Sharon OBryan - Old Fashioned Childrens Games: Over 200 Outdoor, Car Trip, Song, Card and Party Activities

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication data are available

Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

OBryan, Sharon (Sharon Elizabeth)
Old fashioned childrens games : over 200 outdoor, car trip, song, card and party activities / by Sharon OBryan ; drawings by Mary Anne Fitzgerald.
p. cm.
Includes index.

ISBN 0-7864-0558-9

1. Games. 2. Outdoor games. 3. Singing games. I. Title.
GV1203.03 1999
790.1dc21 98-37436
CIP

1999 Sharon OBryan. Drawings 1999 by Mary Anne Fitzgerald. All rights reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Box 611, Jefferson, North Carolina 28640

A senior at Rose Hulman University in Indiana, John was on his way to tutor students the morning he was killed in a car and train accident at an unguarded crossing with malfunctioning crossing lights. It was the day before he was to come home for Christmas break. Five months later, we accepted his two summa cum laude degrees, one in mathematics and the other in physics, both awarded to him posthumously.

John carried a 4.0 grade point average each year he attended Rose Hulman, was the top-ranked student all four years and won numerous awards, plaques and trophies for outstanding achievements of merit. John presented five different papers at six mathematical conferences held at various universities throughout the United States during his college career. His most outstanding work was featured at a special session of the MAA held in San Francisco the fall before his death.

Although John possessed amazing brilliance, his intelligence wasnt his greatest characteristic. His humor, goodness and constant willingness to help others are what people who knew John remember most about him.

Johns indomitable spirit urged me on and wouldnt let me rest until I had this book published. His enthusiasm, love of life and consistent example of completing every task he ever attempted were the forces that drove me after his death.

This book is a tribute to his happiness, his zest for living and the enjoyment he experienced in everything he did, including playing old-fashioned childrens games when he was a child. I hope these games will bring smiles to kids faceslike his unforgettable smile, etched in my heart forever.

Special thanks to:

Steve, our outstanding son, who consistently provided crucial help setting up my computer, listened to my pathetic wails on the phone when I thought my files had gotten wiped out and always created miracles regaining files I thought Id lost.

Carol Decker, my sister, who worked tirelessly hand-scoring the music, asking nothing in return.

Scott Weinhold, who edited, formatted and transcribed the musical scores, providing the all-important professional-looking musical accompaniments.

Mary Ann Fitzgerald Ashton, the illustrator, who did a fantastic job on the artwork, refusing payment for the many hours she spent perfecting it.

Mom, who continuously sympathized and who encouraged me not to give up.

Tom, my husband, who gave me the all-important financial freedom and security necessary to proceed with this book. Using patience and humor, he read game after game and acted as consultant.

Whats happened to old-fashioned childrens games? For centuries kids delighted in games of all sortsrunning and jumping games, guessing games, singing games. These games were an integral part of their physical and psychological development.

Over the past few decades, electronic and computer games have all but taken over. Now, old-fashioned games are in danger of becoming a thing of the past. Although modern computer and electronic games provide some mental stimulation, they dont encourage camaraderie, physical activity, coordination and social interaction as old-fashioned games do. If the games of earlier years are not taught to kids of this generation, a loved and cherished tradition will vanish from the American scene.

This book contains a collection of old-fashioned games for children from two to twelve years old. This collection includes five categories: Outside Games, Car Games, Card Games, Singing Games and Campfire Songs, and Party Games. Many of these games stimulate imagination, increase self-confidence, and develop memory skills. However, the main object of this book is to generate good old-fashioned fun for kids.

While compiling this book, I experienced tinges of nostalgia for my childhood years in a small town in Indiana. I still remember the giddy thrill of playing Kick the Can or Hide and Seek on steamy summer nights. Ill never forget the rush of excitement I felt lying on a bed of freshly fallen snow, creating snow angels. As you use this book playing with kids, I hope it will rekindle a few fond memories of your childhood. Have fun!

Over the years, children have delighted in this wintertime pastime. There is no winner or loser. Children lie down with their backs against the untrodden snow and spread out their arms and legs as far as possible, pushing away the snow beneath them. The resulting impressions look like angels lying in the snow.

Boys and girls may decorate the angels, using their imagination to create a face. Unshelled walnuts, marbles or charcoal are good for eyes; a small plum or piece of carrot can be a nose and a sliced cherry or strawberry makes a mouth. Kids can add sparkling garlands to the angel wings.

Everyone has a wild and wet time playing this old favorite, which involves lots of giggling and screaming. Two groups line up standing about five feet apart, facing each other. Players standing directly across from each other are a pair. Each pair is given a balloon filled with water. On the signal One, two, three, throw! the player holding the water balloon must toss it to the partner.

If the balloon falls to the ground but doesnt burst, the partner may pick it up and wait for the next throw. After each throw, players must take two steps backward. If a pairs balloon bursts, one of them gets soaked, and that pair is out. Play continues until only one pair is leftthe winners.

This exciting chase game is great for a large number of boys and girls. One player, who is bear, stands in the middle of a wide circle of players. Bear points to each player as quickly as possible, assigning every one an animal name, for example, lion, giraffe, gorilla, monkey, elephant, zebra, etc. Then bear calls out the names of two, saying, Monkey, chase giraffe. The player who is monkey must run around the circle chasing the giraffe. Bear steps into the monkeys place in the circle. (In this example, the monkey is the chaser and the giraffe is the runner.)

If the chaser tags the runner before he or she has run around the circle and back to his or her own place, the chaser takes the runners place in the circle and the runner is then bear in the next round. If the runner gets back safely to his or her spot in the circle, the chaser is the next