kids

Alright, you're going to the lake for a week of camping and living in a tent. You are probably thinking shorts and t-shirts, right? Think again! In the early 1900s you would probably dress like this:

That's right! Girls would have worn white dresses with lots of starched ruffles and long black stockings. And, would you believe boys would have worn knee britches (pants) and they also would have long stockings. Little boys would have worn dresses!

By the way, do you want to know what your mother and father would have worn? Check these out:

Of course, you will want to go swimming while you are at the Chautauqua. Don't forget to pack your swimsuit. That's right - long black stockings even when you're swimming!

Okay, let's get real! Plan what you would need if you were going to the lake for a week and stay in a tent today. Go to Land's End and pick out a pair of jeans, a shirt and sweatshirt, and a swim suit. How much would it cost?

Put yourself in the picture

A popular thing to do while at the Chautauqua was to have your photograph made. Put yourself in the picture by copying a picture to a word document and inserting your picture in the white oval.

How far is it until we get there?

Figure out how long it will take your family to get to the Chautauqua grounds from your hometown. You will be traveling by horse and wagon and bringing your milk cow. You will be able to travel about 3 miles per hour. Use Mapquest Click on Driving Directions to figure the route and distance. Start with your town and state - End with Chautauqua SD

The Chautauqua Grounds

The Chautauqua Grounds isn't just one building, it's a whole collection. There is the Grandview Hotel, the Auditorium, the swimming Pavilion and the depot. And, of course, there is the campground where your family will be setting up their tent. Get acquainted with your new 'home' away from 'home' by taking a walk around the Chautauqua Grounds.

Print and cut out the pictures of the different buildings at the Chautauqua grounds. Add to your display by making trees, people, tents, and other things you think you would see on the grounds.

What's to eat?

Of course, after your long trip, you are hungry. Go to the Grandview Hotel for a special dinner. If you had $1.00, what could you eat?

What is there to do?

Now that you have settled in, it's time to plan what you want to do. Check out the program and select five events you would like to attend.

Note: This program is actually from the first Lake Madison Chautauqua in 1891.

Write a letter home

Wow, you have been having such a good time you can hardly wait to write a letter to your best friend to tell her/him all about it. Be sure to describe the grounds, your tent, and what you did. Go to the camp store and buy a stamp. How much did it cost? Search Great Great Uncle Georges's Stamp Collection for the United States stamp that was issued closest to and not after 1900.

Time to play

These are some games that young people enjoying playing at the turn of the century games.

Tag*

Arch Tag - The children are in a circle. One couple forms an arch. Circle rotates through the arch. On signal, circle stops and arch traps someone. The person trapped goes in centre and waits for another person to be caught. Then they form a second arch. The last person caught is the winner.

Ball Tag Equipment - Like simple tag, but you run with ball, and must throw it at the person and hit them below the waist to tag them. If a person is hit then he becomes IT.

Catch one Catch all - One player is chosen as IT. When IT tags another player that other player also becomes IT. ITS must keep an arm raised overhead so that they may be identified.

Color Tag - Scatter - Leader calls a color. If you are wearing that color you are It and proceed to tag other children. If a child is tagged he must walk in a crab walk until a new color is called.

Elbow Tag (circle) - Partners stand scattered over play area, inside arms linked, outside hand on hip. Runner reaches safety by hooking on to an arm, thus securing a partner. The other partner must drop off to be chased. If caught before reaching safety, then the runner becomes IT. If the runner is constantly evading the chaser, the supervisor can call "Switch!" which means that now the runner is the chaser.

Relays*

Animal Relay - The players form two lines with equal numbers on each team. The first animal on each team is an animal, the second a different animal. On the word "go", the first person acts like the animal they represent, run, hop or crawl to a given place and back. The next person then acts like their animals and so on until one team is finished and sitting down. Use animals such as kangaroos, bunnies, dogs, cats etc...

Bean Bag Relays - Walk/run/hop with bag on head/between knees/between feet.

Ball of String Relay- The players should be in two teams standing in two circles with a ball of string. The captain holds one end, while the ball is passed rapidly from hand to hand until it is unwound. It is then passed back and rewound.

Red Rover*

There are two teams both of which form lines and grasp hands together. One team starts by saying "Red Rover, Red Rover, will come over". The name called can be anyone from the opposite team.. That person called runs over and tries to break through the line. If he does get through, then he can take someone back over to his own team with him. If he doesn't break through he stays with the opposite team. Then the other team takes a turn at calling someone over. ** N.B. EXTREME CAUTION MUST BE TAKEN TO PREVENT INJURY WITH THIS GAME.

Hot Potato*

Equipment: Ball or something to pass The potato is passed from person to person until the leader gives a signal. The person left holding the potato is eliminated.

Hot and Cold*

One person is it and leaves the group. The rest choose an object in the room and when "it" returns they help him find the object by singing a song and increasing the volume as he nears the object and decreasing when he becomes colder.

Fruits and Vegetables*

Divide the children into two large groups. One group will take the names of vegetables, the other fruit. In each large group, two or three children take the same name of a fruit or vegetable. The children mix themselves up and form a seated circle. It, the leader to start, sits in the centre. It call out "Peas and apples change places". While they are doing so, it tries to get to one of the vacant seats. If he succeeds the ousted one becomes it.

Hide and Seek^

First you pick someone to be it (the person to seek) then he/she turns around and counts with their eyes closed at the "base" while the rest of the people hide. Then "It" says "Ready or Not, Here I Come" and rushes to find everyone. Then the people try to get to base without getting tagged or else they are "It". If the person who is "It" doesn't get someone in three tries he gets to pick a man to be it!

Hopscotch^

Use chalk to draw a hopscotch pattern on the ground or use masking tape on a floor. Create a diagram with 8 sections and number them. Each player has a marker such as a stone, beanbag, bottle cap, shell, button, etc.

The first player stands behind the starting line to toss her or his marker in square 1. Hop over square 1 to square 2 and then continue hopping to square 8, turn around, and hop back again. Pause in square 2 to pick up the marker, hop in square 1, and out. Then continue by tossing the stone in square 2. All hopping is done on one foot unless the hopscotch design is such that two squares are side-by-side. Then two feet can be placed down with one in each square. A player must always hop over any square where a maker has been placed.

A player is out if the marker fails to land in the proper square, the hopper steps on a line, the hopper looses balance when bending over to pick up the marker and puts a second hand or foot down, the hopper goes into a square where a marker is, or if a player puts two feet down in a single box. The player puts the marker in the square where he or she will resume playing on the next turn, and the next player begins.

Sometimes a dome-shaped "rest area" is added on one end of the hopscotch pattern where the player can rest for a second or two before hopping back through.

Musical Chairs

To start, place one fewer chair than there are children in a circle (for example, if there are four children, use three chairs). To avoid mishaps, try not to use chairs that collapse (such as folding chairs).

When you turn on the music, tell the children to walk around the chairs. Turn the music's volume up and down, but don't give the kids any warning before you do. When the music can't be heard, everyone scrambles for a seat. Since there are fewer chairs than there are children, one person will be left standing and will have to leave the game. Take away another chair and continue the game until only one participant remains�she's the winner.

What songs were popular in 1900? Check out these sites to find out. Use the midi for the game.

Variation

Musical Hoops

Another way to play is to place hula-hoops on the ground, one less than there are children. When the music stops, the children must stand in a hoop. Remove one hoop, but not a child for each round. Continue until there is only one hoop and all of the children are in it.

Jail Break^

The children will choose someone to be it. The person who is it counts one o'clock, two o'clock, three o'clock rock, four o'clock, five o'clock, six o'clock rock, seven o'clock, eight o'clock, nine o'clock rock, ten o'clock, eleven o'clock, twelve o'clock rock, midnight! he then tries to find the others who have hidden. When someone is tagged,
they go to jail (usually the porch) The children who are not tagged, try to step on jail and this will cause a jailbreak. The others are free. When all the children have been sent to jail, the first one in is now the person who is it.

Clever "Character" Game

One of the company leave the room. A name containing as many letters as there are persons remaining is chosen, and to each one a letter of the name is assigned. Each is expected to choose a character whose name begins with that letter.

The one outside is called in and told were the name begins and ends, all, of course, sitting in the order of the letters. He has either a certain time or so many questions allowed him to find out each letter and thus spell his way to the end.

Case, Carleton B. Parlor Games and Parties for Young and Old, Shrewesbury Publishing Co. 1916

Spelling Bee

Two leaders are chosen and a 'teacher.' The leaders each chooses alternately one of the company at a time, to represent his side, until all have been chosen and stand in their places in two lines.

The teacher, who is supplies with a book , then gives out a word to the person at the end of the line to her right. If the word is correctly spelled the next word is given out to the person at the end of the opposite sie at her left. If this person fails to spell this world correctly she must immediately leave the line, and the same word is put to number two on the opposite side. If the word is correctly spelled she is privileged to choose one person from the opposite line to step over to the foot of her own line. Another word is then given to the opposite opponent, and so on down the lines. It often happens that two equally proficient spellers are pitted against each other for some time, when the contest becomes very exciting.

Linscott, Mrs. Herbert, Bright Ideas for Entertaining, George W. Jacobs & Co. 1905

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Is your autograph book handy?

Many important people attend the Chautauqua. Some of them were Rev. T. DWitt Talmage, Frank Beard, Governor A. C. Mellette and Gertrude Smith. If you could meet one, who would you like to meet and what would you ask him or her?

Note: These pages were actually taken from the Lake Madison Chautauqua program, 1891.
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Mind Your Manners

Just for fun....

You might think that music videos are quite modern, but, did you know they were popular even in 1900? These are two you might like.

Try making a music video of your own. Use PowerPoint. Choose a song and select pictures to go with it. Use transitions and custom animation to give it movement. Time your music to play throughout the whole presentation. Be sure to document your sources!

These were some of the predictions that people made in 1900 for the next century. How many of them came true? What do you predict for the next century?

Welcome to the Lake Madison Chautauqua

What will you take?

What will you wear?