Lets Play a Game with Aunt Susan

Planning a party for a kid can sometimes be a bigformed into two lines. Aunt Susan gave each
headache if you are not up to the task. In thiscaptain a basket filled with odds and ends
article you will find how Aunt Susan turns this bigclothespins, pencils, feathers, flat-irons, pillows,
headache into a big joy and fun for all the partynail-files, nails, and matches. The two baskets and
kids. Are you ready to play a game with her?contents were exactly the same. The object of
Back in the living room, after the feast, when wethe game was to pass all these articles down the
oldsters normally became drowsy and theline to Plymouth rock and then back again to the
youngsters fussy or boisterous as theirMayflower. The team completing the job first
temperaments dictated, Aunt Susan roused us allmade the losers pays the consequences with an
with a suggestion. She reminded us that asoriginal stunt. After this excitement we were glad
Puritans we still had our houses to build. Theseto be seated and play "Dinner." Each person had
forebears of ours were self-sufficient as far asto name an article of food beginning with a letter
building materials were concerned. They werefound in the word "dinner." The first was "duck,"
thrifty too. If one man had more of a commoditythe second "ice cream," etc. The word "dinner"
than he could use he would trade it for somethingcould be used as many times around as desired.
he lacked. She then gave each of us an envelopeOf course, the longer we played the harder the
of paper money, which was cut from cardboard.game became because we couldn't repeat any of
Instantly we became merchants, and dealers inthe foods. When someone failed to think of an
house building materials.article of food he dropped out of the game.
Aunt Susan was the storekeeper. On hand sheGradually all but Tom was eliminated and he was
had a supply of cardboard logs some twelvepronounced winner.
inches long, others six inches and still others threeThen someone suggested another dinner game
inches long. Also a supply of windows and doorscalled "Going out to Dinner." John Jessup and Mary
cut from cardboard. Each one was given fiveWhite both knew this game so they started it
cardboard logs to start with. The paper cash eachoff. Mary said, "I'm going out to dinner and bring
had was insufficient to buy a complete house, soback More Watermelons. What are you bringing
it was necessary to barter.back, John?" John said, "I'm going out to dinner
Each of us attempted to build on a flat table orand bring back Just Jugs." Then John called on
floor the front of a cabin having one window andsomeone else who failed to bring back the right
door. At a given signal the bartering began. It wasthing. This was continued until the crowd caught
exciting. Finally Grandpa announced, "My house ison that the articles brought back began with the
done." He received a small saw for his prize. Nextinitials of the first and last names of the person
we played "Mayflower." The group was dividedtalking.
into two teams each headed by a captain and