Special Days

Barbara's Valentine Bee | Sally's Valentine Party | An "April Fool" Dinner Party | An "Eggciting" Easter Party! | Celebrate the Fourth of July | Dorothy's Halloween Party | A Halloween Trail of Terror | A Hard-Time Halloween Party | When Spooks Prowl | Family Fun at Halloween! | Rollicking Fun for Halloween | The Goblins Will Get You! | Games for Thanksgiving Day | Aunt Susan's Thanksgiving Party | A Family Thanksgiving Party | A Mexican Fiesta | Games for a Christmas Party

BARBARA'S VALENTINE BEE

"I wish I had lots of brothers and sisters to make valentines with me." Barbara pushed her braids back over her shoulders as she sat on the floor, her "valentine makings" spread out before her.

"Next best to lots of brothers and sisters is lots of friends, Barbara," answered her mother. "How would you like to give a Valentine Bee?"

"What's that?" Barbara was immediately interested. "Well, it would be sort of a valentine party where you and your friends could make your valentines together."

Plans were immediately under way. Barbara made a fold of red construction paper and cut it heart shape. When it was opened up it read:

Be my Valentine At my Valentine Bee Tuesday, February 14 At three p.m.

Barbara.

Before the day of the party Barbara and her mother laid in a supply of valentine makings which consisted of several packages of red and white construction paper, a number of packages of lacy paper doilies, the small size, and some library paste. In addition she ransacked the attic for left-over lengths of wallpaper with floral designs.

She also cut out of old magazines a supply of cute dog and cat pictures.

When the guests arrived they found these makings spread out on card tables arranged so that four children could work at each table. In addition to the makings each table was supplied with scissors and plenty of crayons.

The children were soon at work. Some pasted pictures on squares of red construction paper. Lacy frills cut from the paper doilies pasted around the picture made a pretty frame.

One ambitious youngster drew a picture in the center of a red heart, then made a lace frame stand out by past­ing one end of a two-inch long narrow strip of cardboard to each side of her red heart. Then she made a couple of folds in the strip and pasted the other end to the lacy frame.

The completed valentines were lined up on the mantel and the children chose the prettiest, the funniest, the fanciest, and the cleverest.

After this bit of quiet work the youngsters were glad for a lively game. Barbara divided the guests into two groups of equal number. The groups stood on opposite sides of the room. Barbara gave the first in each line an envelope containing three valentines, each of which bore a four-line verse. When Barbara gave the signal for the game to start, the leader at the head of the line took the valentines out of the envelope one by one, read them aloud, put them back in the envelope and handed the envelope to the next player. As both lines read valentines aloud at the same time, the noise was hilarious. The first line to get the valentines read all the way down the line won the game.

The next game was a valentine "Heart Hunt" with a different twist. Beforehand Barbara's mother had hidden dozens of small red hearts made of construction paper, in every conceivable place around the house. The children paired off in teams and joined hands. The hunt began while Barbara's mother played the piano. They hunted fast and furious, as long as the music continued. When the music stopped they stopped in their tracks. If anyone moved after the music stopped or if he dropped his part­ner's hands while hunting, he was disqualified. The team finding the most hearts won the game.

After the excitement of the "Heart Hunt" Barbara passed out a dozen candy hearts to each guest—the kind that bears a sentimental or slang expression. She offered a prize to the one making the most complete sentence from the words on the hearts. Some fast trading of hearts went on, as the youngsters tried to get candies with expressions that would fit together. This game proved to be very lively entertainment.

For the next game the group was divided into two teams. Each team formed a circle. In the center of each circle Barbara put a large pie tin on the floor. Then she passed to each a paper plate for a fan. In the one circle she sprin­kled red tissue-paper hearts all over the floor. In the other circle she used white tissue-paper hearts. At a signal everyone started fanning with the plate, trying to blow the hearts into the pie tins. This game was very hilarious because the harder the fanning the higher the hearts flew. And they blew out of the pie tin almost easier than they blew in. The team with the most hearts in the pan after ten windy minutes won the game.

In the wide arched doorway between the living and dining room Barbara's mother hung about a foot apart a number of red cardboard hearts from strings of varying length. One at a time, each guest was blindfolded, given a pair of scissors, turned around three times and told to snip a heart. Then her partner of the "Heart Hunt" game held a short piece of string the end of which was fastened around the blinded guest's wrist. The partner could say nothing, but tried to guide his partner toward the hearts with small tugs at the string. The team snipping down the most hearts won the game.

The youngsters were fascinated with the valentine supper which concluded the party. Pink ham decorated with white potato-salad heart, and heart-shaped red Jello salad carried out the color scheme. White heart-shaped sandwiches and tall glasses of milk added the filling. Des­sert was a brick of white ice cream with molded pink hearts in the center.

After the party Barbara agreed with her mother that next best to lots of brothers and sisters were lots of friends for making valentines.

SALLY'S VALENTINE PARTY

Sally was delighted that her turn to entertain "the club" fell near Valentine's Day because "it's so easy to give a party with a valentine theme." Because glamour is super with the teeners, Sally was given free reign to make her party as pretty as possible. Her invitations were in the form of valentines made by cutting bright red construction paper four by six inches and folding down the middle to make a leaflet. On the outside of each folder she sketched a roguish little face and framed it with lacy bits cut from paper doilies. Of course, if she had preferred she could have cut faces from old magazines. The inside of the folder carried the fol­lowing invitation:

Will you be my Valentine

on Friday next For a six o'clock supper?

805 Blunt Street.

Arriving guests soon decided that Dan Cupid must have planned and executed the decorations. Mirrors dis­played bright red hearts. In some cases they formed frames; on others various designs. Scotch tape was used to stick them to the mirrors. If you have never tried this idea you will be surprised at its effectiveness. Red hearts also decorated the drapes, and red paper covers over each lamp shade cast a rosy glow over the entire sur­roundings.

For the dining table a paper valentine cloth, bought at the dime store, was perfect. The centerpiece looked like a tree of tiny red hearts. Sally had dipped several bare barberry branches in white paint. Each little thorn was tipped with a bright red gumdrop. Sally at the time of her party was unable to get the small red gumdrops so she cut the larger ones into small pieces.

Each place card was a small white envelope bearing the guest's name and decorated with tiny red paper hearts. Regardless of the curiosity of the guests as to the contents of the envelopes Sally insisted that they wait until they had finished eating before opening them.

The supper itself was a valentine. Each plate contained one large valentine which nearly filled the plate. The effect was most intriguing. On closer inspection it was discovered that the face of each valentine was half a hard-boiled egg with the white rounding side up. Her lips were two tiny strips of pimento, her eyes were raisins, her nose a clove and the yellow curls were cheese shavings. Her body was half an inverted peach pickle with three clove buttons down the front of her waist. Her arms were dainty white sticks of celery, cleverly snipped at the ends for fingers. Her skirt, a large billowy lettuce leaf, con­cealed a generous helping of creamed chicken. Rolls and milk completed the main course. Slices of angel food cake topped with individual hearts of red ice cream completed not only a delicious luncheon but one of strong eye ap­peal.

Supper over, the envelopes were opened. Each contained red heart stickers, narrow strips of colored paper, figures of Cupid and various other bits which Sally had cut from old valentines. This little store of supplies was supplemented by sheets of red and white construction paper, a box of crayons, a jar of library paste, and scissors. Each guest was requested to make a valentine, from her supply, for a boy friend. Any style was permissible; pretty, fancy, or the old-style comic. This valentine-making was con­ducive to much jesting, commotion and comparing of notes. Rhymesters added clever verses while others printed their messages in prose. Prizes were awarded for the pret­tiest, the cleverest, and the funniest. The finished valen­tines were displayed on the mantel.

Next Sally asked each guest to write an adjective on the back of the envelope which bore her name. She collected the envelopes and then read a valentine romance which she had prepared beforehand using her guests as charac­ters in the story. As she came to each name she preceded it by the adjective selected by that unsuspecting guest.

For instance in the story " Mary Brown went walking one day and whom should she see but     

Helen Grayson." Filling in the blanks with the adjectives each guest herself had chosen the story reads: "Vicious Mary Brown went walking one day and whom should she see but gangling Helen Grayson." This game was par­ticularly funny because much of the time the unwitting guest had chosen an adjective most inappropriate; the fat guest choosing "skinny" and the like.

The next game was played on the dining-room table, which in the meantime was cleared for action. Each of six small dime-store blocks bore on each of its six faces, one of the letters H, E, A, R, T, S. The players took turns in rolling all the cubes at one throw. Each player kept her own score, giving herself one point for each word that could be made from the letters that came up. No letter could be used more than once, but it wasn't necessary to use all the letters each time. For example, when H, A, A, S, E, T came up, the thrower received nine points because she could make the nine words, "as," "tea," "hat," "sat," "set," "has," "heat," "the," and "ash." Ten points were scored if "hearts" could be spelled.

The result of the next game was surprising. This party included only a group who were very well acquainted. Each guest was given four cards; a blue, a gray, a green, and a brown. On the blue card each was asked to write the names of all the blue-eyed persons present; list the brown-eyed on the brown card; the gray-eyed on the gray; and the green-eyed on the green. The girls were very much chagrined to find that so many of them did not know the color of their friends' eyes. This precipitated a lot of joshing as to each other's lack of observation.

As the party broke up, the girls congratulated Sally on her many original party ideas.

Last February Helen wanted to entertain her crowd. After considerable thought she decided on a Washington tea party. That type of party offered many and varied ideas for decorating and en­tertainment. Then too her school had a holiday on the 22 nd of February which made it a perfect day for a party. She printed her invitation on small cardboard hatchets which she cut from heavy construction paper. They read:

Come over on Thursday At three p.m. to help Cut down the Cherry tree. Helen.

Naturally her guests were much intrigued. They specu­lated as to whether or not they were supposed to really cut down a cherry tree. However, when the guests ar­rived they learned that this was an entirely different cherry tree from the one George Washington had chopped down. The cherry tree turned out to be a good-sized branch of barberry which of course at this time of year was bare. A flower holder in the bottom of an old-fashioned jardi­niere held it upright. To keep it from tipping sidewise the jardiniere was filled with clean white sand.

The leaves and cherries on this tree were cut from con­struction paper and fastened to the tree by placing them on the tiny barberry thorns. The tree was very attractive and held a prominent place in the center of the living room.

But this tree was more than decoration—it started off the fun. Each girl was directed to take her turn in choos­ing a leaf from the tree. When the first girl had made her choice she discovered written on the back of her leaf an easy historical question such as "Name two famous men who had birthdays in February." If she could answer the question correctly she had a second choice. If she pre­ferred to choose a cherry she could do so. But here was the joker. Some of the cherries were blank on the back, others bore this sentence, "I did it with my little hatchet." If her cherry was a blank she could then draw another leaf. But if her cherry had a sentence on the back she was required to do a stunt for the crowd—sing a song, turn a handspring, tell a story, or what have you. She could make her own choice.'

In this game the winner was the gal who had answered correctly the greatest number of historical questions. It was her privilege to impose forfeits in the way of stunts on the rest of the girls.

The next game smacked of the familiar "Donkey and His Tail" of earlier childhood parties, but was quite a grown-up version. On the wall Helen had taped a map of the United States. Then each guest was given an American Flag sticker on which she put her own initials.

The girls then took turns being blindfolded and trying to stick their flags on Washington, D. C. The one whose flag landed nearest its goal received a sack of candied cherries as a prize.

A "Cherry Race" was next in order. The guests were divided into two groups and assembled in two lines. The first in each line was given three large cherries. At a given signal each leader started across the room balancing the three cherries on the back of his left hand. If a cherry or two rolled off, the contestant had to pick them up unassisted and continue. When the leader reached the other side of the room he returned to his original place and gave the cherries to the next in line to continue the race. The team finishing first won the relay.

For the next game Helen used folding chairs because they were portable. The girls paired off in couples. All the couples but one seated themselves in a group. The re­maining couple became George and Martha Washington. Each of the other couples secretly decided on a fruit to be their name. George and Martha wandered around the room calling out the names of various fruits such as cher­ries, apples, and pears. If a couple's fruit name was called they left their chairs and followed after George and Martha. If George or Martha called out, "The fruit trees are all in bloom," everyone left his seat and followed the Washingtons. When George called, "The fruit is all ripe," everyone dashed for a chair. The two not getting chairs became George and Martha for the next try.

After this bit of riotous exercise a quieter game was wel­come. Helen put a large glass bowl in the center of a card table. She placed nearby a bunch of cotton balls which she claimed were white cherries. Each girl in turn was then blindfolded, turned around three times and given a wooden spoon. The object was to spoon the white cherries into the glass bowl. (Try it sometime. You'll have a sur­prise.) Because the cherries have no weight it is impos­sible to tell whether the spoon is empty or full, and not being able to see the bowl makes this game a real effort for the contestant, but very, very funny for the sidelines.

Place cards of paper hatchets proudly sporting bright red bows around a small cherry tree centerpiece—similar to the larger one that started off the party—made a gay refreshment table.

Generous slices of cherry pie topped with ice cream in hatchet mold brought the happy party to a close. The guests really enjoyed the Washington Tea Party.

Sure, 'tis a fine time to give a party—St. Patrick's Day. Make it a family party—invite the Caseys, the McCarthys, the Flanagans, and the O'Tooles. Include the Smiths and the Joneses, for we know, no mat­ter what the name of your friends they will enjoy this type of fun.

Decorations are no problem—with plenty of green and white tissue to cover the lights, and decorate the table. Don't neglect clay pipes and shamrocks in your decora­tion scheme.

Invitations need be only simple little notes printed on green shamrocks:

'Tis St. Patrick's Day We're celebrating 'Tis the wearing of the Green You'll not be forgetting March 17th, 7 p.m.

Meet your guests at the door with a big green top hat filled with numbers. This hat can be made of cardboard, or an ordinary hat can be covered with green crepe paper. Let each arriving guest draw a number from the hat— green for the males and white for the women and girls with corresponding numbers.

When everyone has arrived you are all set for a bit of Irish blarney. The host or hostess calls out a man's number. He then proceeds to blarney his unknown partner by telling her, among other things, what he considers the loveliest thing about her. When he has finished his blar­ney the much complimented lady steps to his side.

Another number is called who in no uncertain words expresses his admiration for the "willowy slenderness" of his partner. When his corresponding number steps out they are greeted with shouts of laughter. She turns out to be the chunky young neighbor girl next door.

Keeping their partners, the entire group, with the ex­ception of one person, forms a circle—males to the left of the girls. This one person takes her place in the center of the circle. Everybody marches to the following words (tune: "We Won't Be Home Until Morning"):

Got a pig in the parlor Got a pig in the parlor Got a pig in the parlor, And he is Irish too And he is Irish too And he is Irish too, Got a pig in the parlor Got a pig in the parlor Got a pig in the parlor And he is Irish too.

The ladies continue marching in the direction in which they are going while the men turn about and go in the other direction. When this change is made the "pig" from the center joins the circle. The leader blows the whis­tle, and there is a scramble for new partners. One is bound to be left out and he now becomes the "pig." After several scrambles for partners the ice is pretty well broken and the whistle sounds for change of game.

Arrange your guests into family groups, lending a child here or there to make the groups equal in number. Then introduce them to "Irish Golf." Each family is given a large bowl, an Irish potato and a tablespoon. The object is to scoop the potato into the bowl with the spoon with­out lifting it from the table.

Add the strokes it takes each member of the family to get the potato into the bowl. To the winning family who accomplishes it with the least number of strokes goes an Irish potato.

Who ever heard of a St. Patrick's party without noise. Line up your family groups and provide each of them with a No. 10 paper bag. Let each family name a person for its goalee. The goalee stands across the room. At the whistle the first person in each family group line blows up his bag, runs to the family goalee, bursts the bag on the goal keeper's back, quickly returns to the line and touches off No. 2. The line finishing first is winner.

Next let the crazy Irish have a "Crazy Cane Race." Di­vide your guests into two groups of equal number. Give the first one in each group a cane. At the starting signal he is supposed to put his forehead on the top of the cane, and keep it there without moving the cane until he side­steps six times around in a circle, counting each time he completes a circle. At the finish of the sixth round, ask him to walk to the opposite end of the room, touch a desig­nated spot on the wall. Then turn around and return to the starting point and touch the next contestant in line. This does not sound like such a hilarious game, but all the contestants, being slightly dizzy, will have a terrific time walking in a straight line across the room and back. The game continues until one team finishes first.

After so much excitement, let each family form its own group. Allow five or ten minutes for each family to plan a yarn about a fishing or hunting trip or some adventure. At the end of the allotted time let the guests reassemble in one big group. When the competition starts, one mem­ber of the Jones family begins his yarn. The next member of the family may add to it, and so on, until the family has all helped or the allotted five minutes is up, which­ever comes first. This is a thrilling experience for the younger members of the family.

After each family has spun its tale, three judges, previ­ously appointed, will decide which yarn was the best, which the cleverest, and which one the funniest. A bag of green and white candy may be awarded the family with the best all-around story.

The Irish like to eat and since all your guests are Irish, at least for this party, serve a hearty lunch. A steaming Irish stew, a green-tinted grapefruit salad, and hard rolls will bring out the blarney in your guests. Complete the meal with green mint sundaes and limeade. Surely 'twill be an Irish party that'll long be remembered with words of praise that are not blarney.

AN "APRIL FOOL" DINNER PARTY

With a family of children April Fool's Day can be one big headache or it can be fun for every­one—depending a lot on how you take it. There is nothing gradester-age children love better than playing tricks and April Fool's Day is the day of opportunity for such activities.

The spirit of the day is an excuse (if you ever need one) for a party. It's bound to be fun because everyone is spe­cially geared for fun on that day. Let your youngsters in­vite in their friends for a dinner party—it won't be formal, but we'll guarantee it'll be exciting.

Written invitations seem to whet the edge of anticipa­tion. For such invitations our youngsters used small white cards on which they wrote:

Dinner at Six on April Fool's Day After which comes an evening of play. Come—Be amazed and curious For fun will grow fast and furious.

Promptly at six o'clock all the guests arrived in their best "bib and tucker." We had gone all out to make the dinner table look as pretty and partyish as any grown-up's party with lace tablecloth, best china and gleaming silver. Spring colors, pink, lavender and green were in evidence in candles and the sweet-pea centerpiece. Paper drinking-cups and paper napkins in the same soft pastel colors added to the beauty of the table without striking an odd note. It was lovely to look at and there was nothing to in­dicate that things were not what they seemed.

Mary was the first guest to run into trouble. She took a drink of water, and immediately with a chagrined look around dabbed at the water on her chin.

Teddy wasn't so reticent. After a couple of drinks he burst out, "What's the matter with me tonight? I can't drink without spilling."

"Hey, there's something the matter with these cups." On the quiet Johnny had been looking his cup over. Ex­amination proved that every third or fourth cup was a dribble cup. (A dribble cup is one with small holes about an inch from the top out of which water leaks when the cup is put to the lips.)

Now the youngsters were on the alert for April Fool tricks, but it didn't lessen their appetites. Chicken and dumplings, fruit salad, and new peas disappeared like magic, but not without a hitch or two.

Sally was embarrassed when her fork broke just above the tines as she tried to spear a bit of chicken. With many cautions about care of silver she was given another which broke in the same way. Then someone tumbled that these were trick forks.

A moment later everyone was startled by what sounded like the explosion of a firecracker. It was a trick knife that exploded when Hank started to use it.

Suddenly and with no reason at all a candle went out. In a few minutes out went another, to be followed by oth­ers at short intervals. In a very short time the table was in darkness. As soon as possible we relighted the candles and the meal progressed.

When Ruth discovered a big spider on the sweet peas the girls were horrified. It turned out to be a fake as were the crickets which filled the sugar bowl. When Teddy passed the pickle dish a huge butterfly flew from under it and sailed across the table. Of course, the boys had to re­trieve the butterfly and examine it and then try it again and again.

All these paper novelties are inexpensive and can be purchased at any novelty shop. The trick with the candles was simple. Cut a candle clear across through the wick any distance you wish from the top, depending on how long you want it to burn. Then heat the severed parts and press wax together. The cut is not then noticeable. The candle will burn until it gets down to the cut wick when it goes out.

By the time the dessert of upside-down cake—an ap­propriate April Fool's Day dessert—had been devoured, these young moderns were ready for an evening of fun. They were much intrigued with that very appropriate April Fool game of "I Doubt It."

There were eight youngsters. We used two decks of playing cards shuffled together. The cards were all dealt around the table. The object of the game is to get rid of one's cards.

The first person playing starts with ones or aces. He picks a given number of cards from his hand and says, laying them face down in the center of the table, "I am playing three aces." If he looks honest and you think he is playing just three cards and they are aces, no one "doubts it." The next person in line plays twos, the third threes, etc. At any time anyone playing may "doubt" the honesty of the player. If the player has misstated his play and someone "doubts" it, the player takes the whole pile of cards which has accumulated in the center of the table. If he has stated his play correctly, the doubter takes the whole pile. If it is the player's turn to play fours and he does not have any, he substitutes something else and still announces he is playing fours. Perhaps he will get by with it and perhaps his bluff will be called by a "doubter."

The winner gets a prize and the loser (the one with the most cards in his hands when the game is finished) gets a dunce's cap.

This game turned out to be so interesting that the eve­ning was gone and it was time to go home before anyone realized it. The youngsters declared the party had been the most fun of any April Fool party they could remem­ber. As they left for their homes they were still trying to get "April Fool" on each other.

AN "EGGCITING" EASTER PARTY!

"The guys'll think I've holes in my head, if I ask them over for an Easter Egg Hunt." Sandy brushed a lock of his stubborn red hair back with grimy ringers.

I sighed as I watched him. He certainly had outgrown the adorable stage when he delighted to celebrate his April birthday by having his friends over for an Easter Egg Hunt. But in spite of his long legs and grimy appear­ance he still wanted a birthday party.

"Can't we think up something to do, Mom, that big fel­lows my age would like?"

I kept to myself the thought that eleven wasn't exactly old age. "Maybe we could have an Easter party and plan some different games."

"I know, Mom! Let's have an egg party. Egg eats, egg games, egg stunts, egg everything."

"Eggs, son? That sounds awfully—well eggy. But make your plans and I'll help."

When he first outlined his ideas to me, I thought, "That party will take so many eggs it may be rather expensive." But when I realized that the only expense for the games and decorations would be the cost of the eggs used, I de­cided that it would really be an inexpensive party. Thus it came about that Sandy gave an egg party on Easter Monday, his birthday.

He cut the egg-shaped invitations from colored con­struction paper. The invitations read, "Come to Sandy's house on Monday at eggsactly 3 p.m. for an eggciting afternoon." Then off he dashed on his bicycle to deliver his invitations.

Promptly on the hour eleven well-scrubbed boys ar­rived, eager for anything that sounded like fun. Just in case an April shower might chase us into the house later in the afternoon we staged our egg-catching contest first. That was the only one of our planned games that could not be played in the house.

The game goes this way: Six boys, each with a raw egg, line up faced by a partner. Each of the six boys on one side tosses the egg in his possession to the boy facing him who stands three feet from him. If this boy catches the egg without breaking it, each boy takes a big step backwards. If the egg is not caught but smashes to the ground that couple is eliminated. After each throw each partner moves backward one step. You'll be surprised at what an exciting game this is, and how adept eleven-year-olds are at tossing and catching raw eggs. The two boys who finally won were made leaders in the "Egg Relay Race."

Two hard-boiled eggs were used for the relay. The two leaders took turns choosing team mates. The lads then formed two lines, the one boy directly behind the other. Every lad was given a teaspoon with instructions to hold the handle between his teeth. A hard-boiled egg was placed in the bowl of the spoon of each of the two leaders. At a signal the leaders, with their hands behind them, ran to a goal across the lawn without dropping the eggs. If the lad accomplished it he grabbed the spoon in his hand, ran back to the line and placed the egg in the spoon of the boy who stood just back of him in line.

If the egg was dropped in transit the boy carrying it picked it up, placed it back on the spoon before advancing farther. The team completing the race first was de­clared "Eggsperts."

Next on the agenda was an egg-cracking contest. Each contestant held an egg in his hand, small end up and chal­lenged someone to crack his egg. The challenged lad then with his own egg tapped the egg of the challenger. If the challenged cracked the egg of the challenger he won the challenger's cracked egg. If his own was cracked he turned it over to the challenger. The boys continued to challenge one another until only one uncracked egg remained. The possessor of that egg was declared "The Great Uncracked."

After so much activity the boys were perfectly willing to sit down while each peeled his cracked egg ready for the next stunt. This stunt is not new, but it's always fun and surprising for each new group that tries it. Each boy is given an empty milk bottle, clean of course, with the request that he put the egg into his bottle. The peeled egg is larger than the top of the bottle. The boys pushed and squeezed on the slippery eggs but made no progress. Sandy produced a match and showed his friends the trick. He dropped a lighted match into the bottle. He placed the egg on the mouth of the empty bottle and they all watched the egg slide into the bottle. It was not long until each bottle contained an egg. One thoughtful youngster wanted to know why.

Sandy explained that the lighted match in the bottle used up the oxygen in the bottle thereby creating a par­tial vacuum. Then the outside air pressure forces the egg into the bottle.

To get the eggs out of the bottles was something else again. With all the shaking, jiggling, and jouncing the eggs would not come. Sandy very nonchalantly claimed it was very simple. He just turned the bottle upside down and blew into it, and the pressure of air then forced the egg out of the bottle. The lads were delighted with their know-how and were promising themselves a lot of fun outwitting their own families.

By this time we were ready to call the boys for eats—■ the likes of which is not usually considered birthday-party fare. But it was in accordance with Sandy's idea and made a hit with the gang.

Scrambled eggs and bacon with slices of buttered brown bread and tall glasses of milk disappeared in unbeliev­ably short order. The birthday cake was decorated with candy Easter eggs stuck in the frosting.

In saying Good-bye the lads assured Sandy his party had been an Eggciting affair.

CELEBRATE THE FOURTH OF JULY

Siss, Boom, Bah! The Fourth of July, Hurrah!

That's the spirit of the day that we all used to celebrate with a great banging of fireworks from dawn until nightfall or until we ran out of firecrackers.

In most states this dangerous sort of Fourth of July fun has been banned because of the high casualty lists.

But no laws or ordinances have put a ban on fun, so what to do on the Fourth of July? Why not invite the girls and boys over for a Picnic Party on your lawn—the weath­er's apt to be clear and hot, the enthusiasm of the guests will run high, and there'll be no casualty list to mar the fun.

An excellent starter for this yard picnic could be "Find the Flag." Send one of your guests into the house. Someplace in the yard hide an American flag, so that the entire crowd except the absent member knows where it is. Call back the hunter and explain to him that while he hunts the flag the crowd is going to sing "Yankee Doodle" —softly when he is far from it, louder as he nears it, and very loud when he gets it. This is a jolly game that young­sters love—each one will want his turn at finding the flag.

For real exertion introduce a "Backward Relay." Di­vide the guests into two groups of equal number. Get about two dozen rolled-up newspapers and lay them on the ground in two rows. The rows should be about eight feet apart and the newpapers should be laid at intervals of about two feet. Contestants must hop backward over the newspapers to the goal and return. When the first player on each side returns, he touches off the next one. The side which finishes first wins the relay. The excite­ment over this game will run high—and the noise will equal that of firecracker days.

By this time the players will be glad to relax a bit. The guests are seated in a circle for the game of "Face." The first player turns to the one on his right and says, "You have a face," to which the other replies, "What kind of face?" The first player then must answer with a descrip­tive adjective beginning with "a." He could say, "You have an angelic face" or "an attractive face," or if he feels funny he might say, "You have an awful face." The next player turns to the one on his right and says, "You have a face." The second player answers the inquiry "What kind of a face?" with an adjective beginning with "b" and so on around the circle and through the alphabet. The same adjective cannot be used twice. Anyone who can't think of an adjective beginning with the right letter before the conductor counts to ten must leave the circle and sit in the center while the others finish the game. The game gets very exciting towards the close when only two or three of the sharpest are left to seek new adjectives.

The great outdoors is the ideal place for this next game which is a trifle wet. Put to float a large number of small corks in a tub of water. It is well to use a tub or at least a large dishpan so that the corks cannot be easily pushed against the bottom. Give a contestant a pin and tell him to spear as many corks as he can in three minutes. The cork must not be touched by hand, neither may it touch the sides of the pan while being harpooned.

If your party is large and your tub ample, two players can be spearing at the same time. But don't pass out pins to the players until they are ready for their turn at the tub, or some rascally lad will be sure to harpoon a guest or two.

In a free-for-all picnic spirit let "Bombs" be the next game. Once again divide your guests into two groups of equal number. Have the two teams line up facing each other, about eight or ten feet apart. Give each player a toy balloon and when the game starts, the player at the head of each line must inflate his balloon until it bursts. The next in line then does the same, and so on down the line. No cheating is allowed. The second player must wait to blow up his balloon until the first man's balloon has popped. The group first popping all its balloons wins. This breath-taking game provides plenty of noise to satisfy the most noise-thirsty.

By this time even the liveliest will be ready to sit down for a quiet game. Provide each one with a card and pen­cil and announce that ten minutes will be allowed for the players to list as many states in the United States as they can. Even fairly young children are familiar with most of the states in the Union and will enjoy the contest. If your group is unusually sharp, ask them to list the capitals of each state.

During this brain-racking event, you will have an excel­lent opportunity to set out the picnic table. Truly Ameri­can food will be welcome at this Picnic Party, especially if there is plenty of it. So bring on the hot dogs and toasted buns, a big bowl of potato salad, or potato chips for those who prefer them, pickles, and perhaps a casserole of hot baked beans. Finish off this menu with "pinwheel" cake, commonly recognized as a slice of jelly roll, and ice-cream cones.

DOROTHY'S HALLOWEEN PARTY

"Oh, Joyce, isn't this a cute invitation to Doro­thy's Halloween party? Is yours just like it?" asked Ruth. "Let's see," said Joyce. "Mine says:

This is the tail of the Halloween cat
Hurry, he says, to meet Witch and Bat
On Halloween Eve, about 7 or so
To a house that you all know.

Bring some apples for a mysterious purpose."

"That's just like mine except that mine says to bring oranges," said Ruth. "Johnny told me that he had an in­vitation too but he was asked to bring canned goods and some of the boys were asked to bring candy. I wonder what it means. Maybe it's to be a picnic lunch."

"No-00-00, I don't believe that. But anyway it'll be fun because Dorothy always thinks of something different."

The great evening finally arrived. A tall spook met the guests at the door and collected their gifts of food. It was a very exciting spook because he grew shorter and shorter before their very eyes. Then just as he was a normal size his head shot way up in the air. Everyone wanted to know what made the spook change size, so Dorothy explained that John held a broom underneath a sheet. On top of the broom was the ghost's head, and as John raised and lowered the broom the spook grew and shrank.

This hilarity was followed by a ghost story. The only light in the room was from four lighted candles. These were placed in the center of the room, guests around them in a circle. As the spooky ghost story proceeded the can­dles went out one at a time until the room was in dark­ness. No one could understand why the candles suddenly went out until Dorothy explained that the trick is to cut the candles in two and then stick them together again by heating them. When the candle burns down to the cut wick, naturally it goes out.

"How would you all like to be goblins and do a Hallow­een errand?" Dorothy asked.

"Do you mean ring doorbells and run?" asked Deane.

"There wouldn't be much fun in that if we didn't leave something, would there?" asked Dorothy. "Leaving some­thing at the door on Halloween! That's a new one on me," exclaimed Joyce, "but it sounds like fun."

"You all know about that poor family with a bunch of small children living near the edge of town? Wouldn't it be fun," said Dorothy, "to put on masks, put all the food you brought into small baskets, put it on their door­step, knock and run. We can hide and watch the fun when they find all the good things to eat."

"Swell idea." "What fun!" All the boys and girls were thrilled with the plan. Dorothy had masks for each guest. The food was loaded into the family car. As soon as Doro­thy's Daddy was ready to drive they all piled in and were on their way.

When they reached the edge of town, they left the car. They were whispering and giggling as they approached the house with the food.They sneaked up to the door, de­posited the baskets and sneaked away. Long-legged Deane was left to knock and then run.

The door opened and the mother stepped out. She stooped and looked into the baskets. Then she peered all around. Then she looked again in the baskets. She was very excited as she called to her family, "Come children and see what the Halloween witch has left us." Several small children came tumbling out, squealing with de­light.

Dorothy and her goblin guests could hardly keep from shouting their laughter because the mother thought the Halloween witch had been there. "Deane is surely the witch," said Dorothy. "He knocked on the door."

Soon the whole happy crowd returned to Dorothy's house for refreshments. There were glasses of milk or cider, and doughnuts strung on the handle of a broom were passed. Deane, the witch, passed the doughnuts.

It was a gay bunch that bade their hostess Good Night, assuring her that it had been the best Halloween party ever.

A HALLOWEEN TRAIL OF TERROR

Another delightful Halloween party is a pro­gressive Halloween party. The advantage of the house-to-house party is that youngsters can be out of doors part of the time which gives them active exer­cise that fulfills yearnings for a rip-roaring good time.

The young guests may be asked to come, masked, to Pumpkin-Face Inn. The address must be that of the first house on the trail. The guests upon their arrival are given a small sack of buttered corn and four crackers. Here each guest submits to the "Ghost Test" which consists of eating the four crackers and then whistling. Try it sometime and see what a feat it is. The first successful whistler is given a lollypop.

The group is then told that there are paper pumpkins hidden throughout the house. The guests are divided into four groups, each with a leader. Each leader is pro­vided with a string on which to put the paper pumpkins when found. Each group chooses a signal such as bark­ing, meowing or crowing. No one except the leader is allowed to pick up a pumpkin. When one of the others finds a pumpkin he places his finger on it and barks or meows or does whatever his group is supposed to do un­til the leader comes to pick it up. The group, whose leader has the longest string of pumpkins, wins. This game is very hilarious and youngsters love the noise that they can make while playing it.

The party then proceeds to the second house which is completely dark. An adult ghost (or two) accompanies the group from house to house. The second place is called Haunted House. The leader raps on the door three times; a ghost opens the door and instructs the guests to form a lock-step line and to follow him. Amid shrieks and groans the guests are led through the house and finally into a dimly lit room and told a ghost story.

After the ghost story the youngsters are provided with paper sacks, crayons and scissors with which to construct a mask. The best one is chosen by popular applause and the winner awarded a prize. Each youngster is then given a pocketful of peanuts and they all proceed to Witch's Cavern.

Here there is an old witch with a cauldron full of cookies and fortunes. The children are greatly delighted with the fortunes given them by the witch. They are then con­ducted to the kitchen of the home. Here apples bob in a tub full of water. Each child tries his luck at bobbing for apples. An apple is the reward for the guest who is able to rescue an apple from the water with his teeth. The one or two unsuccessful youngsters are then given apples be­fore they proceed to the next house.

The Hideout is the last of the four houses. At the Hide­out the guests are seated on the floor with a bowl of slip­pery pumpkin seeds in the center. Each child is given a needle and thread. At a given signal the children all begin to string the slippery pumpkin seeds. At the end of ten minutes a prize is given the youngster with the most seeds on his string.

Then the children are presented with a ball of Witch's Yarn. The first child unwinds the ball until he finds a slip of paper with his fortune on it. He then throws the ball to another child who unwinds until he finds his for­tune, etc. Enough fortunes have been tied in the ball of yarn so that each guest will receive one.

The children are then served Halloween Sundaes. Halloween Sundaes are orange ice cream over which chocolate syrup is poured, topped off with imitation black spiders and chopped nuts.

The youngsters thoroughly enjoy this Halloween "Trail of Terror" party. Best of all it is not a great deal of work or expense for any one family, for the four families in the neighborhood who give the party share the work and ex­pense. Perhaps you'd like to try this plan in your neigh­borhood.

A HARD-TIME HALLOWEEN PARTY

Of the many different kinds of Halloween parties a hard-time party is bound to be intriguing. Appropriate invitations for this type of party are written on torn pieces of brown paper decorated with a black-cat sticker. Black cats, witches, and bats from the dime store make effective home decorations. Pictures can be hung at an angle or upside down. The dressing table may boast a shiny pie tin used for a hand mirror along with an old comb minus many teeth. Gunny sacks make lovely window curtains for this hard-time affair.

Such a setting entails very little expense, not too much effort and creates an atmosphere of hilarity that starts the party off with a bang.

A game that all young people will enjoy is a game o£ "Halloween Ten Pins." This is especially good when bowling is so popular. In keeping with the hard-time motif use ginger ale bottles for pins and solid heads of cabbages for balls. Set a certain score for game and let some expert bowler keep score for the crowd. Don't keep at one game too long.

After this game "Match Box Relay" will be fun. Divide the guests into two teams, girls against boys. Let the host­ess fasten the cover of a penny match box on the nose of each of the leaders. Each must transfer the box cover from his nose to the nose of the next team mate without the use of the hands. If the cover is dropped, it may be picked up and put back on the nose of the last person to have it. The team that finishes passing the box first is the winner, of course.

Halloween is synonymous with fortunetelling. No Halloween party would be complete without some sort of fortunetelling stunt, especially for teen-age youngsters. "Goblet Fortunes" are fun to do. Place a goblet on a table. Tie a ring to a string. Let each guest drop the ring to the bottom of the goblet while he recites the alphabet. Im­mediately when the ring strikes the side of the goblet the person stops. The letter with which he or she stops is indication of the name of the person he or she will marry.

"Halloween Hags" are lots of fun. Draw on a sheet a life-size witch with stringy hair, peaked hat, etc., with a hole where the face should be seen. Hang a sheet in an open doorway. Let the girls stick their heads in the open­ing, making faces to disguise their identities. Boys write their guesses as to who each one is. Then the girls take their turns at guessing whose face they see. It is surpris­ing how hard it is to guess each face. The youngsters are very good at face-making and have a grand time doing it.

At the conclusion of the games serve your guests a hearty lunch. Have the dining table set with a clean ragged cloth or brown paper doilies. Cracked and nicked dishes are in order along with old and odd pieces of silver­ware. Candles stuck into empty pop bottles may be used for table lighting. Colored magazine ads that represent some fault or peculiarity of the guests may be used for place cards. This causes a riot of fun and you'd be sur­prised how quickly each guest will spot his place. Oyster stew, vegetable salad, rolls, pickles, jelly, pumpkin pie and cider will satisfy the hungriest guest and are not too hard to prepare.

WHEN SPOOKS PROWL

October brings that bright blue weather poets sing about and it also brings that traditional night of nights when witches, bats, owls, black cats and goblins are on the prowl in step with the moaning wind in ghostly tree tops.

What could be more perfect on such a night than to have the High School gang in for a Halloween party. No other party is such fun to give with all of spookdom ready to do your bidding to add to the party atmosphere. And if you make your party a "superstitious" party you can give your games that different touch that will make your party the talk of the crowd for many a day to come. It will start the social season off with a bang.

Trim your house from top to bottom with black cut-outs of witches riding the broomstick, black cats, owls, and grinning jack-o-lanterns. Add to this usual decoration plenty of superstitious symbols to carry your party theme. Cardboard horseshoes can grace the doorways and huge four-leaf clovers decorate the drapes. In one corner sus­pend an open black umbrella decorated with bright orange streamers that reach to the floor. This colorful canopy will house your gypsy queen when she tells the fortunes of the willing guests.

Set the pitch for your party with invitations inscribed in white ink on black cut-out skull and cross bones:

BEWARE!

Bring your luck with you
Friday night, October 31
To Bob Wyman's at
8.00 p.m. YOU'LL NEED IT!

Be a black cat when you greet your guests at the door and hand each one a rabbit's foot to guard him well as he walks under the tall stepladder arching the doorway. Your black-cat costume need be no more than a black-cat mask and a black rope tail fastened under your belt. If the rest of your clothes are dark it will carry the catty illusion.

Usher the girls into a room so dimly lighted they'll not loiter long to primp. A long, jagged, black crayon mark drawn diagonally across the mirror will remind them that bad luck is loose in the house tonight.

A huge number 13 over the door of the boys' room will warn them of the peril of the night as well as huge black-cat cut-outs taped to the walls.

Before the party type a list of Bad Omens or Supersti­tions, one to a card. Then cut each card into several pieces. Scramble them and place several pieces in each envelope. Hand an envelope to each guest as he enters. By exchanging pieces with the other guests he can get the right pieces to formulate one complete superstition. Here are some fa­miliar superstitions to use:

1. A broken mirror will bring you seven years of bad luck.
   
   
2. If you sing before breakfast you will cry before night.
   
   
3. If a black cat crosses your path you will have bad luck.
   
   
4. To walk under a ladder is extremely bad luck.
   
   
5. You'll never finish anything started on Friday.
   
   
6. If you put on a garment wrong side out it's bad luck to change.
   
   
7. It's bad luck to sneeze before breakfast.
   
   
8. It's bad luck to rock an empty chair.

This mixer will give the guests something to do im­mediately upon arrival and avoid any stilted, awkward moments.

Next seat the guests on the floor in two lines facing each other. Appoint the first man of each line captain. Give each captain a double handful of Bad-Luck Corn. Instruct him to lay his Bad Luck (Corn) in a pile in front of his neighbor. The object of the game is to see which team can first pass the corn down the line and back. Any spilled corn must be gathered up and passed along. It's quite a trick to pass this much corn fast without dropping kernels.

"Bluebeard's Den" is a good chiller-diller. Prepare for it by hanging an old sheet across one end of an adjoining room. Cut four holes in it big enough to admit a head. Just around and below each of these slits smear the sheet with red paint or some kind of red coloring. Catsup will do. Beforehand arrange with one of the fellows to play Blue­beard and ask one of the girls to pose as his first be-headed wife. Have powder or flour and a big puff handy so that she may powder her face heavily and quickly. At the ap­pointed time the girl gets behind the sheet, thrusts her head through one of the holes and lets her head hang in a grotesque position.

Dim the lights and call in another girl. As Bluebeard swings his blade or shoots his cap gun accompanied by screams from the two girls, the second girl thrusts her head through a hole in the sheet. Repeat the process with a third and fourth girl. When the heads of the four be­headed wives are in place bring the guests, two at a time, from the other room to view the remains. As Bluebeard goes through the motion of showing how he killed each one, the heads moan and scream. This screaming and the report of the cap pistol excites the curiosity of the guests in the adjoining room who are anxiously awaiting their turn to visit Bluebeard's den.

No Halloween party is complete without a fortunetell-ing stunt. Beforehand have one of the girls prepared to be your gypsy fortuneteller. Under the umbrella canopy mentioned earlier you can make a realistic-looking fire by laying a few sticks across orange tissue paper with flash­lights concealed underneath. Burning incense gives the effect of steam issuing forth. Instruct the fortuneteller to question each one about his last dream. She can interpret these dreams according to the following meanings. If you pick a clever gypsy she can also use her imagination and her knowledge of the client to make the fortunes par­ticularly apt. Some common interpretations of dreams are:

Snakes—deceitful enemies

Lightning—beware of accidents

Falling—beware of money losses, hard times

Crying—joy

Sunset—love affair

Fog—end of your troubles is coming

Writing—will receive an important letter

Laughing—love or business disappointment

Suffering—wealth

Flames—gossip

Black cat or crows—bad news

Riding on train—visitors

Hungry—plenty

Fighting—success in love, prosperity

Strange faces—travel

Tell the crowd it's bad luck to follow the leader so you'll play "Contraries." Choose a leader who picks his victim. The victim is to do the opposite of what the leader does. Both are provided with chairs and hats. When the leader stands the victim sits. When the leader puts on his hat the victim takes his off. They should act simultane­ously. It is almost impossible to do the opposite while watching the leader, much to the enjoyment of the crowd. After a bit let the victim be the leader and choose some smarty who has laughed long and hard, to be his victim. It's a good game.

Tuna-fish salad tucked into sandwich buns and cheese­burgers are great favorites with teen-agers. Top this off with plenty of cokes or root beer. With some dixie cups and plenty of mints and nuts the refreshment problem is easily solved. Serve these refreshments buffet style and your friends can squat around the fireplace as they eat. Someone will be sure to tell a blood-curdling ghost story.

Try this superstitious party—it's a gang get-together that's really fun.

Halloween—that night of nights when all the spooks are on the loose and the witch rides high. That night our youngsters insist is the proper time for a party—a wonderful party when the whole family entertains its friends, children and adults alike. The chil­dren avow our family Halloween parties are the best par­ties of the entire year. And the carefree gaiety of these parties has an equally strong appeal to the adults.

No richer opportunity for effective decoration is given by any season. Autumn leaves, cornstalks, and lighted pumpkin jack-o-lanterns are traditional and easily pre­pared. Free-hand cutting of witches, cats, bats, fairies, spiders, owls, cauldrons, broomsticks and peaked hats of black and orange construction paper may be pinned about on curtains and walls. And how the whole family loves to help with the cutting.

Candles, dishes of alcohol and salt, and blue Christmas lights make a ghostly illumination. Be sure that all candles are safeguarded to prevent fire hazards.

To convert your lampshades into festive Halloween lights cut strips of orange paper long and wide enough to go around the shade and pin the ends together. Gather the top edge and hold in place with a one-inch band of black crepe paper. Place a black cat or witch here and there on the shade. When the light is on the shades look much more elaborate than they really are.

If your walls are papered you can pin black cut-outs to the wallpaper with common pins. At night the pins do not show and the pin mark is too small to mar the paper. On painted walls stick the cut-outs on with Scotch tape. Witches, bats and cats are very effective when they are Scotch-taped on mirrors and windows.

Black and orange crepe-paper chains are very decorative across doorways or from the corners of the room to the chandelier in the center. Perhaps you remember, from kindergarten days, how to make them. It's easy to do. Take two strips of crepe paper, one black and one orange, of equal length and equal width—two inches is a good width. Fasten the strips together at right angles to each other. Then fold the orange strip over the black, then the black over the orange. Continue until the entire lengths are folded. You will now have a pile of folded squares. Stick or pin the ends of the two strips together. Then pull out the folded papers. You will have a very attractive black and orange chain.

A colorfully decorated home, even though inexpensively done, adds much to the party atmosphere. But the real secret of a successful family party is to have games people of all ages can enter into.

When the big night comes it's fun to have a ghost—jun­ior-size—open the door as the guests arrive and solemnly point to white footprints on the floor. The man-sized (pa­per) footprints lead to the room where the dads and grand-dads can leave their wraps. The smaller ones lead to the parking place for the women's and children's wraps.

In each of these rooms have large paper sacks to be worn over the head, one for each guest. Before the night of the party cut in each sack holes for eyes, and with black crayon draw on other features, handle-bar mustaches, etc. Also mark on each sack a number to come just below the chin. When wraps are removed, each guest immediately puts on one of the sacks and is given a stiff card and pencil. The object of this mixer is to have each guest list by name and number as many of the paper heads as he can. Of course each person, while trying to discover the identity of others, endeavors to keep himself a mysterious stranger. The one who first completes a correct list of the names of all the guests is dubbed "Chief Paper Head" for the eve­ning.

"Nosey" or "Nose Game" is another good family game which always provides a lot of fun for everybody—parents and children alike. It is a favorite at family parties and you have read a description of it on page 78.

After this teasing game and the well-known, hilarious "Costume Race" relay already recommended on page 80, it is well to give your guests a breathing spell. Ask the youngsters to sit on the floor while you tell them a Hallow­een story. Assign to each youngster a character which appears in the story. Whenever one's character is men­tioned in the story, he makes the sounds assigned to him. The storyteller should pause a moment after a character is mentioned in the story. You'll probably have more guests than characters in the story but two or more can be assigned to the same character. It doesn't lessen the fun a bit.

The "Cat Game" will give your guests a real thrill. It's a must at our family parties on Halloween night. All lights are dimmed. Big and little guests sit on the floor in a circle, a sheet spread in the center. Each one takes hold of the sheet with his left hand and keeps his right hand free un­der the sheet. The hostess appears holding a tray covered with a napkin and says in a solemn voice:

"This evening when the Halloween cat was on the way to our party it was run over. His remains will now be passed around under the sheet. This is the cat's eye— just pass it to your neighbor and so on around the circle under the sheet." The hostess reaches under the sheet to hand the first person an icy oyster, to be followed by the head—a ball of yarn filled with hairpins; tail—a coon tail from a child's cap; teeth—a string of large beads, chilled; hide—a brushed wool helmet; tongue—a very cold wa­termelon pickle; insides—a bunch of soft dough, well floured. The shrieks accompanying this game are hair raising.

The refreshments can be as simple or as elaborate as you want but after an evening of hilarity, apple cider and pumpkin pie are easy to serve and popular.

By all means give a family Halloween party. It's such a good chance to have fun with your children and your neighbors and their children. It also provides a construc­tive way for young America to celebrate that American tradition of Halloween merrymaking.

FAMILY FUN AT HALLOWEEN!

Talk about a grand month for parties! No month of the year offers better opportunities for thrill­ing and original parties than the month of October with its wealth of color and beauty and its Hal­loween festival.

A Halloween party, which includes the whole family, offers one of the very nicest ways to celebrate this tradi­tional day of merrymaking. Plentiful opportunities for legitimate fun for the young people in the home obviates any desire on their part to participate in activities outside which might easily, in exuberance of spirits, result in dep­redations and disorders. At the same time civic habits for your sons and daughters are being made.

In our home such a Halloween party for the whole fam­ily is an annual event. It has proved so popular with our family and family friends, that each year there is a gen­eral request for another. In fact, our sons greatly prefer these family parties at Halloween time to any other kind.

Decorating the house for the Halloween party is one type of interior decoration that boys and girls thor­oughly enjoy. All that is needed is plenty of orange and black crepe paper and some black silhouette figures ob­tainable at the dime store.

At our house "Mike" hangs in the room where the men and boys leave their coats and hats. "Mike" is a life-size cardboard skeleton purchased at the dime store. We painted him over with phosphorous paint (also from the dime store). From the darkest corner of the room "Mike" shines forth in all his ghostly glory, thereby adding to the spooky atmosphere of the home.

Guests quickly imbibe the Halloween spirit and are ready for any fun. Games must be planned beforehand and must be for young and old. This is not as hard as it sounds.

A good way to start off the evening is to tell the guests that you have just heard that two witches have come to town and that you suspect they are among the guests; that they must be caught immediately before they can do hor­rible damage. (Two of the guests have agreed beforehand to be the witches.) The hostess describes the two witches as to height, weight, color of hair and eyes, habits, etc., and adds, if she sees fit, humorous comments. The guests immediately hunt for the two witches that have just been described. As soon as someone believes he has spotted one of the witches he extends his hand and reads in a loud voice from a card (which has previously been given each guest by the hostess) the following:

When shall we meet again? Thunder, lightning or in rain? Better take it on the lam, Old black witch, beat it, scram!

If he has pointed out the real witch, he or she disappears rapidly through the nearest door. If the discoverer is wrong he gets a Bronx cheer for his efforts. The game ends when both witches have been discovered and sent out.

Another Halloween game which proves a riot, especially for the heavier mamas, is the well-known "Broomstick Game," in which even the men bump their noses and the youngsters rock with laughter watching the grown-ups try this trick of picking up the apple with their teeth. You can read the details on page 79.

The "Pumpkin Carving" contest is always very popular. All the children, big and little, in the party are seated around the room on the floor with papers spread out be­fore them. Each child is furnished with a hollowed-out pumpkin and a knife and told to carve a jack-o-lantern. Mothers and fathers help by suggestions. When the lan­terns are finished a lighted candle should be placed in each and the lanterns lined up in a row for decision as to which is entitled to the prize. This is decided by popu­lar applause. Each child may take home his or her own jack-o-lantern.

At our last party, in a secluded corner of the room, was suspended a large iron kettle over a make-believe fire. It had created quite a bit of speculation, but as no one went near it, it was supposedly just a part of the decoration. Just about the time all the guests had forgotten about it, a witch rushed into the room. In a covered basket she had a number of ingredients which were needed for charms. She handed the basket to the hostess and retired to her kettle, muttering.

Each guest was then blindfolded and formed a line. The hostess then explained that all the objects which were in the basket must be passed from guest to guest in the line and finally handed to the witch. It was started off with a hot baked potato which passed quickly from hand to hand amidst sudden exclamations of various kinds. A chestnut burr came next followed by a piece of ice, an old glove filled with mush, a large soup bone, a large peeled grape and an oyster.

The blindfolded guests emitted blood-curdling shrieks as the objects touched their hands. At the end of the line the objects were placed in the kettle and stirred vigorously by the witch while the guests, blindfolds removed, looked into the kettle. When all the ingredients were thoroughly stirred the witch took from the kettle the written fortune of each guest. Halloween is the one night of the year when spirits, according to tradition, roam the earth again and mortals may appeal to them for a glimpse into the future.

At the end of the games big doughnuts were passed on a child's broom handle, accompanied by cider or milk. As an extra treat black-face ice cream was served. This is made by pouring thick chocolate sauce over vanilla ice cream. The eyes, nose and mouth on each serving are marked with tiny mint candies.

Although originally Halloween was a Druid and Roman religious ceremony, in American tradition it is a night of merrymaking, fortunetelling and pranks. Such an oppor­tunity for a good time should not be wasted.

ROLLICKING FUN FOR HALLOWEEN

Halloween without a party is like bread without butter. It's a season of witchery and fun that de­mands we humans forget our hum-drum exist­ence for this one night and join the annual frolic of witches, devils, fairies, and other imps of earth and air.

For an evening of rollicking fun invite all your friends and neighbors—young and old alike—it's one party that all can enjoy together.

Turn your imagination loose on decorations. You can be as traditional as you wish, confining your decorations to the usual black cats and bats with black and orange streamers, or you can have very effective decorations with the things at hand.

Shocks of corn stalks banked with pumpkins will change your living room into an outdoor scene. Branches of au­tumn leaves over the doorways and windows add color. Fat cabbage heads and sturdy turnips make excellent holders for orange and black candles. Shimmering moon­light can be provided by hanging an orange crepe-paper moon in front of a light. With this outdoor atmosphere the tone of your party is set.

A dinner strictly on the Halloween side will start the evening off with a bang. For real fun seat all your guests at one table. Cover it with a Halloween paper tablecloth or plain orange crepe paper. A centerpiece of vegetables with red apple candleholders and orange candles is very effective. Let your fine china along with all the rest of your "best bib and tucker" remain calmly in their accus­tomed corners while you set your table with shiny tin cups and plates. It's easy to explain that the Halloween witch has made off with all your silver, leaving only the knives.

Serve the food family style direct from the kitchen with no trimmings. A crock of baked beans, escalloped potatoes, and meat loaf served in the tin in which it was baked are substantial mainstays. Make a large flat tin of vegetable salad using orange jello. Cut it in squares in the kitchen and place it on the table as is. Did you ever eat gelatin salad with a knife? Results are most surprising. Escalloped potatoes are not so hard to manage, but the elusive pea—no chance for formality or stiffness. Each diner will be too busy manipulating his knife and laughing uproariously at his neighbor.

Pour the coffee from the big kitchen pot and serve the cream and sugar from the kitchen ware. It will occur to some bright guest to stir his coffee with his knife handle. Soon everyone will be doing it.

Each guest is cautioned to clean his plate thoroughly for dessert. When the plates are cleaned pumpkin pie is passed from the tins in which it is baked.

At the end of this hilarious feast—it will be hilarious I guarantee—you are ready for the games which you have planned so that both Grandpa and Junior can enjoy them.

While you are clearing the table and pushing it out of the way let your guests try this stunt. Hang a string from the center of a doorway. On it fasten a short stick or cane so that it remains parallel to the floor. From one end of the stick suspend a ripe juicy apple. Spin the cane merry-go-round fashion as fast as possible. Then let the first brave soul step close and try to bite the apple as it flies past. If he succeeds in biting the apple he will be, or is, lucky in matters of love. If he fails he's very unlucky and will need considerable dusting off. It's a hilarious game all your guests will be clamoring to play.

For a quieter game give each lady present a cup of wet pumpkin seeds and supply each man, young or old, with a threaded needle. As each lady hands the man a seed from her supply he threads it on a needle and runs it down the thread. If he drops the seed he must recover it before an­other seed can be threaded. The couple finishing the cup of seeds first wins the right to first try in the next game.

Line up on the table seven lighted candles. Ask a guest to stand six or eight feet from the table facing the candles. Then blindfold him and turn him completely around three times and tell him to walk to the table and blow three times at the candle flames. Allow him three blows and no more. If he blows out all the candles he will sell all his crops at a big profit. If he fails to blow out any he'll have to store his grain. If 1,2,3,4,5, or 6 candles are left burning they indicate the number of years before he will become rich.

This next game can be played by any number of peo­ple. Tie candy pumpkins or orange or black jelly beans to a string. Make each string about three feet long. In­struct each guest to put the free end of the string into his mouth and hold his hands behind his back. At a signal all start chewing. They continue to chew until someone gets his piece of candy in his mouth. He is declared win­ner. It is an exciting game to watch and equally funny to the players who have trouble to keep from laughing as they furiously chew.

While the following game is an old one it always makes a hit. The ladies are seated in chairs facing a circle. There is one extra chair. Behind every chair stands a man. All men stand stiffly with their hands at their sides. The man behind the empty chair is the Halloween cat. When the cat sees a lady he'd like to sit in his chair, he winks at her.

She must slip away from her chair before the man at her back can restrain her by putting his hands on her shoulders. If she escapes her man becomes the cat. If she doesn't, the cat must try another lady. This game is fun for all and takes quite a bit of time. Be careful not to play any game so long that the guests get tired of it. Quit each game while it is at its height and go on to the next game.

For the farewell game let the men join the women in a circle. Caution your guests that no one must laugh during this game. If he does he will be eliminated. The first player, looking solemn, says, "Ho" to the person on his right. That player then says, "Ho Ho" to the third person. He in turn says to the fourth, "Ho Ho Ho." Each person with a straight face adds another "Ho." Around the circle will go the "Ho Hos" until only one "sober-sides" remains. He'll be the winner.

With a merry "Ho Ho" we wish you a jolly Halloween —the night that a party is a must.

THE GOBLINS WILL GET YOU!

On Halloween, when all the spooks in spookdom are on the loose, it is good to gather close at home and invite your friends in to meet the friendly spooks at your house.

To the children at our house a family Halloween party ranks first. They love to invite their friends and their friends' parents. For us parents there is no grander way to get acquainted with the families of our children's friends. Let us tell you about our last Halloween party. A week or so before the big night we sent out the in­vitations in the form of big black cats. The family joined in cutting them out. On the big bushy tails we printed in white ink:

This is the tail of the Halloween cat, Hurry, he says, to meet spook and bat On Halloween night, about seven or so At a house that you know, yet may not know. At 805 Blunt Street— Come in costume and BRING YOUR SHIVERS!

Each invitation included every member of the family and was addressed to the entire family.

The front door was fastened with a chain which per­mitted the spook host to open the door only far enough to flash a light in the arriving guest's face for the "once over" before admitting him. Without a word he pointed to the floor. Two sets of white cardboard footprints led the way to the several bedrooms where wraps were to be deposited. The male contingent followed the large foot­prints; the women and children the smaller ones.

While the guests were gathering much time was spent in admiring each other's costumes and examining the house which was decorated for the occasion. All the floor and table lamps wore Halloween shades. Black and orange cut-out witches, bats and cats were everywhere on the walls. Black cats and horrible skulls and crossbones leered from every mirror. Black and orange crepe-paper chains were strung across the tops of windows, doorways, and across the ceiling in the dining room from the center chandelier to the four corners of the room. With the dimmed light the effect was weird and highly decorative.

As soon as all the guests arrived each was given a large spool and one end of a string. These strings had been ar­ranged so that they crossed each other and wound here and there about the room beneath carpets, around chair rungs and behind pictures. All led to one large black card­board spider hanging in the center of the room. At a given signal everyone began winding. The winner was the one who reached the spider first with all his string wound on his spool—he was then given the spider as a prize. Inci­dentally, this game is a very good "ice breaker." Each one's undignified scramble for his string removed all diffidence and everyone was ready for a good time.

A "Cat Race" next kept the guests busy. Before the party our sons had cut out of black construction paper two large cardboard cats. A string about twelve feet long was run through the head of each cat. One end of each string was tied to a chair across the room high enough from the floor so that each cat stood on its hind legs. Then the captains of each team took the loose ends of the strings and by jerking them moved the cats down to the man operating the string. The next man in line jerked the cat back up to the chair. Of course, the first line through won the race. It was a hilarious race that left the jerkers helpless with mirth.

The next game was a relay and the guests were divided into two teams. A big orange cardboard pumpkin with a large opening in one side hung in an open doorway. Sus­pended inside the pumpkin was a small bell. The first man on each team was given a bean bag and told to ring the bell. Each player had one try and then passed the bean bag to the next player. A scorekeeper reported on which team rang the bell the greater number of times.

Then apples were tied to strings in the open doorway. A contestant with hands behind his back tried for a bite at the swinging apple. In a large archway there is room for five or six apples hung side by side. It is loads of fun for the onlookers to watch the struggling contestants.

The "Rainy Day Race" was really hilarious. Once again we divided the guests into two teams. A locked suitcase and an umbrella were given each side. Each suitcase con­tained rubbers, a skirt, gloves, a raincoat and hat. At the starting signal the leader of each team opened the suitcase, put on the clothing, went out the front door, raised the umbrella and ran around to the back door through the house to the living room, where he closed the umbrella and repacked the suitcase for the next man on his team. Needless to say the repacking and dressing was done at break-neck speed and afforded no end of fun and excite­ment.

After this riotous event the guests welcomed a chance to catch their breath. While they were resting each one was given a clothespin, a Halloween paper napkin, three straight pins, and a yard of string to make a Halloween table favor.

When the favors were finished and the winners chosen, the guests were led to Goblin's den—our dining room—for the buffet lunch. The tablecloth was black crepe paper. A two-faced lighted pumpkin served the double purpose of centerpiece and illumination. White cut-out skulls and crossbones and large white cat-heads with wide-open mouths and eyes added a lot to the spookiness of the table.

Each guest carried his filled plate to the living room where card tables had been placed. To match the dining table each card table was covered with a black crepe-pa­per cloth. Scattered over the table top were white cut-out skulls and crossbones. Each table was lighted with an orange candle decorated with a black crepe-paper bow. White grave markers served as place cards. These markers, held erect with stiff cardboard standards, bore such in­scriptions as "Here sits spook Tom Jones."

The food too carried out the Halloween idea. Jack-o-lanterns made from red apples were stuffed with tuna-fish salad. Open-faced cheesespread sandwiches with raisin features grinned a welcome. Wedges of pumpkin pie were decorated with skull and crossbones of whipped cream. The children were served glasses of witch's brew (cider) and the adults were given coffee.

After the luncheon all went in to see "Mike"—our family skeleton who holds forth in a dark closet on Hal­loween night. Mike is a life-size cardboard skeleton purchased from the dime store. We painted his bones with phosphorous paint and he glows realistically from a darkened closet.

By all means give a family Halloween party. It is such a good chance to have fun and be completely natural.

Thanksgiving vacation! What a grand time to have a party. Boys and girls love to dress in cos­tume and a nice idea is to ask each guest to come to the party dressed as a Puritan.

A good game to start your party off is "Laughing Hand­kerchief." Everybody sits in a circle. "IT" holds a hand­kerchief in the air while everyone laughs. The harder you laugh the more fun it is. Without warning "IT" drops the hanky. When it hits the floor everyone is supposed to stop laughing and immediately put on a "straight face." The last one to stop laughing becomes "IT." This is lots of fun.

When this hilarious game has been played for a bit and while your guests are still seated in a circle, the "Count Your Blessings" game can be played. One child starts off with "I am grateful for apples" or something beginning with the letter "a." The next child is grateful for some­thing beginning with "b" as "I am grateful for my brother." The third "c" might say, "I am grateful for chil­dren to play with." So on around the circle and through the alphabet. If a child fails to think of a word beginning with the proper letter he drops out of the circle. The one remaining in the circle longest can be given a chocolate turkey as a prize.

"Indian Trader," an active game, is a nice change after sitting games. Guests divide into two groups and locate at opposite ends of the room. One group is called "Trad­ers" and the other "Indians." The traders decide among themselves upon some vegetable to sell to the Indians. When they have chosen one they march across the room and stand before the Indians. A spokesman says "We have a vegetable to sell. Guess what." As soon as some Indian names the right vegetable all the traders scoot for their own side of the room with the Indians in hot pursuit. If an Indian catches one of the traders, he must join the In­dians. Then the Indians take their turn at selling vege­tables. This game entertains for some time.

A nice quiet game to follow can be "Questions and An­swers," either oral or written. If written, of course, paper and pencils must be furnished. A suitable and not too hard list is:

Answers

1. What is the Thanksgiving fowl? Turkey.
   
   
2. Who were guests at the first Thanksgiving dinner? Indians.
   
   
3. Who were the hosts at the first American Thanksgiv­ing dinner? Puritans.
   
   
4. Name one grain the Pilgrims found in the new world. Corn.
   
   
5. At what time of the year did the Pilgrims hold their first Thanksgiving? In the Fall after the Harvest.

If desired a small prize may be given to the one answer­ing correctly the most questions.

Nice refreshments are orange ice and gingerbread tur­keys. If there is cold turkey in the house turkey sand­wiches are good. Then there always is ice cream. Ice cream in turkey molds and cookies in the shape of pumpkins are sure to please your guests.

GAMES FOR THANKSGIVING DAY

In planning programs for children's groups it is well to alternate lively games with quiet ones. A nice game to play Thanksgiving afternoon is called "Thanksgiving." The players sit in a circle and each one names a word beginning with "T" and ending with "G". The same word cannot be given twice. For instance one may say "Tag," the second "Telling," etc. If player fails to think of a word when his turn comes he drops out of the game. At the end of the game the player remaining is the winner.

It is a good plan to follow a thinking game with an ac­tion game. "Electric Shock" is such a game and goes this way: The players line up in two equal rows facing each other. The youngsters in each line join hands. When the whistle blows the first in each line presses the hand of the person next to him; the second person then presses the hand of the third person in line, and so on down the line. As soon as the last player in each line has been reached he holds his hand over his head.

For children familiar with common musical terms the following game is entertaining. Players should be supplied with paper and pencils unless it is played orally. Each sen­tence or phrase can be completed with a musical term.

Answers

People live in it..................    Flat

Used in describing a razor .... Sharp

Furniture in a store.............    Counters

Often passed in school.......... Notes

A person at ease................    Natural

Used in fishing...................    Lines

What one breathes.............    Air

A part of a sentence.............. Phrase

Found on a fish..................    Scales

Another name for a cane ....   Staff

Shown by a clock..............    Time

What we should do at night . . . Rest

Something for a door.........    Key

A kind of tar......................    Pitch

A hilarious game is called "Bumpity, bump, bump, bump." The crowd gathers in a circle. The leader gets in the center and starts the game off. She walks up to some person unexpectedly and with her hands at her ears, flap­ping them like a donkey's, she says very rapidly "Bumpity, bump, bump, bump." The person before whom she stands is supposed to count five before she finishes. If he fails to do so, he takes her place in the center of the circle and she takes his and the game continues. Youngsters think this is good sport.

Siamese singing is always a riot. It will be necessary to have six or seven copies of the words for this song. Give them to one group of the children and ask them to sing the following words to the tune of America:

"O wa ta goo Siam O wa ta goo Siam. O wa ta goos O wa ta goo Siam O wa ta goo Siam O wa ta goo Siam O wa ta goos."

It won't take the youngsters long to realize they are sing­ing "Oh what a goose I am." The other youngsters can then sing the following words, also to the tune of America:

"So say we all of us Every last one of us So say we all, So say we all of us."

I hope you all enjoy your Thanksgiving Day games.

AUNT SUSAN'S THANKSGIVING PARTY

Family gatherings can be a beastly bore for the children in the group. They get tired and cross thereby making life miserable for the adults and spoiling everyone's good time. It's a wise mother who foresees this and plans entertainment for the entire group; youngsters and oldsters alike.

We all blessed Aunt Susan for her successful efforts along this line when she entertained the entire family last Thanksgiving. Aside from the wonderful eats she planned a glorious good time for the crowd. Even the most boisterous lad was well behaved and had fun.

Upon our arrival at her home she presented each male guest, man and boy, with a wide Puritan collar of white paper, and each maid and matron with a dainty white cap and kerchief made of soft tissue paper. Even nine-year-old Bill with his freckles and missing front tooth looked very angelic in his Puritan attire. Then she pinned on each of us a slip of paper bearing our name for the day. We became Captain Standish, Governor Bradford, John Alden, Priscilla, Humility Cooper, Mistress Katherine Carver, little Peregrine White and the like.

Her dining room was transformed into "Plymouth" by branches of autumn foliage and the green of fir and pine trees. Cornshock tepees with heaps of golden corn and pumpkins served as a reminder that the red man was here on that first Thanksgiving day.

In the midst of this woodsy scene was the Thanksgiving board. A small cabin of Lincoln logs furnished the center piece. Just in front of the cabin a table mirror reflected the miniature evergreen trees and tiny Indian tepees made of brown wrapping paper which bordered the mir­ror. Tallow candles in pewter holders graced the bare wooden table. Only a minimum of silver was at each place.

Hatchets for the men, guns for the young masters, cra­dles for the matrons and brooms for the girls, all cut from cardboard, served as place cards.

While the turkey was being carved Uncle John, rep­resenting Elder Brewster, read the following, which Aunt Susan had typed out:

"Blessed will it be for us, blessed for this land, for this vast continent. Nay, from generation to generation will the blessings descend. Generations will look back to these scenes of agonizing trial, to this day of small things, and say 'Here was our beginning as a people. These were our forefathers. Through their trials we inherit our blessings. Their faith is our faith, their hope our hope, their God, our God!' "

Aunt Susan's dinner was her usual good feast of roast turkey with dressing, mashed potatoes, squash, cranberry sauce, apple salad, mince pie and coffee.

Back in the living room, after the feast, when we old­sters normally became drowsy and the youngsters fussy or boisterous as their temperaments dictated, Aunt Susan roused us all with a suggestion. She reminded us that as Puritans we still had our houses to build. These fore­bears of ours were self-sufficient as far as building materials were concerned. They were thrifty too. If one man had more of a commodity than he could use he would trade it for something he lacked. She then gave each of us an envelope of paper money, which was cut from cardboard. Instantly we became merchants, and dealers in house­ building materials.

Aunt Susan was the storekeeper. On hand she had a supply of cardboard logs—some twelve inches long, others six inches and still others three inches long. Also a supply of windows and doors cut from cardboard. Each one was given five cardboard logs to start with. The paper cash each had was insufficient to buy a complete house, so it was necessary to barter.

Each of us attempted to build on a flat table or floor the front of a cabin having one window and door. At a given signal the bartering began. It was exciting. Finally Grandpa announced, "My house is done." He received a small saw for his prize.

Next we played "Mayflower." The group was divided into two teams each headed by a captain and formed into two lines. Aunt Susan gave each captain a basket filled with odds and ends—clothespins, pencils, feathers, flat-irons, pillows, nail-files, nails, and matches. The two bas­kets and contents were exactly the same. The object of the game was to pass all these articles down the line to Plymouth rock and then back again to the Mayflower. The team completing the job first made the losers pay the consequences with an original stunt.

After this excitement we were glad to be seated and play "Dinner." Each person had to name an article of food be­ginning with a letter found in the word "dinner." The first was "duck," the second "ice cream," etc. The word "dinner" could be used as many times around as desired. Of course, the longer we played the harder the game be­came because we couldn't repeat any of the foods. When someone failed to think of an article of food he dropped out of the game. Gradually all but Tom was eliminated and he was pronounced winner.

Then someone suggested another dinner game called "Going Out To Dinner." John Jessup and Mary White both knew this game so they started it off. Mary said, "I'm going out to dinner and bring back More Watermelons. What are you bringing back, John?" John said, "I'm going out to dinner and bring back Just Jugs." Then John called on someone else who failed to bring back the right thing. This was continued until the crowd caught on that the articles brought back began with the initials of the first and last names of the person talking.

Aunt Susan's party wound up with a song fest—some old songs for the oldsters and some new songs for the youngsters. All the family felt at the end of the day that this was one family gathering that had been thor­oughly enjoyable for all concerned. Aunt Susan had cer­tainly set the pattern for our future family gatherings.

A FAMILY THANKSGIVING PARTY

Is it your turn to have the family Thanksgiving dinner this year? Of course you love these family Thanksgiving get-togethers but do you get a bit bored to spend most of the day listening to tales of Aunt Jennie's arthritis or your bachelor uncle's gripes about the younger generation? Own up! Naturally you do, and the youngsters get restless and sometimes out-of-hand. Why not avoid all that and surprise the relatives by making a real party of the occasion. It can be done very easily and with only a tiny bit of expense.

Gay autumn leaves made from colored construction paper bearing your invitation will probably surprise your kin if written invitations have not been the family custom. Any little rhyme will serve the purpose as,

A Thanksgiving party is now being planned, For which it is hoped you'll be on hand. Don't let bad weather keep you away For the clan will gather on Thanksgiving day At 805 Blunt Street, 12:30 p.m.

Nothing is more in keeping for decorations at this time of year than colored leaves and harvest fruits. Bright-colored leaves, tips of sumac branches, bitter-sweet berries, corn silks; all gathered at their best and properly pre­served, provide color for the gala occasion. Leaves keep their bright colors and shapes indefinitely if they are dipped in hot melted paraffin and ironed flat. Bunches of corn silks dry straight when hung from the clothes­line and can then be dipped or sprayed in gold paint. Brownish-red sumac can be brightened and preserved by spraying, or if you have no spray, by dipping them in red dye or paint.

For a clever Holiday table centerpiece thrust two nails upright through the center of an ordinary paper plate and then entirely cover with gold paint. Tie the golden corn silks to the nails. Lay the bright red sumac tips around on the plate much like the leaves of a poinsettia.

Arrange green leaves close to the center of the plate and put clusters of bitter-sweet berries on this green back­ground. You will find that you have a most attractive cen­terpiece not only for your Thanksgiving table but for many festive days to come.

It will add to the beauty and color of your table if you arrange colored paraffined leaves on either side of the cen­terpiece to elaborate the pattern to fit your particular table.

The colored leaves also make very pretty place cards. Guests' names can be written on the hard paraffin surface with any opaque water paint. Cardboard standards can be fastened to the backs of the leaves so they will stand upright.

In planning your Thanksgiving feast make it as easy to serve as possible. That usually means serving those foods that can be prepared ahead of time.

To save time and avoid the confusion of serving ap­petizers at the table we like to spread out a serve-yourself arrangement of cranberry cocktail and wafers on the liv­ing-room table. It adds a welcome air as the guests arrive.

Here's a good recipe for cranberry cocktail which, with the exception of lemon and orange juice, can be prepared the previous day. Cook four cups of washed berries in six cups of water until the berries are very soft and mushy. Strain through cheesecloth. Add one cup of sugar to strained juice and heat until sugar is dissolved. Chill. Add the juice of one lemon and one orange just before serv­ing.

For the Thanksgiving dinner roast turkey and dress­ing, mashed potatoes and gravy, peach pickles, fruit salad, buttered asparagus, hot rolls and jelly are traditional with us. Mince pie and pumpkin pie compete for first place as a favorite dessert with after-dinner coffee.

As soon as the guests are seated at the table and the head of the house is busy with the carving why not give him a break by diverting the attention of the guests while he carves. Have a small pad and pencil at each place. Read the following questionnaire. Be sure to allow enough time for each guest to write the answer to the questions as you read. Here's a sample one that's fun:

1. Name the part of the turkey that assists a lady in dressing Comb
   
   
2. Name the part of the turkey that opens the front door (last part) Key
   
   
3. Part of a turkey that appears after Thanksgiving Bill
   
   
4. Part of a turkey that's part of a sentence Claws (clause)
   
   
5. Part of a turkey that is used for cleaning Wings (dusters)
   
   
6. Part of a turkey that the farmer watches care­fully Crop
   
   
7. Part of a turkey that is an oriental (first part) Turk
   
   
8. Why ought the turkey be ashamed? We see the turkey dressing
   
   
9. Why is a fast eater like a turkey? Both are fast gobblers
   
   
10. What color gets its name from turkey? Turkey red
    
    
11. When the turkey is cooking what country is he in?Grease (Greece)
    
    
12. What part of a turkey is a story? Tail (tale)
    
    
13. What part of a turkey appears on the battlefield?  Drumstick

By the time the questions are all answered the host will have finished the carving. Collect the answers to be read while the dessert is being served. To the guest with the greatest number of correct answers goes the blue ribbon turkey cut from brown construction paper with a blue ribbon around its neck.

Not too soon after dinner but before that sluggish feel­ing gets too strong a foothold, why not ask cousin Jim, who usually monopolizes the conversation anyway, to make a Thanksgiving Day speech including in it the names of all barnyard animals. Ask each guest to keep an animal in mind. When Jim raises his right hand everyone immedi­ately imitates the animal he has chosen. When Jim raises his left hand all keep silent. When he raises both hands everyone imitates a turkey's "gobble, gobble." All calls are continued until cousin Jim lowers his arms.

When this talkative cousin declares a truce the family can exercise a bit by trying to pin a head on a turkey. Pin up a picture of a large headless turkey. Then blind­fold each guest in turn and give him a try at pinning on the head. The one coming the nearest to hitting the right spot is rewarded with a jar of cranberry jelly.

Here is a game that always creates a riot. Give each guest a slip of paper reminding him that relatives can have good qualities as well as bad. Ask each one to write a trait of character he or she most admires in one of the other guests. To remove all restraint the slips should not be signed by the writer. This always causes a lot of good-natured fun. The slips are then collected and the family virtues read aloud. It's fun to hear just what traits the family most appreciates.

Another game that is a lot of fun is "Family Ties." When the guests are invited ask each male to bring one or two discarded ties. Every man has a few dozen or so which he hangs on to "just in case." Put all the neckties in one bas­ket with the guests seated around the room. The game is to let the rest of the family guess the owner. As each tie is held up for inspection it is greeted with a running fire of comment as to the type of tie it is and what inner urge might make a man buy it. The first person guessing the owner correctly will be awarded the tie.

By this time your crowd should be in a mood for "Fam­ily Secrets." Let one member of the group imitate some other member of his particular family in some activity and the crowd guess what it is. For instance, young John may imitate his sister primping for a date. Dad may im­personate mother entertaining the minister at tea. Mother may retaliate by showing Dad trying to borrow a Five from Uncle George.

After these games we'll guarantee all stiffness and bore­dom will have vanished from your Thanksgiving dinner party. Perhaps you've set the pace for a livelier time at Aunt Jennie's next year, and there is still plenty of time left for a good old-fashioned visit

A MEXICAN FIESTA

Everyone loves a costume party so why not invite your friends for a Mexican Fiesta with Mexican costumes for your Holiday party. The costumes need not cost a great deal—a wide-brimmed straw hat will do for a sombrero, a bright shawl over one shoulder will serve for a serape for the boys. The girls can wear white blouses with full, bright-colored, ankle-length skirts. On week days the Mexican girls wear rebozos and on Sunday mantillas. The rebozo is a bright-colored scarf worn over the head, and the mantilla is a lace scarf.

"Living Pictures" is a good opener. In this game each guest acts out some Mexican occupation. For instance: One child carries a jar on her head to show how Mexicans carry water; another dances on the brim of a big sombrero to picture their dances; another weaves a bit of rope to represent the making of twine. Playing a guitar, pottery making, etc., all could be acted out. As each one does his stunt the others guess what he represents.

"Sardines," an indoor hide-and-seek game, is fun. One Mexican is "IT" and hides in a roomy place. Then all start quietly hunting for him. As soon as one finds "IT" he hides with him. This goes on until all the children are packed like sardines in one place. It is hard for the hidden ones to keep from laughing as the others hunt.

This lively game can be followed by "Pottery." The children sit on the floor and with a bit of clay (obtainable at the dime store) model a vase or bowl or any article they want to make. A newspaper may be spread in front of each one to catch falling bits of clay. This is loads of fun and a prize can be given, if desired, for the best modeled article.

A novel way to give your party favors is to follow the Mexican Christmas plan of distributing gifts. Instead of a Christmas tree presents for Mexican children are often put into a clay jar. Christmas eve the children are blind­folded and with a stick they try to break the jar. When the jar is broken the presents fall on the floor and there is a scramble for the gifts. The one who breaks the jar receives a special gift. So why not for your party put your party favors into an inexpensive clay jar and set it on a small table. Let each child in turn be blindfolded and try to break the jar. To him who succeeds in breaking the jar give a special favor.

Novel and easy-to-make refreshments are "Tortillas." They are Mexican corn pancakes. Plain pancakes called Tortillas would do as well. If cake is preferred, one in which a tiny china doll is baked is in keeping with Mexi­can custom. In Mexico the child getting the doll is supposed to give the next party. A Christmas candle on the cake for each child present, adds to its attractiveness.

GAMES FOR A CHRISTMAS PARTY

Since the Holiday season is a very special period of the year a party at this time is always more than welcome. The Christmas decorations which are still up save extra work and give the desired festive air. When entertainment and games have been carefully planned ahead of time the party goes off smoothly without long lapses of nothing to do. The following games have been tried out many times and are most entertaining.

A good way to start off is to hand each guest a pencil and four cards; one card with a band of brown across the top, another blue, another gray, and one of green. Each youngster is asked to list the names of the guests according to the color of their eyes. For instance if Johnny has brown eyes his name goes on the card topped with brown, etc. The youngsters greatly enjoy this game and have a lot of fun discovering the color of their friends' eyes. It's sur­prising to find how unobserving most of us are.

For a more active game divide your group into two or more teams, depending on the number of players. Line the teams up single file on one side of the room. Set a goal across the room. Mark a starting line. Give the leader of each line two smooth, medium-size buttons. One he places on the starting line, with the other he snaps the first one to the goal as soon as the signal is given. "Snapping" consists of pressing the edge of one button with the other in such a way that the under one flies ahead. As soon as the players reach goal they race back and hand the but­tons to the second player in line. The line finishing first wins the relay.

After this rather hilarious game a quieter one called "Shopping" requires that all the children but one sit in a circle on the floor. The remaining one is the "shopper." He stops before one of the seated group and says, "I'm going to Chicago. What can I buy?" He then counts to ten. Before he finishes counting the player before whom he is standing names three objects beginning with the letter "C," as "cats, crossings, or caterpillars." If he fails he must take the place of the shopper. Any city may be named by the shop­per, but the articles to be bought must always begin with the first letter of the city named. The children are greatly amused by the weird assortment of objects they are sup­posed to buy.

Children always like relays. One that can be played in a small space is called "Over and Under." The teams can be lined up as for the button snap game. The first player in each team is handed a bean bag or ball—even a potato will do. When the signal is given he passes this object over his head to the second in line who passes it between his knees to the third who hands it over his head to the fourth. The object goes alternately overhead and between knees to the last one in line who then runs to the head of the line and starts it back over his head. The game proceeds until the line is back in its original order with the first player at its head. The line finishing first, of course, wins the race.

Another active game children enjoy is "Bounce," which can be played with a rubber or tennis ball. Place a waste basket on a chair some distance from the wall. Mark a line about six feet back from the chair on which the player stands. The game is to bounce the ball on the floor so that it goes into the basket. Each one has three trials, as this is not as easy to do as it seems. A point is given for every basket made. After a given length of time points are counted to determine the winner.

After the games and before refreshments the children will enjoy singing Christmas carols, especially the old favorites, "Silent Night, Holy Night," "The First Noel," "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and "O Come All Ye Faithful."

Sandwiches and cocoa are always popular. These can be followed with apples, Christmas candies and nuts.

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