play of children. Nothing can more quickly gain
the respect and affection of a child than such participation. Every
adult can doubtless recall the extreme pleasure experienced in
childhood when some grown person entered into the childish play. In
schools, where there is necessarily so much of formal discipline and
dealing with large numbers _en masse_, one of the most valuable
effects of games is to produce a more natural and sympathetic
relationship between teacher and pupil, and a fuller appreciation on
the part of the teacher of child nature. This effect from the use of
games has been noted by scores of teachers, even those who were at
first opposed to such use.

Every teacher will have his or her individual methods for teaching,
discipline, and management of games. The following general
suggestions, however, are the result of experience, and may be of
assistance to the novice, at least.

[Sidenote: How to teach a game]

The best method of teaching a game is to make a full explanation of it
before the pupils take their places to play. If this be in a
schoolroom, illustrative diagrams may often be drawn on the
blackboard, and it is sometimes helpful, there or elsewhere, to have a
few pupils go slowly (not running) through the general form of the
game, to illustrate it to the others. In a playground the same method
may be used by having the players sit, if that be feasible, or by
halting them in a march or after gymnastic exercises, to listen to the
explanation. Never try to teach and play a game at the same time. The
only exception to this rule should be where there is a large and
disorderly crowd with which to deal. Then it may occasionally be best
to start a game to gain interest and attention, and then halt for
further explanation.

[Sidenote: Class and group games]

It often becomes necessary for the sake of discipline and unity to
unite all of the players in a playground in one game. Comparatively
few games, however, are successful when played by very large numbers.
A special index has been prepared of such games, however, and will be
found at the end of the present volume. Classes may often be brought
into order and attention in a playground by the simple device of
marching, the march to end in one game for all of the players, or
several games in groups.

An indication that too many players are taking part in a game is
almost invariably to be found in a lack of interest on the part of the
players, arisi