The fun book; stunts for every month of the year

Front matter

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Contents

THE Ick IN JANUARY eaten

THE Ick In FepruaRY . .

THE Ick IN March: 23.4) '% THE Ice in APRIL . . .« THe Tce IN MAYS ie ae THE IcE IN JUNE are THE IcE IN JuLY anp AUGUST THE Ick IN SEPTEMBER .

CHAPTER II © FEBRUARY For Either Large or Small Groups Heart-y Singing

- After guests have found partners through the grand march they are asked to break ranks and look for the little hearts hidden all over the room.

But—no man is allowed to pick up a heart. Instead, as soon as he finds one he puts his finger on it and immediately sings up the scale to his partner. As soon as he has done this she may pick up the heart, but not before.

Committee members warn them that they will be vigilant in looking for violators of this rule; that any girl found picking up a heart before her partner has sung up the scale to her will be given considerable publicity later, her partner making a ‘“‘personal appearance’’ with her. Nor is it enough to sing up the scale for the first heart. It must be repeated for every heart.

For those with truly musical ears this game is somewhat of a hardship. The two who find the most hearts are given a kazoo in appreciation of their nimbleness and musical ability, while the two who found the least are gently but firmly asked to sing a duet. 25

Intermittent Heart Hunt.

In this hunt for hidden hearts—truly a game of the ages !—a sudden toot of the leader’s whistle calls for an immediate halt. Even if players are in the very act of picking up a nice, red heart they must resist temptation, quickly find their partners, join the line of march and continue in it until another whistle gives them the signal to hunt again.

This continues for two more rounds. Then all hearts are counted and a record is given to the leader as the players march past her. The man and the girl who found the most hearts are admitted to be the most agile guests present, so they will be given an opportunity to show their speed in the next event, a race. The two who found the least are deemed the slowest, and as an incentive to speed up they are obliged to race against the two winners.

All players are then Asced to march past an impromptu refreshment committee and exchange their paper hearts for an equal number of more honest-togoodness hearts.

Noah’s Ark.

“Still another kind of hunt is this Noah’s Ark version. The entire group is divided into smaller groups by using the grand march to line guests up in rows of eight. Each group of eight then forms an ‘‘animal family,’’ the leader telling the different groups what animal they are to be. One group is to be dogs, another group roosters, another group pigs, and so on. The dog group can talk in bow-bows only, the rooster group in eock-a-doodle-doos, and the pigs in oi-ois.

After each group has chosen a leader the signal for the hunt is given and they all start out to hunt for the hidden hearts. But when they find a heart, instead of picking it up they are to put a finger on it and call for their leader by using their animal ealls. The dogs ‘‘Bow-wow!’’ until their leader hears them and comes over to pick up the heart. None but leaders are allowed to pick up hearts, the other players using their animal calls to signal to their leaders that they have found a heart. : After about five minutes of this the call for counting is given. The group that found the most hearts is privileged to act as audience while all the other groups must in turn, and with much gusto, give their animal calls for a full minute for the entertainment of the audience.

Perhaps the words ‘‘privileged’’ and ‘‘entertainment’’ are poorly chosen!

Hooray! <«

The leader stands out before the group and makes a speech on which she has put just a little preparation. This speech should be freely interspersed with mention of George Washington. Every time she says his name she is to raise either her right or her left hand, or both hands in gestures.

If she raises her right hand the group must cry ‘*Hooray!’’ until she lowers it; and if her left hand, they are to clap vigorously; if both hands, they are to clap and shout ‘‘Hooray!’’ until she lowers her hands. Anyone who does the wrong thing at any time is to come up and stand beside her in front of the others.

She will have two-thirds of the group beside her be-

fore she has made half her speech.

I Am a Great Manz {U4 Oth

A player who is a fluent talker is chosen to start this game. He stands before the group and starts to boast about himself, stopping after each sentence for the handclapping and the ‘‘ Hear, hear!’’ which is his due from each listener who does not wish to pay the penalty of having to be the next speaker. Anyone who does not clap his hands after every boasting sentence and ery, ‘‘Hear hear!’’ may be called upon by the speaker to take the floor.

It comes hard to the best of goodly women to applaud another woman who has just\made a statement to the effect that she is the only good*looking woman present; that she is the only woman present who is under forty years of age; or under two hundred pounds in weight!

tt.

Celebrities. TNS

Men form one line while girls form another, the receiving committee standing in a line at the front of the room. The first girl goes to the first member of the receiving line, shakes hands with him and tells him her name which must be that of some great celebrity, every guest having been asked to assume the name of some great person.

This first guest is passed down the receiving line, in each case being introduced by her famous name. When she reaches the end of the line she becomes a part of it. She is immediately followed by the first man in the men’s line; he is followed by the second girl in the girls’ line and so it continues, first a girl and then a man, a girl and a man, each one using a famous name and becoming a part of the receiving line when they have finished being introduced and shaking hands with members of that line.

In this way every guest will shake hands with every other guest, and every George Washington will have met every Queen of England.

My Heart Is Broken!

As each guest comes in he is given a red paper heart across which a black line has been drawn to indicate that the heart is broken. He is asked to write on that broken heart some well-known name, preferably that of some guest present or someone well-known in the community. Men are to write a girl’s name, and girls are to write a man’s. As soon as a name is written on a heart it is dropped into a box, those bearing men’s names in one box and those with girls’ names in another.

When most of the guests have arrived the men file past the box of hearts on which girls’ names have been written and each man helps himself to one. The girls do the same with the hearts in the other box. When the signal is given they are all to pin these hearts on their backs; are given cards and pencils and are told to go - about finding out who it was that broke the hearts of fellow guests, the name written on the heart indicating who broke the heart of the owner of that heart.

Moreover, they are urged to make it as difficult as possible for other guests to see their own hearts. Therefore, while Mrs. Sands is trying to find out who it was that broke Deacon Bower’s heart, he is dodging her and at the same time trying to find out who broke his wife’s heart! In each case, they must take the name of the owner of the heart and the breaker of the heart. After ten minutes of this the lists are collected and the most complete one is read aloud. A prize of a large red candy heart is offered the one who was the speediest in finding out the secrets of other people’s hearts.

It proves a bit startling to hear that the minister’s heart was broken by the high soprano.

I Give My Heart To :

This may be played exactly like ‘‘My Heart is Broken’’ except that instead of the black line indicating the broken heart, are the words, ‘‘I give my heart to .? The reception committee is very canny and hides that part of the heart, covering it and pointing with a finger to the place where the guest is to sign the name of someone of the opposite sex.

It is not only startling, but tragic as well to learn that the principal of the High School is willing—yes, even eager !—to give his heart to Mrs. Burnham, who already has a very healthy husband and four grown-up sons.

Hearts and Flours,

Each of the four contestants is to kneel in front of a chair on which has been placed a saucer of flour. In this flour there has been placed a large, flat, candy heart with some silly, sentimental verse written on it. Hands are to be held behind them, and when the signal is given the four contestants are to find their hearts—with their teeth.

No blowing into the flour from the sidelines is encouraged! The one who first finds his heart with his teeth gets a real prize, while all contestants get a chance to recuperate!

(Truth.

Snub Nose Race.

Three unfortunates are to kneel on one end of a sheet, and after having been given a cherry apiece, are told that they are to push their cherries to the other end of the sheet and back, using their noses as pushers. It might be well to have a supply of some soothing salve at hand!

Nol $ ‘

“Whe leader sweetly asks five guests to stand before

_the other guests who are invited to prepare some questions which would be painful to answer truthfully and which could be answered by the words ‘‘It was I!’’ The victims are then lined up and and the inquisition begins. Questioners must be recognized by the leader, and in turn they are given permission to ask the painful questions which must be answered by the words ‘‘It was I!”’ One by one the victims take turns in answering questions.

Beads of perspiration show the stress under which the minister is laboring when he answers the question, ‘‘ Who blew snuff around church last Sunday?’’ by answering

“Tt was I!’

\\ Great Men.

All guests form a large circle, three or four having been chosen to go into the center. Each guest is asked to take the name of some great person, man or woman, and to keep that name throughout the entire game. When they are ready they are told to get the assumed names of their neighbors on either side, and to be ready to give them at a second’s notice. At the hostess’ whistle each one of the people in the center suddenly turns around, points a finger at someone who is not expecting it and asks the assumed names of the people on either side of the person at whom he is pointing. If that person fails to give the required information instantly, into the center he goes, changing places with the player who pointed his finger at him. If he is able to give it, his Inquisitor must try to catch someone else napping. The other people in the center have been asking the same information from other players at the same time. Suddenly the leader calls out, ‘‘Change your neighbors!’’ and everyone is required by law to get a new set of neighbors.

The game is continued for about five minutes. It will not take longer than that for George Washington to feel socially inclined to his erstwhile neighbors, Mary Pickford and Paul Revere. _-

The Black Heart.

Hearts of assorted colors are hidden. Most of the hearts are red; a few are green; some are yellow; one is black and one is blue. No information is given out until after the hunt is over as to what the different hearts might stand for or as to how they will be counted. The hostess may make any scale she chooses, but the following one has been used to good advantage. Red hearts count one apiece; green hearts put one in debt one apiece; yellow hearts put one on the list of culprits who are used as martyrs in contests; the finder of the blue heart gets a prize; while the finder of the black heart is used as the victim in some particularly awful hoax.

When the final whistle is blown all guests are asked to sit facing the stage or one end of the room where the hostess is waiting to take the count. She asks the finder of the black heart to come and stand at her right side, and the one who found the blue heart to stand on the other side. Then those who found yellow hearts are asked to raise their right hands, a list is taken and it is announced that they will have to be the contestants in a kiddy kar race. Next, those who found green hearts are to stand, and for every green heart they found they are to give up two red hearts. Finally, the one who found the most red hearts and the one who found the blue heart are given prizes, while the finder of the black heart is led forth to his punishment.

Have a Heart!

Guests are lined up as for a relay race. The first contestant in each line is given a silver knife and a piece of wet soap. He is to race to the other end of the room and back and give his knife and soap to the next runner. However, before any runner can give his soap to the next runner he must dip it in the pan of water provided for this purpose.

_ This does not exactly make for a more finished performance or for a speedier race.

Washington Without Lincoln.

The leader asks the group to try to be clever enough to follow her directions in the initiation ceremonial of the Washington Without Lincoln Association. Pointing to one player at a time she asks him to rise and imitate her when she says ‘‘ Washington without Lincoln”’ in a falsetto tone, at the same time waving her hands in a foolish fashion and glaring fiercely at her pupil. In all probability he will get it all wrong so she picks out another pupil, changing all her tactics. ! Finally someone arrives. The facial expressions, the handwaving, etc., mean nothing whatsoever. The real point of it is to say ‘‘ Washington’’—without Lincoln!

A. Penalty.

As a penalty one guest is asked to stand before the sroup and number the words of the first verse and chorus of Yankee Doodle thus, ‘‘Yankee 1, Doodle 2, “went 3, to 4,’’ etc., ete.

The Narrow Course.

A long piece of white string is used as the ‘‘stem”’ which connects two cherries placed on the floor the width of the room apart. These two cherries with connecting stems form a race-course, there being a course for each, of the two or three contesting teams. The first one of each team stands on one of his cherries, and, when the signal is given must walk on the stem over to his other cherry, return and touch off the next player. This continues until all players of a team have walked the straight and narrow path which George Washington walked. The team which first successfully walks the path gets the prize.

However—there is always a ‘‘however’’ in this life— if any runner falls off the string and leaves the straight and narrow path, he must go back to the beginning and start again. Not so good.

Refreshments.

Refreshments should never be served to guests. They should always be asked to go and get their own. This may be more trouble than to serve them, but it is infinitely more social. It should be done in cafeteria style, with partners passing by a small window or opening and taking their food from the counter. However, they should be made to pay for the food. When they are all lined up in their cafeteria line, the leader announces that no one will be given a bite to eat until he has demonstrated to the committee in charge how he can sob and weep as though his heart were broken.

This sob-fest usually turns into tear-producing laughter.

For Small Group Cupid.

The outline of the form of a man is drawn in charcoal on a large red heart, the heart of this man being outlined in charcoal too. This picture is pinned on a curtain. The guests are divided into two groups, men in one line and girls in the other, the first one in each line being given a slingshot and a small piece of tissue paper with which to make a paperwad. A bowl of water is at hand. When the signal is given, the first man and girl, standing about ten feet away from the heart, take turns in shooting their paper wads at the heart of the man to see which one can successfully act as Cupid and - come nearest to piercing the heart. The one who strikes the nearest wins a point for his side. In ease of a tie there is no score. The slingshots are then passed on to the next players who take their turn, all the players being provided with paper for paperwads and the slingshot being passed from one to the other.

The members of the team which gets the highest score of Cupid’s shots (and it will not be the girls!) get a lollypop apiece, but these prizes are not given until both slingshots have been confiscated. If this were not a rule, there would soon be no party !

Complimentary Valentines.

A great many advertisements from magazines are made available, together with paste and pins and scissors. Each guest in the five minutes allotted is to make a valentine for the guest whose name is written on the top of the large and rather heavy sheet of paper given him.

These valentines are to represent exactly what the artist thinks of his subject. Tod Barret thinks Betsy Dolby a peach so he cuts out the picture of a large and luscious peach and pastes it on the top of his paper. He also thinks her a bit too fat so he adds a picture of reducing exercises. He doesn’t at all like the way she sings, so he adds a dog muzzle. He thinks she should so to church more often so on goes the picture of a little country church. He also thinks her heart is sluggish and needs stimulating so he concludes by pasting a large advertisement on the bottom urging her to ‘‘ Have Your Heart Examined!’’

Cherry Race.

Guests are divided into two equal lines. The first one in each line is given three or four large cherries which he is to carry on the back of his hand. When the signal is given, these first two contestants with cherries on their hands race to the goal and back, and give their cherries to the next runner who does the same thing.

If one cherry, or all the cherries (which is more likely !) roll off, the runner must pick them up unassisted.

FEBRUARY 37 My Heart Troubles. —

~ Each guest puts the letters of his name in a column along the left margin of a piece of paper. These papers are gathered, mixed and passed around again, whereupon each guest diagnoses the heart troubles of the person the letters of whose name are written on his paper, by writing out adjectives beginning with these letters. After five minutes these are read aloud, and all casualties checked up.

My Future.

This is played like My Heart Troubles except that one’s future 1s planned for one. Jean Norris might find that she was going to be a junkdealer, editor, an aviatrix, a nonentity, etc., etc., cruel world without end.

Again, guests might help each other discover future fortunes, which could easily include for our friend Jean, ~ jewels, elephants, alms, and nuts!

Word Hunting.

Complimentary words which could be used in making up valentines are written on small red hearts and hidden all around the room. The prize goes to the first one who finds enough words to make a logical and effusive valentine message.

Valentine Hunt.

Little favors are hidden all around the room, each one having on it the name of one of the guests. No one is allowed to tell another guest where his valentine is, but each one must search until he finds his own valentine. Guests are warned that the last four to find their favors are to be victims in the Hearts and Flours Contest— than which nothing could be worse.

My Dream.

Each guest is to write his name on the top of his piece of paper and then pass it to his right-hand noighbor, who, from the magazine pages available makes a picture of the dream this first person had as to what he wanted for a sweetheart.

These revelations passed around later make for human interest !

Fishpond.

The old-fashioned ‘‘Fishpond’’ is played as a contest between two teams who fish for hatchets, or cherries, or hearts. The team which first succeeds in a successful haul for each of its members wins the prize.

George and Martha.

The old-fashioned ‘‘Ruth and Jacob’’ may be played using the names of George and Martha rather than Ruth and Jacob.

Valentine Postoffice.

A valentine is prepared and labeled for each guest, the valentine taking the shape of a small favor and Some good advice to go with it. Each guest is called up to the postoffice in turn, and he must open his package and read aloud the advice. Edward Braun, for example, is given a nice white egg and advised to beat it.

Each guest is given a piece of paper on which he is asked to write his initials, initials which may yet be those of a great man, like Washington or Lincoln. These papers are collected, mixed up and passed around again. Guests are then asked to think of some ridiculous stunt, the words of which begin with the letter on the paper they hold. They are to write out brief directions for that stunt on the paper. When everyone has done this the papers are again collected, sorted out, and then passed to the ones whose initials are written out on the top of each piece of paper.

Needless to say, the owners of the fatal initials are then privileged to obey the orders written out on their papers. It is carefully explained that all great men should be able to take orders. Even that does not make it easy for Charles Graham who is shy and never ‘‘acted’’ in his life, to obey the order for ‘‘cute gestures,’’ but it is up to him to simper and cavort to the immense satisfaction of his onlookers; and the minister, whose name is Willis Nott, is politely but firmly requested to ‘‘wink naughtily.’’ Much against his wishes he has to wink naughtily at all the ladies present!

His poor performance speaks well for his habits.

Marooned. ©

The men form one circle and the girls another, the two circles being as far apart as possible so that the players in the two circles cannot see who is marooned each time. A large red paper heart is laid out in each circle in such a way that the players cannot avoid stepping on it when marching around in a circle. Players are told that they must walk across the heart and not jump over or around it. When the music starts they are to march around in a circle, and when the whistle suddenly blows and the music stops the one in each circle who is caught stepping on the heart is taken out by the leader, and these two awkward ‘‘offenders’’ are made partners. This continues until all of them have been caught marooned on the heart and have thus found partners.

a three feet in diameter, and are made out of red paper.

2. See Be-witched Hearts.

3. See The Bump Reader. Guests’ hearts are read.

4. See Christmas Messages. Valentine messages are sent down the line.

5. See Piggy. Use a candy heart in the middle of the string.

6. See Hidden Gifts, and Gifts on a String. Valentines or favors are used in place of gifts.