Get playing (Game on II)

Of course there had to be a follow-up to "Game on" because I didn't even talk about "Big Booty." Before I indulge more secrets to game success I'd like to share a few quotes from this article from the Fall 2014 magazine:  "LIVING THE PLAY-FULL LIFE" by Andrea Ludlow Christensen (BA ’03, MA ’05)

"For decades researchers have noted the wide-reaching power of play and recreation to teach persistence, build confidence, and improve family relationships, while also warning of broad threats to them: schedules packed with extracurricular activities, media overload, and hovering parents."

Patti A. Freeman (BS ’88) and her husband, Eric W. Andersen (BS ’01) [taught],

"Play should be fun, but recreation that is also challenging can help kids build persistence, resilience, and confidence—traits that prepare them to hit life’s curveballs."

 “If we’re not intentional about [recreation], we can let time just slip away and other things can infringe upon it.”

That's just a little motivation to get playing. The next step is knowing what to play.  Not that it really matters that much but it is helpful to have options in your mind. Growing up, we played many of what my  Mom refers to as "Parlour games." 

These games are great for family night. They are also handy when you're in a small group for a long boring time and people forgot their books. Don't tell me they have their devices.  We are taking the high life-skill road and playing parlour games. 

The other objective of this post is to preserve forever the games from my family traditions, so I brought in some guest teachers. Sometimes the important elements can't be explained by text so prepare yourself for some awesome youtube tutorials.

When we were little my mother taught us to play "Ring around the Rosy," "Motorboat," "Duck Duck Goose," "Hokey Pokey" and "Button, Button Who's got the Button?"  I remember her eyes twinkling as she went around to each child seated in a circle with a button hidden in her clasped hands.  We held our clasped hands in front of us.  She slid her hands through ours as we sat hoping the button would drop. The strategy was to always pretend that it had. Then "It" would guess who had the button. The victory came to "It" who guessed correctly and the non button holder who was asked to open their hands to reveal...nothing:) Another game we played as young children was "The Quiet Game." My mom initiated it in the car or in doctor's offices. For some reason she liked it a lot.  I didn't really see the draw until I was a mother on the brink of breakdown after long audio rich days with active (and might I add loud) blessings from heaven. It became a clear favorite.  The goal is to see who can be the quietest for the longest, see where I'm going with this?

As we grew older we were introduced to "Blind Man's Bluff", "Charades," "Hide the Thimble" and our signature family night game, "Here Comes the Jolly Butcher Boy." Technically this isn't a parlour game because it is played outside and involves some running in the back yard. It's a heritage game because My mom learned it when she was a little girl and taught it to us.  So I will now teach it to you. Divide your group into 2 teams with each team on either sides of the yard. Team 1 approaches Team 2 chanting "Here comes the Jolly Butcher boy seeking for his trade." Team 2 answers, "What is your trade?" Team 1-"Ice cream and lemonade." Team 2-"Work away if you're not afraid." At which point team 1 begins acting out their previously planned "Trade." The trade is an object or action that the members of Team 2 start guessing.  If someone calls out the right answer, Team 1 runs back to their home side with Team 2 on the chase.  Any members of Team 1 who are tagged by team 2 this side of their home boundary join team 2. Then team 2 is the "Butcher Boy" and the game is repeated. Because the cadence of the chant can't be detected in text, but is very important, I asked my sister, Heidi, to demonstrate it for you:

As luck would have it, I was privileged to be with my nieces, Polly and Katherine, last week. They shared one of their favorite games from childhood. This game is good for the playground or girls camp. We didn't play this much at my house since I have 7 boys and they were usually out highsticking in the back yard field hockey game so as to take each other's heads off, but I have  played "Little Sally Walker" at girl's camp and it's a good one.  Here it is:

  

"Do You Love your Neighbor?" is a fantastic little game that is played sitting in a circle.  One person is in the middle and asks a guest, "Do you love your neighbor?" If the chosen guest says, "No" the guests on either side of him try to quickly switch places before the  person in the middle, who asked the question, steals their seat.  Whoever is left without a seat is now the person in the middle. The chosen guest may also say, "Yes" but then needs to add that he doesn't like people who...He then adds a description i.e. "Wears tennis shoes," "Has brown hair," "Goes to the same school I do," at that point all guests who qualify have to get a new seat with the person in the middle once again seeking to acquire one for himself.  Definitely one of our tried and true games.

One nice parlor game that we have played is "In the Manner of the Adverb." It's similar to the game played on "A Christmas Carol" with George C. Scott, One person goes out of the room and the remaining guests choose an adverb: angrily, happily, energetically, etc.  The exiled guest returns and gives a direction such as, "Guest, shake my hand in the manner of the adverb." The chosen guest then completes the direction in the manner of the chosen adverb.  "It" is allowed 3 demonstrations by chosen guests before he needs to guess the chosen adverb. A different direction can be given for each guest. Victory is claimed with a correct guess.

Some other popular games are "Hide and Seek" and "Sardines," which is inverted hide and seek. One person hides and everyone else looks for him. When the hiding place is found the finder joins the hider until all but 1 are hidden in one big scary bunch. Then when the final person discovers them he is startled out of his wits as they jump from the hiding place (he he he.)

Red Rover Red Rover is a dangerous game that I have not attempted to pass on.  We played it in elementary school and I witnessed 2 people getting their arms broken from a speeding student breaking their grip.

But Hopscotch is an underrated game which I feel strongly cannot be lost. Do they still have them painted on the elementary school pavement? If not, it's a shame. A few tips for this game are: Use a small chain for a marker-it doesn't bounce out. Don't wear your clunky shoes-it's easier to stay in the lines. Always have chalk- you never know when a good time for hopscotch will present itself. My friend, Cindy Shelton, used masking tape to create a semi-permanent hopscotch in her home for her children and friends.  Don't underestimate the fun level of this game.

And now the game you've all been waiting for. I'm not sure why "Big Booty" was such a favorite. It's probably because saying, "Big Booty" is hilarious. Guests sit in a circle. They are numbered: Big Booty, 1, 2, 3...Then the fun begins. Big Booty starts with...(see video of my sister Carrie demonstrating)

 

In the meantime everyone is keeping time by slapping their thighs in rhythm. After the intro, Big Booty says, "Big Booty-number___" They choose a number. Without breaking the rhythm, number whatever-is-chosen says"Number___-number___They can either choose a number or say Big Booty. Everyone continues saying their number and choosing another. If a person misses the beat and fails to call themselves and another they go to the end of the circle and the numbers are adjusted. Of course it is the greatest accomplishment to oust Big Booty. This game ends when it's time to resume life or everyone's hands and thighs are burning from too much rhythm making.

So in an effort to continue to teach persistence, build confidence and strengthen family relationships let's get playing.