Taking the Heights
This is a good rough and tumble game for boys. A bank, a low platform, a pile of dirt or some elevated position is necessary. The object of the game is for the players to strive to get upon the bank and maintain their position thereupon to the exclusion of all other players. Hitting, kicking, or the grasping of clothing is barred.
Wrestle Tug of War
Opponents are so arranged on opposite sides of a line marked upon the ground that those of equal size and strength are facing each other. Each player puts his right hand on the back of his opponent's neck and his left hand on his opponent's right elbow. Each tries to pull the other over the mark. At the end of the pull, the side having the most players on its side of the line wins the game.
Referee's Hold
Opponents take the same position as in the preceding event, but instead of attempting to pull across the line, each endeavors to make the other move one or both feet. The best two out of three are used to determine the winner.
Finger Wrestling
Opponents are arranged as in the preceding game on opposite sides of a line. Holding their hands well above their heads, opposing players grasp each other's hands, interlacing fingers, and each endeavors to bend the opponent's wrist backward. Succeeding in this, the vanquished drop out of the game.
One Leg Tug of War
Opponents are arranged as in the preceding game on opposite sides of a line. They turn their backs towards each other and standing upon their right foot, raise their left leg to the rear and hook the foot in that of the opponent. Each endeavors to pull his opponent across the line in this position.
Hog Tie
Two players of equal strength are each given a piece of quarter-inch rope or a strap. Each endeavors to tie together the other's ankles.
Cumberland Wrestling
Players face each other and take a waist hold, arms around opponent's waist, and stand close up. At the signal to "go" each player tries to lift his opponent off his feet. No throwing is allowed. Three tries are permitted.
Greco-Roman Wrestling
Opponents face each other and may take any legitimate wrestling hold in their effort to secure a fall from the other. Should any part of the body other than the feet touch the ground, it constitutes a fall.
Shoulder and Arm Push
Opponents face each other with a line marked upon the ground between them and place their right hand on the other's left shoulder and their left hand on the opponent's upper right arm. In this position they endeavor to push the opponent back from the centre line, so as to get on the opponent's side of the line.
A modification of the preceding may be made by allowing the use of but one hand—the right placed against the opponent's chest, with the left held behind the back.
Opposing players sit upon the ground facing each other, with the soles of their feet flat against each other's. They then bend forward without bending the knees any more than necessary and grasp the opponent's hand. In this position they endeavor to lift the opponent from the sitting position on the ground.
Neck Tug of War
Opponents interlace their fingers behind each other's necks and endeavor in this position to pull the other across a center line.
Hand Tug of War
Opponents grasp each other's hands and each endeavors to pull the other across a center line.
Cane Wrestling
Opponents are given a stick, like a broomstick, which is grasped with both hands. Each endeavors to break the grasp of the other upon the stick.
Oysterette Race
Those sitting on one side of the table constitute team "A", those opposite them, team "B". The two captains should be sitting opposite each other. At one end of the table place a dish containing ten to twenty oysterette crackers, in front of the men on the opposite end of each line from the captain, and an empty dish in front of every other man. The opponents having the dish of crackers in front of them are given a spoon, and at the signal to "go" they pass the crackers by means of the spoon from their dish to that of the next on their team. When the last cracker has been transferred, the spoon is handed to the next man on the team, who repeats the performance of the first. (Dishes cannot be moved from their original position). The team first succeeding in getting the crackers to the dish of the captain wins.
Passing the Drink
Teams are arranged as in No. 1. A glass of water is given to the man at one end of the table. The glass should be filled to the brim. With the signal to "go" it is passed to the far end of the table and immediately returned. The glass which returns first to the one who started the passing determines the winner, provided that the glass has as much or more water in it at the finish than the opponents' glass. If the winning team has less water in it, the result is a tie game.
Rat-a-Tat-Tat
Teams arranged as in previous games. A plate or glass must be placed in front of each contestant. Two spoons are handed to contestants at the head of each line. At the signal to "go" the opponents beat on the plate rat-tat-rat-tat-tat, as a drum beats. He then passes it on to the next. Rat-tat-rat-tat-tat is passed on to the far end of the line and back. When the one who started the race has beaten his last rat-tat-rat-tat-tat, he stands up holding both spoons above his head.
Earth, Air, Fire and Water
Teams are arranged as in previous games. A member of team "A" is given an object, which can be conveniently passed or tossed across the table. The game starts by his passing the object to any member of the opposing team. In passing the object, he says one of the four words: "Earth, air, fire or water." If the word "earth" is used, he must name some animal; if the word "air" is used, the one receiving the object must name some bird; if the word "water" is used, he must name some fish, and keep quiet if the word "fire" is used. If the word used requires an answer, the one to whom the object is passed must give the name before the one who has passed the object can count ten. Failing to do this, one point is scored by team "A". The one on team "B" to whom the object was passed, passes same back to any member of team "A" and says any of the four words.
Note.—If the word "Air" is used, the opponent must name some bird, such as robin, thrush, etc. If "water" is used, shad, salmon, etc. If "earth" is used, lion, cow, etc.
The teams are arranged as in previous games. The opponents at the head of the line are handed an orange. At the signal to "go" they must stand up, push their chair back from the table and run around the chair twice, return to the table, sit down and pass the orange to the next one in line, who repeats the performance of the first. The race ends when the last one in the line has circled the chair twice, sat down and held the orange above his head.
Jenkins Up
Divide the company into two sides. One division sits around the table on one side, the other on the opposite side. The members of the division "A" put their hands under the table and a small coin, dime or quarter, is passed from one to the other. When division "B" thinks they have had enough time, the captain calls out, "Jenkins up!" and the players of "A" hold up their closed hands; and when "Jenkins down!" is called, they must place their open hands, palm down, on the table. The players of "B" must guess under which palm the coin is. Every player may guess, but only the captain is to be obeyed when he orders an opponent to lift a hand. If a player can succeed in finding the whereabouts of the coin by causing an opponent to raise his hand, it is legitimate. The object is to have the hand containing the coin remain on the table last. Every hand left with the palm on the table when the hand hiding the coin is lifted, counts a point for the team holding the coin. The teams alternate the guessing.
Malaga Grapes
One who knows the game takes a spoon in his right hand, then taking it in his left hand, he passes it to the one sitting at his left, saying, "Malaga grapes are very fine grapes, the best to be had in the market". He tells his neighbor to do the same. The spoon is thus passed from one to the other, each telling the same grape story. If anyone passes the spoon with the right hand, which is the natural thing to do, a forfeit can be claimed. The trick must not be told until it has gone around a table once or twice.
Table Football
An egg is blown and the shell used as the football. Two captains are selected, each choosing his side. Teams take places on the opposite sides of the table and endeavor to blow the egg shell over a goal line which is made two inches from and parallel to their opponents' side of the table. After each goal the egg is placed in the centre of the table and the blowing begins with the sound of a whistle. No player can leave his place, and the "football" must be moved entirely by blowing. If the table be long, more than one egg may be used.
Spearing Peanuts
A number of peanuts are placed in the centre of the table. Each guest is armed with a hat pin. A few of the peanuts have black spots marked upon their end. These peanuts count 5 points. All other peanuts count 1 point. The player succeeding in scoring the highest number wins. The pin must be stuck into the shell. Showing the nut is not allowed.
String Winding Race
Those seated at one side of the table compete against those on the opposite side. A ball of string is given to the two players sitting opposite each other at one end of the table. At the signal to go the two players maintaining their hold on the loose end of the string pass the ball to the players next to them. Each player must hold the string in one hand and pass the ball on, unwinding it, as it progresses to the next player. When the ball has reached the last player he immediately starts rewinding the ball. When he has wound up his share, he passes it back to the next, who continues the winding. By the time the ball has returned to the player at the head of the table, it must be entirely wound. The team first succeeding in accomplishing this, wins the race. The string must be wound upon the ball and not snarled.
Name Writing Race
The teams are arranged on opposite sides of the table. A long slip of paper and a pencil are handed to two players sitting opposite at the head of the table. At the signal to "go" the two players holding the paper write their last names upon it and pass the slip on to the next player on their side. The second player on each team must write the first name of the preceding player in its proper place on the slip and write his own last name directly under that of the preceding player and then pass the slip on to the third player, and so it continues until it reaches the last player. He follows the example of the other players, leaving space for his first name. The slips are then passed back to the head of the table where the first name of the last man must be written down by the player at the head of the table. When this is done they stand and hold the paper above their heads. The team first succeeding in this wins. Each player must give to the player next following him his first name. The last player on each team will have to shout his name, so that the one at the head of the table may be able to fill it in before ending the race.
Candle and Plate Race
The teams are arranged on opposite sides of a table. The two players at the head of the table are given a plate and a candle and a box of safety matches. At the signal to "go" the candle is placed on its end on the plate and lighted by the first player. The candle is then balanced upon the plate, as it is passed to the next player, who receives the plate endeavoring to maintain the balance of the candle. Should the candle fall over, the player in whose hand the plate rests must place the plate down upon the table, again stand the candle on its end and pass it on to the next player. Should the flame on the candle become extinguished, the player, in whose possession it is, must place the plate down upon the table, and using the box of safety matches which is on the plate, relight the candle. In this way the candle is passed to the far end of the table and back. The team first succeeding in accomplishing this task wins.
This can be made more difficult by requiring each player to keep one hand in his lap during the passing, balancing and lighting of the candle. In lighting, the next neighbor on the team may hold the box of matches while his teammate strikes the match necessary to relight the candle.
Play programs with everybody in the games, old and young, large and small, are replacing the fakers and chance-men in some of our County Fairs. Instead of a lot of disgusted individuals with empty purses winding their way on the long home trail we want to hear the laughter of the family group, still exhilarated as a result of a pleasant afternoon spent in happy, healthful recreation.
Everybody loves to play but few will admit it. In fact a great many do not realize that it is true. In order to get everybody in the game, it may be necessary to use unusual methods. A heterogeneous group can be led into the play program unconsciously if the leader uses the proper approach; and before old Deacon Hasbrook knows it, he and his good wife, neither of whom have played in nigh on to thirty-five years, will be laughing and frisking about with the rest in a way that you would have said impossible if you had known this sedate dignitary for the past twenty-five years.
The Grand March
Here is one way that it can be done. While the band is playing a lively march at one end of the field which is to be used for the games, have the leaders, who have been previously instructed, get all of the folks lined up in couples around the field for a grand march. A couple trained for the occasion leads the march when everybody is in line, marching about the circumference of the field. The leaders start their fancy marching. At one end they turn and march down the center of the field to the far end where the couples separate, the ladies going to the left and the gentlemen to the right. They reunite at the other end of the field. The march continues with numerous variations such as change of formation from double to formation of fours, marching diagonally across the field, crossing at the middle, etc. The march should end with the group arranged in couples around the circumference of the field with the ladies nearest the center. Have both groups face the center and have the ladies take one step forward and the men take one step backward.
The Games for All
One American flag on a short stick is handed to the leaders of both lines, that is, the leading lady and the leading gentleman, and at the signal to start the flags are passed about the circle (over the head), the ladies competing against the gentlemen to see which can pass the flag from hand to hand all the way around the circle in the quickest time. The race ends when the flag returns to the leader, who waves the same above his head, indicating the close of the race.
If the group is less than 100 in number, the following game can be played:
A ball of string is handed to the leader of each team. Upon the signal to start, the leaders, holding the end of the string, pass the ball to the next one on the team, who passes it to his neighbor, unrolling it as it goes, and so on from hand to hand, each one on the team keeping hold of the string with his right hand. There should be string enough in the ball to reach all the way round the circle. The ball diminishes as it is passed along. When the ball reaches the last one in the circle he starts rewinding the string upon the ball, passes it back to the next one, who winds on the slack, and so the ball is passed, each one winding until the ball returns to the captain. Each team will try to get the ball properly wound back into the captain's hands first. No one can leave his regular position in the line during the race. If the ball has been properly wound, it will be possible to throw the same twenty-five feet to the judges, who take a position within the circle and about this distance in front of the captain. The first one to get the ball into the hands of the judge, by means of this throw, wins the race.
In the next race five or six flags of the Allies are passed about the circle in the same way. The flags are stuck in the ground in front of the leaders. Upon the signal to start, the leaders pick up the first flag and start it on its way, then immediately pick up the second and start it about the circle and so on until all of the flags are in motion. The American flag should be passed last. When all of the flags have been returned to the leaders they run to the center of the ring. The first one to stick the American flag up in the receptacle there placed to receive it wins the race. (Careful instruction should be given that the flags in being passed about the circle must be handed from one individual to the next so that every individual passes the flag. Throwing is not allowed.)
See chapter on Racing Games for picnic for other suggestions.
Following these passing games the group can be broken up into smaller circles, each under the direction of a leader who has been previously instructed in the type of game he is to give to his group. The activities of the smaller groups are to be arranged according to the age of the participants.
In dividing a group into smaller groups according to age, the leader should first have all children under twelve years of age step forward. These should be placed in the charge of group leaders. Next all the boys and girls from twelve to eighteen should be asked to step forward and next all those young men and women who can participate in active games. When this last group has been called forward, those remaining will form the fourth group.
It is difficult for one leader to handle more than fifteen individuals. If any of the groups contain more than this number, they should be subdivided, with a leader placed in charge of each subdivision. Try as far as possible to have the two sexes equally divided in each group. The games should be carefully selected in advance and the various leaders should have been trained for their task. No active play program for large groups should be planned for a longer period than one hour and then frequent rest periods allowed for adults.
Games which will be found adaptable for the various groups contained in this volume are suggested below:
For the children under twelve—Schoolyard Games for Primary and Intermediate Pupils.
For those from twelve to eighteen—Schoolyard Games for Advanced Pupils.
For the young men and women—Outdoor Games for the Older Boys and Young Men.
For the middle-aged—a selection of games from chapter on "Games for Picnics, and Social Games for Adults".
Following the reading of Longfellow's poem the listeners are given the opportunity to give expression to their imagination in the following games,—
"The Red Coats"
Divide the group into two equal teams. One team is called the farmers, the other the red coats. A goal is marked off on the ground in the form of a hollow square large enough to contain all the members of one of the teams.
All of the red coats take a position inside of the goal with eyes closed while the farmers hide. After sufficient time has been given to the farmers to hide, the red coats are released and each seeks to discover a farmer. Upon being discovered the hiding farmer must remain in his hiding place until tagged by the red coat then they both race back to the goal. The first one to cross the goal line becomes a farmer and the other a red coat in the next hiding. After returning to the goal both farmer and red coat must remain therein until all of the farmers have been discovered. If the last red coats find it difficult to locate the hiding farmers they can call to their assistance such other red coats as they may need, in which case the red coat first discovering the farmer points him out to that red coat who enlisted his help, thereupon said red coat tags the farmer and races with him to the goal.
After all of the farmers have been discovered those who are to be farmers in the next round hide and the game goes on as before.
In case two red coats discover the same farmer the one first tagging him shall count and shall race with him for the goal. In case the red coat discovers more than one farmer he may choose the one he wishes to tag, but he is not to disclose the other to another red coat.
"Yankee Doodle Tag"
The group is divided into two equal teams. Two lines are marked upon the playing space parallel to each other and about 20 yards apart. These lines should be long enough to allow all of the expected number of players to form line upon, shoulder to shoulder. Each team lines up on a goal line facing in the same direction, Team A facing the center of the playing space, Team B facing away from the center.
Team A marches forward whistling "Yankee Doodle" maintaining a straight line until a leader who takes a position near the center of one side of the playing space raises a hand above his head. This is a signal for team A to stop whistling, break ranks and run back to their goal line.
Team B, whose backs are toward the advancing column, upon hearing the whistling stops, turns about and chases after team A, trying to tag as many of them as possible before they get back to their goal line. Every member of team A who is tagged becomes a member of team B.
Team B next marches forward whistling as did A, while A waits on their goal line until the whistling stops, thereupon they turn about and chase B. The game continues in this way. At the end the team having the most players is declared the winner.
Note—the leader giving the signal for the whistling to stop should take a position where the signal cannot be seen by the team waiting to chase the whistlers.
"Paul Revere Race"
The group is divided into teams of from 8 to 15 each. These teams are placed on the field in parallel columns of file with a distance of 10 feet between each team. The players on each team are then arranged in the line at a distance of from 10 to 20 feet apart. The lightest member of each team is selected as the rider for that team and takes his position behind the player at the back end of his line.
At the signal to start he leaps upon the back of the last man who carries him forward to the next man of his team in front of him in the line, and the rider must change from the back of the first steed to the back of the second without touching the ground. The second steed carries him to the third, and he is passed on from steed to steed until he reaches the last steed at the end of the column who carries him across a finish line. The first Paul Revere to cross the line wins the game for his team.
"The Midnight Ride"—Quiet Games
Two teams of equal numbers are chosen and arranged in two lines facing each other. If the game is played in-doors place the teams on opposite sides of the room. A pad of paper and a pencil is given to the two players at the head of each line. The leader then reads a number of lines from Longfellow's poem "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere", requesting that all of the players endeavor to remember as much of the poem as possible. When a sufficient number of lines have been read the player at the head of each team, at a signal to start, writes the first word of the poem on the sheet and passes it along to the next player in line who writes the second word. And so it is passed until it reaches the end of the line. If a player does not remember the right word he writes his surname in place of the word and passes it on to the next player who either fills in the proper word or writes in the surname.
The team which passes the pad to the other end of the line first wins, provided that every one has either written a word from the poem or a name thereupon, and scores 5 points. The team having the fewest names written into the poem also scores 5 points (an error counts the same as a name). In case of a tie, the score race is repeated.
MODIFICATION.—Read several verses and require the paper to be passed up the lines and back as many times as are necessary to write down all of the verses read, using the same method used in the other race. The team first getting all of the verses written, wins. Those who cannot add the right word to the verse must write their surname in every time the paper passes them. Forfeits can be required from them whose names appear above a certain number of times on a sheet. If the group is very large increase the number of teams.
The above games are supposed to be played after the reading of Longfellow's poem—"The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere".
They are still talking about the Indoors Sports Fair that the Welfare League of Ashton gave last spring, and ranking it as the best thing the town ever did to raise money for their united welfare funds.
When the doors were opened on the first night it was not surprising to see a crowd all ready to push in and enjoy the sports prepared for them. No admission was charged, but each sport, exhibit and event had its price plainly marked in black on a bright blue sign at the entrance.
That first evening it seemed as if the golf course was patronized as freely as any of the sports. It took up one large corner of the hall, where a miniature nine-hole course had been laid out on dark blue denim. The "holes" were marked out with rings of white paint, and there were a few hazards of sandbags and a very low brick wall. For the most part it was a putting game, a putter being handed to the player after he had paid his admission to the "caddie" at the turnstile gate.
They say the boys had the time of their lives at the baseball diamond, and some of their fathers too, to judge from the receipts. Back on a large piece of canvas Bill Simons had "dashed in" with cold water paints a baseball diamond, with trees in the background and bleachers on each side, all in a queer perspective which didn't hurt the game any. In the curtain Bill had cut holes just a little larger than a baseball, so that throwing the ball through these holes was not any bush-league business. On the diamond he had marked under the holes, First Base, Second Base, Third Base, and Home Run at the plate. Back of the plate were two holes quite close together, one marked Strike and the other Ball. Two holes in the outfield and two "over the fence" were also arranged in pairs to make pitching difficult. Regular baseballs were sold, four shots for a nickel. The ruling of the game was simple: Three strikes out, four balls a chance to try first base, or one of the "over the fence" holes for a home run; after first base, second and third had to be hit successively before a home run could be scored, and to make it harder there was a "grounder" hole near third base which put one out of the game; balls which merely struck the curtain were counted as fouls, four fouls being out. Back of the curtain Bill had hung an old mattress against which the balls bounded to the floor. This was covered with a black cloth to make the holes in the diamond visible.
Seeing the Old Home Town
Down the line next to the baseball diamond came the bowling alley, where everyone who was not a fan or a golf fiend was taking a hand at the sport. This alley was laid on a long board table, and the game played with tenpins and small wooden balls. Six balls for a nickel they sold here, and because the sport needed something to speed it up a bit they linked it with the food table next door. The best cooks in town presided over this. You paid your money for your tenpin balls, and proceeded to run up a score by counting the numbers on the pins you knocked down; the pins were set far apart to make it difficult. Then you took your score to the food table, where certain numbers of points brought you a glass of jelly, a can of mince-meat, a box of cookies, or a jar of mayonnaise. That bowling alley certainly did appeal to the women!
And if there was ever a more successful grab bag for the children than the quoits game, the Ashton Welfare Committee wants to hear about it. They called it a Good Luck booth for it had a horseshoe-shaped opening with a row of numbered pegs across the back. The kiddies bought the quoits, little wooden horseshoes cut from cigar-box wood, and tossed them over a peg. The number of the peg corresponded to a numbered tag which was handed out to be redeemed at the parcel-post window near the aërial mail plane.
This aviator, by the way, was an official of the Cupid Airline, so he advertised on his aëroplane, which was painted on a large curtain with a hole cut out where the seat would be, and the wheel of an electric fan poked through at the front and set going for a propeller. His mail bag hung over the side of the car inside of which he stood in aviation uniform, and for ten cents you could get your fortune in a small white envelope out of the mail bag if you were a man, or in a pink envelope if you were a girl.
But say, for a real scream, you had to take a sight-seeing trip in the auto! It was worth twice the toll. Dottie Earle had charge of it, and she made one of the funniest guides you ever heard. "This way, ladies and gentlemen," she would shout through her megaphone; "get your tickets for a tour of the city in the most magnificently equipped sight-seeing autos that ever ran on three wheels and one cylinder! Only twenty-five cents, two bits a ride! See the birthplace of Ashton's mayor, the history of Ashton's past, its chief industries," and so on.
When her tourists assembled in front of her machine, which was a real car, at least the front half of one, an old relic which the garage had just about decided to scrap, its latter half hidden behind a dark curtain, Dottie led them back of the curtain where the sights of Ashton were hidden. In another black curtain were a series of holes not any larger than a quarter, and behind each was one of the sights, a cradle, a picture of the town dump, a scrubbing brush and a large pen-knife for the sights already mentioned. For the Home Team she had a snapshot of the Warren twins, for the competitor of the Herald, a telephone, and so on with eight other "hits" on town topics and characters. So many guffaws and squeals of laughter came from behind the curtain that they had to call in a "traffic cop" to keep the crowd outside quiet.
The "traffic cops," by the way, were boy scouts. They had dark blue costumes of cheap drill, trimmed with white braid, and wore white cotton gloves and shiny badges. They really did have power invested in them by the committee to preserve order and keep the crowds moving. At one point they were allowed to stand with a semaphore and hold up the crowd, not allowing anyone to pass who could not show a certain number of tags from the various booths. This tag system was to insure that all would play fair, for there was so much fun just watching other folks spend money that the tightwads might never have taken their hands out of their pockets or opened their purses.
A Racket Around the Candy Booth
Mrs. Peterson, who sells the best bread in town, had charge of the cake archery. You bought arrows for this, three for ten cents, but you could not shoot until a dollar's worth of arrows had been sold. Then you took your turn at the bow and arrow. The arrow which hit nearest the bull's-eye got the cake, of course, and it was some cake, if it happened to be one of Abbie Southerland's angel foods.
The Girls' Club had drawn the candy table for their share of the fair, and a pretty booth they made of it, using all the tennis nets they could beg, borrow or steal to drape it with and putting up all the candy in ten-cent packages wrapped in white waxed paper to look like tennis balls. Someone got funny and asked why there was such a racket around the candy booth!
The fair lasted three days. What with changing the attractions, keeping fresh food on the refreshment tables, making special attractions for children in the afternoons after school by offering prizes for sports events like sack races, obstacle races, and so on, getting up interest in golf tournaments and baseball series, the place was kept packed from three in the afternoon until midnight.
In The Ladies' Home Journal, Jan., 1921. Published with the permission of the author, Claire Wallis, and The Ladies' Home Journal.
In these games participants are divided into a number of equal teams. Each team is lined up in single file behind a base line. A distance line parallel to the base line and about ten yards from it is indicated on the field.
Egg and Spoon Race
A basket of eggs, apples, potatoes or stones is placed in front of each team and a spoon given to the first member of each team. Empty baskets are placed on the distance line opposite the position of each team. At the signal to go the first player on each team, keeping the left hand behind the back, takes one egg from the basket by means of the spoon and carries it on the spoon to the basket from the distance line. Returning to the base line the spoon is handed to the second member of the team who repeats the performance of the first. The game continues until the last player on each team, after carrying the egg forward, returns across the base line. The team first succeeding wins.
Should a player drop an egg, he must gather up as much of the egg as possible and carry it to the far basket and there deposit it before returning with the spoon to the next member of his team.
Pea Shelling Race
A basket containing peas and an empty dish are placed on the distance line opposite each team. There should be at least six peas contained in each basket for every player on the team. At the signal to go the first player on each team runs forward, shells his peas into the dish and lays the six empty pods in a straight line behind the dish. Accomplishing this, he returns and tags off the next player on the team who repeats the performance of the first. The team first succeeding in shelling all of the peas and having each player's pods lined up in a straight line, wins.
Needle Threading Race
An individual holding a needle and a short piece of thread is on the distance line opposite each team. At the signal to go, the first player on each team runs forward, takes the needle and thread, threads the needle, hands it back to the individual and returns and tags off the next player on the team. The individual holding the needle unthreads it, ready for the next player to repeat the performance of the first. When the last player crosses the starting line after threading the needle the race ends.
Button Sewing
As many buttons as there are players on each team are placed on the distance line opposite each team, a strip of cloth, a needle, and as many short lengths of thread as there are players. At the signal to go, the first member of each team runs forward, threads the needle with one of the pieces of thread, sews a button on the strip of cloth, using up all of the thread in his piece. He leaves the needle stuck in the cloth at the distance line and returns and tags off the next player, who repeats the performance of the first, as do all other team members.
Rope Skipping Relay
A piece of rope is necessary for each team. At the signal to go, the first member of each team skips rope forward to the distance line. From the distance line he runs back and hands the rope to the next one on the team, who repeats the performance of the first. Each player must skip the rope at least six times in each direction. The last member of the team, after skipping the rope forward to the distance line, returns across the base line, ending the event.
Rope Skipping Contest
A piece of rope is needed for each team. At the signal to go, the first individual skips rope ten times, in place, hands the rope back to the next individual who skips ten times, and so the rope is passed on until it gets to the last one in the line, who skips twenty times and passes the rope back to the one next in front of him in the line. The rope is passed until it gets to the first member of the team, each one skipping ten times upon receiving it. When the one in the front of the line has skipped ten times, he ends the race by running forward across the distance line.