Summary

Game type: 'Simon Says' (games of obedience), 'Bean-Bag' (team game), 'Blind Man's Bluff' (blindfold game), 'Sitdown Soccer' (ball game)
Alternative types: ball games, team games, play with props/equipment, guessing game, games with actions, circle games

Handwritten descriptions of the game of obedience 'Simon Says', the team game 'Bean-Bag', the blindfold game 'Blind Man's Bluff' and a partial description of the ball game 'Sitdown Soccer' compiled by an unidentified student at Errol Street Primary School, for Dr Dorothy Howard in August 1954. The author describes 'Simon Says' as a game suitable for boys and girls, which involves one child calling out actions which must be performed by the other players. The author also lists the ways in which a player can be eliminated from the game. 'Bean-Bag' is described as a boys' game, which involves two teams. The game's rules are somewhat unclear; however, it appears that players form a circle and attempt to 'tigg' or throw a beanbag at their opponents. The author describes 'Blind Man's Bluff' as a game suitable for girls and boys. To play, one player, 'he', is blindfolded then attempts to locate and identify the other children. The author has partially described 'Sitdown Soccer', which is presumably a ball game involving two teams.

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 paper. Features borders ruled in red pencil; text written on both sides of page.

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