parlor games

Evening Amusements for Old-Fashioned Themed Parties – Part 4

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I wanted to host an old-fashioned theme party for a few friends during the Christmas season. Read  Evening Amusements for Old Fashioned Themed Parties – Part 1 for food ideas. Part 2 explains the Game of Concert. Part 3 shows two games that allow guests to show their creativity.

Today I’m sharing a fun game called “Tip It” or “Hands” that moves quickly.

Tip It or Hands

One person on a team hides a button or a coin in their fisted hand. The object is to fool the opponents and make them lose a team member. If you don’t fool them, the person holding the button is out.

Divide into teams.

One person on each team is designated as the “worker.” The worker chooses whose hand to hide the button in and then calls “hands up.” All members of that team hold up both hands in a fist as if holding the button.

One person from the opposing team sends away all hands he doesn’t think it’s in by touching it and saying “Hands away!” until there are two hands left. Then the player decides which hand holds the button. If he chooses wrong, he’s out of the game. He’s also out of the game if he sends away the hand the holds the button.

Then it is the other team’s turn to hide the button.

The contestants who remain on the winning team earn the prize—or bragging rights.

There was lots of laughter while trying to fool the opposing team.

Next time we will talk about party forfeits. Hope you can join in the fun!

-Sandra Merville Hart

Source

Planche, Frederick D’Arros. Evening amusements for every one; a collection of mirthful games, parlour pastimes, shadow plays, magic, conjuring, card tricks, chemical surprises, fireworks, forfeits, &c., illus. by George Cruikshank and others, Porter and Coates, ca 1880.

Evening Amusements for Old-Fashioned Themed Parties – Part 3

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I wanted to host an old-fashioned theme party for a few friends during the Christmas season. Read  Evening Amusements for Old Fashioned Themed Parties – Part 1 for food ideas. Part 2 explains the Game of Concert.

Today I’m sharing two fun games. You need only your wit to play these games in a group setting. The games call for guests to think about their answers and also how they will outwit an opponent.

The Game of One Syllable

In this game, players take turns asking the person on their right a question, which can be any number of syllables. Each word of the neighbor’s response must be one syllable; it can be a whole sentence, just every word must be one syllable.

Example: Do you enjoy the winter season?

Answer: Yes, I actually enjoy driving in icy conditions.

Had he stopped at “yes” he would have been fine, but “actually” “enjoy” “driving” “icy” “conditions” get him booted from the game.

If any word of the player’s response contains more than one syllable, that person is out.

The Game of Five Vowels

This game is similar to the Game of One Syllable. The person asks a question to the player on their left and requests the response be given without an “e” (or an a, etc.) Then every word in the response must not contain that vowel.

If the player includes the forbidden vowel, he’s out.

Sound easy? (Hint: Think about asking questions that require an answer using a particular vowel and then forbid that vowel. That sparks everyone’s creativity.)

Guests enjoyed both these games so often played at parties over a century ago.

Next time we will talk about more party games. Hope you can join in the fun!

-Sandra Merville Hart

 

Source

Planche, Frederick D’Arros. Evening amusements for every one; a collection of mirthful games, parlour pastimes, shadow plays, magic, conjuring, card tricks, chemical surprises, fireworks, forfeits, &c., illus. by George Cruikshank and others, Porter and Coates, ca 1880.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Evening Amusements for Old-Fashioned Themed Parties – Part 2

/ sandramervillehart / 1 Comment

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I wanted to host an old-fashioned theme party for a few friends during the Christmas season. Read  Evening Amusements for Old Fashioned Themed Parties – Part 1 for food ideas.

The local library contained a book written in the 1880s on evening entertainments filled with various games, card tricks, forfeits, and even chemical surprises.

With a little planning, a dozen of us got into the spirit of the evening and enjoyed playing games that history seems to have forgotten.

I thought others might enjoy planning this type of evening so I’m sharing games we played with you.

The Game of Concert

  1. Elect a conductor who will lead an imaginary orchestra.
  2. Assign instruments, such as violin, harp, drum, trumpet, trombone, flute, cymbals, clarinet, tuba, bugle, fife, bass, etc.
  3. Conductor hums a tune and all join in noisily using their pretend instruments. The conductor waves imaginary baton and everyone ceases.
  4. Time for “solos.” Conductor makes motions to play a particular instrument. The person who has that instrument immediately joins in and pretends to play. If they don’t, they are out of the game.

Conductor continues with solos until everyone has played.

Historically, contestants earned forfeits for losing that were “paid” at the end of the evening. For our purposes, continue playing until only one player remains who claims the prize.

One of our guests had attended college to become a band leader but never found a job in that field. How fun to find out that tidbit early in the evening and be able to elect him as conductor!

He had to speed up to catch “band members” off guard. He did such a great job that everyone agreed that he won the prize.

Next time we will talk about more party games. Hope you can join in the fun!

-Sandra Merville Hart

 

Source

Planche, Frederick D’Arros. Evening amusements for every one; a collection of mirthful games, parlour pastimes, shadow plays, magic, conjuring, card tricks, chemical surprises, fireworks, forfeits, &c., illus. by George Cruikshank and others, Porter and Coates, ca 1880.