Part 1

_Ten Recreational Parties_

_by_

HELEN DURHAM

THE WOMANS PRESS 600 LEXINGTON AVENUE

NEW YORK, N. Y.

Copyright, 1924, by Helen Durham

This is a revised and amplified edition of Six Recreational Parties, by the same author. The last three are not parties, strictly speaking, but suggestions for adding variety to larger entertainments.

Printed in the United States of America

CONTENTS

Page

Foreword 5

Peanut Party 7

Newspaper Party 12

Balloon Party 16

Doll Party (Pantomime) 20

Japanese Party 25

George Washington Party 31

Circus Party 37

Italian Street Scene 43

Gypsy Scene 47

Christmas Service 53

FOREWORD

As a recreational director under the War Work Council of the National Board of the Young Womens Christian Associations, I discovered that it was difficult to get simple yet colorful recreational material suitable for the various groups with whom I worked. Game parties, in which straight games were played, became tiresome. Each group, accustomed to the thrill of the movies, sooner or later demanded something more exciting, so I hit upon the plan of combining the most popular games, featuring with them some simple property such as balloons or newspapers, as an entire evening’s entertainment. The Peanut, Newspaper and Balloon Parties are the result of this experiment. Then, after a while, the groups would want to take a more active part themselves. The Japanese, Doll, George Washington and Circus Parties are the outcome of this stage in my recreational experience. These parties are more elaborate than the first; in fact, they require a great deal of preparation and cooperation on the part of the group. After these came the demand for something still more colorful and entertaining. Again I took something familiar, such as a group of songs and dances, and combined them with some idea of the dramatic, costumed and set them in a suitable and attractive background. The result was surprisingly effective in spite of the simplicity of the material and the idea. The Italian Street Scene and the Strolling Gypsy Scene are two examples of this type of entertainment.

The Christmas Service is an example of a still more elaborate attempt at “recreational dramatics,” as one might call this collection. The particular merit of the tableau is that it is very simple to produce, yet very lovely, if well done. The pictures themselves can be planned and worked out before the tableau itself is put together. In one or two rehearsals the music, chorus singing and the pictures can be combined. If the performers themselves catch the spirit of the occasion the effect of the whole is very beautiful and impressive.

Helen Durham.

A PEANUT PARTY

In which peanuts are featured in a variety of old and new ways.

_Invitations_: Carefully split a large-sized peanut and fold inside a small piece of white Japanese tissue on which the invitation is written. Tie the peanut together with a narrow orange ribbon. Or write the invitation on an orange-colored card and attach to it several round peanuts, the shells of which have been grotesquely decorated to represent tiny faces. The color, orange, is suggested in the invitations, properties and decorations only because it vividly contrasts with the neutral shade of the peanut.

_Properties_: Upon arriving, the guests are given small orange-colored paper or tarlatan bags in which they may keep the peanuts won in the various games. At the end of the party there is a final counting and the person having the greatest number of peanuts in his bag wins the prize.

_Note_: The games suggested need not be played in the following order. This is one arrangement which has proved satisfactory for both large and small groups. The first three games are played at a table around which four or six people sit. A bowl of peanuts and two or three hatpins should be placed on each table before the game starts.

1. GUESSING GAME

At a given signal from the director, each person at the table tries to guess the number of peanuts in the bowl. After all the players have had their chance, the peanuts are counted. The person who came nearest to the correct number receives four peanuts as a reward, which he keeps for the final counting. All the other peanuts are returned to the bowl for the next game.

2. PIERCING GAME

Each person is given a hatpin with which he tries to pierce the peanuts in the bowl. He has three trials. All the peanuts he pierces he may keep.

3. GRABBING GAME

Each person in turn grabs all the peanuts he can hold in his hand. After counting the number grabbed, he returns all of them to the bowl and the next player tries his grabbing capacity. The person grabbing the largest number may keep that number of peanuts as a reward.

4. PEANUT RELAY

Chairs and tables are pushed aside and the players are lined up for a relay race in two, three or four even lines, depending upon the size of the crowd.

Draw on the floor two chalk circles for each relay line, one directly in front of each leader and another several yards beyond, at the farther end of the room. Place one peanut in each circle. At a given signal each leader picks up, with a table knife, the peanut from the circle directly in front of him and runs with it to the circle at the other end of the room. He must then pick up the peanut from that circle and carry it back to the first circle. Then he touches off the next player in his line, who tries to do the same stunt, that is, exchange the peanuts from one circle to the other circle. The winning line is the one which accomplishes this feat most quickly. Each member of it gets three peanuts as a reward; the line which finishes second gets two peanuts each.

5. PEANUT THROWING

From these relay lines swing into one big circle, with hands joined.

Place an empty waste-basket in the middle of the circle. Give each player three peanuts. At a given signal each player tries to throw his three peanuts into the basket. Those that fall on the floor he loses. Those that land in the basket he may reclaim. As a reward he receives twice the number reclaimed.

6. PEANUT PASSING

Line up two even groups facing each other with hands joined. At a given signal each leader, the first person in each line, picks up with his free hand as many peanuts as possible from a large bag at his feet. He passes them to the person next to him, who in turn passes them to the person next to him, and so on. The person at the very end of the line deposits them in a bag at his feet. At the end of two or three minutes a signal from the director ends the game. The peanuts passed by each line are counted and the total amount is divided among the players of the line which passed the greatest number in the given time.

Of course in passing the peanuts the players must not unclasp hands. If a peanut is dropped, two people with hands clasped must pick it up.

7. PEANUT ALPHABET

Retain the players in the same formation as for the peanut passing.

Have two sets of cardboard letters which spell the word “peanut.” Choose any twelve players, six from each side. Line up these teams of six opposite each other. Give a letter “p” to the first player on either side, a letter “e” to the next one, and so on, so that each team spells the word “peanut.” The director then calls off a word like “net.” Each player who has the letter “n” must step out in front of his team, holding up his letter so it may be plainly seen by the director. The person on that team holding the “e” must step out beside him, and so on until the required word is formed. The team that forms the words most quickly wins. As a reward each member of the team and everyone on that side gets a peanut. Use simple words like “pa,” “tune,” “pat,” “pen,” “aunt,” “pun,” “ate,” “pan,” and finally the word “peanut.”

8. MUSICAL PEANUT

Let the crowd break up and seat themselves about the room.

Send someone out of the room. Give to any member of the group a “musical peanut,” which is of course an ordinary peanut. Explain to the group that when the searcher enters, all must sing some popular song, at first very softly, and then more loudly as the searcher wanders in the vicinity of the musical peanut. The searcher is then invited in and, guided by the song of the group, tries to find the peanut. When the peanut is found, the person holding the musical peanut becomes the searcher.

9. PEANUT BAGS

Before the guests arrive, paper bags containing various numbers of peanuts are strung across the end of the room, about eight feet from the floor. Give each player three peanuts and line them all up about twenty or twenty-five feet from the bags. At a given signal the entire line tries to hit a bag. Each person has three throws. He may have the contents of each bag he hits.

_Note_: It is usually necessary to leave someone near the line to cut down the bags the moment they are won, otherwise there will be much confusion.

10. PEANUT HUNT

At a given signal the players scurry around, looking for peanuts which have been hidden in all parts of the room. Each player may keep all he finds.

11. PEANUT PRIZE

After the players have counted the number of peanuts won throughout the evening, have them march to music around the room in a big circle. When the music stops, those having less than fifteen peanuts drop out of the circle. The marching continues until the music again stops, when those having less than twenty-five peanuts drop out, and so on until the person having the largest number of peanuts stands alone. As a reward he is given a grotesque doll made of peanuts.

A NEWSPAPER PARTY

In which newspapers are featured in a variety of ways.

Have the hostesses and guests, upon arriving, dress themselves in newspaper costumes. All sorts of unique ideas can be carried out, such as newspaper duncecaps, bonnets, aprons, frills for collar and cuffs, pleated skirts. It will be found that surprising originality and taste will be shown by some. Have plenty of string, pins and toothpicks at hand, for they will be needed to keep these fragile creations in place. Open the party with a grand march and have the judges immediately award the prize for the cleverest newspaper costume.

Have the players group themselves in a three, four or five line formation, ready to play an adaptation of Bancroft’s “Maze Game.”

1. POLICEMAN AND NEWSBOY

The chaser, who carries a paper club, is called the “Policeman.” The runner is called the “Newsboy.” Have the players stand in parallel ranks with hands joined, thereby making aisles through which the Policeman can chase the Newsboy. When the director gives the order “right face,” or “left face,” the players drop hands and face in that direction, clasping hands with their new neighbors. In this way new aisles are made which alter the direction in which the Policeman is running and which give the Newsboy a better opportunity of escape. The director, who tries to keep the Policeman from catching the Newsboy, must give his orders with alertness and wisdom, so as to prevent the capture. Neither Policeman nor Newsboy can break ranks or tag across lines. It sometimes adds excitement if two Policemen are used.

2. PREFERRED NEWSPAPERS

This game is an adaptation of the familiar “Black and White.”

Line up the players in two even ranks down the center of the floor, with their backs to each other. Call each side after a popular local paper. At a given signal the director shouts the name of either newspaper. The players in the line bearing that name run frantically to the side of the room toward which they are facing. The players on the opposite side turn and try to catch them. Those caught must go over to the other side. The second line-up, uneven this time, proceeds in the same way, awaiting the call of the director.

3. MUSICAL NEWSPAPER

Divide the players again into the same even groups. This game is an adaptation of the familiar “Musical Partners.”

Every player takes a partner from his group, so that each partner has the same newspaper name. They march around the room to music. When the music stops for a moment, everyone must change partners, being sure that the new partner belongs to the same paper. This necessitates hasty shifting and much shouting of identification.

4. NEWSPAPER RELAY

Line up the players in two or three even ranks, giving each player two single sheets of newspaper. At a signal from the director, the leaders race down to the opposite goal and back again, stepping only on the sheets of paper, which they lay on the floor as they progress. The next player in line repeats the process after he is touched off by the preceding player. The line which finishes most quickly wins.

5. PROTECT THE NEWSBOY

Adaptation of the familiar “Wolf and Hind.”

The players form in a straight line with their hands around the waist of the person ahead. At the very end of the line stands the “Newsboy.” The chaser, called the “Policeman,” faces the leader of the line and at a given signal tries to catch the Newsboy. The line, however, tries to keep itself between the Policeman and the Newsboy. The players must hold on tightly to each other, so as not to break the line, thereby enabling the Policeman to dart through and get a better chance at the Newsboy. When that Newsboy is caught he changes places with the Policeman, who takes the place at the head of the line. The new Policeman tries to catch the person at the very end of the line, who has now become the Newsboy.

6. CATCH THE NEWSBOY

Adaptation of “Bird Cage.”

Divide the players into groups of four. Three of each group join hands in a circle and call themselves “Policemen;” the fourth is called the “Newsboy.” Without unclasping hands, the Policemen try to catch in their ring the Newsboy, who may run anywhere in the room. If he is caught he becomes a Policeman and one of the Policemen takes his place.

7. PREFERENCE OF LOCAL PAPERS

Adaptation of familiar “Jerusalem and Jericho.”

The players are in circle formation. The director, who stands in the center of the circle, takes a vote on which of the two local papers the group prefers. The director then explains that if he calls the name of the preferred paper, everyone must repeat the name and bow, but if he calls the name of the unpreferred paper, everyone must repeat the name, but not bow. If anyone bows after the name of the unpreferred paper is called, that person must come into the center of the circle. The director himself bows after both names, thereby trying to get the other players to mimic him. The success of the game depends largely upon the enthusiasm of the director and his helpers.

8. NEWSPAPER FIGHT

Blindfold any two players and give to each a club made of newspapers folded lengthwise. Spread a newspaper on the floor. At a signal from the director, each combatant puts his left hand on this newspaper and with his paper club in his right hand fights his opponent. Being blindfolded, both quickly lose their sense of direction, so instead of striking each other they usually strike the floor. If there are several pairs, each cheered by their followers, the game becomes very exciting.

BALLOON PARTY

Decorate the room with balloons, and perhaps crêpe paper streamers. Upon arriving give every guest a crêpe paper cap to which he may attach a balloon for decoration. Give balloons as prizes for each game. All the balloons which are used as prizes may be effectively used as a central decoration in some such way as follows. Have a large barrel hoop, bound with crêpe paper, suspended from the ceiling in the center of the room. To this attach by strings dozens of colored balloons. When a person wins a balloon, give him one of these at once or wait until all the games are over and the final score is taken and then present the balloons as a final ceremony.

1. BALLOON RELAY

Three or four strings should be stretched tightly from one end of the room to the other, about four feet from the floor. An ordinary brass ring hangs on each taut string. To each of these rings attach a bright-colored balloon.

Divide the players into even groups, according to the number of strings. Line them up at one end of their respective strings. At a given signal, the leader of each line starts blowing the balloon on his string down to the other end of the room. After each leader has taken his balloon down to the other end of the room, he runs back to place and touches off the next player in line, who runs down to the balloon and returns it to the original place in the same fashion. The third player in line then takes his turn, and so on. Of course no player must touch the balloon with his hands. A balloon is given as a reward to the player in each line who accomplishes the feat most quickly.

2. BALLOON TOSSING GAME

Keep the players in the same formation. Each group is given a large sheet which they hold by the edges parallel to the floor. At a given signal the director tosses a balloon into the center of the sheet. Each team tries to keep this balloon tossing in the air by moving the sheet up and down. No one is allowed to touch the balloon save the director. Even if it falls to the floor the director must pick it up and put it back in place. The group which keeps the balloon moving the greatest number of minutes wins. Each player of that winning group gets a balloon as a prize.

3. MUSICAL BALLOON PARTNERS

Give each person a colored balloon, being careful that there is an even number of each color. The two people having the same color march together. An extra person, who marches alone, is given a balloon of any of the colors used. When the music stops, everyone must quickly change partners, choosing a new one who carries a balloon of the same color as his own. This gives the extra person an opportunity to get a partner, who, however, must carry a balloon of his color. When the music again starts, the new person left without a partner marches alone, waiting his chance to get a partner.

4. BALLOON VOLLEY BALL

Stretch a piece of colored string across the room. The object is the same as in volley ball, that is, to keep the balloon off the floor on your own side and make it touch the floor on your opponents’ side. Use either one or two balloons, depending upon the number of players. Of course use only the simplest rules of volley ball, thus making the game suitable to play in the average room. Each player on the winning side gets a balloon.

5. BALLOON SNATCHING

A large balloon is placed on a chair, or preferably on a small stool, anywhere on a line which is halfway between two even lines of players. At a given signal a player from each line walks forward to the balloon. Each tries to snatch it and run back to his place without letting his opponent touch him or the balloon. If he arrives safely it counts one for his side. The next two players then try the same stunt. After each pair of players has tried the stunt, each member of the line having the largest score gets a balloon.

6. TABLE BALLOON

The players are seated at a table. The object of the game is for each side to bat several balloons back and forth without letting them drop on the table. If a side fails to return the balloon while it is in midair, it counts one against them. Players may rise to bat the balloon when it is necessary but they must immediately sit down again. Each player on the winning side gets a balloon.

7. BALLOON DANCING

This introduces the game element into social dancing.

Give to each person a colored balloon, being sure that there is an even number of balloons of the same color. Each dancer must find and dance with a partner with a balloon of the same color. When the music stops, everyone must find a new partner with a balloon of the same color.

Give to each couple a balloon. At a given signal all start dancing, at the same time keeping their balloons tossing in the air. If a balloon falls to the floor it counts against that couple. The couples who keep their balloons in constant motion throughout a dance receive a balloon as a prize.

DOLL PARTY

The invitations may be written on pieces of colored paper cut in the shape of tiny dolls. Have the guests come to the party dressed as dolls or children and the hostesses as nursemaids.

1. DOLL DRESSING CONTEST

Place the guests at small tables on which there are bits of colored crêpe paper, scissors, string, pins, needles and thread. Give everyone a tiny penny doll to dress. It is a good plan to have on exhibition one or two dolls already dressed in crêpe paper, to furnish ideas to the guests. Very cleverly dressed dolls can always be bought from the Dennison Company, 26th Street and Fifth Avenue, New York. One of these makes an excellent prize for the person who makes the best doll costume. Usually people, whether old or young, if given a few suggestions will enter into the spirit of the game and the most ingenious and attractive creations will be made.

2. CHILDREN’S GAMES

Play the simple, familiar games such as “London Bridge” or “Drop the Handkerchief,” “Going to Jerusalem” and so on.

3. MIDNIGHT IN THE DOLL SHOP

Entertain the guests by dramatizing some children’s story, or staging a pantomime such as the following.

Midnight in the Doll Shop

A pantomime by Barbara Wellington.

_Scene_: A doll shop with counters running along left wall, back-stage and right.

_Characters_, from stage right to left:

Right--Brownie, French Doll, Tin Soldier. Back--Chinese, Indian, Jack-in-the-Box, Dinah, Golliwog, Dutch Girl. Left--Two Rag Dolls.

The clock strikes twelve. Curtain opens on dolls lifeless on counters, in characteristic attitudes. Brownie is sitting cross-legged; the French doll is holding her skirt and peeking up at the soldier; the soldier holds his gun, stiffly; the Chinese has his arms folded, hands in sleeves; the Indian stands with tomahawk raised; Jack is in his box with cover shut; Dinah’s hands are on her hips; Golliwog’s arm is around her; the Dutch doll has a pail on her arm; the rag dolls lean limply against each other.

All slowly come to life. Jack pops out of his box and goes through jerky exercise. A dumb-bell drill may be used (music 4-4 time). At the finish, Indian raises tomahawk over Jack with threatening attitude. Jack pops back into box; cover shuts. Indian does war-dance of seeing enemy, giving war cry (silently), fighting battle, and smoking peace-pipe.