Ghost
The group sits in a circle about the room. The leader starts the game by giving a letter of the alphabet. The one at his left adds a letter to the first with the view of making a word. The third adds another letter and so the game continues.
Illustration—The leader gives the letter "a". The one at his left, thinking of the word "adds" adds "d". The third one, thinking of the word "advertisement", adds "v". The fourth, thinking of the word "adversity" adds "e", and so the word continues to grow.
If one finishes the word or completes a word without realizing it, that one is given the title of "Half-ghost". Anyone speaking to the Half-ghost, becomes a Half-ghost. Should a half-ghost chance to finish another word when it again becomes his turn to add a letter to the spelling of a word, then the Half-ghost becomes a Full-ghost and is out of the game. Any one speaking to a Full-ghost becomes a Full-ghost. Full-ghosts and Half-ghosts naturally endeavor to get as many others into their class as possible, so between thinking of letters to complete the word in turn and avoiding becoming ghosts, the group is kept in a very difficult frame of mind. The game continues until there are no players who have failed to qualify as Half-ghosts or Full-ghosts.
Charades
Five of the group are selected to act out a charade. These five act out a word in pantomime. While they are doing this a second group of five is selected and prepares to act out another word, immediately following the presentation by the first group. The audience is given three minutes to guess each charade. Should it succeed in doing this, then the members of the group each choose a substitute for themselves, thus making a third group of five. While this last group is preparing a charade, the second group is putting on its pantomime, and so the game continues. If the audience fails to guess the word within the required time, then the same group is given an opportunity to act another word. Good charade words are as follows:
| Aëroplane | Air-oh-plane |
| Antarctic | Aunt-ark-tick |
| Buccaneer | Buck-can-ear |
| Charlatan | Char-lay-tan |
| Falcon | Fall-con |
| Handicap | Hand-eye-cap |
| Handkerchief | Hand-cur-chief |
| Microscope | My-crow-scope |
| Automobile | Ought-oh-mob-eel |
| Pilgrimage | Pill-grim-age |
| Sausage | Saw-sage |
| Stiletto | Still-let-toe |
| Bandage | Band-age |
| Stationary | Station-airy |
| Feline | Fee-line |
| Rainbow | Reign-beau |
| Bookworm | Book-worm |
| Handsome | Hand-some |
| Penitent | Pen-eye-tent |
| Cribbage | Crib-age |
| Broomstick | Broom-stick |
| Infancy | In-fan-sea |
| Hornpipe | Horn-pipe |
| Eyelash | I-lash |
| Forswear | Four-swear |
| Masquerade | Mass-cur-aid |
| Melancholy | Melon-collie |
| Pantry | Pan-tree |
| Tennessee | Ten-I-see |
| Antidote | Aunt-I-dote |
| Definite | Deaf-in-ate |
Knight of the Cracker
The ladies are lined up on one side of the room. Each is provided with a cracker. The men are lined up on the opposite side. At the signal to go the men rush forward and try to secure a cracker from one of the ladies. They then return to their original line and devour the cracker. Having succeeded in doing this, they return and whistle a tune which must be recognized by the lady.
Match Boxing
Competitors are divided into equal teams and the teams are arranged in parallel lines. The outside cover of a small safety match box is given to the first man on each team. He slips this over the end of his nose and holds his hands behind his back with the box on his nose. All other players must hold their hands behind their backs.
At the signal to start the players having the box on the end of the nose transfer the same to the nose of their neighbor without the use of their hands. The box is passed in this way to the far end of the lines and back. Should it fall upon the floor it is picked up by the one from whose nose it fell, placed on his own nose again, and the game continues as before.
What Animal?
The leader whispers the name of a different animal or object to each individual. When called upon each must try to represent the noise or action of the animal or object. The rest of the group guess what is represented and write the same on a slip of paper. The one guessing the most wins.
Rhyming Verbs
Half of the group leaves the room while the others decide upon a verb. The group which left the room is then called back and tries to guess the verb from the clues which are given by those who determined the verb. These clues are given in the form of sentences containing words rhyming with the verb. Should the group which is to guess think they have found the right verb, they retire from the room without stating it and returning act out the verb. If they have been successful in guessing the verb, then the other group is given an opportunity to guess a verb in the same manner.
Fruit Basket
The group is seated in a circle and counted off in 4's. The number 1's are given the name of oranges, number 2's lemons, number 3's bananas, number 4's apples. One of the individuals is selected to be "It". He takes his place in the centre of the group and one chair is taken out of the circle, leaving one less chair than there are players. "It" then calls the name of two fruits, for example, oranges and lemons. Thereupon all of the oranges must exchange places with all of the lemons and "It" endeavors to capture one of the seats. Succeeding, the one left without a seat is "It" and calls two other kinds of fruit. These two must change places and "It" endeavors to capture a seat. Should "It" say "Fruit basket", instead of naming two fruits, all must change seats.
Exchange
The group is arranged in seats around the room. "It" takes a place in the centre. All of the players are given a different number. "It" is blindfolded. The game is started by "It" calling two numbers. Thereupon the numbers called must change seats. "It" tries to either tag one of the players seeking to change seats or occupy one of the vacant seats, in which case the one without a chair becomes "It".
Barnyard Chorus
Each player in the group is given some barnyard noise to represent. The leader takes his place in the centre of the room. If he holds up his left hand, all is quiet; if he holds up his right hand, they all imitate their various noises in concert. Should one of the players make a noise while the leader is holding up his left hand, that player must stand up before his chair and imitate the noise he has been given to imitate, until some member of the group can guess what the noise is supposed to represent.
Donkey Solo
This is a good game to follow immediately after the Barnyard Chorus. The leader announces that he is to whisper to each member of the group the name of some animal that is to be imitated by that member in chorus with the others. He then goes about and whispers in the ear of every member of the group that he is to keep perfectly quiet, excepting to one individual to whom he suggests that he is to imitate the braying of a donkey. He then takes his position in the centre of the group and instructs the players to give as much volume to their imitation as possible. He gives the signal to start. Naturally, all are quiet except the poor donkey who brays his solo, to the amusement of the other members of the group.
Shifting Seats
The group is seated in a circle. There is one more chair than there are players. One individual is selected to be "It" and takes his place in the centre of the room. "It" gives the command to shift right. Thereupon, the one at the left of the vacant chair moves into the vacant chair, leaving his own chair vacant. The one at the left of his chair, moves into that, each one trying to get into the vacant chair to the right before "It" can succeed in touching him. "It" can give the command "Shift left" at any time, which means that they must move into the vacant chair to the left. Should "It" succeed in sitting in an empty chair, the one who should have occupied that chair becomes "It".
Guess the Sound
The group is arranged in a circle. The one selected to be "It" is blindfolded and takes a position in the centre of the circle. After the blindfolded player has been spun around a few times so that he does not know his location, he is given a wand or short stick. He holds this stick out in front of one member of the group. That member must grasp the end of the stick. Then "It" names some animal which the player on the other end of the stick must imitate by some sound. Thereupon, the blindfolded player tries to guess who has hold of the other end of the stick. Succeeding, the player guessed is blindfolded.
Rapid Transit
The players form in a circle. To each is given some article to be passed. These articles should vary in size anywhere from a peanut to a flat iron. The game starts by the leader commanding them to pass to the right. He then passes his article on to his right hand neighbor and receives in turn from his left hand neighbor the article coming to him. The passing continues until the leader gives the command "Change". Then the articles are passed in the opposite direction. Should a player drop one of the articles to be passed or should any one of the players have in his possession more than two articles at one time, that individual drops out of the game, taking one article with him. The game continues until but one is left in the circle. The passing can be complicated, if so desired, by having one or two of the articles passed in the opposite direction.
Feather Tag
The group sits in a circle in the centre of the room, holding a large sheet stretched tightly between them. A fluffy feather is placed in the centre of the sheet. One of the group who is "It" endeavors by running about, to catch the feather. Those sitting around the edge of the sheet keep the feather from "It" by blowing it beyond "It's" reach. Should "It" capture the feather, the one sitting at the edge of the sheet nearest to the feather becomes "It".
Birds
All the players sit in a circle. Each is given the name of a bird. The keeper takes a position in the centre of the room and begins to tell a story about birds. When a bird's name is mentioned, that bird must stand up and turn around once in front of his chair. Failing to do this, he must pay a forfeit. When the keeper utters the word "migrate" in his story, all of the birds must change seats and he tries to get one of the seats. Succeeding, the one left without a seat, continues the bird story. Otherwise the first keeper continues his story.
The group is arranged in chairs around the room. The one who is selected to be "It" goes from one to another asking questions. All questions must be answered by "Simple Simon's Silly Smile", without laughing. Should the one questioned laugh, he must take the place of the one who is "It".
Wink
Chairs are arranged around the room in a circle, with the boys standing behind each chair. There should be one more chair than there are girls in the group. The boy standing behind the empty chair winks at one of the girls who endeavors to get to the vacant chair before the boy in whose chair she is sitting can tag her. If she succeeds, the boy behind the chair last vacated continues the game by winking at another girl.
Hush
The group sits in a circle in a room which is semi-dark. The leader goes around inside of the circle and slips a button in the hands of one of the players. He does this after making an offer to do it to several others, so as to disguise where he finally deposits the button. All then have a turn to guess in whose hands the button lies. The one who guesses right becomes the leader, and the leader becomes a ghost. The game then continues as before. The ghost asks questions of any of the players, and they are not supposed to answer any question asked them except by the leader. Should they do so, they also become ghosts. As the ghosts multiply the game becomes more difficult. The game continues until but two are left of the circle.
Jack's Alive
The group sits in a circle in the room. A lighted splinter is handed to one of the group in the circle. It is then passed around the circle, still lighted. Should the flame become extinguished, the one in whose hand the splinter rests at that time must pay a forfeit. The forfeit sometimes demanded is that a mustache be made on the upper lip of that individual with the charred end of the splinter.
In passing the splinter the player must say Jack's Alive; failing to do this the splinter is returned to him and should it become extinguished before he can say this, it counts against him.
Going to Jerusalem
The chairs are arranged in a circle in the center of the room, with the seats away from the center. There should be one less chair than there are participants in the game. The participants form a line around the outside of the chairs and march forward around the chairs, while the piano, phonograph, or some other musical instrument is being played. The instant the music stops each player tries to sit in a chair. The one failing to get a chair drops out of the game. A chair is taken from the circle and the group starts marching again with the music. When the music stops they seek chairs as before, the one failing to secure one dropping out. A chair is taken out of the circle after each scramble and so the group diminishes until all are eliminated except one, who is crowned King of Jerusalem. If the group be large more than one chair can be eliminated at a time.
Hindoo Blind Reading
Slips of paper are given to all of the guests and they are instructed to write thereupon a brief sentence of three or four words and to carefully fold the paper. These messages are then collected, and the Hindoo Mystic proceeds to amaze his auditors by rubbing the messages, still folded, one after another across his forehead and telling what is written on the folded paper.
The Trick—The message reader has an accomplice who is instructed to acknowledge that he wrote the first note read by the mystic, no matter what that note may be. The mystic makes up in his mind a brief sentence after rubbing the first slip of paper on his head. This sentence is acknowledged by the accomplice. The mystic, after having the note acknowledged, opens it apparently to corroborate his reading, but in reality he is reading the note written by someone else. Upon rubbing the next slip of paper across his forehead, he announces the contents of the note last read, which naturally is acknowledged with wonderment on the part of the individual who wrote it. He then apparently looks at this slip of paper, but in reality he looks at the paper which he next intends to read.
Mental Telepathy
The group is told that if enough people think hard enough about one object they can communicate the thought to a person who knows nothing about it. One or two "unwise" persons are asked to leave the room and nothing is decided upon. But the group is told that when each "unwise" person comes in in turn, the second thing that is named must be admitted to be the right object. Great disappointment should be shown at his failure to get the right object the first time and he should be heartily congratulated on his success the second time. This continues until he realizes that he is duped.
The Paper Artist
A sheet of newspaper or any other kind of paper can be used for this game. The accomplice is sent from the room. The one performing the trick then holds the paper in front of the face of one of the individuals in the room. Returning to his seat, the accomplice is called into the room and handed the sheet of paper. The accomplice then studies the paper carefully and announces to the group whose photograph he sees thereupon.
The Trick—The one who takes the impression of the individual assumes the same sitting position that the individual photographed has assumed, thus portraying to the one who left the room whose photograph is on the blank paper.
Magic Answers
An accomplice is sent from the room. Those remaining in the room determine upon some object, this object to be recognized by the accomplice. When the object has been selected, the accomplice is called back. The one who is to deal with the accomplice asks if several objects in the room are the thing which has been suggested. The accomplice answers, "No," but answers correctly when the object selected is mentioned.
The Trick—The one asking the questions of the accomplice names some black object immediately preceding the object which is the correct one, thus giving the clue.
The one who plays this trick must have an accomplice. The accomplice is sent from the room. It is announced that the accomplice will name the person pointed to. The demonstrator points at an individual and the accomplice on the outside of the room gives the name of the individual pointed at.
The Trick—The accomplice knows that the one last speaking before he left the room will be the one pointed at by the demonstrator. In pointing at an individual, the one doing the pointing asks of the accomplice, "Does the spirit move?" The one on the outside answers, if he knows who is being pointed at, "It does." The first speaker then says, "Whom am I pointing at?" The accomplice then gives the individual's name.
Scissors Crossed
A simple catch game. The group is seated in a circle. It is best to have two of the company know how to play the game. One of these hands a closed pair of scissors to the other, who takes it and says, "I received these scissors uncrossed and give them crossed" (opening the scissors as he says, "and give them crossed"). He passes them to the player on his left, who should say, "I received these scissors crossed and give them crossed"—(if they are left open; if closed, "uncrossed"). If the players do not know the game, they will cross and uncross the scissors in an attempt to pass them correctly. Each one is given a turn and the game continues until some bright player notices that the scissors are called "crossed" when they are open and "uncrossed" when they are closed, and that the player who started the game crossed his feet if the scissors were crossed and, if not, his feet were uncrossed. Thus, the object of the game is to change the words and the position of the feet in accordance with the position of the scissors.
Knights of the Sacred Whistle
One or two of the group are informed that they are to be initiated into the Order of the Knights of the Sacred Whistle. They are shown a whistle and told that to become a member they must find this whistle. It is then pretended that the whistle is handed to one of the members of the party. An apron is hung around the shoulders of the victim and the whistle is attached to the back of the apron on a piece of string. The trick is for some of the players to blow the whistle behind the person's back, immediately dropping it and when he turns the person on the other side will blow. As all are standing in a circle, with the person who is being initiated in the centre, he is kept guessing for some time before he finds out where the whistle is located.
Hay Stack
Chairs are piled to a considerable height in the centre of the room and the person to be initiated is instructed to take off his shoes and jump over them. The leader insists that this is possible, but the uninitiated remonstrates, "It can't be done." The catch is that the individual is supposed to jump over his shoes instead of the chairs.
Boots Without Shoes
The leader asks one of the players to say as he directs and then asks him to say, "Boots without shoes." The player immediately says, "Boots without shoes." The leader says, "That is not correct," and goes to the next. The next one also says, "Boots without shoes," and so do most of the other members of the group, until one bright individual, discovering the trick, simply says, "Boots," which is the correct answer.
Newspaper Touch
Two individuals are instructed to stand upon a sheet of newspaper, so as not to be able to touch each other. This seems impossible and the individuals taking their places upon the paper endeavor to maneuver in impossible positions, but find they still can touch each other. The trick is to spread the newspaper over the sill of a door. One individual stands on one side of the closed door upon the newspaper, while the other takes his position on the other side of the door.
Coin and Card Snap
A card is balanced upon the end of the middle finger of the left hand, flat side down. A quarter or some small coin is placed upon the card, directly over the end of the finger. The trick is to snap the card from under the coin so that the coin will remain on the end of the finger.
Blind Blow
A lighted candle is placed upon a table. The players are blindfolded in turn, spun around, and instructed to blow out the candle. The time of each player is recorded and the one succeeding in blowing out the candle in the quickest time wins the game.
Tricks with Matches
Six matches are given to an individual and he is requested to make with them four equilateral triangles.
The Trick—Three matches are laid upon the table, forming an equilateral triangle. The other three are held above the three on the table in the form of a pyramid, with the triangle on the table as a base.
Twelve matches are placed upon the table as herewith illustrated. Then those trying to accomplish the trick are instructed to illustrate what matches are made of by moving two matches.
The Trick—It is natural that the ones trying to solve the trick endeavor to make the word "wood" out of the combination of forms, but by taking the top match off the first square, a "v" can be made by adding it to the third figure. By taking the right hand side off the first square, the letter "e" can be made by adding it to the last figure, spelling the word "love."
Pigs in Pen
A farmer has six pigs and five pens. He desires to place the pigs in the pens so that there will be an odd number of pigs in each pen. How can he accomplish this?
The Trick—He places a pen within a pen. Then he places a pig in each of the other pens, and two pigs in the one which encloses the pen, and another pig in the enclosed pen.
Number Trick
How can four be made out of three 3's?
3-3/3
Penny Wise
The players are provided with a bright new penny, a piece of paper and a pencil. On the paper have been written the following requirements, each player being expected to write the answers, the one having the largest number of correct answers, winning the game:
Reading Temples
The group is told that thoughts can be transmitted through the temples. The demonstrator of the game has to have an accomplice knowing the trick, who leaves the room. The others decide upon a number, not greater than ten. The accomplice is called back into the room, and by placing his hands upon the temples of the demonstrator after having requested every one to concentrate their thoughts upon the number selected, he tells what the number is.
The Trick—He is told the number by the demonstrator, who clinches and relaxes his jaw, which gives a movement of the temple which can be felt by the accomplice.
Aeroplane Ride
The player selected to take the ride is sent from the room and blindfolded. A strong board is held a few inches from the floor by several of the players. The blindfolded player is then called back into the room and invited to step into the aeroplane and is aided in stepping upon the board. His hands are placed upon the shoulders of two other players for support. As soon as the individual has stepped upon the board, it is raised a few inches and the two individuals upon whose shoulders rest his hands slowly and together bend their knees, so as to lower their shoulders, giving the impression to the rider that he has been lifted some distance from the floor.
The rider is then told to jump down, but not to fear, as mattresses have been placed upon the floor, so that he is in no danger of injury. The fear of jumping from so great a height as the blindfolded aviator has been caused to feel he has attained, and the surprise of striking the floor in so short a distance after the jump, are very amusing.
Egg Smash
Several players of the group are blindfolded and take a kneeling position upon the floor. Each is given a fake egg and is told to knock it upon the floor to summon the good spirit. They do this very carefully the first time, thinking they have an egg. The eggs are taken away and the group waits to see if a spirit appears. As it does not appear, the eggs are again handed to the players. This time they are not so careful in hitting the eggs down upon the floor, their first experience telling them they are fake. Again the eggs are taken from them and the spirit waited for. Failing to appear the second time, the eggs are returned to the blindfolded individuals for the third time, but this time instead of fake, they are the real article, much to the surprise and grief of those who break them vigorously upon the floor.
Musical Notes
This trick is easily played where a group is sitting around a bare wooden table. The player knowing the trick, pricks the prongs of a fork with his finger nails, causing it to vibrate as a tuning fork. He then makes his audience think that he pulls music from the nose of another player by reaching with his free hand and touching the nose of said player, and to the surprise of his auditors, music is heard.
The Trick—The instant the one who plays the trick touches the nose, he unobserved allows the end of the fork to come in contact with the hard surface of the table. The vibration of the fork is inaudible until its end comes in contact with the table.
Siam Club
Players are invited to join the Siam Club, for which certain rites and ceremonies are necessary. Those to be initiated into the club then kneel in a circle in the centre of the room and after bowing forward so that their foreheads touch the floor, they repeat after the leader the following sacred secret words, which they are instructed not to disclose to anyone else, under any conditions: "O whattagoo Siam." They repeat this over and over again until they begin to realize that they are saying, "Oh, what a goose I am."
Divesting
The trick is to remove the vest of one of the players while he is still wearing his coat. To accomplish the trick one must stand in front of the subject, unbutton the vest, loosening the buckles on the strap behind. Next he runs his left hand under the coat, raises the lower end of the back of the vest, while with his right hand he grasps the end of the vest around the neck of the person, who is instructed to hold his arms high above his head. The back of the vest may then be pulled over the head of the subject. One of the lower ends of the vest is then pushed down the coat sleeve. The operator then runs his hand up the coat sleeve and pulls the vest down the sleeve until the arm hole is free from the subject's hand. The vest is then drawn back up the sleeve and pulled through the sleeve and over the hand of the other arm. It can then easily be removed either by pulling down or up the sleeve.
Standing Broad Jump
The group is divided into competing teams. Each team lines up behind the starting line. Each is instructed to see how many feet he can have credited to him in this event. The first player on each team is then instructed to heel the starting line with his right foot and to place his left foot immediately in front of and in line with his right foot, so that the heel touches the toe. The second player on each team then places his right foot in front of and in line with and against the advance foot of Number 1, and places his left foot in front of his right. All of the players take this position. The team having the longest feet wins the game by measuring the greatest distance in front of the starting line.
Standing High Jump
Doughnuts are suspended by means of a string, so that one hangs about eight inches above the head of each contestant. The one first succeeding in eating his doughnut without the use of his hands, wins the event.
Bawl Game
Competitors are lined up and directed to bawl. The one doing this the best, in the judgment of the judges, wins.
Peanut Relay
A bowl full of peanuts is placed before each competitor. An empty bowl is placed at some distance opposite each. Each competitor is given a table knife. At the signal to go, keeping his left hand behind his back, he takes one or more peanuts on the flat of his knife from the full bowl and deposits it or them in the empty bowl. He returns for more peanuts. He is not allowed to use his free hand in helping the peanuts on to the knife, or keeping them thereupon. The player first succeeding in transferring the peanuts wins the event.
Shot Put
Competitors endeavor to throw a handkerchief unknotted from a given line for distance.
Lucky
A number of bags are suspended in such a way as to hang four feet above the heads of the competitors. One bag contains candy; one contains flour; another peanuts; another water, etc. An individual is blindfolded, given a short stick and headed in the direction of the bags. He then endeavors to strike one of the bags. Succeeding in knocking the bag of candy, that shall be his prize; likewise the peanuts, flour, or water.
Peanut Throw
Each contestant is given an equal number of peanuts. The one succeeding in dropping the largest number of peanuts into the mouth of a jug, wins. The peanuts must be dropped from a distance equal to the height of the shoulders.
Head Toss
A salt bag is filled with sand. Competitors heel a given line and place the bag of sand upon the back of their necks and without the use of the hands, endeavor to throw the bag as far back into the line as possible.
Duel Tug of War
Two opponents are given a piece of rope about three feet long. Each takes a position on the opposite side of a line drawn upon the floor. One tries to pull the other across the line by means of the rope. If successful in drawing the opponent so that both feet are on his side of the line, that player wins.
Discus Throw
Contestants are given some object like a quoit, a block of wood, etc. A small circle about eighteen inches in diameter is drawn upon the ground. The contestant places the object to be thrown between his feet and endeavors to throw it forward from the circle as great a distance as possible. Both feet must work together in making the throw and neither can touch the ground outside of the circle.
Ring the Bell
In the centre of a hoop eighteen inches in diameter—(an ordinary barrel hoop)—is hung a bell. The hoop is suspended from the ceiling or a door, so that it will be five feet above the floor. The group is divided into two teams. One team lines up on one side, one on the other. Each is given two bean bags. The first player on each team endeavors to throw his two bean bags through the hoop without ringing the bell. Succeeding or failing, he takes his place at the rear of the line and the next player repeats his performance. The players on the opposing team are expected to recover and to use the bags thrown through the hoop by the opponents, for their throw. A point is scored for the team by each player successfully tossing a bean bag through the hoop without ringing the bell.
Chair Tilting
Opponents are placed upon chairs and must stand thereon upon one foot. Each is armed with a long pole, the end of which is padded with a wad of cloth. The object is to dislodge the opponent from the chair. Dropping the pole or putting the foot down counts the same as being forced from the chair.
As soon as one member of a team has been dislodged, another may take his place and the game continues until all of one team have been eliminated.