Regency Traditions Video: Parlor Games
Parlor Games are a perfect resource for Christmas fun. It’s hard to resist some of these good, old-fashioned games.
Play Your Your Own Parlor Games
A couple more just for a little more Christmas fun.
Twirling the Trencher (or spinning the plate)
Find an unbreakable, rigid plate (plastic, wood ect. Paper will not work.) Seat the players in a circle with a large open space in the middle. The first player stands in the middle of the circle and spins the plate on the floor while calling out the name of another player. The names player must go to the center and catch the plate before it stops spinning, then it is their turn to spin the plate and call another player.
Alphabet Minute
Have everyone in the group write out a suggested (general) topic of conversation and a letter of the alphabet on a slip of paper. Choose two or three players to start the game. Have one select slip of paper out of a hat or basket.
The players must have a conversation about the topic on the paper. The trick is that each sentence must begin with successive letters of the alphabet, beginning with the one on the paper. They must proceed, through the alphabet, ending with letter they started on.
For Example Topic: Going to the library; Letter I
- Player 1 – “I’m so excited, I get to go to the libray–wanna come?”
- Player 2 – “Just can’t, I don’t have a library card.”
- Player 3 – “Kelly has one that she will let you use.”
- Player 1 – “Let me call her and see if she will.”
- Player 2 – “Make it quick!”
- Player 3 – “Not a problem.”
Continue on until one player falters or they return to ‘I’ to finish. If your groups has a little less patience, you can either cut them off at 60 seconds and see which group can get the farthest through the alphabet in the same amount of time.
Find more parlor games here, here here, and here.
For more on Fun and Games in Jane Austen’s World click HERE
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Interesting. Was there a typical age range or group of people who played these parlor games? I could see the Bennet sisters doing this amongst themselves when they were younger and maybe with a few of their neighbors, but, except for Kitty and Lydia, I cannot see them playing these games when with people like Mr. Darcy — and I really cannot see HIM playing these games.
What fun!! These games look like they’d be quite raucous and enjoyable. I can almost hear Lydia Bennet’s squeals of delight…. 😉
Our family tends to play Apples to Apples and Harry Potter Clue. 😉
Thanks for these last few days of parlor games, m’dear!! I’ve really enjoyed them.
Warmly,
Susanne 🙂
Looks like so much fun.
I am thinking of Georgette Heyer novels
in which many characters of all ages play
games like these!
What a great video! Thank you.
Fun. The last reminds me of the game Twister in which you spin a pointer and then have to touch one of your outer limbs to a spot of that color on the mat. People who can’t reach a color or who fall out lose. The last one in place wins.