Game of Graces
Teach the kids a game that's even older than you are!
Submitted by
Sonam Adinolf
Sonam Adinolf
The Game of Graces was a hugely popular pastime during the 1800s that was supposed to make young ladies more graceful. We can't promise that it'll improve your child's coordination, but it'll at least be a fun way to spend an afternoon.
- Four wooden dowels:Each 15 inches to 2 feet long and ½ inch thick
- Two 9-inch wooden hoops
- Acrylic paint and paintbrush:In your kid's favorite color
- 8 Pieces of multi-colored ribbon:Each about 6 feet long and ¼ inch thick
- Scissors
- A playing field:Your yard, driveway or the park
- Two players
First, have your kid make her playing set. Head out to the hardware store and pick up the dowels and hoops. Then hit the craft or fabric store for the ribbon and paint.
Get your kid to paint the dowels in her favorite color, then let them dry.
Meanwhile, help her wrap the ribbon around the hoops, leaving the ends loose to create long tails. Knot to secure. The ribbons cushion the hoops, making them softer to catch, and the hanging ends help to slow the hoops down when they are flying through the air. (Plus they look pretty.)
Once the dowels and hoops are done, head outside for game time. The game is played with two people.
Here's the general idea of how to play:
The players stand a few feet apart.
Each player takes a dowel in each hand and crosses them in an X-shape in front of her (so they look like a pair of open scissors).
One player then places the hoop onto the rods so it hangs around the crossed part of the rods.
She then quickly pulls the rods apart, sending the hoop shooting through the air towards the other player (or straight into your kitchen window, if your kid isn't careful).
The other player tries to catch the hoop on her rods and then repeats the process to send the hoop flying back to the original player.- Sound easy? Just wait until you try it!
- The player who catches the hoop 10 times first, wins. This game could take all afternoon, so secure a playmate for your kid, grab a glass of ice tea and enjoy!
- The Game of Graces has had a bit of a revival among some teenagers in this country. They typically play a version called Ultimate Graces, which is a hybrid of Graces and Ultimate Frisbee. So, get your teens in on the action, too!
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