Races

( Originally Published 1922 )

While big group games, which take in everyone, are splendid in promoting sociability and group spirit, nevertheless it is unwise to keep guests going at too strenuous a pace. The first result is a dropping out of participants and the next a growing lack of interest, which finally develops into an irritability that plays havoc with any spirit of play. On the other hand, it is almost as bad to ask guests to "just sit" and rest, thereby letting all the interest a leader has awakened die an early and natural death. Instead, it has proved very effective to have races, contests, stunts and trick games at this time, events that will keep up interest, but which will need only a few participants. The following chapter on "Races" was written for that purpose, to provide those very necessary fill-ins.

Kiddy Kar Race.

The course should be about thirty feet in length. The biggest men present are chosen for drivers, and there are two drivers for each team.

The Kiddy Kars are lined up at the starting point, with driver No. 1 sitting on the car, all set to go. At the whistle they are off, the cars propelled in the usual and only possible fashion ! They travel to the goal about thirty feet away and return, immediately turning over their cars to the other member of the team, driver No. 2, who starts off without waiting for any signal, to run the same course. The one who is first to return to the starting place wins the race for his team.

The possibilities of a Kiddy Kar made for a fiveyear-old, but propelled by a forty-five-year-old are almost unbelievable.

The Reducer.

Eight men are chosen to run this race, four in each line, one behind the other. The first one in each line has a barrel hoop bound about with cloth so that no ragged edges are left to penetrate the reducee. At a signal from the leader the first man of each line runs up to the goal line, which is across the middle of the room, puts the hoop above his head and quickly draws it down over his shoulders to the floor, steps out of it, picks it up, runs back and gives it to the next runner, he himself going to the end of the line. The second runner does the same thing and so does the third, and then the fourth runner who first gets through the hoop and back to his place wins the race for his team.

No matter how stout the men of a group are, it al-ways seems possible for them to get through their hoops. At innumerable social events I have looked for a fat guest to get jammed in his hoop, but as yet I have been disappointed.

Hippity-Hop Potato Race.

There are four couples in this effort, for effort it is. They form two teams, two couples in each team, one couple standing behind the other. Both the man and the lady of the first couple in each team are given a teaspoon with a large potato in it. At a signal from the leader these two first couples hurry down the room to the goal line, and return to give the spoons and the potatoes to the second couples of their teams.

There are two regulations, however, which make it not so easy as it might appear. Every lady takes her partner's arm and keeps it through the entire race. Under no condition is she to let go. If a contestant should drop his potato, his partner must still keep his arm while he stoops to pick it up. The other regulation is that instead of running or walking to the goal they are to hop on one foot all the way.

Partnership Relay.

Six or eight couples are placed in groups of two couples each, one couple standing behind the other, the entire group about twenty feet from a goal line. The girls take their partners' arms and retain possession throughout each event despite the inevitable protest at lagging. At a signal, each first couple walks to the goal line, carrying out directions given before each event of the relay; then hurries back and touches off the second couple. Events might be as follows:

1. Each man carries a glass full of water. At the goal he hands it to the girl who must drink it all before they can rush back to the starting point.

2. Together they clap hands and sing Yankee Doodle as they walk to the goal and back.

3. Each man has a cracker. At the goal he gives it to his partner, who must eat it, and is not allowed to start back until she can whistle.

4. At the goal line the man sings up the scale and waits for the girl to sing down the scale before they can go back.

5. While they are hurrying to the goal line the leader may blow her whistle at any time, which is the signal for them to turn completely around once, and then continue their course. Because their arms are locked and because they always have different ideas about the right way to turn, complications arise !

Balloons.

Choose four teams, with two on each team. Each ' couple is given a toy balloon, the kind that is blown up by the leader beforehand, with a rubber band attached to keep the air in. At a signal from the leader partners link arms and, with their free hands, start batting the balloons down the length of the room and return, using the open hand in batting.

No matter what happens to the balloon they are to keep their arms linked. A balloon is so very dependable in its actions that it is a simple matter for two people of different minds to make it take a straight and narrow path !

Stepping Stones.

Two couples compete against each other. The man of each couple is given two folded newspapers, one for each hand. At the signal for starting he quickly puts one of the papers down and the lady steps on it with her right foot. He then puts down the other paper a little distance ahead, and. she steps on it with her left foot. He puts the first paper as far forward as he thinks she can step, and she puts her right foot on it. Then the left, the right, etc., etc., the object being to reach the goal, some thirty feet away, before the other couple can reach it, the only rule being that the lady must walk on newspapers only, which her partner places for her.

Said partners are always too ambitious in setting out the papers, and it takes considerable stepping to bridge the gaps.

Helpless Eating.

Each contestant is given a large cracker. She is to place it in her mouth, put her hands behind her, and at a signal, start to eat the cracker with no help from her hands. The one who whistles first after eating her cracker gets a good big prize.

Air !

Contestants are lined up facing the crowd. If they can whistle it is infinitely funnier to use the whistling contest. If they cannot whistle let them sing a high note. In either case, at a signal, they start to whistle or sing, and the one who can hold her note the longest without taking another breath gets a toy balloon as a prize.

Lemon!

Contestants are provided with a lemon and a lead pencil. They are to roll the lemon with the lead pencil at least fifty feet and return. The one who gets his lemon back first gets the lemon.

Nose Power.

A piece of wrapping paper about two yards long is placed before each contestant. A penny is placed on one end of it. Each contestant kneels down before his penny, and at a signal starts to push the penny down the paper, using, not his hands, but his nose as the motive power. The one who first gets his penny down the length of the paper gets all the pennies, and our sympathy.

The Variety Store.

Guests line up in two equal lines, men in one, women in another, all of them facing the center. On a little table at the head of each line there is a choice collection of objects which are awkward to handle, the objects on the two tables being exactly alike of course. The leader is standing at one of the tables, with an assistant at the other. When the lines are ready these two leaders begin passing objects down the line. As they reach the end of the line they are put on the floor. When all of them have been passed the lines quickly turn around and face the other way, and begin passing the things back again, to see which line can first get all of them back on the table.

The fun in this race lies in the nature of the objects chosen. The following list has been used to good (or evil) advantage:

1. Old-fashioned flatiron.

2. Tin pail.

3. Curling iron.

4. Coffee pot.

5. Fan.

6. Rubber ball.

7. Toy engine.

8. Big potato.

9. Egg.

10. Hair receiver.

The Elusive Goal.

There are two men and one girl to each team, the men being the horses and the girl their driver. The horses stand side by side, their "inside" hands joined. The driver stands behind them, and their "outside" hands are held by her as reins. It is emphasized that no matter what happens they are to keep each other's hands. All the teams are lined up at the starting line, with the horses facing the goal. All contestants are then blindfolded, horses and drivers alike. They are all turned completely around three times, and at a signal they start running to the goal, fifty feet away. They need not return to the starting point. It would be quite useless to ask them to do so. Try to realize the difficulties of three people bound together, all of them blindfolded, all of them hurrying, and all of them having different ideas as to the place to which to hurry.

Capable Women.

Each man contestant is asked to choose the most cap-able looking lady present. The ladies chosen line up at one end of an open space and the men at the other. At a signal the men are asked to take of their neckties, run over to their partners, hand them the ties, and ask them to put them back on again just as they were, with no assistance from the men themselves. As soon as the ties are on the men rush back to the starting point, and the one who arrives first with the best tied tie gets one ice-cream cone, which he must share with his capable partner.

Second Childhood.

The two contestants are seated in chairs facing each other, all the others in a circle around them. Each contestant has a baby's bottle, half full of milk. The necessary apparatus caps the bottle. One "apparatus," however, has a large hole punched in it. At a signal they start in to drink the milk in approved fashion, to see which of the two can first empty his bottle. The one who has the tampered-with apparatus will probably be successful, and will certainly express great surprise at the ease which he revives a lost art.

The Lamplighter.

Two gallon jars, two candles, and any number of matches are necessary. The two contestants represent opposite factions in the group. Each one is given a jar, the candle and several matches, is told to sit on the jar with the right heel on the ground and the left heel resting on the right toe. He is to hold the candle in one hand, a match in the other, and is to light the candle without changing the position of the feet.

Before you scoff at them for being so slow, try it yourself.

Feathers.

Contestants are lined up at the starting line, each one provided with a plate on which there has been placed a handful of feathers kept in place by a saucer. At a signal they take the saucer off the feathers and start walking as fast as they dare the length of the course, some fifty feet, and return. Anyone who loses a feather must stop to pick it up and put it back on the plate.

A draughty hall is always a favorable setting for the feather race. Even on calm days, however, it is not an unheard of thing for someone on the sidelines, who is near a plate of feathers, to exhale rather strenuonsly.

Whoops !

Each contestant is provided with a large hoop and a small stick. The goal is pointed out to them, the goal being a chair about fifty feet away from the starting point. They are to roll their hoops up to and around the chair and back. Stout ladies should be used for contestants.

Eating under Difficulties.

Two apples are placed on newspapers at opposite sides of a chair. The two contestants get down on their knees, put their hands behind them, and at a signal start eating the apples without any help from their hands to see which can first eat the entire apple.

It really can be done !

The Circus.

Again use four teams with two contestants on a team. There are several events in this race, so a score is kept of each event.

Events are as follows :

1. Walk to goal and return, walking like mamma and papa going to the circus.

2. Hippity-hop like the clown.

3. Be the contortionist, hopping like a frog, both feet together.

4. Step high like a circus horse.

5. Trot like the ponies.

6. Lumber along with head down, swinging it like an elephant's trunk.

7. Hop on one foot like a stork.

8. Flap wings and crow like the rooster which got in by mistake.

The two members of each team go through each event as partners, arms linked whenever possible,

Far Far Away!

Four courses are laid out by means of white strings which are placed on the floor the full length of the course. Each of the four contestants is given a pair of opera glasses. At a signal he puts the large end to his eyes and starts down the course.

If you think it a simple matter, try it.

The Count.

Contestants are lined up facing the other guests, and are told to take a long breath and hold it. At a signal they are to start to count aloud, all of them starting at the same time, and not to stop until they simply can-not count another count without taking another breath. The one who proves that she has the greatest lung capacity gets a toy whistle.

Fruit Bearers.

On the goal line, which should be the full length of the room from the starting line, are laid as many oranges as there are contestants. At the signal, each contestant, supplied with a common brass pin, runs to the goal line, spears an orange with her pin and runs back to the goal line, all of which looks very simple in print! Try spearing a heavy orange with a pin, without any help from your free hand!

Eggshell Race.

The contents of eggs are blown out, and each contest-ant is given an eggshell and a fan. It is his business to fan the eggshell to the goal and back to the starting point, and do it in less time than anyone else can do it.

Cut It.

Long lengths of heavy wrapping paper are procured, and one length is stretched out before each team of cutters, there being four on a team. The first one of each team is given a pair of scissors. At the signal all those holding scissors start to cut down the length of the paper, being careful not to cut too wide a strip, as each cutter should have a fourth of the width of the piece of paper. When they get to the other end and have cut their strip they run back and give their scissors to No. 2 of their team. No. 2 repeats their performance as do No. 3 and No. 4. Of course, the object is to see which No. 4 can first cut his way down the length of the paper.

It makes a very much better game if the lengths of paper are stretched out for the cutters, for the paper cuts much faster and wild mistakes are far more probable.

The Blindfolded Race.

There is nothing more exciting in this race than the mere fact that all runners are blindfolded. They get set on the starting line, are shown the goal, blindfolded, turned around three times, and then told to "Go." Where they go is another matter !

The Ball Game.

Each contestant is given a rubber ball and a common pin. He is to roll the ball to the goal and return, the pin and nothing else being the motive power.

The Rainy Day.

Two little women and two big men make a team, and there can be four or five teams, The first lady of each team is supplied with an umbrella, and if you have been careful to get one that sticks a bit in going up well !

The lady is to carry the umbrella. At a signal she and her partner start walking to the other end of the room, where the lady opens the umbrella, takes the man's arm, and, keeping the umbrella over his head all the way, leads him back to the goal line, where she closes the umbrella and gives it to the lady of the other couple making up the team. This lady and her partner go through the same performance, and the couple which first returns to the-goal line and gets its stubborn umbrella closed, wins the race for its team.

The Torches.

Each contestant is given a lighted candle. He is to put this in his mouth, and when the signal for starting is given, is to run as fast as he dares to the goal and re-turn. If his candle goes out, however, he must return to the starting point to have it relighted. Contestants in this race do look so queerish !

The relay plan may he used to good effect.

Beans.

Beans are worth their weight in gold when one considers their fun-making capacity. There are several ways of carrying beans in a race. One of the most hazardous of these is to have contestants carry them between a pair of match sticks. Knitting needles are even more hazardous. Knives, too, are hardly the easiest thing in the world on which to carry several beans, especially when one is in a tearing hurry. Still another way is to carry as many beans as possible on the back of the left hand.

Whatever the means of carrying the beans from one place to another, in each case there should be three on a team, each team supplied with a pan of beans, all the pans containing the same number, this number varying with the utensil used. When match sticks or knitting needles are used, there should be no more than five or six beans to a pan, but there may be thirty or forty when the hand or knives are used.

Across the room from each team is an empty pan. At the signal for starting, the first one of each team starts carrying as many beans as he can manage across the room to the empty pan. He drops them into the pan and hurries back for more. When he has carried the last bean across the room, he runs back to give his knitting needle or knife or whatever it may be to the second one of his team, and this contestant is to run over to the full pan and start bringing the beans back to the empty pan in the same fashion in which they went across the room the first time. When he in turn has carried them all over he gives his implement to the third and last member of the team who is to finish the race by carrying all the beans back across the room once more. The team that first succeeds in getting all its beans across the room three times wins the race and all the beans.

Heavy, Heavy Hangs Over Thy Head.

Contestants are lined up against the rear wall in couples with two couples to each team, one couple standing in front of the other. Both members of the first couple of each team are given beanbags which they place on their heads. At a signal from the leader, all these first couples with beanbags on their heads run to the other end of the room and back and give their bean-bags to the second couples of their teams, whereupon these second couples put the beanbags on their heads and run the same course. The couple first reaching home wins the race.

It sounds easy. There is one technicality however that adds to the troubles of the runners. Partners must run with arms linked, and if a beanbag falls, they must stoop for it with arms still linked. That is so easy when one of the stoopers has a beanbag on his head !