Then the circle stop, and cry-following the direction of the leader," All heads in,"-pushing forward all their heads to centre of the ring,—then turning smartly round and thrusting their heads the other way,-" All heads out;" then facing the circle again, "Shake your leg and shake your leg," suiting the action to the word by shaking the right leg or foot vigorously, "And then turn about." The latter words are accompanied by a lively pirouette. Again hands are joined and the merry nonsense of the song resumed, as the little folks dance round again, singing, "Taffy was a soldier, a soldier, a soldier; Taffy was a soldier, and liked a pot of stout." Then stopping, the director suggests and they all chorus "All elbows in," suiting the action to the word by doubling their arms and pointing their elbows to the centre, and wheeling round, adding, "All elbows out," "Shake your leg and shake your leg, and then turn about." The game is continued as long as any fresh movement can be suggested, such as "All eyes in all eyes out," "All knees in! all knees out;" but nothing causes a more hearty laugh or has a more droll effect than when the watchword is "All noses in !" "All chins in!"

Then we used

is very funny, but not equal to "All noses."
to have "All shoulders in," and "All fists in," and "All toes
in," one foot of each only being presented at a time, of course,
or we should not have had a leg left to stand on. Well do
we remember the hilarious enjoyment the nonsense of the
game yielded in our earlier days, not a little enhanced by the
occasional interchange of opinion between the juvenile players,
that "Taffy" must have been a dreadfully naughty man to
have liked a pot of stout, and a consequent increase of
energy

BABY GAMES

in dancing round, as if to dance down Taffy and annihilate him altogether. When very little children, or those not acquainted with the games of "Taffy was a Soldier," and "Here we go round the Mulberry-bush" are playing, it is well to have a director of the movements. Otherwise more enjoyment is caused by letting each player take the lead in turn, and suggest the next movement.

OLD DAME

Is a very amusing game for young children. One is selected to be Old Woman, who sits in the centre, with her dress covered over her head. The rest form a ring by joining hands, and dance round her, singing,—

To Beccles, to Beccles,

To buy some nettles,—

Pray, Old Dame, what's o'clock?

The Old Dame replies,—

One, going on for two.

The children dance round her again, repeating the same verse as before.

This time the Old Dame answers,

Two, going on for three.

And so on, the game continues till the answer is " Eleven, going for twelve." Then the following dialogue ensues :— THE RING.-Where have you been?

OLD DAME.-To the wood.

THE RING.-What for?

OLD DAME.-To pick up sticks.

THE RING.-What for?

FOR LITTLE TODDLERS

OLD DAME.-To boil my

kettle.

THE RING-What for?

OLD DAME.-To cook some of your chickens.

The children are supposed to be the chickens, and accordingly run away as the Old Dame gets up and runs after them. Whoever she catches is Old Dame in her place.

SEE-SAW

Is a very old game. It can be played in or out of doors, if properly arranged, without danger, and to the benefit of little children, by exercising their limbs. The best thing to do is to have a proper see-saw made by a carpenter. The centre should be formed of a solid block of wood, with a good peg in the middle,—a long, narrow plank of wood, such as is used for a cupboard shelf, about a foot wide and half an inch thick, which should have a hole in it, where it is to be slipped over the peg. Let the peg have a flat nob screwed on afterwards, to prevent accidents. The two ends of the seesaw should be padded and covered with red cloth. When not in use it occupies but little room, as the plank can be stood up in any convenient corner.

The game consists in two children of equal weight sitting at either end, alternately giving impetus to the swaying of the plank. In a see-saw arranged in the manner described, and fixed by a central pin, the children are not very likely to fall; and should they do so on soft grass or the nursery floor, very little harm is to be apprehended.

There are various rhymes children like to sing as they seesuch as-

saw,

BABY GAMES

See-saw, Margery Daw

She shall have a new master;

She can earn but a penny a day

Because she can't work any faster.

This rhyme is very commonly used when children are swung by the arms. Two friends grasp one arm each close to the armpits, and raise the child a little space from the floor, swinging it gently to and fro; the little one draws up its feet meanwhile. Children should never be swung by the wrists, which is a very dangerous practice, and likely to dislocate the

arms.

FOX AND GEESE.

ONE of the children personates a Fox; he ties a knot in a handkerchief and uses it like a whip. A corner of the room or any convenient place is appointed as the Fox's home, where he can rest when tired. The rest of the children are the Geese, who come running about his home. Then out comes the Fox, hopping on one leg, and whoever he can hit with his handkerchief must take his place. It is a rule of the game that the Fox must keep on one leg all the time. This is not quite so easily done as might be thought. If the Fox for a moment stands on both legs, he is chased home at once by all the Geese.

PUSS IN THE CORNER

Is a game familiar to very little children. It requires five players, one in each corner and one in the centre. Says one of those in the corner to her opposite neighbour, beckoning

FOR LITTLE TODDLERS

her, Puss, puss, I want a little water."

After a little hesitation, and similar imitations on the opposite side, from the other players, so as to perplex the one in the middle, two of those from whom her attention is diverted, make a bold dash and exchange corners. Whilst the centre one makes a futile effort to get possession of one of the corners, the two behind her profit by her confusion, and run across also, and so they keep up the fun of the game, puzzling the centre "Puss," till at last she secures a corner. The object of the one in the centre is to get first into a corner when an exchange of corners is being made, and whoever is left out has to occupy the centre.

TOUCH WOOD

It

Is a similar game, only the number is not limited.
may be played out of doors where there are trees, or in a
room. Each player stands touching a chair or tree, or some
kind of wood, at the stations that are appointed; but there must
be one less acknowledged stations than there are players, so that
one may be "out." The game consists in the players changing
places, running from one to another. The one who is out
endeavours to secure one of the stations thus temporarily
vacated. If she succeeds, the one who has failed to "touch
wood" is " out," and takes her place.

HONEY POTS.

To play at Honey Pots all the children except the Buyer and
Seller squat down on the floor, clasping their hands tightly
together under them.
Little girls playing at this game