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Vintage Indoor Games For Children
Vintage Indoor Games For Children
Vintage Indoor Games For Children
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Vintage Indoor Games For Children

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A fascinating illustrated collection of 106 vintage indoor games which will bring fun and excitement to participants of all ages. Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this book now in an affordable, high-quality, modern edition.
LanguageEnglish
PublisherWhite Press
Release dateSep 21, 2017
ISBN9781473342279
Vintage Indoor Games For Children

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    Vintage Indoor Games For Children - White Press

    ROUND OR PARLOUR GAMES.

    IT is certainly a matter of regret that the names of most of the good people to whom we are indebted for the introduction of our favourite old-fashioned Round Games are buried in obscurity, for they deserve, in our estimation at least, the name of benefactors quite as much as any great discoverer or inventor. What higher aim could they possibly have had in view than that of teaching people how to enjoy themselves? It has been said that in the world there are two great heaps, one of human happiness, and the other of human misery, and that we are all engaged the whole day through in taking a portion from one heap and carrying it to the other. Surely the portion carried from one heap to the other by the kind folk who have at various times furnished us with our amusements must by this time be one of considerable size, and in spite of their names being unknown to us, we will ever feel grateful to them for contributing so largely to our enjoyment of life. A long time ago it was observed of the English as a race that they took their pleasures sadly; but we will hope that henceforth the observation may be applicable to past generations only, and that our readers at any rate will resolve that when they play they will play heartily, just as when they work they will work heartily. To the really hearty players, therefore, we have great pleasure in handing our collection of Round Games.

    ACTING PROVERBS.

    In this game each player may take a part, or if thought preferable, the company may divide themselves into actors and spectators. The actors then each fix upon a proverb which is to be represented by every one of them individually. There is to be no connection between them in any way. Each one in turn has simply to act before the rest of the company the proverb he has selected. The first player might, for instance, come into the room holding a cup in his hand; then, by way of acting his proverb, he might repeatedly make an appearance of attempting to drink out of the cup, but of being prevented each time by the cup slipping out of his hands, thus in dumb show illustrating the proverb, There’s many a slip between the cup and the lip. The second might come into the room rolling a ball, a footstool, or anything else that would do to represent a stone. After rolling it about for some time he takes it up and examines it with astonishment, as if something were wanting that he expected to find on it, making it, perhaps, too plainly evident to the company that the proverb he is aiming to depict is the familiar one of A rolling stone gathers no moss. If really good acting be thrown into this game, it may be made exceedingly interesting.

    ACTING RHYMES.

    A word is chosen by the company which is likely to have a good many other words rhyming with it.

    The first player then begins by silently acting some word that will rhyme with the one chosen; as for instance, should the selected word be flow, the first actor might imitate an archer, and pretend to be shooting with a bow and arrow, thus representing the word bow, or he might with an imaginary scythe cut the long grass (mow), or pretend to be on the water in a boat, and make use of imaginary oars (row). As each word is acted it should be guessed by the spectators before the next one is attempted.

    ADJECTIVES.

    A sheet of paper and a pencil are given to the players, upon which each is requested to write five or six adjectives. In the meantime one of the company undertakes to improvise a little story, or, which will do quite as well, is provided with some short narrative from a book.

    The papers are then collected, and the story is read aloud, the reader of the same substituting for the original adjectives those supplied by the company on their papers, placing them, without any regard to sense, in the order in which they have been received.

    The result will be something of this kind:—The sweet heron is a bird of a hard shape, with a transparent head and an agitated bill set upon a hopeful neck. Its picturesque legs are put far back in its body, the feet and claws are false, and the tail very new-fangled. It is a durable distorted bird, unsophisticated in its movements, with a blind voice, and tender in its habits. In the mysterious days of falconry the places where the heron bred were counted almost shy, the bird was held to be serious game, and slight statutes were enacted for its preservation, and so on.

    THE ADVENTURERS.

    The great advantage to be derived from many of our most popular games is that they combine instruction with amusement. The game we are about to describe is one of this number, and will give the players the opportunity of exhibiting their geographical knowledge, as well as any knowledge they may have as to the physical condition, manufactures, and customs of the countries which, in imagination, they intend visiting.

    The company must first of all fancy themselves to be a party of travellers bound for foreign lands.

    A starting-place is fixed upon, from which point the first player sets out on his journey. In some cases maps are allowed, and certainly, if any one should be doubtful as to the accuracy of his ideas of locality, both for his own sake and that of his friends he will do wisely to have a map before him.

    The first player then proceeds to inform the company what spot he means to visit, and what kind of conveyance he means to travel in; on arriving at the place what he means to buy, and on returning home which of his friends is to be favoured by having his purchase offered as a gift.

    To do all this is not quite so easy as might at first be imagined. In the first place there must be some knowledge of the country to which the traveller is going; he must know the modes of conveyance, the preparations he will have to make, and the time that will be occupied during the journey.

    Also, he must know something of the capabilities of the people whom he means to visit, because what he buys must be something that is manufactured by them, or that is an article of produce in their country. For instance, he must not go to North America for grapes, or to the warm and sunny South for furs. The presents, too, must be suitable for the persons to whom they are to be offered. A Japanese fan must not be offered to a wild schoolboy, or a meerschaum pipe to a young lady. Forfeits may be exacted for any mistakes of this kind, or, indeed, for mistakes of any description; the greater will be the fun if at the end of the game a good number of forfeits should have accumulated.

    The second player must make his starting-point where his predecessor completed his travels, and may either cut across the country quickly, make his purchase, and return home again, or he may loiter on the road to sketch, botanise, or amuse himself in any other way.

    It is astonishing how much pleasure

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