Summary

Game type: 'Boy, Girl, Country, Town' (paper and pencil game)
Alternative types: word games, play with props/equipment

Handwritten description of the paper and pencil game 'Boy, Girl, Country, Town' compiled by Valarie Fitzgerald, a student at East Fremantle Government Primary School, for Dr Dorothy Howard between 1954-1955. Fitzgerald describes 'Boy, Girl, Country, Town' as an amusing, indoor game suitable for boys and girls aged nine years and over. She writes that each players requires a pencil and a sheet of paper featuring columns titled with each category as illustrated in her hand drawn, annotated diagram. The alphabet, excluding 'x' and 'y', is written randomly across an additional piece of paper. Fitzgerald explains that each player closes their eyes and attempts to mark a letter of the alphabet. If successful, players proceed to list a word beginning with the letter under each title. She notes that players receive points for each word and a rewarded for originality.

One of a collection of letters describing a children's game 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 description in blue ink on lined paper. Features a hand drawn annotation diagram below text; text written on one side only.

More Information