The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-12-24
GAMES TOR CHRIS MAS TINE IIIlI
: ~. .>' .. Can Be .PLAYID With GRAZ DpA

Back to the old farm home. rush
children and grandchildren for the
Christmas time. Truly it is the mer-
riest season Of all the year, when
brothers: and sisters and cousins gather
at grandma's for the holidays. :; They
come from city and village and coun-
try, and grandfather meets the trains
and takes each party as it arrives out
TO the farm in the great bobsled, be-
hind his best team, and that is the
first pleasure Of tile Christmas outing,
sor, rather, the second, as the anticipa-
ton has been the first.
The cousins, MANY Of them, are
strangers, or practically so,. to each
other, and to make the family party
success they must be entertained in a
way that will get them thoroughly ac-
Quainted and grandmother and grand
father, as hostess and host. must pro-
vide entertainment of a. sort that will
accomplish this. At the same time the
entertainment must recall the old
home days to the elders, so what Is
more appropriate than the old farm
games that are very new. There must
be some thing for every minute Of the
waking hours to prevent the forna-
ton Of cliques that would breed antag-
onism among the various sets Of cosl-
sins, and there must be enough of
variety to keep all interested.
Grandfather takes hold of the ar
engagements for the outdoor games.
Above all things there must be a.
hitching party, for the children from
the city know none. Of its pleasures
Again the big bob-sled comes into
play, and into it's commodious boxe are
tucked all the wee mites of the party,
with an abundance of hay and warm
comforters. Behind the big sled are
hitched several small hand sleds, the
smallest one Of all being at the ex-
IRENE end of the line, and onto these
crowd the boys and girls, and. often
| times some of their parents, who have
not forgotten the joys Of such a frolic.
Then away they go, UP hill and down,
over all sorts of roads and around
sharp corners. And at the sharp cor
ners is where the greatest fun comes
In, for, with the horses going at good
gallop. the small sled at the end Of the
string is almost sure to upset and spill
it's occupants into the drifts beside the
road. TO be sure, all will want the
Ehonor and excitement Of riding on that
last sled, and to avoid controversy
grandfather must have arranged
schedule so as to give each one a
chance at it, and must try to be i'm
| partial in the spilling of them into the
snow drifts.
Another amusement that grandfath-
0f ioaf ~ ~
fox hunt. only there is no fox, and
the trail must be marked by bits of pa
| per. scattered along. If the snow is
deep 1t, is not practical to make the
trail too long, or into the deep drifts,
! but should follow marked paths, but
when the snow is not deep It may 20
anywhere ABOUT tie farn}.;. The hunt
ers must follow the trat1 by the bits of
scattered paper, and: at the, goal there
Ishould be a% little pike tai lie winner,
i tho,g "a su ffieien t;V alue #ato
.ITl1a rtunatei ones feel badly
i at nott having won. s:;st::E.> ;|At<5*s -
Of course grandfather: and Grand
mother will have little presents for all
the children, and it adds to. the interest
to have a Christmas tree for them, but
not one Of the ordinary sort that is
set up IN the parlOr. Instead. if the
weather is not too severe, it should be
out of doors, and any orchard or shade
tree that Is not too high may serve as
the regulation evergreen. If night is
chosen as the time for the Christmas
tree festivities, a few lanterns may
serve the purpose of candles, and the
children should climb the ladder In
| SP4rnh
course. the boys, as the better climbers.
should be made to climb the higher
limbs for their presents.
Fer grandmother's part. inside the
house there are many games in which
all can engage. The games should be
simple, so that they may be readily
understood. The old-fashioned coun-
try games are by far the best for such
an occasion.
Bllndman's buff needs no explana
ton, and is jolly way in which to
pass and hours time, but cannot he
continued too long, or the children
Will tire Of it. Another game that is
less noisy is blindman's wand IN
which the parties playing form circle
about the one who is blindfolded. The
bllndfolded one has a cane or small
stick, and after the others have circ]eG
about him to the accompaniment 81
any we'll known song, he points his
wand at one in the circle and initiates
the noise made by some animal Thu
one pointed to must repeat the noise
Disgusting his voice so that he ma,
not be known. Three times NAV th'
test be repeated, initiating a. differen
animal each time. If at the end Of tn,
three tests the blindfolded one Is sti,
undecided as to who he is pointing to
, he may run his wand over him an,
! find out that way, if possible. IF h
guesses who it Is places are exchange,
and the game begins over again.
. Christmas candles soma cbr;s+
masy, and will be remembered bv tn
elders as one of the pleasures Of lon,
/ ago light can1Io ;S ~1..,