Summary

Game name (and type): 'Triangle' (marbles), 'Dodge' (ball game), 'Grab' (card game)
Alternative types: play with props/equipment, elimination game

Handwritten descriptions of the three games 'Triangle', 'Dodge' and 'Grab' written for Dr Dorothy Howard by John Garten, a student at Collier Primary School, in 1955. Garten describes how each game is played, providing annotated, hand drawn and coloured diagrams. In the marbles game 'Triangle', Garten writes that players place marbles in a triangle drawn on the ground before determining which child will throw first. Garten's description is somewhat unclear; however, it appears that the successful player throws their marbles at those within the triangle in an attempt to land them close by. He describes 'Dodge' as a ball game involving three or more boys standing in a group. Another player throws a large rubber ball at the group, who must dodge it or face elimination from the game. To play the card game 'Grab', Garten writes that two players divide evenly a pack of cards before taking turns to place a card face upwards on a table. If a pair of cards appear, players race to place their hand on the cards and say 'grab'. The winner is the player with the most pairs.

One of a collection of letters describing a children's games written to children's Folklorist Dorothy Howard between 1954 and 1955. Dr Howard came to Australia in 1954-55 as an American Fulbright scholar to study Australian children's folklore. She travelled across Australia for 10 months collecting children's playground rhymes, games, play artefacts, etc. This letter, together with the other original fieldwork collected by Dr Howard during this period, is preserved in the Dorothy Howard Collection manuscript files, part of the Australian Children's Folklore Collection (ACFC), Archive Series 3. The ACFC is an extensive collection documenting children's folklore and related research.

Physical Description

Handwritten game descriptions in pencil on lined paper. Features three, annotated, hand drawn diagrams. Titles have been underlined and borders drawn in red and green pencil. Text printed on both sides of page.

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