St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-12-27
A Chapter of Games.
From the COngregationalist.
A WORD PRELIMINARY,

WORD PRELIMINARY.
The evenings are now frightening,
and the little ones have IA good hour
after supper is over before they need
retire. Why cannot the parents make
this really and truly the "children's
hour" Let the time be given to the
younger members of the family, allow
ing them to play games of different
kinds, which the father and mother join
in with. Children learn fully as much,
we often think, in their plays as at their
desks at school, and with what different
feelings At school it is often task
At home, under the name of game,
and with father and mother for pilot and
companion, it is Joy and delight. Have
you never learned that the game is
twice as interesting if father and moth
er can be beguiled into it Is not this
one reason that Thanksgiving is such
joyful occasion in New England Who
cannot remember the good old game of
Blind Mans Buff played in GRANDPA
theirs kitchen, when fathers and moth
ers, uncles and aunts, besides all the
cousins, joined and made the house ring
with merriment and laughter?
Now it may not be needful or easy to
play such bOisterOus games as general
thing soon after supper; but there are
other and newer games which cultivate
the inventive powers, and interest,
while they educate, the little ones.
Charades, for instance, where the word
is divided into syllables and represent
ed by simple scenes-and when COM
pleted is illustrated by pantomine. Lit
tie children only a few years of age can
Join in acting, while the older ones give
them the words or thoughts to utter,
and plan the whole thing. And father
and mother taking their turn, will slim
ulate these younger minds and help de-
velop their youthful ideas.
This is only one of the many games
that can be played, each taxing differ
ent powers of the mind.
But we hear parents say they cannot
spare the time. How many parents
mourn that their children are strangers
to them, that they cannot gain their
sympathy and trust Is there any suIer
way of knowing the children, and win
ming them than by joining them in their
play-hours, thus making them their
happiest ones 7
GOING TO ALBANY.
The players sit in row, and the first
says: 81 am going to Albany" or any
place beginning with an A. The one
seated next to her says: "What shall
you do there = The verbs aud nouns in
the answer must begin with the same
letter, aud so on through the alphabet I;
the one that asks what will you do
there :" continuing the game. Bot NJ an
example l. better than any directions,
Ne VII relate o. wa hos = bartv ~
children pisyed %!
EiseH. i am going to Albany.
] LOHira. What shsll you do there 2"
EaeH.-Ask tor apples aud apIicots.
LOIisa.- Ito her hext neighbor.l am
going to Boston.
Frank.-What viii you do tberef
LOEisa.-Buy bOnneiS aud buns.
fraHk-l ana Eoing To college.
SHsGR.-Nhat viii you do there
aak.-Cut caPsrs.
SHsan.-l am gOiug Co Dover
Sarah. What will sou do theref
SaaaH Dress dolls.
Sarah. am going to Erie.
kEssei.-What viii you do there
Sardh.-Eat eggs.
REssot.-l am going tn fairhaven.
/ Graoe.-What will you do therei
/ RHsseL-Feed fawns With frog.
Graee.-l am going 20 Greenbush.
Honard.-Mha will yOu do theref
Graoe.- Give gold To girls.
Howard am going to Hanover.
Sasah.-What will You do thcref
HOraTd. Hunt with hounds and
hufses.
The party goOs through the alphabet
In the above mAuneT. Whoever cannot
answer readily, after due time il al
lowed, must sutier some penalty.
COUNTING wORDs.
Let one person read a Lalf a paqs or