In 1976, when I started Girl Scouts and summer day camp and all-day school, this was the book my troop leaders, camp counselors, and gym teachers used to show us how to play together.
Its tagline is "Play hard, play fair, nobody hurt." Sounds good, right? Much better than the "everybody wins" philosophy that followed (come on - teach a kid how to lose gracefully, will ya?).
And the games were fun. Some of them required a parachute, for pete's sake! You luffed it till it billowed high, then ran underneath, huddling with your friends, giggling as it settled over you. Or you joined hands in a big tangle, then had to figure out how to untangle yourselves without breaking your grips.
The New Games Book taught cooperation and patience and fair play. I love seeing this book on someone's shelf today, almost 35 years after it came out. It made healthy, happy kids. It's still making them.
Did you play New Games as a kid? What were your favorites?
2 ate pie:
Duck duck goose was awesome! and i remember playing lots of bicycle jousting... we weren't into the games where nobody got hurt!
I can imagine. :)
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