Pussy Wants a Corner and other Games

Games

One of my favorite memories from my childhood is playing games with family and friends. At home, we played I Spy, Cat and the Rat, , No Bears are Out Tonight, Bum, Bum, Here We Come, Red Light, Green Light, and Upset the Fruit Basket.

At school, we played Red Rover, Fox and Goose, and Pussy Wants a Corner, and some of the same games we played at home. Pussy Wants a Corner is a game like musical chairs. 

Pussy Wants a Corner

Everyone goes into one corner in a room except one person, who is Pussy. Pussy goes to individuals and says, “Pussy wants a corner!”. The person can say, “Go to the next neighbor,” or he can say, “SCAT!” 

If the person says “Go to the next neighbor,” the pussy cat goes to another person and begs, “Pussy wants a corner!”

If the person says “SCAT!” everyone runs to a different corner. The pussy tries to get to the corner before everyone else, and the person who doesn’t make it to the corner becomes the new Pussy.

I’m not sure if there is a set number of people who can be in a corner, or how it is decided if the corner is “full”. I do remember the rush in our school classroom to get to another corner if you did not want to be the Pussy. Games like this provided competition and comradery. It allowed a child to be highlighted if he desired, or to remain in the shadows if he was quick enough to move to the other corner.

No Bears are out Tonight!

Children enjoy this game best when it is getting dark outside. There’s a bear hiding in the shadows. Children come out of their “home” and wander around the yard, saying, “No bears are out tonight!”

Suddenly, the bear (or bears) appear, growling and running after the children. The children try to run home before the bear catches them. If the bear catches a child, the child becomes the next bear.

I’m not sure why we found this game so delightful as kids. Sometimes we had trouble sleeping at night after this game, but we kept playing it nonetheless. 

Cat and the Rat

This game takes place where there is a sidewalk (or another place designated as such). One person designated as the cat must stay on the sidewalk. The other children are rats that try to run across the sidewalk without getting caught. When a cat catches a rat, the rate becomes a cat. The game is over when there are no rats remaining. 

Upset the Fruit Basket

This game also is a form of musical chairs. Each player chooses a particular fruit that will represent  him: (an orange, banana, etc.) Everyone sits in a circle. There is one less chair than the number of players. The person who is IT names a fruit, such as an Orange. The people who are “oranges” need to move and find a different seat. The extra person tries to get to an empty seat before one of the “oranges” gets the seat. When the person who is IT says, “Upset the fruit basket,” everyone has to find a seat, including the person who is IT. Whoever is left without a seat is IT.

The purpose of games

Playing games is a great way to help kids develop a good spirit when winning or losing. Playing games helps kids learn to take turns, help other team members, and compete. How much better it is for kids to play together than to be off alone. 

We learn a lot about our children by playing games with them and by watching them play with others. We find out which ones are confident, competitive, timid, or tender. Playing games can soften tough kids and strengthen kids who feel insecure. 

I’m grateful for the myriad of games we played at home and at school. Laughter and fun is an important part of growth for our kids. It’s also a great asset for adults.