• Schedule the event on a sunny day and play the games outdoors.
• Set up stations for the different games.
• Ask residents to help with the different games.
• Give all of the children a prize - perhaps a bag of marbles for the boys and a game of jacks for the girls.
• If you want, dress up in colonial clothing with long skirts and bonnets.

GAMES TO PLAY

Corncob Darts

The object of the game is to throw a corncob through a circle. To make a game:

1. Insert feathers into the end of dry corncobs. (You might be able to find dry cobs in a
   harvested cornfield, but check with the owner before you enter the field.)
2. Make a target ring from a grapevine. (Use a large grapevine wreath. If you can't find one, use a hula hoop.)
3. Hang the ring or place it on the ground.
4. Toss corncob darts through (or land then in) the ring to score.

Quoits

Quoits (koits, kwoits) - pronunciation: "k-waits" - is a traditional lawn game involving the throwing of a metal or rubber ring, trying to land it over a pin (called a hob or mott). It is closely related to horseshoe pitching and the fairground game hoopla. You can purchase a game or make your own.

1. Put a few sticks into the ground in your yard. Place them different distances from a marked point where the players stand.
2. Tie or tape a few pieces of heavy rope in circles.
3. Take turns throwing the rope hoops over the sticks. If the rope lands over a stick, you get a point. You get more points for the sticks as they get farther away from you.
   

Hoop Rolling

Hoop Rolling, often called "Hoop & Stick," is a game where a large hoop made of wood, metal, or plastic is rolled along by means of a stick. Children try to keep the hoop rolling, and the first to reach the finish line wins the race. Colonial children called this game "hoops." You can purchase a hoop and stick, or try playing the game with hula hoops and wooden sticks.

 

 

Game of Grace

Also known as "Les Graces" or the "Flying Circle," the game of Graces was described as early as 1831 in "The American Girls Book." It was considered both proper and beneficial exercise for young ladies in the early 1800s.

1. Two players stand opposite each other, holding 2 sticks.
2. A hoop (about 8 inches in diameter) is tossed back and forth.
3. The object of the game is to keep it going as long as possible.

Ball & Cup

The object of the Ball & Cup game is to swing the wooden ball into the cup, which is not at all as simple as it appears to be. Colonial children carved their own ball and cup, but you can purchase them at toy and party stores or make a simple one with a paper cup.

1. Attach a paper cup to the end of a stick.
2. Tie a string to the stick.
3. Use a staple gun to attach a small ball to the end of the string.
4. Swing the ball up and try to catch it in the cup.

9 Pin

Nine Pin is a bowling game played without the head pin. The nine pins are arranged in a diamond shape with one pin in the center. Each bowler is given two balls to roll. The official rules are similar to bowling, but we recommend scoring one point for each pin knocked down.

Other Colonial Games