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CROW’S RACE

All players form in a straight line.  Grasp just above ankles and on “Go,” run a very short distance and return, keeping hold above ankles all the time.

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RIDING THE BICYCLE

Hands in position in front, as though grasping the handle-bars, running in place with lifting the knee high and pointing toe to the ground.  The same movement, traveling forward with short, quick steps.

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CAT AND RAT

Children form a circle around the room, with hands joined.  A “cat” is chosen to stand outside the circle, a “rat” to stand inside.  The players are friends of the rat, and raise their arms to let him under, but keep them down when the cat tries to get through.  The cat chases the rat in and out of the circle, among desks and over seats, till the “rat” is caught, when a new cat and rat are chosen.

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JUMPING THE ROPE

This makes a splendid combination exercise.  Swing the arms in a large circle, as though swinging the rope, and jump each time that the rope comes down.  Travel forward with the same exercises, jumping and landing on one foot instead of both.

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TEACHER

The children stand or sit in one line.  One is teacher and he or she throws a bean bag or soft ball in rotation down the line, the child missing goes to the front.  When the teacher misses he or she goes to the foot and the child at the head becomes teacher.  No bad or swift throws are counted.

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BIRD-CATCHER

This game is a great favorite with all the children, even in the upper grades.  Two players are chosen as bird-catchers, and stand in one corner of the room.  The “mother-bird” is chosen to stand in another “nest” in the other front corner of the room.  The other players are named in groups (those in one row of seats usually) for various birds, “robins,” “wrens,” etc.  As the name of each group of birds is called, they go to the back of the room, and, at a signal, run to the “mother-bird’s nest.”  The bird-catchers try to catch them before they reach it.  The “birds” dodge in and out among the desks, jumping over the seats, etc.  The mother-bird and bird-catchers count their birds at the end of the game, and all “fly” back to their seats; that is, wave their arms and skip to their seats.

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