Games Group Kolonial Kids

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The early settlers had little time for games or amusements. Nevertheless young people did spend some time at play, whether at school (where learning was incorporated into the game-play), after doing chores or just to burn some energy.

Classroom Games: Classroom games made learning more fun. Some were played at any time, whereas others were reserved for Friday afternoons.

• Buzz: The game of Buzz showed how well children knew their numbers and multiplication tables. Everyone sits in a circle and begins to count in turn. When the number seven, a number with seven in it, or a multiple of seven comes up, the player must say "buzz" instead of the number. For example, the count around the circle would go like this: "One... two... three... four... five... six... buzz... eight... nine... ten... eleven... twelve... thirteen... buzz... fifteen... sixteen... buzz... eighteen..."
       If a player does not say "buzz" at the proper time, he or she is out of the game. The counting continues until only one player is left.


• Alphabet Geography: Alphabet Geography is a real brainteaser! One person names a city, country or continent — "France," for example. The next player has to name a place that starts with the last letter in "France," so he or she might say "England." The player after that might say "Detroit." Can you think of a place that starts with T?


• Spelling Bee: Spelling bees were popular in settler times. A week of classes often ended with a spelling bee on Friday afternoon. On winter evenings adults held spelling bees of their own.
       The class divides into two teams that line up along opposite walls of the classroom. The teacher gives a word to one team member. If that person cannot spell the word correctly, he or she sits down and is now out of the game. Then the word is given to a player on the opposite team. The game continues with new words until only one player is left.

Run for your Seat!: Children today have loads of energy. The children of the past were no different. They enjoyed games that allowed them to run and compete with one another. These games are similar to Musical Chairs. They require children to run for their seats!

• Spin the Trencher: Many settler families owned large wooden trenchers. Trenchers were long shallow dishes that were used for preparing or serving food. Trenchers also had another purpose — they were used for playing Spin the Trencher. You can use a large plastic bowl when you play Spin the Trencher.
       The bowl is put on the floor, and the players sit in a circle around it. Each player chooses the name of an animal. One player is It. He or she spins the bowl and calls out the name of one of the animals, such as "woodchuck." The player who is the woodchuck has to run to the bowl and keep it spinning. As the woodchuck gets up, the person who is It takes his or her spot. Now the woodchuck is It. If a player allows the bowl to stop spinning, he or she is out of the game.


• Post Office: In this game, each player chooses the name of a city. One player is the postal clerk. The rest of the players sit in a circle. The clerk calls out "The mail is going from Chicago to Toronto" (or any other two cities). The players who chose those cities have to exchange seats without letting the postal clerk steal either of their seats.


• Duck, Duck, Goose: This game is still very popular. All players sit in a circle, except the player who is It. He or she walks around the outside of the circle and touches each player's head, saying "duck." After calling out "duck" a few times, It suddenly calls out "goose." The player who is the goose has to jump up and chase IT around the circle. If It runs around the circle and sits in the goose's spot without being tagged, the goose becomes It.

Work-party Games: Whenever there was a big task such as raising a barn or making apple cider, the settlers organized a work party called a bee. There were bees for husking corn, making quilts, and harvesting crops. Children often took part in the work or joined in the party afterwards. A big part of the bee was feasting, dancing, and playing games. Playing games made the work seem like fun.

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  A-mazing: During the harvest, parents sometimes set up a maze of hay sheaves to keep their children occupied. The children wandered through the maze or played hiding games. While the children played, the parents had a chance to get work done or gossip with other adults. Mazes kept children amazed for hours!


• Gossip: The first settlers did not have newspapers to tell them what was happening in the world. When people gathered at a bee, they exchanged news and information. Sometimes the news changed as it traveled.
       The game of Gossip shows how the details of a news story change when the story passes from person to person. One player whispers a sentence in another player's ear. The sentence might be "Susan gave her itchy cat a bath. The bubbles made her father sneeze." The person who receives the message whispers it to the next person; however, the message is now "Susan gave her filthy cat to Ralph. The puddles gave her darker knees." As the message is passed along, more mistakes are made. The final message might be "Susan had a silky rat. She laughed because its riddles gave her fleas!"


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  Apple Games: Harvest time was an important time for pioneer farmers. After the autumn apple harvest, the settlers gathered to share the work of picking, preparing, and preserving the fruits by peeling them and stringing them up to dry. The dried fruit could be eaten throughout the winter. Games developed at these bees to incorporate the object of the work -- apples -- into the fun.
       
  • Predicting the Future: One apple game was believed to predict the future! A person pares an apple, leaving the peel in one long, winding piece, closes his or her eyes, and tosses the peel. The peel falls to the floor in a shape that resembles a letter of the alphabet. The letter might be the first initial of the person the thrower will marry!
  
  
  • Bobbing for Apples: Did you know that apples float? To play Bobbing for Apples, fill a large tub with water, and float several apples in the water. Players put their hands behind their back, and take turns trying to grab an apple from the tub with his or her teeth. The apples bob and bounce out of reach at the slightest touch. It’s harder than it sounds, and usually leads to some good laughs.
  
  
  • Snap Apple: To play the game of Snap Apple, tie several apples onto strings and hang them from a ceiling beam or doorframe at varying heights. Players try to take a bite out of it as it swings -- no hands allowed!
  
  
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  Corn Husking: After the harvest, everyone gathered to husk corn for winter storage. The young man who found a red ear of corn was allowed to kiss the young woman sitting closest to him. Some men cheated by bringing red corn to the bee in their pockets. Not all girls were happy when a young man produced an ear of colored corn!