Hopscotch, Hangman, Hot Potato, & Ha Ha Ha A Rulebook of Children's Games

Contents

Foreword by Bob "Captain Kangaroo" Keeshan
Introduction
Helpful Hints to Get the Ball Rolling

ONE INDOOR GAMES FOR SUNNY DAYS AND RAINY DAYS

Action Spelling
Aesop's Mission
Animals
Art Consequences
Assassin
Bango
Battleship
Beetle
Beggar My Neighbor
Bingo
Botticelli
Boxes
Buzz
Cat's Cradle
Categories
Charades
Cheat
Clockwise Dice
Coffeepot
Colin Maillard
Concentration
Cootie Catcher
Crambo
Crazy Eights
Crosswords
Donkey
Drawing in the Dark
Dress Me
Drop Dead
Dumb Crambo
Fifty Points
Ghost
Go Fish
Going to Boston
Gossip
Guess the Number
Guggenheim
Ha, Ha, Ha
Hangman
Happy Families
Hearts
Hot and Cold
How Do You Do, Shoe?
Huckle Buckle Beanstalk
Hunt the Key
I Packed My Bag
I Spy
Initials
Letters by Numbers
Magazine Scavenger Hunt
Magazine Storytelling
Mathematical Baseball
Memory Game
Muggins
Musical Chairs
Musical Clapping
My Ship Sails
Odd Bean
Old Maid
Orchestra
Pass the Present
Password
Questions
Racetrack
Rain
Rigamarole
Rolling Stone
Scissors, Paper, Stone
Seeing Green
Sentences
Shadow Buff
Slap Jack
Sneeze
Snip Snap Snorum
Spelling Bee
Spit
Square Tic-Tac-Toe
Stairway
Taste
Tic-Tac-Toe
Tip-Tap-Toe
Tongue Twisters
Twenty Questions!
Up, Jenkins!
War
Western Union
What Are We Shouting?
Word Lightning
Yacht

TWO GAMES TO PLAY ON GRASS AND PLAYGROUNDS

Army
Around Ball
Baby in the Air
Badminton
Barnyard Peanut Hunt
Baseball
Blindman's Buff
Bronco Tag
Brooklyn Bridge
Buck, Buck
Call Ball
Capture the Flag
Cat and Mouse
Chimp Race
Circle Golf
Contrary Children
Cops and Robbers
Cowboys and Indians
Crossing the Brook
Dizzy Izzy
Drop the Handkerchief
Duck Duck Goose
Egg Toss
Farmer in the Dell
Follow-the-Leader
Foul-Play Race
Frisbee Golf
Hat Grab
Hide-and-Seek
Home-Plate Baseball
Hot Potato
Human Hurdle
I Draw a Snake Upon Your Back
Ice Cubes
Jack Be Nimble
Johnny-Jump-Ups
Kick the Can
Kickball
King of the Hill
Kitty Wants a Corner
Leapfrog
Lemonade
Log Roll
London Bridge
Maypole
Moving Statues
Mulberry Bush
Newcomb
Obstacle Course
Obstacle People
Octopus
Pom Pom Pull Away
Prince Tiptoe
Rabbit
Races and Relays
Red Rover Ring-Around-the-Rosy
Ring-a-Levio
Run for Your Supper
Sardines
Sewing Up the Gap
Simon Says
Spud
Statues
Tag
Tetherball
Threading Grandmother's Needle
Tiger and Leopard
Toesies
Touch Football
Tug-of-War
Twine the Garland
Ultimate Frisbee
Volleyball
Water-Balloon Ball
Wink
Wrestling Games

THREE GAMES TO PLAY ON PAVEMENT, STEPS, AND STOOPS

Ball Punch
Basketball Games
Battleball
Beanbag Toss
Bombardment
Bounce Ball
Circle Dodge Ball
Cross-Over Dodge Ball
Danish Rounders
Dodge Ball
Errors
Firing-Squad Dodge Ball
Four Square
Fox and Geese
German
Goal Kickers
Greek Ball Game
Handball
Handball Tennis
Hopscotch
Hunter and Rabbits
Jacks
Jump Rope
London
Marbles
Monkey in the Middle
Mother May I?
O'Leary
Pottsie
Prisoner's Base
Running Bases
Seven Up
Sidewalk Golf
Skully
Steal the Bacon
Stickball
Stoopball
Tunnel Relay
Two Square

FOUR GAMES TO PLAY IN WATER

Ball Between the Knees Race
Black and White
Chicken Fights
Fisherman
Marco Polo
Mount Ball
Poison Balls
Sharks and Minnows
Still Pond
Tunnel Swimming Race
Underwater Football
Underwater Tag
Water Ball
Water Bridge
Water Follow-the-Leader
Water Keep Away
Water Volleyball
Watermelon Scramble
Whirlpool
White Whale

FIVE PARTY GAMES FOR ANY OCCASION

Auction
Balloon Ball
Bobbing for Apples
Broken Hearts
Burst the Balloon
Cobweb Confusion
Easter-Egg Hunt
Egg Polo
Feelies
Good Resolutions
Orange Race
Peter Piper
Pin the Tail on the Donkey
Piñata
Scavenger Hunt
Treasure Hunt

SIX TRAVEL GAMES FOR FUN ON THE ROAD

Alphabet Objects
Alphabits
Automobile
Billboard Alphabet
Bordering Plates
Find All Fifty
Free Association
Going on a Picnic
License-Plate Poker
License-Plate Spelling
Miles to Go
Name That Tune
100 Points
The Preacher's Cat
Ten Pairs
Travel Scavenger Hunt

Appendix A Games Listed by Player Age
Appendix B Games Listed by Number of Players
Index

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Indoor Games for Sunny Days and Rainy Days

Action Spelling

WHERE TO PLAY

Indoors or outdoors

NUMBER OF PLAYERS

4 or more

EQUIPMENT

None

OBJECT OF THE GAME

For players to spell words correctly, substituting motions for some letters

This is a more playful version of the traditional gameSpelling Bee.

Before the game, the players should select one player to act as the spelling master and then agree on a set of motions that will replace certain letters of the alphabet. A could be a jumping jack,La handclap, andTa kick.

The number of substitutions made for letters should depend upon the age level of the players. To make the game simpler for younger children, the gestures and letters can correspond: a jumping jack forJ,a kick forKand so on.

The game begins when the spelling master gives the first player a word to spell. That player must correctly spell the word, using the appropriate motions for the letters indicated. A player spellingpilotwould say "P-I, then clap hands forL,say "O," and then kick to representTif a clap signifiedLand a kickT.

The next player spells a word given by the spelling master, substituting gestures for letters as needed.

Action Spelling can be played for points or as an elimination game.

VARIATION

Another way to play Action Spelling is to substitute certain motions for vowels and consonants. For example, a hop on one foot could represent a vowel, while a jumping jack might signify a consonant.

Aesop's Mission

WHERE TO PLAY

Anywhere

NUMBER OF PLAYERS

4 or more

EQUIPMENT

None

OBJECT OF THE GAME

To discover the letter that "Aesop" has forbidden before being eliminated from the game

One player is designated as "Aesop," and the other players are the "animals" of Aesop's fables. Aesop must secretly choose one letter that must be avoided by the players.

Play begins when Aesop asks the first player a question that can require only a one-word answer. A crafty Aesop will try to ask a question that is likely to be answered with a word containing the forbidden letter.

For example, if the forbidden letter iss,Aesop might ask, "Which is your favorite season of the year?" hoping the player will respond with "summer" or "spring."

If the player responds to Aesop's question with a word containing the prohibited letter, he or she loses one life. The next player is given a chance to guess the forbidden letter before being asked a question.

After losing three lives, a player is dropped from the game. The players try to discover the taboo letter before using up all three lives. The player who guesses the forbidden letter first becomes the next Aesop.

Animals

WHERE TO PLAY

At a table

NUMBER OF PLAYERS

At least 3

EQUIPMENT

A deck of playing cards

OBJECT OF THE GAME

To win another player's cards by calling out his or her animal noise before that player calls yours

Shuffle and deal the cards facedown around the table. Next, each player should choose an animal to imitate. When everyone has a different animal, go around the circle a couple of times to practice the appropriate noises.

One player might meow like a cat, another bark like a dog, another hiss like a snake, or moo like a cow, and so forth. All players should try to remember the animals chosen by the others as well as their own.

Play begins at the dealer's left. Everyone around the table discards one card faceup (in sequential order), forming separate discard piles for each player.

When one player lays down a card that is of equal value to another card in someone else's discard pile (two Jacks, for instance), those players with the matching cards try to call out the animal noise of the other.

For example, if the "cow" lays clown a6that matches the6on the pile of the "cat," he or she tries to meow before the "cat" moos. The first of the two players to make the right sound is awarded the discard pile of the other player.

A player who makes a wrong noise, or calls out a noise at the wrong time, must pay the penalty of the top card from his or her discard pile or hand, if there is no discard pile.

The game is continued by the loser of each round, who lays down a new card.

Any player to lose all of his or her cards is eliminated from the game. The player to collect all the cards is the winner.

Playing until final elimination is recommended only for patient players. It might be a better idea to keep track of a predetermined number of rounds and designate the winner as the player with the greatest number of cards at the completion of all the rounds.

Art Consequences

WHERE TO PLAY

Seated at a table

NUMBER OF PLAYERS

3 or more

EQUIPMENT

A few sheets of paper and pencils

OBJECT OF THE GAME

To draw an imaginary, figure and create an amusing work of art through group effort

If numbers permit, the players should be divided into groups of three or four. The first player in each group begins by drawing the head and neck of a real or imaginary figure on the top one-third of the paper. When done, he or she folds the paper back so that nothing can be seen of the drawing except a few lines that will allow the next player to continue the figure.

The next player then draws in the shoulders and part of the arms and torso. When done, he or she folds the paper back again so only a bit of the bottom section of the drawing is visible -- enough to allow the next player to take up the drawing.

The drawing is passed along and finished by the final player, who then unfolds the paper to reveal the entire figure.

When there are two or more groups of "artists" there can be a competition for the best creation: silliest, scariest, most true to life, etc.

Surrealist artists of the 1930s called this game The Exquisite Corpse and used it to create a number of serious works of art.

Assassin

WHERE TO PLAY

Seated in a circle on the floor or around a table

NUMBER OF PLAYERS

6 or more

EQUIPMENT

Pencil or pen and scraps of paper

OBJECT OF THE GAME

For the "assassin" to eliminate all the other players from the game by winking at them, while avoiding being caught

Cut up or tear off a small piece of paper for each player. Mark one of these sheets with anX,fold, shuffle, and distribute them among the players. The players should open them secretly. The player whose paper is markedXwill be the assassin.

After all the papers have been checked, the players form a circle around a table or seat themselves on the floor. Players examine the faces of the others around the circle, trying to discover who the assassin is. When the assassin winks at another player, that player must say, "I've been hit" and must drop out of the game.

If a player catches the assassin in the act of winking, the game is over, and the sharp-eyed player is the winner. But if the assassin succeeds in winking at all the players (except the last, who, by process of elimination, will soon learn who the assassin is), he or she is declared the winner.

Bango

WHERE TO PLAY

At a table

NUMBER OF PLAYERS

At least 3

EQUIPMENT

A deck of playing cards

OBJECT OF THE GAME

To be the first to match your hand to the card values called by the dealer

This game is a very simplified version ofBingo,well suited for children under eight.

One player shuffles the deck and deals five cards to each player at the table. The players place their cards faceup in front of them.

The dealer then turns over one card at a time from the pile of remaining cards and calls out its value. Any player with a card of matching value can turn that card facedown.

The first player who can turn all five cards facedown shouts, "Bango!" in order to win the round.

Keep track of the number of rounds won by each player if you want to declare a grand winner at the end of the game.

Battleship

WHERE TO PLAY

Best played at a table, but can be played as a travel game if the ride is steady

NUMBER OF PLAYERS

2, or 4 if you want to play with partners

EQUIPMENT

Paper and pencil for each player or team. Graph paper makes playing easier, but it is not essential.

OBJECT OF THE GAME

To sink your opponent's battleships by making successful "hits" on a grid

To prepare for the game, two grids, which represent naval battlefields, need to be drawn on each player's sheet. Each grid should have 10 blocks down and 10 blocks across for a total of 100 blocks. The blocks need not be very big -- a quarter of an inch is large enough.

Across the top row of each grid, number the blocks1through10.Down the left edge of the grids, letter the blocksAthroughJ.Label one grid for the player and the other for the enemy.

Players then must place battleships on the grid for their respective "sides" by drawing lines through consecutive blocks to indicate their ships' positions. Each player has four ships: an aircraft carrier of four blocks, a cruiser of three blocks, and two destroyers of two blocks apiece.

Players mark their battleships on their grids without letting the enemy see their positions. The blocks must be located on a straight line: horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. A battleship may not be split up.

When the grids are drawn and the battleships are in place, the players should determine who fires first. The player chosen to begin gets eleven shots to try to bit the other player's battleships.

That player calls out blocks of the grid according to letter and number: B-10, F-6, and so on, until he or she has used up eleven shots. As the firing player calls out the shots, the defensive player should mark them on his or her own grid with a number1to represent shots fired in the first round. The firing player should likewise keep track of his shots fired by marking with1the blocks at which shots were fired on his second grid for the enemy.

Then, after all eleven shots have been fired, the defensive player calls out the location of each shot and whether each was a "hit" (if it is one of the blocks on which a battleship is marked) or a "miss" (if it is an empty block). Players should circle the blocks that represent "hits" in order to distinguish them from "misses."

When the first player is done firing, the second player gets the chance to fire eleven shots and is told whether they are "hits" or "misses."

The second round begins with a new group of shots. This time the player is allowed eleven shots minus the number of "hits" that player scored in the previous round. If three "hits" were made in the first round, that player is given eight shots to fire in the second round. Shots are indicated by the number representing that round: Use1for shots fired in the first round,2for shots fired in the second round, and so on.

Since the object of the game is to sink the other players' ships, shots in rounds following the first should be called in the vicinity of the hits previously made. In order to constitute a sinking ship, all the blocks on which a ship is located must be struck.

Play continues until one player succeeds in sinking all the other's battleships. A player must announce the fact when one of his or her battleships is sunk.

VARIATION

To make the game more challenging, players do not have to reveal that ships have sunk untilallhave been sunk, thereby providing no clues as to the type of boat or number of blocks to be hit. (Battleship was also known humorously as Swiss Navy before it became popularized as a manufactured game.)

Beetle

WHERE TO PLAY

At a table or on the floor

NUMBER OF PLAYERS

2 to 6

EQUIPMENT

One die; pencil and paper for each player

OBJECT OF THE GAME

To be the first player to complete the drawing of a "beetle" after throwing the correct sequence of numbers

Determine the order of play by rolling the die. The highest roller begins the game.

The first player rolls the dice, trying to throw a1.Each player gets one roll per turn. The numbers must be earned in order from1through5.

When a player throws a1,he or she begins a beetle by drawing its body. A2is needed next before drawing the head. A3is then required to add three legs on one side of the body, and, on the next turn, another3is needed to add the three remaining legs.

Players who roll a4can add one feeler, and a second4gets the other feeler. A5allows the player to draw one eye, and the first player to throw a second5and add the other eye may complete his or her beetle to win the game.

Beggar My Neighbor

WHERE TO PLAY

Anywhere

NUMBER OF PLAYERS

2 to 4

EQUIPMENT

A deck of playing cards for every 2 players

OBJECT OF THE GAME

To win all the cards from your opponent -- through chance more than skill

Shuffle the cards and deal out all of them into piles for each player.

The player at the dealer's left begins the game by laying down the first card from the top of his or her pile into a center pile, faceup.

If it is anything but a picture or an Ace, the next player follows by turning over one of his or her cards. If, however, it is a face card or an Ace, a penalty must be paid by the next player. One card must be paid for a Jack, two for a Queen, three for a King, and four for an Ace.

The player paying lays out the penalty cards one at a time. If none of them is a face card or an Ace, the first player may keep all of the cards in the pile. But, if another face card or Ace turns up, the original debt is cancelled, and the first player must now pay the appropriate number of cards to the second player.

Players keep exchanging debt penalties until no more face cards or Aces are turned up. The game then continues with the next player.

Eventually, players will run out of cards and will be eliminated from the game. The player who collects all the cards wins.

Bingo

WHERE TO PLAY

At a table

NUMBER OF PLAYERS

3 or more

EQUIPMENT

Paper and pencils; a container for the numbers (a hat, a box, or an envelope are all suitable); a large number of markers (coins, buttons, dried beans, etc.)

OBJECT OF THE GAME

To be the first to fill in a row of 5 numbers -- horizontally, vertically, or diagonally

Making the cards to play Bingo takes only a few minutes, while the fun lasts much longer.

First, cut a sheet of paper into 100 small squares and number them1through100.Place these numbers in a container. A box, a hat, or an envelope are all easy to use.

Each player can make up his or her own game card with a sheet of paper and pencil. Draw a diagram consisting of twenty-five one-inch-square boxes, five across and five down. Fill in the first horizontal line with any five numbers from1to20,in numerical order (for ease in finding them while the game is played). The second line should be any five numbers from21to40,the third any five from41to60,the fourth any five from61to80,and the bottom row any five from81to100.

The players should also be given a handful of markers (small enough to fit within the size of the squares), with more available in the center if needed.

One player serves as the caller for the first game. The caller mixes up the numbers and then draws them one at a time. When the caller announces a number, the players check their boards. If they have written that number on their board, they may place a marker on that space.

The caller continues picking numbers until one player has filled in a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line of five markers. The first player to do so calls, "Bingo" and wins the game.

For a longer game, try to fill up the entire card. Players can also pass their cards around for variety. Make sure everyone who wants a chance to be the caller has one.

VARIATION

For an even more simplified version, which is great fun to play while traveling, each player needs a sheet of paper and pencil. On the paper, each player draws a small diagram and fills in the numbers on his or her own.

The designated caller should not look at the numbers on the players' cards and should call out numbers at random. Players who have these numbers on their cards blacken out the appropriate squares with pencil, while the caller records all the numbers to avoid repeats. The caller should continue calling out numbers until a player fills a row and calls, "Bingo!"

(Bingo is said to have been invented by a nobleman in Italy, where it is known as"La Tombola."In the age of luxury liners, it was a very popular type of shipboard entertainment known as Housey-Housey.)

Botticelli

WHERE TO PLAY

Anywhere; also a good travel game

NUMBER OF PLAYERS

At least 3

EQUIPMENT

None

OBJECT OF THE GAME

To ask questions that will lead you to discover the identity of a famous person chosen by one of the players

One player selects the identity of a famous person familiar to all the players and informs the other players of the initial of that person's last name.

The other players try to determine the secret identity by asking questions phrased so that the chooser must identify other people with the same initial.

For example, if the initial isM,the first question might be, "Are you an Italian artist of the Renaissance?" The chooser must answer with the name of some Italian Renaissance artist whose name begins withMor answer a forfeit question.

If the chooser can answer, "No, I am not Michelangelo," then the next player asks a question. However, if the asker stumps the chooser, then he or she has a chance to request more specific information: "Are you male ("No, I am not male") or "Are you alive?" ("No, I am not alive"), for instance. The questions can only be answered by a yes or no.

The chooser continues answering questions: "Are you a Hollywood bombshell?" ("No, I am not Marilyn Monroe"); "Are you in the Baseball Hall of Fame?" ("No, I am not Willie Mays"); and so on, until someone guesses the secret identity.

Of course, players will try to ask more obscure questions in order to stump the choosers and, thus, gain clues.

The first player to guess the identity may choose the individual for the next round.

Boxes

WHERE TO PLAY

Anywhere

NUMBER OF PLAYERS

2 at a time

EQUIPMENT

Paper and pencil

OBJECT OF THE GAME

To connect the dots on a grid to make more boxes than your opponent

Set up the game by drawing a square grid made up of dots. Four dots on each side is a good size to begin with.

Choose one player to go first. This player draws a line between any two dots horizontally or vertically. The second player then draws a line connecting two more dots.

Eventually, one of the players will be able to form a box. That player puts his or her initial in the box and is given another turn. He or she may continue adding lines as long as each line forms a new box. If a new box can't be made, the game resumes with the other player taking a turn.

The player with the most boxes when all the dots are connected is declared the winner.

More experienced players will realize how to draw lines strategically to enhance the fun.

Buzz

WHERE TO PLAY

Anywhere

NUMBER OF PLAYERS

2 or more

EQUIPMENT

None

OBJECT OF THE GAME

To count to 100 while substituting the wordbuzzfor the number7or its multiples without making any mistakes

Players count off to 100 in sequential fashion, replacing7and its multiples withbuzz.For example, players would count out1to14as follows: "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, buzz, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, buzz."

When only a few players are involved, there need not be competition, but if a larger group participates, players can be eliminated after two mistakes.

VARIATION

A more difficult version of this game is called Fizz Buzz. In this variation, in addition to replacing7and its multiples withbuzz,the wordfizzis substituted for the number5and its multiples. Some people also like to substitute for double digits of the same number, for example, "1, 2, 3, 4, fizz, 6, buzz, 8, 9, fizz, buzz, 12, 13, buzz."

Cat's Cradle

WHERE TO PLAY

Anywhere

NUMBER OF PLAYERS

1 or 2 at a time

EQUIPMENT

String

OBJECT OF THE GAME

To form shapes by playing with pieces of string

Games with string, like Cat's Cradle, are one of the oldest forms of play -- prehistoric children probably created similar shapes from cords of gut. The names given to the game, from Crow's Feet to Barn Doors, reflect what different cultures see in the shapes formed by the string.

There are many ways in which to manipulate a piece of string to form amusing shapes, which are explained in books dedicated to string games. These are a few basic examples.

Needed for any Cat's Cradle game is a piece of string, about two feet long, with the ends tightly knotted together to form a single loop.

The simplest Cat's Cradle can be formed by a single player. To begin, hook the loop over the left thumb, draw it across the palm, and hook it again behind the pinky. Repeat this with the right hand so that the loop is stretched between the two hands.

Slide the right index finger under the line of string that stretches horizontally across the left palm and pull it back to the right, making the string taut. Repeat with the left index finger, pulling the string taut again.

This is the basic cradle shape. Turn the hands upside down and it becomes a manger. In some parts of the world, cradle and manger games are associated with the Christmas season.

Witch's Broom and Banana Bunch are two sequential shapes that can also be formed by one player. To begin, start in the same manner as the cradle: hook the loop over the left thumb, draw it across the palm, and hook it again behind the pinky.

This time, instead of repeating with the right hand, let the rest of the loop hang down. Then, take the right index finger, hook it over the line of string that stretches horizontally across the left palm, and pull down, making the string taught. What was originally the bottom of the loop now forms another line across the palm.

Repeat this one more time, so that there are now two smaller loops around the thumb and the pinky. Place the right hand inside the larger loop and open the fingers so this loop lies between the thumb and index finger.

Hook the right thumb into the loop around the left thumb, and the right pinky into the loop around the left pinky. Touch the right thumb and right index finger together and draw the string back through the large loop.

Hold the two loops out from the right hand. If you touch the right thumb and right index finger again, it will look as if there are three columns.

Insert the three middle fingers of the left hand in between these strings, one in each column. Drop the loops behind the left hand.

Turn the left hand so the palm faces up. Pull the middle loop straight up and hold it out. This shape is called the Witch's Broom.

Now, carefully pull the left-hand fingers out of the loops and hold them up with the right hand. There will be four loops hanging from one loop -- a bunch of bananas, or in some areas, yams.

Ask someone to pick a banana. That person pulls one banana loop down, but it's a trick bunch -- the loops will straighten out and all the bananas will disappear!

Cat's Cradle for two differs slightly from the game for one.

The first player wraps the loop in a small loop around one palm (except for the thumb) and then the other. Next, he or she slides the middle finger of the right hand under the string across the left palm, drawing it back.

Repeat on the other side: slip the middle finger of the left hand under the string across the right palm and pull it back. This is the Cat's Cradle.

The second player joins at this point by taking the string off the first player's hands. The second player takes hold of theXon one side of the cradle between the left thumb and forefinger, and then the otherXbetween the right thumb and forefinger.

He or she then pulls outward and down, bringing theXs through into the center section of the loop, pulling the string carefully off the fingers of the first player. The shape formed is called the Soldier's Bed

The first player takes hold of theXs, which are now located in the center of the loop, in the same manner, between the thumb and forefinger of each hand, and moves them out, under, and up, pulling them off the second player's hands. The resulting form is called Candles.

To remove Candles from the first player's hands, the second player takes hold of the left string with the right pinky, drawing it back to the right, and then the right string with the left pinky, pulling it back to the left. Holding the string firmly with the pinkies, the second player scoops his or her hands out and under again, bringing them up through the center of the loop. The second player spreads the thumb and index finger on each hand to catch the string and pull it off the first player's hands. The result is a new Cat's Cradle.

Categories

WHERE TO PLAY

Anywhere

NUMBER OF PLAYERS

4 or more

EQUIPMENT

Pencil and paper for each player

OBJECT OF THE GAME

To think of the greatest number of items belonging to a chosen category, within a given time limit

From among the group of players, a list of about twenty categories should be drawn up. Players can divide up the number of categories to be chosen: if there are five players, each may select four categories.

Each player writes the names of all the categories at the top of his or her paper. To begin, one player chooses a letter of the alphabet at random. (A different player begins the next round by selecting a new letter.)

The players have a given amount of time -- usually five or ten minutes, depending on their abilities -- to write down as many words as possible that start with the chosen letter and correspond to each of the categories. For example, if the letterNis chosen and one of the categories happens to beStates,correct answers would include Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, and North Dakota.

At the end of the time limit, players should trade lists for scoring. All the answers are read aloud. For each correct answer a player receives 1 point. An answer that no one else has thought of receives 2 points.

For another round, a different letter can be picked, and you can either keep or change the categories.

The player with the most points after a predetermined number of rounds is the winner.

VARIATION

A less complicated version of this game is First Names First, in which the only category is first names. Instead of randomly choosing a letter of the alphabet, a first name is selected. Players must think of more names that begin with each of the letters in the given name. For example, if Pam is suggested, other correct answers would be Patricia, Anne, and Mary.

P

Patricia

Paula

Penny

A

Anne

Alice

Alison

M

Mary

Michelle

Margaret

Charades

WHERE TO PLAY

Anywhere

NUMBER OF PLAYERS

6 or more

EQUIPMENT

Paper and pencils; watch or clock with a second hand

OBJECT OF THE GAME

To guess, in the shortest time possible, the famous phrase or sentence being acted out by your team members

Two teams are formed; one will start as the actors and the other as the audience.

Each member of the audience writes down a famous saying or title on a slip of paper. The phrase should be known to all and should be relatively short, something likeGone with the WindorThe early bird gets the worm.

The phrases are shuffled and then distributed to the actors, one to each player.

One at a time, the actors attempt to convey the phrase to their teammates through pantomime and a series of gestures that are used to clarify the pantomime:

* Arms crossed over the chest means that the actor will try to mime the entire phrase at once.

* A chopping motion signifies that the phrase will be chopped into words or syllables. The actor will then hold up one or more fingers to indicate which word or syllable he or she is trying to act out at that moment. By holding up two fingers and then making a fist, the actor denotes that the next two words or syllables should be joined together.

* A hand cupped around the ear means the word "Sounds like..." and indicates a rhyme word that is somewhat easier to act out.

* A beckoning motion means that the teammates are getting close to the right answer. If they are far off the track, the actor makes a pushing gesture.

* Looking forward signals future tense, and looking backward means past tense.

As the actor pantomimes, his or her teammates call out their guesses, trying to come up with the correct answer as quickly as possible. Someone in the audience should time the guesses and write the total time down when the answer is discovered.

After all the members of the actors' team have had a chance to get their messages across, they exchange roles with the audience team.

The team that has amassed the least total guessing time wins the game.

Cheat

WHERE TO PLAY

At a table

NUMBER OF PLAYERS

3 or more

EQUIPMENT

A deck of playing cards

OBJECT OF THE GAME

To get rid of all your cards by bluffing successfully

Shuffle the deck and deal it out to the players. The player on the dealer's left initiates the game by laying any card from his or her hand facedown in the center of the table, calling out its value at the same time.

The next player aims to follow the last card laid down with the card of the next higher value. If the first card is a7,for example, the next player wants to put down an8.This player places the next card facedown without letting anyone see its value and calls out "Eight," regardless of whether it actually is an8.

It is now up to the rest of the players to decide if indeed an8was laid down. If no one wishes to challenge the player, the game continues with the next person, who lays down a card, claiming, "Nine."

If, however, any player believes that something other than the proper card was laid down, he or she calls, "Cheat!" The card is then turned over to see its actual value.

If it is the right card for the sequence (in this case, an8),the player who made the challenge must add all the cards in the center pile to his or her hand. But if it is not the card it was claimed to be, the p

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Excerpted from Hopscotch, Hangman, Hot Potato, and Ha Ha Ha: A Rulebook of Children's Games by Jack MacGuire
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.