This continues until all the cubs are finally caught,
and the one who is caught last is the winner.
If you run out of the playground you must go to the ice flow.
Polar bears mustn't grab the paleyers or their clothes .
They can only
encircle them.
Once caught the cubs cannot tear themselves away because they
are now considered caught.
The "Band-Box" Charade
Scene 1: A Street
This can be made by placing a row of chairs with open backs near the wall facing the audience; a child is stationed behind each chair, and, looking through the open back, pretends to be looking out of a window.
BAND
First Child behind chair.—Oh! dear, how dull our street always is. I declare nothing nice ever comes this way.
Second Child.—No, I quite agree with you. Why, I haven't seen a "Punch and Judy" for months. I wish my mother would go and live in another street.
Third Child.—Never mind, let us go out and have a game.
(Enter five or six children—or a lesser number, if more convenient—carrying toy musical instruments.)
First Child.—Hurrah! Here comes a German band. Come along, children; let's go and listen to it.
(The band groups itself at the end of the street, and the children stand round. After tuning up, the band begins to play.)
Second Child.—Now, Mary Jane, we can dance. I'll dance with you.
Third Child.—No, I want to dance with Mary Jane.
First Child.—I don't want to dance at all.
Second Child.—You must.
Third Child.—Yes, you must.
(Band ceases playing and one of the bandsmen comes round for money.)
First Child.—I haven't any money.
Second Child.—But we haven't begun to dance yet.
Bandsman.—You shouldn't have been so long arguing then. Surely you'll give the band a nickel, after all the pretty music it has played?
First Child.—I won't.
Second Child.—I won't.
Third Child.—And I won't.
Bandsman.—Well, you are mean. Come along. (Beckoning to the rest of the band.) We'll go, and it will be a long time before we come down this street again.
(Curtain falls.)
BOX
Scene 2: A Room
Tommy (hopping about the room, waving a letter in his hand.)—Hurrah! hurrah! Uncle Dick is coming. Hurrah! hurrah!
(Enter Tommy's brother and sister and papa and mamma.)
Papa.—What's the matter, Tommy?
Tommy.—Uncle Dick has written to say he is coming to spend Christmas with us, and he is bringing me a Christmas box.
Mamma.—How kind of him! But be sure you are careful not to offend him, Tommy. He is rather a touchy old gentleman.
Sister.—I wonder what it will be, Tommy.
Brother.—I hope it will be a set of cricket things, and then we can play cricket in the summer.
Tommy.—Oh! yes, I hope it will be, but whatever it is, it is sure to be something nice.
(Begins hopping about again. Enter Uncle Dick, a very old gentleman with a gouty foot. Tommy does not see him and goes banging into him, treading on his gouty foot.)
Uncle Dick.—Oh! oh! oh! oh, my toe!
Tommy.—Oh! Never mind your toe! Where's my Christmas box?
Uncle Dick.—Your Christmas box, you young scamp! Think of my toe.
Tommy.—Please, uncle, I'm very sorry, but I do so want to know what you have brought me for a Christmas box.
Uncle Dick (roaring).—Here's your Christmas box, and may it teach you to be more careful in future. (Boxes Tommy's ears.)
(Curtain falls.)
Here is a list of words which will divide easily into charade words:
Brides-maids. Sea-side. Car-pen-try.
Cur-tail. Nose-gay. In-do-lent.
Hand-i(I)-craft. Turn-key. Hand-some.
Key-hole. Rail-way. Sweet-heart.
Port-man-teau(toe). Mad-cap. A-bun-dance.
In-no-cent. Fox-glove. Pat-riot.
To make your charades a real success, you will, of course, require a curtain. A very effective one can be made with a little trouble and at a small cost; indeed, the materials may be already in the house.
First you must fix a couple of supports on each side of the room, taking care that they are screwed firmly into the wall, and also taking care not to damage the paper.
If you are a neat workman, you will find on taking out the screws that the two small screw-holes on each side will scarcely be noticed, as of course the supports must be fixed near the ceiling.
You must then put up your curtain-pole, which should be as thin as possible, so that the rings may run easily. A cheap bamboo pole is the best.
Two wide, deep curtains are required; very likely the nursery curtains may be suitable.
On to these curtains you sew a number of small brass rings, which you can buy for about 20 cents a dozen, or even less. The rings should be sewn on the curtains, as you see in the illustration, right across the top, and from the extreme top corner of the curtain, slantingwise across to the middle.
The top rings are passed along the curtain-pole, a string (marked in the illustration A1) is sewn on to the curtain, and threaded through the rings until it reaches A2. It is then threaded through the rings on the pole until it reaches A3, when it is allowed to fall loose.
The same arrangement is gone through with string B. The bottom of the curtain must be weighted with shot, or any other weights that may be convenient.
When the curtain is to be raised, the stage manager and his assistant stand on each side of the stage with the strings ready in their hands, and at a given signal—the ringing of a bell is the usual sign that all is ready—they each pull a string, and the curtains glide to each side, and may be fixed to hooks, put up on purpose.
When the curtain is to fall, the two in charge of it must simply loosen the strings and let them go, and the weights cause the curtains to fall to the center.
All sorts of useful and ornamental "properties" may be made at home for a very small cost. Cardboard, and gold and silver paper, and glue go a long way toward making a good show.
Swords, crowns, belts, gold-spangled and gold-bordered robes can be made from these useful materials, and look first-rate at a distance.
An old black dress with little gold stars glued or gummed to the material would make an excellent dress for a queen. The swords or belts must first be cut out in cardboard, then covered with gold or silver paper.
To make a good wig, you should shape a piece of calico to fit the head; then sew fire shavings or tow all over it. If you wish for a curly wig, it is a good plan to wind the shavings or tow tightly round a ruler, and tack it along with a back stitch, which will hold the curl in position after you have slipped it off the ruler.
These few hints will give you some idea of the very many different costumes which can be made by children or for playing christmas party games out of the simplest materials.
