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"A game is an artificial situation set up imaginatively and defined by rules which together with the prescribed roles, is accepted by the players." - Neva Boyd

       Neva Boyd was an educator who used recreation in social group work and group leadership. She was a founder of National Cooperative Recreation School, a forerunner of E.C.R.S. In the following excerpt from "Play - A Unique Discipline," we leave it to the readers to change references to the "child" into "player," and to excuse the exclusive use of the masculine pronoun.
       Repeatedly, writers on the subject of play discuss the difference between work and play, though children are never confused regarding the distinction. What is the reason for this confusion on the part of the writers? It grows out of the fact that the work situation and the play situation, though having essential differences, have common elements as well. An experience begun as play may end as work, and vice versa; and enjoyment may increase with the change, whether it be from play to work or work to play. Enjoyment, consequently, is not the essential difference between work and play. The essential difference lies in this: that play is always an artificial situation and work is always a genuine one.....
       A game, then, is an artificial situation set up imaginatively and defined by rules which together with the prescribed roles, is accepted by the players. Thus, when the child plays a game, he psychologically picks himself up and transplants himself from the genuine situation to the artificial or imagined one. He accepts the total situation of the game, including his own role in it: and as long as the game lasts, acts as consistently in the new situation as though it were genuine. He not only submits to the demands of the situation, but he cooperates in creating and upholding the situation.....
       Like good drama, the game eliminates irrelevancies and brings events into close sequence in such concentrated and simplified form as to condense in both time and space the essence of a complex and long-drawn-out typical life experience.

- From Play and Game Theory in Group Work, A Collection of Papers by Neva Boyd. Copyright 1971 by Paul Simon. Used by permission of Jane Addams College of Social Work, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60680.

       Games are more complex than we imagine. As a reflection of universal concerns, they often express human attitudes toward life and death, the real and the supernatural, authority, courtship, trades and occupations. Many of the games we know today are vestiges of ancient customs and have been traced to religious rituals and social rites, e.g. tree or water worship ceremonies, the paying of forfeits and dowries, and the return of ancestral spirits.
       Today's games are seldom created anew, but like other folklore material are the result of additions and alterations by successive generations. Modern environmental, physical and social conditions have changed their shape but not their substance. Hiding, chasing, guessing and counting-out games are found in widely scattered parts of the world. Because of their common roots, many popular games will seem familiar to you, differing only in dramatic content, title or method of play from those you may have known in your own childhood.

- From Action and Interaction, Connecting People Through Play, by Lanie Melamed

1. Choose games for greatest involvement.
   - games in which the "it" changes frequently
   - games in which several strategies are possible
   - games which use a variety of skills
   - games which offer different challenges (running, thinking, singing, throwing a ball, etc.)

2. Know the game.
   - the rules
   - space and equipment needs

3. Think through how the game is likely to affect people.
   - what will people be required to do?
   - how are they likely to feel?

4. The group should be in formation before you explain the rules.

5. Give brief and clear instructions.
   - state the rules only
   - allow the players to come up with their own strategies

6. Demonstrate. Show what is to be done.

7. Start play as soon as possible.
   - just doing it, often clears up misunderstandings
   - you can stop the game and explain if a problem comes up

8. Ask for volunteers only after the players know what will be expected of them.

9. End the game at the high point of enjoyment.

Formation:

Five or more players on a team sit facing the opposite team, in two lines of chairs so that players' knees are 1-2 feet apart. Each player keeps one hand holding the edge of the chair.

Object:

To bat a balloon over the heads of the opposing team so that it falls to the floor behind them.

Action:

A balloon is tossed between the two teams, both of which try to bat it over the heads of their opponents so that it touches the floor behind the opposite team. Each "touchdown" scores a point. A scorekeeper behind each team also acts as retriever. In putting the balloon into play each time, toss it to alternating ends of the line, to keep the action from concentrating among a few players. For a larger group, use two or more balloons. Players must stay seated throughout the game.

       We lived with the Moyers when I was young. Many fond memories keep popping up from that distant time.
       One winter day Ed took the three of us, Keith, Scott and me, out to the brook that spilled over from the spring box. The wider spot was frozen enough to play shinney, Ed chopped a hollow in the middle and with our sticks picked up from the bank, we tried to knock a flat chunk of ice into the hollow.
       Equally vivid is my memory of playing "Hot Beans" with Ed standing in the doorway between the Moyer living room and the Kantor living room, holding the swatter, waiting for us to try to sneak past on our way to base. Thirty years have intervened, yet as I write. I get a sense of the excitement of running for base at the yell "hot beans!," of the delicious pleasure in swatting adults, and the almost panic in having to pass that well-guarded doorway, and relief when the dreaded swat came down not with pain hut with tenderness.

Formation:

Players seated in chairs in a circle. There are no extra chairs. One person stands in the center.

Object:

To occupy a chair.

Action:

The center player calls out: "The big wind blows for all those who (_____)," and names a category, such as "are wearing red," "ate eggs for breakfast," or "like opera." All the players who think that they fit in the category named must change their seats. The center player also attempts to find a seat, thus leaving another player without a chair. The new center player then calls another category.

A player may not go back into the chair that he or she has just vacated.

Equipment:

Lively taped or recorded music.

Formation:

Players seated in a circle. An extra person who doesn't have a seat. At least 12 or 15 players are needed, and it can be played with a large group.

Object:

To get a chair when the music stops

Action:

When the music starts, "it" walks around inside the circle, close to the seated players, extending a hand toward players. Any player may take "it's" hand: that player then holds out hand to pick up another player. Each added player picks up another, until the music stops. At that point all hurry to find a seat. The player left without a seat is the new "it" and play begins again.

If the circle is large, two or more "its" may start a line.

Variation: If music is not available, the leader may start and stop the action using a hell, tambourine or whistle.

Formation:

12-20 players standing in a circle, shoulders close together.

Object:

To keep your place in the circle.

Action:

The "it" (who has no spot in the circle) walks around the outside of the circle, taps another player on the shoulder and says, "Dzien Dobry," and continues walking around the circle in the same direction. The tapped player walks in the opposite direction. When they meet on the opposite side they stop, shake hands, and say "Jak Sie Masz" one time, while dipping (bending the knees) three times. Players then continue walking in the direction they were going, endeavoring to be the first one back to the vacated space. The player left is "it" and starts play again.

NOTE: Dzien Dobry means Good Morning. Jak Sie Masz means How Do You Do, and is pronounced Yok SHEH Mosh. In some parts of Poland the greeting is pronounced Yok Sheh MOSH.

Formation:

15-30 players in two teams facing each other:

xxxxxx
oooooo

Object:

To score points. One point is scored in each round:

Gun shoots Tiger
Tiger kills Man
Man controls Gun

Action:

Each team forms a huddle and decides whether it will represent Man, Tiger or Gun. Teams advance within three feet of each other, and on a given signal assume the agreed-upon pose:

Gun - arm extended at shoulder height as if it were the barrel of a rifle.
Man - arms crossed over chest.
Tiger - arms over head, hands extended as claws, teeth bared.

The score is awarded as mentioned above. If both teams strike the same pose, it is a draw. Leader keeps score and repeats action as wished.

       Cultural differences in games, as in dances, are fun and should be preserved. They add a flavor, a glimpse at a people's values, and perhaps a different challenge for the players. Here are four games, all with a similar pattern, yet each very different in its essential character:

Ti Li Cum - North American Native People
Rock, Paper, Scissors - Japanese
El Hombre, el Tigre, el Fusil - Argentinian
Obaasan, Samurai, Shishi - Japanese

       The similarity among these games lies in the pattern which expresses the interdependence of three forces, and how each one is dominant over another and at the same time subservient to the third. For example, in each game:

A wins over B
B wins over C
C wins over A

       The games differ not only in the forces they symbolize, but in the very structure and rules, thus creating a different quality in each game.
       Rock, Paper, and Scissors is familiar to many North Americans. It is a game for two players and, like "odds and evens," is often used as a means of determining who will be first for another game.
       El Hombre... has a vigorous quality and provides opportunity for dramatic posturing of hunting tigers in the Argentinian jungle. It is played in teams, requiring team decision-making, and includes scoring.
       In Ti Li Cum, Water quenches Fire, yet is absorbed by Land. Ti Li Cum's gentle quality comes from its symbolism of the unity of nature, and from its subtle hand signals.
       Obaasan... provides delightful opportunities for dramatizing its chief characters: the old woman, the warrior and the lion. It expresses the Japanese people's belief in the superiority of the wisdom of the aged, particularly women, over the highly respected prowess of the warrior class, even as they acknowledge the superior physical strength of the lion.
       Rock, Paper, and Scissors and Ti Li Cum are played by two partners facing each other, and involve individual decision-making at each round; thus one can devise strategies based on the opponents past actions.
       El Hombre... and Obaasan... are both team games, but there is a delightful essential difference between them: El Hombre provides opportunity for team decision-making and for dramatic group confrontation as the teams act in unison on a given signal. Obaasan... retains the advantages of team allegiance at the same time as it calls for individual decision-making and provides opportunity for developing one's own strategies.
       Thus, in my opinion, it is unfortunate when leaders substitute the rules of one game into the structure of another. For example, in presenting Ti Li Cum as a team game, the natural aggressiveness of team confrontation (so delightful in El Hombre) overpowers Ti Li Cum's gentle quality. In Obaasan... substituting the team decision-making process from El Hombre... loses the quality of individual responsibility, an essential element in Obaasan...

Formation:

16 to 26 players. Players stand in pairs within designated boundary lines. Each pair hooks either right or left elbows, so that the partners face opposite directions. The other elbow is also bent, with the hand on the hip.

Object:

To be safely attached to a partner.

Action:

One player is designated as a "runner" and another player as the "chaser." Other players stand attached in pairs as described above. The chaser tries to catch the runner, while the runner attempts to get safe by hooking an arm into a free elbow before being tagged by the chaser. As soon as the runner is hooked on, the third person on the other side in that set becomes the runner and the chaser now tries to catch this new player.

When the chaser tags the runner, the roles are reversed, and the new runner now tries to get safe by hooking on.

In order to discourage endless chasing by only two players while the rest watch, the leader can circumscribe the boundaries so that players begin to rely more on strategy than speed.

Formation:

15-35 players, in pairs, scattered on the playing area. One player does not have a partner.

Object:

To have a partner.

Action:

The player without a partner calls "face to face," then "back to back," then "face to face," repeating several times while the other players follow these directions with their partners. At any time, the center player calls: "change partners" and the players must find new partners and position themselves as they had been before "change" was called; if they had been back to back, they must now stand back to back with the new partner. The center person also tries to get a partner, thus leaving someone else without one. This person now calls the commands.

       This is a very useful game, particularly with new groups and at the beginning of a session; it is easy to include people as they arrive since the rules and structure are not complicated. Since people are standing up and fairly close together, the center person does not feel as singled out and opposed by the group as in some "it" games.
       The high chance element ensures that skill is not a determining factor and that "it" changes often. The momentary panic of searching for a partner and the mutual joy of finding each other create energy and feelings of belonging in the group.
       The essence of this game lies precisely in its simplicity. The center person has prescribed commands to call. This provides security, since the person is not required to invent commands or to show how clever he or she can be. Furthermore, there is no risk of other players being embarrassed by commands requiring greater intimacy than they may want in a new group, such as "cheek to cheek" or "belly to belly."

Formation:

10-20 players in a circle. Each player holds left palm up; the right palm of each player is placed, palm down, on the left hand of the next player. All the words are said in this position.

Object:

To name an item in the category chosen, at the right time and in the rhythm.

Action:

Each round of the game begins with this chant, said in unison. Between phrases, players clap twice. The chant gives the rules of the game.

"Hands down, 54" Clap, clap (X X)
"On the list" X X
"Names of" X X
(first player names a category, such as colors, furniture, etc) X X
"One of each" X X
"No repeats" X X
"No hesitations" X X
"So let's go." X X
(first player names the first item in the category) X X
(player to the left is next to name an item) X X
(third player names item and play continues around the circle to the left.)

When an error is made (repetition, someone can't think of an item, etc.) the game starts again with "Hands Down 54," the player following the one who missed, is the one to name the new category and the first item in it.

I learned this way of playing "Hot Potato" from Pat Emerson and Woodie Corfman, from the days when they conducted leadership development workshops at the Young Cooperators Institute of the Dairymen's League Cooperative. It is written up in the YCI's All Join Hands. - Hal Kantor

Formation:

12 to 18 players stand in a circle, approximately 2 arms' lengths apart. One player is in the center. (The game can also he played with people seated in chairs.)

Object:

Not to be the center player.

Action:

Players toss a flimsy cloth (called the Hot Potato) around the circle in either direction. The center player must either grab the cloth, or touch a player who has it. Upon doing one of these things, he or she then joins the circle. The person who was responsible for the center player getting the cloth then goes into the center. This new center person was either the last person who touched the cloth, the person who refused to catch it or pick it from the floor, or the person who handed it to the center player.

Players are not allowed to hold the cloth (it is "hot"), nor to tie a knot in it. It is important that the cloth be flimsy so that it "floats" on the air and is difficult to control. The unpredictability of the cloth adds an element of chance, de-emphasizes the skill level needed, and equalizes the odds between the circle and the center player. The leader can ask the circle to move out when it appears to be too easy to pass the cloth successfully.

       This game is useful as people gather for an event since new players can be easily included as they arrive. The colorful, floating cloth and outbursts of spontaneous laughter invite onlookers to join in. The chance element and the quick turn-over in the center help to allay initial fears about one's skills or appearing foolish, which many people bring from previous experience with games.

Formation:

15-25 players seated in a circle.

Object:

To act out the word which a designated player has in mind.

Action:

The first player chooses a one-syllable word which the rest of the group will try to guess. This first player tells the group a word that rhymes with the chosen word. For example, if the chosen word is "mat," the player announces, "I'm thinking of a word that rhymes with sat." The original word must be retained until it is guessed. (Proper nouns, such as names, are not allowed.)

The other players now volunteer, one at a time, to act out in pantomime the words which they think might be the original word. For example, someone might guess that the original word is "cat" and acts this out. The first player then asks: "Are you acting out 'cat'?, and if that correctly identifies the word being acted, says, "No, my word is not 'cat.'" Other volunteers take their turns until the original word is acted out, the first player admitting that this is indeed the word.

When the first player cannot identify the word that is being acted out, but any other players can, they are invited to verify with the actor whether they have the same word, and if so to join in the action. They may then as a group create a new scenario. But they must be portraying the same word and meaning until it is guessed by the first player. The leader should insist that whoever is acting be permitted to finish the scene before others join in.

Only one word can he acted out at a time. The person who first identifies the hidden word by acting it out is the next one to choose a secret word, and new words are acted out.

If the player who has chosen the secret word cannot guess the word the others are acting, but most of the players have guessed it and several attempts have been made to act it out, the first player then acts out the secret word for the rest of the group. Another player chooses a hidden word and play begins again.

Words that have more than one meaning, such as "bat," require that each meaning be acted out separately. Thus, a baseball bat and the animal called "bat" are treated as different words.

Formation:

15-20 players in a circle, alternately facing the center and facing out. A chaser and a runner.

Object:

For the chaser and the group to catch the runner; for the runner to escape capture.

Action:

The runner may run in and out of the circle between the players. The chaser must stay either inside or on the outside, i.e. wherever he or she started.

The chaser may tap any player to continue the pursuit and takes that person's place. For example, if the chaser is outside and the runner has just run into the center of the circle, the chaser taps one of the players facing in, this player continues the chase, and the chaser steps into the vacated position.

When the runner is tagged, the roles reverse.

Formation:

12-25 players. Two teams facing each other. Base lines are designated 20-30 yards from the center on each side.

Object:

To increase the size of one's team by tagging members from the opposing team.

Action:

Players of one team choose a profession or trade which they will act out in pantomime for the opposing team. Although the whole team decides on the profession or trade, each individual decides how to portray it.

Teams take turns being the actors and the guessers. To begin each round, teams stand 8-10 paces from the center of the playing area, holding hands in the line. The team who will be doing the acting calls out: "Here we come," taking a giant step on each word. The guessers call: "Where from?" also advancing toward the center.

Actors: "New York."
Guessers: "What's your trade?"
Actors: "Lemonade."
Guessers: "Show us some if you're not afraid."

At this point the actors begin their pantomime and the other team calls out their guesses.

While one team acts, the other team guesses out loud. As soon as the actors hear the correct guess, they run back to their baseline and the guessers chase them. Whoever is tagged before getting across their safety line (a light touch is sufficient) joins the chasers' team.

The leader ends the game, as in most games, when the enjoyment is at its peak.

Formation:

Players sit in chairs or on the floor in a circle facing toward the center.

Object:

For the guesser to discover and do the task(s) which the group has secretly chosen. For the other players to assist the guesser in finding out what action(s) are required.

Action:

One person leaves the room. The rest of the players choose a task, such as turning on a lamp, transferring an object from one part of the room to another, or leading another person to a particular spot in the room. When the player returns, the group directs the volunteer by singing a familiar song, increasing the volume as the player comes closer to succeeding in performing the task, and singing softer when he or she is further away.

It is important to choose actions which will guide the player accurately. It is advisable to choose more clear-cut, single tasks at the beginning, increasing the complexity in successive rounds. As the group gains experience with this game, players may enjoy the challenge of a sequence of connected actions.

Formation:

15-40 players. Chairs are next to each other in a straight line, alternately facing in opposite directions. There is one less chair than players.

Object:

In the last round of the game, to be the person to occupy the last seat.

Action:

When the music starts, players walk around the line of chairs in a counter-clockwise direction. They must keep moving. When the music stops, the players rush to the nearest chair and sit down.* There will be one player left standing. When the music starts again that player chooses any chair in the line and sits in it for the remainder of the game. No chair is removed. As more players are eliminated, more chairs get filled and the remaining players have more of a challenge to find a vacant chair.

* Players may not climb over the chairs to get to the opposite side.

Formation:

12 to 25 players stand in a circle, an arm's length away from each other.

Object:

To catch and throw balls in sequence.

Equipment:

3-6 lightweight basketball-sized balls. Half of the balls must look different from the other half (shape, color, size, pattern, etc.)

Action:

Each player learns the name of the persons on either side. The first player calls the name of the person on his or her right and passes the hall. This hall is called a "Forward Ball." The ball is passed (and names are called) consecutively to the right around the circle, so that people become familiar with each other's names.

Players should remember the name of the person from whom they received the ball, as well as the person to whom they passed it. Players then change positions in the circle.

Whoever is holding the Forward Ball calls the name of the same person to whom he or she had passed the ball before and throws the hall to this player (this person is now in a different location). The players continue calling the name and then throwing the ball to the person who had originally been on their right.

When the passing is going smoothly, the leader introduces the "Reverse Ball." This hall must be visually distinguishable from the "Forward Ball." The Reverse Ball is thrown to the person from whom the player receives the Forward Ball.

As the game progresses, the leader introduces additional Forward and Reverse balls. Players may be asked to change places in the circle again.

Note: Before throwing a ball, the player must call the name of the person to whom it will be thrown and wait for an indication that the receiver is expecting the throw. (This can be very subtle: eye contact, nod of head, etc.)

Note: Once the sequence of passes is established, it is very difficult to include additional players nor can anyone leave the game without causing serious disruption.

       This game was learned at a Bicentennial program behind the Philadelphia Fine Arts Museum during May '76, where it was led by the Games Preserve, and was subsequently brought to ECRS by a student. The name of the game originated at ECRS.

Formation:

10-20 players seated in a circle.

Object:

For the "it" player to name six objects beginning with a given letter.

Action:

To determine who will be "it." one player closes his or her eyes while the rest pass a ball around. The player calls out "stop," and assigns a letter of the alphabet to whoever is holding the ball.

This person must name six objects beginning with the given letter, at the same time passing the ball to the right. The group passes the ball around the circle, trying to return the ball to the beginning player before that person names the six objects.

For the next round, this person assigns the letter for which six objects are to be named.

Formation:

10-18 players, divided into two teams. All are seated facing the front of the room. A screen is placed about 10 feet in front of the players, perpendicular to them. During the game, this screen will hide two players from each other, while leaving them visible to the other players.

Object:

For a team to win by scoring over the last player of the opposing team.

Warrior (samurai) overcomes the Lion (shishi)
Lion overcomes the Old Woman (Obaasan)
Old Woman by her wisdom, is superior to the Warrior

Action:

One player from each team goes to that team's side of the screen, and is hidden from the opponent but visible to the seated teams. Each chooses one of the three roles to portray, and assumes the appropriate position:

Obaasan (Old Woman) - bent over, leaning on a cane.
Samurai (Warrior) - stands straight with a hand on the hilt of an imaginary sword.
Shishi (Lion) - on all fours.

On a given signal, the players advance along the screen and confront each other as they emerge in front of it.

The player who wins the round resumes his or her place behind the screen for the next round: the one who lost returns to the team and a new player takes the vacant space at the screen.

The game continues until all the players of one team have had their turn, while the winning team has only used some of its members.

(Note: In North America, the concept that not all members of the winning team will have a turn may be seen as "unfair." The leader may decide to play the game until everyone has had at least one turn.)

Formation:

5-12 players per group. Players stand in a cluster. Each group has a light ball or large balloon.

Object:

To keep the ball in the air.

Action:

The ball is tossed into the air, with individual players striking it upward with the palm of the hand. Any player may strike the ball at any time, but never two times in succession. Each time the ball is sent upward, the group shouts out the next letter of the alphabet. When the ball drops to the ground, the group begins again from "A".

This game comes from Brazil, where boys make a cone shaped, leather peteca and fill it with sand; feathers are tied in the upper end.

       On December 2, 1986, Ed presented his last group workshop on games. It was conducted for seven activity staff members of the Community Support Program (CSP) at the Home Nursing Agency, Altoona, Pa. Ed drove to Altoona the previous evening to spend time with his son Scott, daughter-in-law Judy, and grandson Tyler. Scott is the director of CSP and arranged with Ed to lead the workshop.
Ed started the session by introducing himself as "Ed," creating a warm and accepting atmosphere. He then presented what he saw as the purposes for games and recreation:

1. Control aggressive drive
2. Focus attention outside of self
3. Create group cohesiveness through group goals
4. Increase spontaneity
5. Create a success situation
6. Reduce competitiveness/decrease concern with winning and losing
7. Teach cooperation

       Ed then proceeded to teach and involve staff in a variety of games to enhance their leadership, stimulate new ideas and share information. Some of the games he taught were "Peteca, "Come Along," "El Tigre, El Hombre, El Fusil," "Musical Chairs," "Nameball," "Balloon Batting," "Swat," "Hot Potato," "Hands Down 54," "This Is My Friend," and "I'm Thinking of a Word That Rhymes With."
       Since the workshop, one game in particular, "Swat." has been incorporated into the CSP program more often than others. It is used in informal social rehabilitation groups to have fun because it quickly creates interest and interaction in addition to providing exercise. The clients need to move quickly, make decisions and learn to take on varying roles.
       During special event days, an active game is always scheduled on the agenda. Since Ed's visit, "Swat" is often the perfect choice. For the Young Adults group, the fast pace of the game provides an outlet for nervous or aggressive energy. The game is also used at a slower pace in remotivation groups for the elderly.
       Ed ended his workshop with a discussion about values in games and goals of games. Written resources were provided to all the staff members. He provided the workshop and materials at no charge to the program. Thanks to Ed's time and generosity, the specialness of his philosophy and his games continue in CSP.

Equipment:

Chair for all players, an extra stool or chair, and a "swat" made of rolled up newspaper and secured with tape.

Formation:

12-20 players seated in chairs in a circle, with an extra chair or stool in the center.

Object:

To replace the swat on the center stool and return to one's seat without being swatted.

Action:

One player (e.g. Marie) has the swat, walks around the inside of the circle and taps one of the other players (e.g. Louis) below the knee. She then must place the swat on the center stool and return to her own seat. In the meantime, Louis gets out of his chair, picks up the swat from the center stool and attempts to swat Marie before she sits down.

If Marie succeeds in eluding the swat, she remains in her chair and Louis begins the game again.

If Louis succeeds in swatting Marie before she gains the safety of her chair, he in turn places the swat on the center stool, and Marie has to retrieve it and try to swat Louis again. This turn-around continues until one of the two players gets safely back into his or her own chair.

If the swat falls to the floor, the player whose responsibility it was to place it on the center stool, must pick it up and place the swat on the stool: the game continues from that point. (This rule should be explained only after the swat is dropped.) NOTE: Chairs can tip over as players rush back to them. Tables can be arranged behind the chairs to support them, or players can take turns (two at a time) standing behind the empty chairs to keep them from toppling over. These guards sometimes get absorbed in the action of the game and need to be reminded to keep moving to the empty chair.

WHAT PART DOES COMPETITION
PLAY AT ECRS

       Competition does exist at ECRS, in many forms, and I believe it serves a purpose.
       Competition is essential to the structure of most games. For example, although Peteca (see Games) is a cooperative game because there is a group goal and no competition between players, there is an element of competition as the group tries to keep the ball in the air, adding a letter of the alphabet each time the ball is hit. The group is competing against the obstacles set up by the game: the ball may not touch the ground, a player may not hit it two times in a row. If the end of the alphabet is reached, the group feels that it has "won" or beat the game. Having this competition is essential. The beating or overcoming of specified obstacles is what makes the game.
       There are games where the element of competition is more obvious: for example. Lemonade where teams oppose each other, or Kho, where players are pitted against each other in a game of chase: in Name 6, a single "it" competes against the entire group in an effort to name six objects before the group passes a ball around the circle.
       ECRS handles competition in a way not found in most of our social existence. The basic concept that differs is that at ECRS the element of competition exists but there is no penalty for losing; in fact, failure to reach the goal or losing or winning are not much of an issue at all. We often hear the saying, "It's not who wins or loses, but how you play the game." At ECRS it's not who wins or loses, but playing the game.
       Let's take a closer look at Peteca: the focus of the game is keeping the ball in the air, and each time the group strives to go longer. While reaching the end of the alphabet is not stated as the goal, it is implied by the fact that the alphabet has 26 letters. However, every time the group gets farther in the alphabet, it is a success. Failure, or not getting to the end or not getting past the last letter reached only results in starting over. It is a team effort so individuals are not held responsible for whatever happens, and competition is with the goal of the game, not against each other. Having the focus on the group goal takes pressure off the individual and allows that person to be fully involved in the game, to play for the sake of playing.
       The game of Lemonade puts teams against each other in an effort to catch or escape from members of the opposite team. Winning can be a number of things, tagging members of the other team, guessing what the occupation is, or escaping to your own goal line. If you are tagged before reaching your goal, the only consequence is that you join the other team and get to act again. It is difficult to develop any long-term attachment to a team because the players keep changing back and forth. The focus is on the playing, the dramatics, guessing, running rather than on the outcome.
       The game of Kho pits one player against another, chaser and chasee. There is also the role of the players in the circle. In this game the roles of all the players frequently change. Competition is necessary to make the game work, but the interest in the game, its focus, is much more on the changing roles than on the individuals who occupy those roles, so there is little consequence or penalty attached to whether or not you are caught by the person chasing you.

Formation:

Two players facing each other

Object:

To make the signal which is dominant over that of the opponent.

Water wins over Fire (quenches it)
Fire wins over Land (destroys it)
Land wins over Water (absorbs it)

Action:

Each player chooses one of the above forces and the hand signal which represents it:

Water - arm straight out, hand pointing down.
Fire - arm straight out, hand pointing up.
Land - arm straight out, hand flat.

Players approach each other, extend an arm with fist closed and say, "Ti." Next draw arm back and say, "Li." Then extend arm out saying, "Cum" and simultaneously make the decided-upon signal. The dominant signal wins each time.

       Doubtless ECRS is many things to many people, or different things to different people. I've noticed in the school evaluations over the years that "people" come up golden over and over again as one of the elements that makes ECRS so special. And so it has always been for me.
       It was 15 years ago that I attended ECRS for the first time. I was alone and desolate, having just that week filed for divorce. The cordiality of a bunch of people I'd never seen before was almost overwhelming. I was taken under the wing of one long-time member, introduced around and made to feel welcome. That was the beginning.
       Then I noticed over the ensuing three or four years what a unique relationship existed among the various generations (lots of young people attended back then!), and the degree of comfort young people felt with older ones. No generation gap here. I remember vividly the sudden realization I had that I was accepted as a peer by an 11-year-old as he asked me to be his partner!
       Gradually I coveted this sort of experience for my grandchildren, so I started bringing first one granddaughter and then the other as each became six years old. They also cherished the atmosphere of love and acceptance and the opportunities to grow in their relationships with people who became very special to each of them. One summer, after a few years of attending ECRS, family plans in each family seemed to be moving toward eliminating Summer School for each granddaughter that year, and each girl said practically the same thing to her parents: "Don't you realize that this is the most important week in my whole year?" One family changed its plans enough to accommodate their daughter; the other did not and said later that not doing so had been a mistake!
       Now, at ages 16 and 20, other activities tend to crowd out most ECRS events for them, but nothing can ever take away whatever it was that made ECRS so important for each one. ECRS is, among lots of other things, People relating to People!

       We play this game at ECRS in two somewhat different ways. In both versions, everyone is included. Small children and adults all contribute suggestions, opinions, hunches to their team.

Equipment:

Chairs, a long table, and a coin.

Formation:

Players sit at a long table, team A and team B facing each other. Four to seven players on each team works best.

Object:

To identify the hand under which the coin is hidden.

Action:

Team A passes the coin from hand to hand under the table. The coin can go in either direction but must be kept moving. The other team will eventually have to find the hand which holds the coin. Here is the procedure: The captain of team B for this round (players take turns being the captain), calls "Up Jenkins." All the players on team A must place their elbows on the table, arms upright and fists closed. The captain of team B then says "Down Jenkins." Immediately, team A must place their hands flat on the table. Team B's captain, in consultation with other members of the team, points one at a time to the hands which they think DO NOT HAVE THE COIN. These hands are turned over. (The team members offer their opinions, but the captain decides and is the only one who can point to turn over an opponent's hand.) The score for that round is the number of empty hands that have been turned over.

Then team B passes the coin and team A's captain calls "Up Jenkins," "Down Jenkins," and turns up the empty hands.

Equipment, Formation and Object are the same as "Up Jenkins".

Action:

Each team selects a captain. (This position is rotated each round.) One team begins by passing the quarter from hand to hand under the table. When the opposing team's captain says, "Jenkins Up," the team members with the quarter (the "passers") close their hands into fists and place their elbows on the table, arms upright. When the opposing team's captain says, "Jenkins Down," the passers bump their elbows on the table (in unison) three times, counting one-two-three, and on the fourth count all hands are slapped palm-down on the table.

Now it is time for the watching team to find the quarter. The team captain, in consultation with his or her teammates, can either eliminate hands that don't have the quarter (leaving the hand with the quarter until last), or can "spot" by identifying the hand with the coin. If the captain is wrong, that game is lost and the original passers get to pass again. If the captain is correct, his or her team has won the round and the quarter changes sides. No score is kept and a winning streak of three times in a row is all that is allowed before the quarter changes sides.

Formation:

Players in a circle.

Object:

For the center player to discover the leader of the group.

Action:

Someone chosen to be "it" leaves the room. The players then name one of the group to be the leader for this round. "It" returns and stands in the center of the circle. The leader makes motions which the other players all imitate (e.g. move arms, legs, hands, head) in some definite and repetitive way. The leader changes frequently from one motion to another, until the "it" discovers who the leader is. Three guesses are allowed.

Formation:

Half the players sit in chairs in a circle, with one extra chair vacant; a player stands behind every chair.

Object:

For the standing players: to keep one's chair occupied. For the seated players: to change seats when invited.

Action:

The standing player with the vacant seat winks or nods at any seated player, who immediately tries to escape and occupy the vacant chair. If the player succeeds, there is a new vacant chair, and the person behind it winks at someone else.

The standing player tries to restrain* the escapee by placing hands on the shoulders of the person in his or her chair. Standing players must keep their hands at their sides until their person has been winked at.

* "Restraint" has to be defined and demonstrated by the leader. A gentle tap is not sufficient: however, a choking armhold should not be permitted. The restraint should be firm enough to hold the person there, yet not degenerate into a wrestling match.