PIONEER PLAYTIME: 19th-century fun while stuck at home

Families who lived on the Texas frontier in the 19th century entertained themselves at home, often for months. That cooped-up feeling was called “cabin fever” and, in more modern times, “the shack nasties.”

As the modern coronavirus emergency and winter storm keeps most everyone indoors, Pioneer Farms offers these fun and games from the past to help keep everyone occupied — with some real Texas history.

The games and crafts below can be played and completed indoors and out.

GAMES

ON OUR WAY WEST

One of the pioneer games our children really enjoy playing is: We are on our way West and are taking ...... We go around the room and each child must tell what each child before them has already taken and add to the list. It is played in alphabetical order. They can be very clever and it must be something of pioneer nature, i.e., axe, barrel of water, chickens, toys, etc. They really get excited and learn a lot at the same time.

BLIND MAN’S BLUFF

One player is blindfolded and yells “blind man” while the other players gather around and call “bluff.” Judging by the sound of the voices, the blindfolded player must try to tag another who then becomes the “blind man.”

DROP THE HANDKERCHIEF

All but one child sits in a circle on the ground with their hands behind their backs. The child who is “it” carries a handkerchief and walks around the outside of the circle. After a while he drops the handkerchief into someone’s hands. That person jumps up and chases “it” around the circle. IF the person who is “it” gets to the open space before the person chasing, that person becomes “it.“

HUNT THE SLIPPER

Children sit in a circle on the ground with one child sitting in the center. The children sitting in a circle will pass around a shoe behind their backs. The child in the center tries to guess who has the slipper. When he guesses correctly, the child with the shoe trades places with the guesser and the game continues.

KITTY IN THE CORNER

All but one player sits in circle. One player is “kitty” and sits in center of circle. “Kitty” crawls around the circle pretending to be a cat and tries to make other players laugh. First person to smile or laugh becomes “kitty.”

HEAD AND SHOULDERS

Formation: Children stand in circle and say the following, as they touch each of the body parts mentioned and as they repeat the stanza over and over, changing the action. Clap hands as you chant “One, two, three.”

1. Head and shoulders, Baby,

One, two, three.

Head and shoulders, Baby,

One, two, three.

Head and shoulders,

Head and shoulders,

Head and shoulders, Baby,

One, two, three.

2. Knees and ankles, Baby,

(Repeat the stanza)

3. Turn around, Baby,

(Repeat the stanza)

4. Touch the ground, Baby,

(Repeat the stanza)

WHO STOLE THE COOKIES FROM THE COOKIE JAR?

Formation: Group sitting in circle. Decide first who will lead off.

Group: "Who stole the cookies from the cookie jar?"

"(Call name of first child) stole the cookies from the cookie jar!"

________: "Who me?"

Group: "Yes, you!"

_______: "Not me!"

Group: "Then who?"

_______: "(Calls name of another child) stole the cookies from the cookie jar!"

Starts over. Continue chant until all players’ names have been called.

HAMBONE

Formation: seated in circle, clapping independently

Hambone, Hambone, have your heard?

Papa’s gonna buy me a mockingbird.

(Alternate clapping hands and knees)

If that mocking bird don’t sing,

Papa’s gonna buy me a diamond ring.

(Alternate clapping hands and thighs)

If that diamond ring don’t shine,

Papa’s gonna buy me a fishing line.

(Alternate clapping hands and chest)

Hambone, Hambone, where you been?

Around the world and I’m going again.

(Alternate clapping hands and shoulders)

Hambone, Hambone, where’s your wife?

In the kitchen cooking rice.

(Alternate clapping hands and head)

OLD BRASS WAGON

Formation: Circle, hands joined.

Circle to the left, the old brass wagon,

Circle to the left, the old brass wagon,

Circle to the left, the old brass wagon,

You’re the one my darling.

(Follow directions of song)

Circle to the right, the old brass wagon,

Circle to the right, the old brass wagon,

Circle to the right the, old brass wagon.

You’re the one my darling.

(Follow directions of song)

Everybody in, the old brass wagon,

Everybody in, the old brass wagon,

Everybody in, the old brass wagon,

You’re the one my darling.

(Walk to the center of circle, moving hands forward and up)

Everybody out, the old brass wagon,

Everybody out, the old brass wagon,

Everybody out, the old brass wagon,

You’re the one my darling.

(Walk backwards, extending hands to the rear)

Suggestions: Make up own directions such as tiptoe, skip, hop, etc.

ROUND THE VILLAGE

Formation: Circle, hands joined. “It” stands outside the circle.

Go ‘round and ‘round the village,

Go ‘round and ‘round the village,

Go ‘round and ‘round the village,

As we have done before.

(“It” skips around the outside the circle)

Go in and out the window,

Go in and out the window,

Go in and out the window,

As we have done before.

(Children in circle raise arms to form arches while “it” weaves in and out.)

Now come and face your partner,

Now come and face your partner,

Now come and face your partner,

As we have done before.

(“It” chooses a partner and stands facing him.)

Now follow me to London,

Now follow me to London,

Now follow me to London,

As we have done before.

(“It” leads partner in and out of circle)

“It” returns to circle and partner becomes “it”, song starts over.

Action: Head couple leads partners as they march across room separating at the end, one line going right and the other left. Lines march back to the other end where partners meet. The head couple forms an arch through which the other couples march. This creates a new head couple and the game continues.

THE HOKEY POKEY

Formation: Circle. Participant sing as they act out the motions.

You put your right hand in, your put your right hand out,

You put your right hand in and you shake it all about

You do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself about

That’s what it’s all about.

You put your left hand in, you put your left hand out,

You put your left hand in and you shake it all about,

You do the hokey pokey and your turn yourself about

That’s what it’s all about.

You put your right foot in ………….

You put your left foot in …………..

You put your whole self in ……….

Action: follow the directions in the song.

THE MUFFIN MAN

Formation: Circle. One child is blindfolded in center.

Oh, do you know the muffin man, the muffin man, the muffin man;

Oh do you know the muffin man, who lives on Drury Lane?

(Group sings as they circle around the blindfolded player)

Oh, yes I know the muffin man, the muffin, man, the muffin man;

Oh, yes I know the muffin man who lives on Drury Lane.

(One person from circle sings alone. Blindfolded player must guess who sang solo. If correct, that person becomes the blindfolded player)

DROP THE HANDKERCHIEF

Formation: Circle. One child is “it” and stands outside circle holding handkerchief.

I wrote a letter to my love and on the way I dropped it

A little doggie picked it up and put it in his pocket

And he won’t bite you, and he won’t bite you……..

But he will bite YOU!

Action: As children sing the first three lines, “it: walks around the circle. “it” sings or chants the last line (and he won’t bite you ) until he decides to drop the handkerchief behind a child and say “but he will bite you” The child who now has the handkerchief jumps up and the two players race opposite directions (“it” runs clockwise, the other runs counterclockwise) for the now empty spot. The loser is “it”.

THE SEED CYCLE

(Sung to the tune of “The Farmer in the Dell”)

Divide children in two groups. One will be seeds, the others will be wind, sun, and rain. Select one child as farmer. Wind, sun and rain children will form circle around seed children. Farmer stands to one side.

1. The farmer sows his seeds…… Heigh Ho! The Derry Oh! The farmer sows his seeds.

(As “seeds” the children curl up on the ground )

2. The wind begins to blow……..Heigh Ho! The Derry Oh! The wind begins to blow

(Players standing in circle walk around the circle waving arms )

3. The rain beings to fall………Heigh Ho! The Derry Oh! The rain begins to fall.

(Walk around circle, fingers hanging down to indicate rainfall )

4. The sun begins to shine………Heigh Ho! The Derry Oh! The sun begins to shine.

(Walk slowly around circle with arms in circle above head)

5. The seeds begin to grow ………Heigh Ho! The Derry Oh! The seeds begin to grow.

(Children playing seed will slowly rise, becoming grain)

6. The farmer cuts his grain……..Heigh Ho! The Derry Oh! The farmer cuts his grain.

(Farmer walks around inside circle making cutting motion of scythe, grain falls to ground )

7. The farmer binds his sheaves…….Heigh Ho! The Derry Oh! The farmer binds his sheaves.

(Farmer touches three at a time of “grain” who stand back to back)

8. And now the harvest’s in…….Heigh Ho! The Derry Oh! And now the harvest’s in.

(All skip around sheaves, hands joined)

A HUNTING WE WILL GO

Formation: Circle, hands joined. One child as “fox” stands outside circle.

Oh, a-hunting we will go,

A-hunting we will go;

(circle skips to the left as fox skips to the right)

We’ll catch a little fox and put him in a box,

(the two children nearest the fox lift arms and force him into the circle to trap the fox.)

And then we’ll let him go!

( Children raise arms to let fox out )

choose a new “fox” and continue game.

THE NOBLE DUKE OF YORK

Formation: Form a line of pairs with a head couple.

1. Oh, the Noble Duke of York,

He had ten thousand men;

He marched them up to the top of the hill,

And marched them down again.

2. And when you’re up, you’re up,

And when you’re down, you’re down,

And when you’re only half way up,

You’re neither up nor down.

CRAFTS

Following are links to easy pioneer crafts that can be done at home.

CORN HUSK DOLLS by Martha Stewart

CLIMBING BEAR TOY by Tutorial Adventures

CARVING SOAP by The Crafty Crow

BUZZ SAW TOY from Housewife Eclectic

CHURNING BUTTER from Mess For Less

YARN DOLL by The Crafty Classroom

CARDBOARD COVERED WAGON by Indietudes

SECOND COVERED WAGON by Blue Skies Ahead

COVERED WAGON SNACK by Ali ‘N Sons

RAG DOLL by Miss Giolia

QUILL PEN by The Crafty Classroom

BERRY INK by Hurrayic

DIPPING CANDLES by The Crafty Crow

PIONEER QUILT by The Crafty Classroom

PIONEER TAFFY by Jamie Cooks It Up!

NO-SEW RAG DOLLS by Restless Risa