says, ‘‘The wind is blowing toward the east,’’
everyone must face the west. When she says, ‘‘The
wind is blowing toward the south,’’ they must at once
face the north. But when she says, ‘‘The wind is whirl-
156 THE FUN BOOK
ing!’’ they must spin around in a circle three times.
And when she says, ‘‘The wind is variable,’’ they must
sway back and forth until she gives them another direc-
tion. All orders must be continued until another order
is given. It is a good plan for the leader to demonstrate
and then let them practice each movement before she
begins reading the weather reports.
If the leader will prepare a weather report before-
hand, one in which there will be plenty of action, this
may be the funniest game of the evening. There is
always the most ridiculous confusion when guests are
supposed to face west but face east instead, and then
have to be turned around by their neighbors. And if
the leader will end her report by saying, ‘‘ And the wind
whirled (allowing them to whirl three times), and
whirled (repeat), and whirled—’’ the game will end in
helpless laughter and the speedy demise of the whirlers!
Gobble!
~"“"Sée Hooray! The rules for Gobble! are the same
except that the players, who have chosen the name of
some animal, immediately imitate the call of that animal
when the leader’s right hand is raised; keep silent when
her left hand is raised; and imitate a turkey’s ‘‘gobble
gobble!’’ when both hands are raised.
Another way of playing this is to have the leader tell
a story in which the names of barnyard animals are
often mentioned. In each case those who have chosen
or been assigned the part of a certain animal must rise
and imitate that animal whenever its name is called.
Whenever the turkey is mentioned they all must rise and
‘*Gobble!’’ for all they are worth. —
NOVEMBER 157
Thanksgiving Orchestra. ~ =
Still another way of playing this game is to furnish
a Thanksgiving orchestra by letting each guest choose
the part of some instrument of an orchestra. When the
leader’s right hand is directing the music everyone must
play his instrument zealously, but woe unto the inatten-
tive musician who keeps on playing when the left hand
is up!
When the leader uses both hands for leading every-
one must sing at the top of his lungs in addition to
playing his instrument. Nearby neighbors having noth-
ing for which to be thankful when this game is played.
Now You Bite It, Now You Don’t.
“Three delinquents who were the losers in some other
contest are asked to show their ability to get a meal
even under the most adverse circumstances. Strings
have been tied to three apples, the other end of each
string being tied to a wand or a broomstick handle.
This broomstick handle has a heavy cord attached to its
exact middle and this cord is fastened above to a chan-
delier or to a doorway. One apple is pointed out to each
contestant as his own and it is up to him to eat his own
individual apple, under no circumstances biting that of
anyone else.
All the time they are trying to bite their apples the
leader is swinging the wand that holds the apples so
that it becomes a case of ‘‘Now you bite it, now you
don’t.”’
Ouchi
The leader is to tell or read a story while all the
guests sit about informally. The story may be about
158 THE FUN BOOK
a Thanksgiving party and must contain the word
‘‘Ouch!’’ at very frequent intervals. Whenever that
word occurs all guests must go down on their knees,
assume expressions of great discomfort (which by the
way becomes spontaneous all too soon), and cry out
**Ouch!’’
The storyteller should pause after each ‘‘Ouch!’’ in
order to give her listeners plenty of time to assume the
Ouch positions! The first three who protest that they
can get down on their knees no longer are used as vic-
tims in some hoax or in some particularly ridiculous
race.
The Rocking Chair..Drag.
This is a contest primarily for those who wish to
reduce—or who need to reduce—because of too hearty
Thanksgiving eating.
Four couples and two heavy rocking chairs are
aeeded for this event. There are two couples to a team,
and the first couple of each team is given a rocking
chair in which the lady is to sit and be rocked to the
goal and back. . When ready, the lady sits in the chair
which faces in the opposite direction from the goal, the
man grasps the back of the chair and at the signal starts
dragging the chair and its occupant to the goal and back.
If they ever do get back the next couple goes through
the same agony, and regardless of which team wins all
four couples are given a big dish of ice cream.
Double Jerusalem.
Girls form two columns. They are asked to number
off by twos, the twos facing in one direction and the
ones in the opposite direction. Each girl is to put her
NOVEMBER 159
right hand on her hip. Men march around this double
column and when the music stops they snatch at one
of the hooked elbows. The man who does not get one
must go and sit on the floor on the sideline.
One ‘‘elbow’’ is taken away from each line at every
round, and one more bachelor added to the line on the
floor at the sceles:
aged Se
| Eanity Seantd
ach ees i given a slip of paper which assigns him
a part to play in one of the families at this great family
reunion. He may be anything in his particular family,
from one of the inevitable twins to the great grand-
father. When all members of a family have found each
other they are given ten minutes, plus some very im-
promptu properties, and are told to prepare family
stunts. The family showing the most talent is allowed
to sit and watch the less talented families run the very
strenuous Spring Beauties Race, which is written up
in the chapter on May.
i Hidden ‘Turkeys.
“Six or seven of the guests, the number depending on
the size of the crowd, are given small candy turkeys
wrapped in tissue paper. They are to conceal them and
to let no one know they have them. Guests are told only
that certain other guests hold magnificent prizes and
that the ninth person to shake hands with each of these
unknown persons is to get a prize; that these prize-
holders are to secretly count the people shaking hands
with them and when the ninth person shakes hands with
them just to make a mental note of it. After three
minutes of violent handshaking the prizeholders are
160 THE FUN BOOK
asked to come out in front and announce their ‘‘ninth
handshakers.’’
The magnificent prizes are then awarded.
Farmer and Turkey. .
~ Guests use the grand march to form lines of eight.
They are asked to hold the hands across their lines, but
when the whistle blows to take a sharp quarter turn to
the right and quickly take hold of their new neighbors’
hands. Every time a whistle blows they are to do this,
always turning to the right and always taking their new
neighbors’ hands immediately. A farmer and a turkey
are chosen, it being the business of the farmer to chase
the turkey, of course. 'The turkey is given a bit of a
head start and then the farmer is after him, running
up and down the constantly changing streets and alleys
formed by the turning lines.
When the turkey is caught he chooses a new turkey
and the farmer chooses a new farmer, the leader being
careful to fill up the gaps made in the line so no breaks
are made in the changing streets and alleys. No farmer
is allowed to break through or tag through a line.
The Chopstick Chew.
Hach of the two contestants is provided with a pair
of chopsticks and a pan of baked beans. It is their
business to start eating the beans when the signal is
given, but they must eat them via the chopsticks.
A much more inhuman way to use chopsticks is to
provide each of the two contestants with chopsticks and
a pan of cranberries. Using their chopsticks the con-
testants are to carry the cranberries one by one to an
empty pan at the other end of the room. The one who
NOVEMBER 161
first succeeds in this should be given the privilege of
naming some stunt which the other fellow must perform.
Whistling Race.
Nine or ten women may be asked to ‘‘run’’ this race.
Facing the other guests the first one starts to whistle
any tune she knows. As soon as some one in the audi-
ence recognizes the tune and calls out the correct name
of it, she may stop. A record is kept of the length of
time she had to whistle before her tune was recognized.
Then the second one whistles until her tune is recog-
nized, and so it goes down the entire line of contestants,
in each case a record being kept of the time it took
for the audience to recognize the tune being whistled.
The three whose tunes were recognized in the least
time, are then asked to stand before the audience, the
other contestants being excused. These three artists are
asked to whistle their tunes through from start to finish,
the only difficulty being that they are to do it at the
same time. At the conclusion each one is given a fan.
Se will need it.
Thanksgiving Siegine. )
“Just after refreshments, when some of the guests cme
finished and others have not, community singing is
very good means of getting everyone back into ie
spirit of the party for the last few events of the evening.
‘At first the singing is just sketchy and rather general
in character, but after most of the guests have joined in
the group is divided into sections which are pitted
against each other in competitive singing, a committee
of judges announcing after each song which section was
162 THE FUN BOOK
the best. If the judges can make their decisions awful
enough this can be made the funniest event of the
evening,
The committee in charge should prepare a suggestive
list of songs which include all the old favorites with a
great many funny songs interspersed. Let the leader
call for the oldest popular song anyone can remember
. and give a foolish prize to the one who produces it.
\. “After the Ball Was Over’’ will prove to be quite new
as compared with the old-timers that will be called forth!
Sing ‘‘John Brown’s Body’’ omitting the last word.
In the next verse omit the last two words; then the
last three words and so on until all the words except
‘‘John Brown’’ have been omitted, the leader going
through strenuous ‘‘leading motions’’ during the
silences.
As a means of demonstrating the importance of at-
tention the leader announces that his singers are to
watch him closely and sing only as long as he sings,
stopping the instant he stops, even though it be in the
middle of a note. The owners of ‘‘hangover’’ voices
are invited to come out and stand beside the leader.
As one last supreme effort, each group is assigned a
different song which it is to sing at the same time every
other group sings theirs. The group which the judges
can hear above the other groups gets the blue ribbon.
As a closing song, let them all sing Liza Jane. The
verses are sung sitting down, but in the chorus, each ~
time they come to ‘‘Oh Eliza,’’ every singer must rise,
raise his arms and just whoop a long drawn-out ‘‘Oh
Kliza!’’ sitting down again immediately, ready, however,
to rise and whoop the next ‘‘Oh Eliza!’’
NOVEMBER 163
For Small Groups
Pork and Beans Partners.
“Bachman takes a slip of paper out of a ‘‘partner
box,’’ while each girl takes hers out of another box. On
these different slips have been written the names of cer-
tain articles of food which are invariably put together.
After everyone has a slip Mr. Pork goes out to find Miss
Beans, while Mr. Bread looks for Miss Butter, and Mr.
Lamb hunts for Miss Mint Sauce.
When they all thonk they have found their right
partners the hostess reads the correct list, thereby tak-
ing the joy out of life for Mr. Steak who tried to make
himself believe that steak is invariably accompanied by
mashed potatoes instead of fried onions, the steak being
temporarily infatuated with Miss Mashed Potatoes and
enjoying a tiff with Miss Fried Onions.
66
Sculpturing.
~ Guests carve faces out of apples and figures out of
earrots. Only the latest modes in faces and figures are
allowed.
Progressive Cranberries.
There are two ‘couples at ach table for this game, each
couple being interested in spearing more cranberries
with their joint hatpin than the other couple is able
to spear. |
Recipes for Happiness and for Health.
A prize is offered the guest who writes the best recipe
for happiness using the letters of his name in turn for
the first letters of each word. No one disputes the de-
cision of the judges when they award the prize to Fred
164 THE FUN BOOK
Stelf whose happiness recipe calls for: 1. Fun.
2. Rainbows. 38. Eyesight. 4. Decorations. 5. Sleep.
6. Tea parties. &. Laughter. ‘8. FOOD!
Recipes for health too, are enlightening.
Miniature Tenpins.
“Clothespins are set up like tenpins and marbles are
used instead of balls.
Clothespin Croquet.
‘Clothespins are set up on a table like croquet arches.
Marbles take the place of croquet balls and they are
snapped through the arches.
Table Tiddledewinks.
Races across the length of table with the discs used in
Tiddledewinks furnish real excitement.
Left- handed. Tiddledewinks.
The game is played as usual except for the very un-
usual rule of having to use the left hand only.
Circle Tiddledewinks.
~Three~conicentric circles are the goal for a Tiddlede-
wink contest. Points are made as in quoits, the one
coming closest to the center winning one point each time.
».Note the following adaptations:
1. See Hee Balance. Use apples.
2. See Wedding Music. Thanksgiving Music.
/ 8. See Spring Flowers. Use Vegetables. For ex-
‘ample: Pump-kin; toe-mate-toe; squash; let-us.
4, See Sticky Snowballs.
5. See Eating Contests.
NOVEMBER 165
6. See Various Resolutions. Give up food.
7. See Dramatic Partnership. Use barnyard ealls.
8. See Flatheads, Pan Balance, and Potato Relays.
Use apples.
9. See Cherry Race. Use apples.
10. See The Vicious Donkey. Use a snappy turkey.
CHAPTER XI
‘DECEMBER
TRAE
For Evther Laeys or Small. Groups
If it is at all possible let the committee provide strings
of bells for the guests to wear around their necks all
through the party, or if strings of bells are impossible,
then one bell on a string for each guest. There never
was a more Christmas-y sound, and grownups are just
as eager to make a ‘‘joyful noise’’ as are children. Red
paper caps, too, surely add a festive air, as do toy
balloons tied to guests’ shoulders.
The Christmas Grand March.
~ Each’ eiiest Was"béen asked to bring some noisy ten
cent gift securely wrapped in paper. When most of
the guests have arrived they form a circle and at signal
from the leader start passing their gifts to the right.
At the hostess’ whistle each one keeps the gift he is
holding but does not open it. Instead, all the girls form
in one line, and the men in another, the two lines sep-
arating and meeting at the rear of the room, coming up
the center with partners. When everyone is nicely
hooked up to a partner and they stand in double file
down the center of the room, the order is given to open
the gifts and demonstrate their worth.
166
DECEMBER 167
No second bidding is necessary, for if there is any-
thing grownups like better than making noise on a fes-
tive occasion, it is making more noise. To take care of
this the leader starts a grand march, having them march
up in twos and fours and eights and then form a single
line, each one putting his right hand on the shoulders
of the one in front of him. They march around the room
in zigzag fashion, the music getting faster and faster
until they are running as fast as they can, still keeping
hands on shoulders—maybe—and working their toys
as hard as they can! There will be no need of artificial
urging for a more social spirit.
‘ The Doll | Sale.
- The doll merchant demonstrates his dolls to the in-
terested—oh, very interested!—onlookers. They are
four or five innocent victims whom he picked out of the
audience, or they may be people who deserve to pay
a fine for being the losers in some contest. The mer-
chant calls on them to ‘‘smile sweetly for the ladies,’’
to ery bitterly, to sing a little song, to say ‘‘Mama!”’
and ‘‘Papa!’’ as all good dolls do.
The audience votes on the best doll baby in the group
and that none too flattered doll baby receives a darling
little doll as a reward. Let us hope that he is a stal-
wart masculine person.
Safety Bells.
“AIaround the walls of the room red paper bells have
been pinned, some of them high and some of them low.
There should be more bells than there are guests, but
some of the bells should be pinned up so high that they
will do the guests no good! When the music starts
168 THE FUN BOOK
guests are asked to walk around the room, there being
no definite line of march, the only requisite being that
all guests must keep moving all the time. Suddenly the
whistle blows and everyone is to run for a bell. Any-
one who does not have his hand on a bell by the time
the leader’s next whistle blows gets a seat in the center
of the room.
When the (no, I won’t say dumb-bells!) are plucked
out of the group and seated in the center of the circle the
game goes on as before, but in the meantime the com-
mittee has taken away three or four of the lower bells,
which act will provide three or four more victims for the
next round. Each time some of the lower bells are taken
away, and each time the group in the circle is added to.
The last ten to be left in the race expect a prize,
but instead they are invited to become the victims in the
next game. Such is life!
Candle Steppers,
Four stout men are chosen to run this race. In front
of each one have been placed four tall red Christmas can-
dles in arow. These candles are lighted and contestants
are asked to step over the candles in their rows, to get
the measure of the necessary step. After they have
practised they are blindfolded, and then told to start
when the whistle blows.
In the meantime the candles have been removed.
Imagine the mental stepping these stoutish racers go
through in trying to step over tall, lighted candles
blindfolded! But it is not their mental stepping that
convulses the onlookers. Their entirely unnecessary
physical stepping is enough to bring tears to the eyes
of strong men.
DECEMBER 169
Parcel Post.
Serkharnamenaet
Cita men ‘and a girl form a trio and there are two trios
to each team. Each team is given a straight chair on
which the girl is to sit while the men carry her to the
goal and return. When the first team returns—if it
ever does—the chair is quickly given up to the second
trio of a team, which group goes through this same
performance.
We are too humane to suggest their having to walk
backwards in this fashion, but if the readers are not too
humane to try it—that is hardly our affair.
Carnival.
Guests have been given toy balloons on their arrival
and asked to fasten them on their shoulders. Just after
refreshment they are given the privilege and invitation
to break any other person’s balloon. The one who can
keep his balloon intact the longest gets another balloon
as a prize. ‘‘To him that hath shall be given!’’
The Lost Christmas Gift.
A kitchen table serves as the hunting ground for this
elusive Christmas gift. A man and a girl are chosen as
the hunter and the gift to be searched for. Both are
blindfolded, put their hands on the table at opposite
corners and at the signal from the leader start to move
around the table, the girl trying to avoid the man while
he is trying to catch her, both of them moving very
slowly and being as quiet as possible in order to hear the
other’s movements.
The moment is inevitable when both are stealthily
moving toward each other. The suspense on the part of
the audience is as interesting to watch as is the chase.
170 THE FUN BOOK
At the ‘‘clash’’ which always comes as a huge surprise
to both hunter and hunted, a new couple is chosen. This
may continue through three couples, but while the
fourth man is hunting for his ‘‘package’’ the blind-
folder is taken off that package; she is quietly removed
and the man’s vain, furtive dashes and futile, stealthy
movements create joy among the onlookers, to say the
least!
Gift Exchange.
The guests have been asked to bring ten cent gifts
wrapped up securely, and these gifts are collected at
the door. After all the guests have arrived the men are
asked to make a circle with all the girls in a circle sur-
rounding them. If there are more girls than men (and
there will be!) let some of the girls fill out the men’s
circle so that there will be an even number in each circle.
Every man and every girl is given a parcel. The two
circles are facing in opposite directions and when the
musie starts they march around the room with their
parcels under their arms.
Suddenly the music stops and the whistle blows,
which is the signal for all the marchers to stop and to
make a deep bow before their partners, who in each case
are the ones directly opposite them when the musie
stops. The partners then exchange gifts, open their
parcels, examine their gifts and if they like them and
want to keep them, drop out of the circle. If, however,
one of them does not like his gift, neither one can drop
out of the circle and they both have to wrap up their
gifts, march around when the music starts again and
exchange their parcels for some other gift. This con-
tinues until they are all satisfied, but in no case can a
DECEMBER 171
player drop out of the circle unless his partner does too,
for the number must be kept even.
Noisy gifts are usually most acceptable.
Christmas Toys.
“EHachguest*is invited to draw a slip of paper out of
a box, which slip will tell him to what family of toys
he belongs. When everyone has his slip of paper the
different families of toys are to congregate, the drums
in one corner, the horns in another, the rattles, dolls,
soldiers, wagons, and roller skates in another part of
the room. Each group is to put on a stunt that will
represent its toy, the group giving the best stunt being
presented with the toy it represents.
Some of the stunts will be very simple, like that of
the drum, while others like the mechanical dolls, whose
gifts must be shown off, or the soldiers who must give
a dress parade, will be more elaborate. A great pile of
newspapers and bits of red paper and pins are made
available. It is also made clear that any group may
borrow anything it likes from any of the guests present!
Christmas Races. _
Candle races of every description are suitable for
Christmas parties, races in which contestants run with
lighted candles in their hands, or in their mouths; or
races to blow out lighted candles blindfolded.
Cooperation,
Players are divided into lines of equal length. The
first player in each line is given five Indian clubs. At
the signal he is to start placing his clubs in a straight
line in front of him, the clubs equally distant apart, and
the last club to be on the goal line. He then runs back
to touch off the next runner who is to collect all five
172 THE FUN BOOK
elubs and bring them back to the third runner. This
third runner is to again place them all as did the first
runner, while the fourth runner collects them for the
fifth. This continues until all the players of a line have
run the race. The line which finishes first may name
some race or stunt which all the losers must put on.
If a elub falls down the runner must go back and
put it up again before the next runner can take
his place. Indian clubs are not always absolutely
trustworthy !
For Small Groups
Fabricated Santa Claus. ~~~
This is the kind of a game which is infinitely more fun
to watch than to play. The ‘‘racers’’ may be the losers
in some other contest or they may have been the ones
who had to pay a forfeit in some previous game.
A large sheet of white paper, at least three feet
across, 18 pinned on a heavy curtain across the room
from each one of the two competing teams, there being
no more than six or seven in a team. The figure of an
armless Santa Claus has been drawn in red chalk on the
paper. Each contestant has been supplied with some
‘‘part’’ which is indispensable to Santa Claus. The
first one may hold a paper eye; the next one an arm,
or a shoe, or a cap, or an ear, or a nose, or a mouth.
When the starting signal is given the first player in
each line who has been blindfolded is led up to his Santa
Claus and pins on the ‘‘part’’ he holds.
If it happens to be an eye we hope he pins it some-
where near where the eye should be, but it is far more
likely to be pinned on the right heel! As soon as he
DECEMBER 173
has pinned on his eye he takes off the blindfolder and
runs back to put it on the next player. This player in
turn is led up to the Santa Claus, pins on his ‘‘foot’’
and gives his blindfolder to the next player. So it con-
tinues until all the players of both competing teams
have pinned on their eyes and ears and feet. The judges
then decide which Santa Claus looks the most complete.
They will have a hard time! It is always a matter
of deciding whether an ear looks less awful on a toe than
it does on an elbow.
on a table, guests are to make gifts for their partners, no
one being allowed to give any advice or any help to said
partner.
The material provided for these gifts should include
empty match boxes; empty spools; brightly colored
yarns; untrimmed hats; chewing gum; water colors;
tacks and hammer; pins, paste; scissors; faded and
gaudy ribbons, chiffon, and flowers; dolls; clothespins;
cotton, adhesive tape; and empty milk bottles.
A wonderful variety of gifts should result.
Christmas Stockings.
Hath cuest is given a stocking which is made of some
cheap material. He is to fill it and top off the contents
with a bit of advice which he throws in free of charge
as his personal contribution. Fillers for the stockings
are the same kind of material as that named for Man-
made Gifts, nuts and stick candy being added to the
assortment.
Christmas Messages.
Players are lined up as for a relay race. The hostess
a ee hi ae oe
“174 THE FUN BOOK
whispers a certain Christmas message to the leader in
each row. Then when the starting signal is given these
leaders turn around and whisper that message to the
one directly behind them. He in turn whispers it to
the one behind him, and so it goes to the end of the line.
The last one in the line runs forward and whispers what
he heard to the leader of his line. The row which first
gets its message back to the leader wins that event—
maybe. “
Other games are adapted to rahe programs by
changing their ‘‘subject_matter.’”? Chesty Spelling, |
Snappy Spelling, Dramatic Spelling, Train of Thought,
Washington without Lincoln, Truth, Unlimited Vocabu-
laries, and Boomerang Conversation may be localized b
a rule calling for certain kinds of words or sentiments
i.e., Christmas words, valentine messages, names 0
flowers, etc., etc.
Still other games are more general in their applica-
tion and may be used for any month. They are as
_ follows:
1. School Discipline. 4, Stormy Weather. j
2. April Fool Mixer. 5. The Wreck. |
3. Spring Beauties. 6. How Do You Do.
Much of the material written up for Hallowe’en and.
for April is interchangeable.
Additional Out-of-door Material.
Almost any of the Mixers and games for large groups
can be used for out- -of- door evening parties. Many of
the tricks, contests in which only a few contestants take
part, and games for small groups can be used for the
less strenuous out-of-door games.
Yuet oF
182 THE FUN BOOK
Noah’ ’s Ark can be used to very good advantage as a
pichie game if small pieces of white paper are hidden
about the grounds.
All of the picnic events written up for men or boy
players can be used for girls in athletic dress. |
Campfire Games.
The following games, written up Bikcwiane: in this
book, may be used to supplement the Camy pfire inate jal:
1. Ambitions. Pees Quantity, not Quality/ 2 Zo
2. I Am a Great Man.},¥ 11. Slang. /30-) ¥ f
3. Penalty. 12. Toasts and rei ISA
4. daa eantnnae p Abbre- 18. Hallowe’en Storytelling.
viations. 4.
. Gymnastic Wedding.” 7514. Hallowe’en Witch:/’ 4
Spring Has Come! 4% 15. Whistling Race. / (./
. April Fool Spelldown. 16. Gobble! /4%,
. Kiss the Blarney Stone. 17. Thanksgiving Orchestra. | |
. Dizzy Mixup. 18. No! pas
]
Ry,
P™%
) é
INDEX
5
;
INDEX
185
A ae Partners ..... ee ea al |
; . ombardment ........ 91
ene Oterieh = 01k ABT (Book Chanaciers. cu. 129
Advance Fashions ..... 19 Boomerang Conversa-
away Carb enacuite fsa 76, 77 B DONA slew rata 132, 133
halve oi eisioeness 150 Bottle Shower ........ 82
An April Foolish Mixer 56 Bump Reader, The.... 141
Se ae eee 411 Burden Race ......... 102
Ankle Race .......... 107
. Apple Bobbing ....... LO C
April Fool Harmonies. 5% _ .
‘ April Fool:Hunt ....'.. BS yr GPObN- tii. sisic'as sis ees ikea
April Fool Jump ..... 56,57 Cake Fortunes ........ 150
‘April Fool Locomotion. 58 /Campfire Contests .... 116
‘April Fool Mending { Campfire Games ...... 182
SORTER Wishes cto ia’ 's, since veh 59 \Campfire Singing .... 114
April Fool Party ..... 53, 54 ene Blowing For-
\April Fool Races ..... "57 tUME eee ee esses dol
‘April Fool Spelldown. 58 Candle SEED DOrs + +.s\alt 168
Carnivals ia wei. 169
B Catch Contests ....... 112
Celebrities...) sav ts koe 28
Baby Caps. wiv... 9,10 Changing One’s Name. 74
Baby how to. kos oe o's &: Do Cherry Hace (a si. cele 36
Balloon Blow .......'. 106 Chesty Spelling ...... 122
Beanbag Tag ........ BO CAT CAT YU es, talatens 16
eae, bac ie es she vs 143. Chopstick Chew, The.. 160
Be-witched Hearts ..145,146 ‘Christmas Blind Man’s
Be-witched Partners .. 145 Bul Seay ieee 175
PTISOD AL ole ae enh 64-0 119 Christmas Grand
Black Heart, The ..... SAP Be aia MEALOM he ibert aaa a tt 166, 167
PHAPNGY: cho ooh a 2 8 cseen 51 Christmas Messages... 173
Blind Leading the Blind, | Christmas Races ...... 171
PIV hk Bale alee. aes a's 1 | Christmas Stockings ... 173
Blind Man 305. .4. 64" 116 | Christmas Toys ........ 171
186
Circle Games ....... mre Be
Circle Safety ......... 94.
Circle Tag cegioten . os 1}
Circle Tiddledewinks .. 164
Clothespin Croquet... 164
Clab Beer ee ese eee 91
Competitive Catch .... 92
Competitive Teacher ... 93
Complimentary Abbre-
WIATIGOS ewe a a 48
Complimentary Valen-
ANESTH rae PA eile 36
Conceited Calendar ... 12
Cooperation |....'.25\. x WG DS Grp
Couple Fortune ....... 147
Couple Race ......... 107
LODTAED ALU a ste siae bin elt 16
Cupid seid aves geese bial . 35, 36
D
Definifions' . 6 .'s).'s0i-s Aiton WE;
Deformity Race ...... 57
DISGAIA eich iecd ene es 65
Dividing into Groups.. 178
Digzy Mixup; As... 3 125
DO) REMI OW EL elas olen 130
Dollidale Ther iy. 504 167
Domestic Difficulties ..
‘Double Cat and Rat... 88
i Double Dead Ball ..... 87
| Double Jerusalem ..... 158
ouble Meaning ...... 117
Dramatic Lone 79.
| Dramatic Spelling .
‘Dramatic Tests .......
Dressed-up Leapfrog .. 86
Duck Waddle, The .... 100
Dustpan Race, The.... 100
Dates ysis) eee ws . 18,19
Easter Eggshell Contest 63
Eating Contests
INDEX
Eating on the Level... 103
Egg Balance, The ..... 63
Kmerald Isle ......... 47
Enfranchised Baseball . 84
Examinations ......... 127
Exchange (oi. se eke 6 aah
Extinct Fashions ..... 19
F
Fabricated Santa Claus 172
Fagot. Stunt <.ystes 152
False Fronts cis os 48,49
Flower Jump, The .... 72,73
Flower Petal Partners . 73
Flowerlike Faces ..... 70
POxbunesi ys vine ow es 147, 148,
149, 150, 151
Fortune Telling Eggs . 62
Four-legged Cat and
Feat NA aes 88
Friendly Enemies .... 94
Frogs and Crawfish ... 106
G
Garden Maze, The.... 69
Gift Exchange ....... 170
Gilt Toss; Thesasawene 174
Gifts on Strings ..... a) aa
Gopbled i. 6.0 24k Gua 156
Going to School ..... oe
Lrolashe ts sy satiai cee ak 17,18
KFORST DAs a a iieteets aN RB 115
Grab Bag Wis even Vas touees
Grand Opera Tag .... 99
Grass Loops ....... ele hae
|
|
: Initial Flowers
_ Initial Fortunes
- Initial Resolves
i
| Initial Stunts
RETBAD LM GN 0 si.4 oo osha ahe'
Guarding the Club....
Guessing Gifts
Gymnastic Wedding ...
PPAR Emu ste iris ep
Half a Quotation .....
Hallowe’en Feeding ...
Hallowe’en Fishing ...
Hallowe’en Fortunes ..
INDEX
31, 32 @ Initials
92
174
75
146
Hallowe’en Hairdress 136, 137
Hallowe’en Hospitality.
Hallowe’en Storytelling
Hallowe’en Witch, The
Hand of Fate, The .
Haste Makes Wista ae
Have as Heart) soo...
Hearts and Flours....
Heart-y Singing ......
Fridden (GutS vec. 3 i 32s
Hidden Turkeys ......
Hide and Go Seek Tag
Hippity Hop Tag ....
AE GORA 00) pa a da vines
Horseshoe
How Do You Do! ....
I
I Am a Great Man ....
RR RAL OSE eo wo oe aids
I Give My Heart To —
I Make My Will
I See a Ghost
Ice Water ter Relay
‘Hitation
Impedinients: iil... 5.,.
Individual Contents’ re
Infallible Fortunes .
ese eee
eee eee 8 0
eoeesoeveeve eee ee
eoereees
138
152,
144
139
128
187
OA Cae weenie es 115
Intermittent Heart Hunt 26
K
Kick Baseball ........ 90
Kick the Stick ....... 90
Kiss the Blarney Stone 51
L
Labor Day Trades.... 129
Lary’s; Mampi ii ks 123
Learning a New Lan-
Pah ea oR ELA RA 120
Limited Sociability ... 11,12
Long Ball 89
Lost Christmas Gift,
Rete au tel soe alee ils 169
M
Mad-March Party, A .. 49, 50
Maken iio a so 4s ston 78
Man-Made Gifts ...... 173
March Madness ...... 45, 46
Marooned wae sey 39, 40
Mashed Potatoes ...... 46
WL VY elie Ani inn 70
Men’s Fashion Show... 65, 66
Mental, Testi iis oy sade’ 117
Mimic Cat and Rat... 87
Miniature Tenpins ... 164
Mirror Fortune ...... 148
Mixm ne ies ea 118
Monkey Relay, The... 101
Muddy March ....... 45
/Musical Egg, The .... 60,61
‘Musical Fortunes ..... 1
‘Musical Pom Pom Pull
RED ot eaten ee eee
Meg Diser sou uaa 19, 20
By iDreainivey sth. 38
My /Muture to) .uyary 37
My Heart Is Broken.. 29, 30
My Heart Troubles... 37
188
N
Narrow Course, The .. 34
Nature Study ........ OT
New Era, The’... 0.54. 67
New Pussin the Corner 97
Nicknames ‘2s. i. eae 42, 43
NR Bee Basle tee kee eats 123
NOSP AINE Uaioe a's eles DD
Noah’ Ark iiss) \)s 06 oie 26, 27
Nose and Toe Tag... 99
Now You Bite It..... 157
Number Fortune .... 149
O
Obstacle Race ....... 102)
Obstacles ss. ci suis ies 87
Obstacles of Married
Tate) Une faa shal als 78
One Basket Basketball. 93
One Third of a Pig ... 46, 47
COT eR rete ote win ae eae 157
(iveritake . C8 i. eh Kwees 96
Gvertake: Tae 3 ieee do ede
de
Pralmigstey 3) ich. 4 aia wielela 142
Pan Balance. is dia 49
Pantomime Resolutions 21
Pareal | Post sc vicie aie 169
PArtnere Scie aes 177
Pass Ball Relays ..... 112
Pass the Buck Tag ... 98
Picking Up Business .. 129
Pie: Lins Kaee (4 eee 106
Picey sli seat ues ‘ 48
Pte aL ity atin gle) aietans fa 89
Pir Shower. '.s0%0 5 6s 82
Plank Haeaws i yuies 106
Poon .Ponen ec. + 112
POOR ey wie whe ist
Poor Pussy sie eas 152, 153
Pork and Beans Part-
Hers A Cee er ne 163
INDEX
Potato Jerusalem .... 51
Potato Relays ....... 49
‘Progressive Cranberries 163
Progressive Fortunes . 149
‘Progressive Watchful
1 Waiting 0 weave eae 134
Proverbs (ss4s.008 sue er 116
Q
Quantity, not Quality . 125
Quick Thinking ...... 117
Quizz, NG sevice, ween 116
Quote Games ........ 180
R
Rabbits’, Bars’. ..50.5% 60
Hates. Pyne oe nn 179
Recipes for Happiness,
ete.
Red-eared Bunny, The 63
Refreshments. 18, 23, 34, 30,
Stat ance nacre 59, 60, 73, 145
Regular Fashion ’ Show 71
oeeeeceevreesee eevee
Resolute Greetings ... 10
Resolute Story, A .... 22
Rocking Chair Drag,
TYG Ne 6 oe eee ee 158
Ruth and Jacob ...... 111
S.
shies d UPC ae bats yor 137, 138
Satety Belle wins il. 167
Saucer Fortunes ..... 151
School Discipline ...121, 122
Schoolroom Races .... 134
Beulpturing:.3.) tae ens 163
Shadow Tag ...s.4.)5 99
Shadows secs carey coun 144
Shamrock Hunt ...... 43
Signs of the Zodiac... 149
Simple Speaking ..... 121
‘Singing ais | Ae areata 114
‘Singing Race ........ 106
[
:
ee
INDEX
PLP te oo « fis tee a) 113
SEES Ball ONE Re aS ai ah 130, 131
Slippery Slide, The .. 14
Snappy Happy New.
GANG te ok ate ye 14,15
Snappy Spelling ...126, 127
Snub Nose Race ...... 31
Repiner,: Web)... cece 146
/ Spring Beauties Race. 67
BpLoe Birds Wh... «es 71, 72
Spring Flowers ...... 67
. Spring Will Come .... 68
‘Sticky Snowballs ....16,17
mLoOneas CAPrY i. cs lees 106
ptork Haces. 2.44: 18
Stormy Weather ..... 155
Straight and Narrow
raat e OV ec vind s soe 3, 14
Suitcase Race ........ 105
Swimming Boxes .... 105
dv
Table Tiddledewinks .. 164
PEREOW MME DS eles e's 99,111, 112
MOH WAY fhe ekg asa es 108
BEE Le eESS oe ys. sly, ws ale 0 93
Telltale Milk Bottle... 151
Telltale Music ....... 119
CE yl OED Banana 90
Terrific Tableaux .... 139
Thankful Stunts ....154, 155
Thanksgiving Singing. 161
Thrilling Three Deep . 85
Tiddledewinks ....... 164
Timid Tossers, The ... 101
Toasts and Roasts .... 152
Touch Fortune ....... 147
Tournament of Roses,
CME ates Soe he ay) « , 81
Train of Thought .... 130
Traveling Sights 113
Treasure Diving ..... 108
DNs uinits oiinty s 145
Tricks
189
be Pa je Me Rg amos My gt ae 99
Trip to Ireland, A..... 50
br awed UMS TALE TAC fu eta 31
Two in One Sack Race 102
: U
Under Cover ........ 107
Unlimited Vocabularies 128
Untying Knots ...... 81
M
Valentine Hunt. oo... aif
Valentine Postoffice ... 38
Valentines fev. wes 36
Valet Service ........ vit’
Verse Shower ....... 82
Vicarious Bad Habits 13
Vicarious Resolutions . yd |
Vicarious Wishes .... 22,
Vicious Donkey, The .. 58, 59
Virtuous Tableaux ... 16
Volunteer Gifts ...... 75
W
War on Horseback ... 86
Washington Without
Ginecol, eae aan 33, 34
Watchful Waiting .... 133
Water Animals ...... 108
Water Baseball ...... ro fal
Water (Bat siy alsy 109
Water: Dash palin, 3. 44 109
Water Football ...... 110
Water Newecome ..... 110
Water Pom Pom Pull
AA cole ee ae ae 107
Water Tag Games .... 112
Watery Three Deep .. 111
Wearing of the Green . 41, 42
Wedding Finery ..... 74
Wedding Music ...... 15
Wedding Supper, The 83
Wet Weather| a a i . 3
Whistling Race ... } Word “Hunting Wiles a
Whoops My Dear! 104° Workup). v5.0.3. woe i
‘Witch’s Cat, The .. 140 © Mi TRO! se esse
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