A Secret Button on the Living Room Couch

Two players are chosen to form the bridge. They face each other, raise their arms above their heads, and join hands. The other players form a single-file line at one side of the bridge. Together all the players sing: London bridge is falling down, Falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down My fair lady. While singing, the players march in a line through the arch formed by the bridge players. As they exit the bridge they return the other side of the bridge where they started and continue to pass until the words, “My fair lady.” Then the arch players lower their arms over the player who happens to be standing underneath, taking him/her “prisoner.” The prisoner is parceled away from the group as the bridge players waltz them away and back while all sing the second verse: Off to prison he/she must go, He must go, he must go, Off to prison he must go, My fair lady. The prisoner is released and becomes the next partner in making the bridge. The other partner joins the line and the players march again through the succeeding verses of the song. A player is imprisoned with every “My fair lady.” And each succeeding prisoner gets a turn being half of the bridge, until all have had a turn in the line and as a bridge partner. I found these additional verses but we did not know of them:

Build it up with iron and bars, Iron and bars, iron and bars, build it up with iron and bars, My fair lady

Iron bars will rust away, Rust away, rust away, Iron and bars will rust away, My fair lady

Build it up with steel and stone, Steel and stone, steel and stone, Build it up with steel ad stone, My fair lady

Steel and stone will bend and break Bend and break, bend and break, Steel and stone will bend and break, My fair lady.

The second verse is always: Off to prison he/she must go, He must go, he must go, Off to prison he must go, My fair lady. BLIND MAN’S BLUFF

One player is blindfolded and stands in the center of a circle formed by the other players. Players in the circle join hands and move the circle around in one direction until the signal of three handclaps is given by the “blind man.” When the blind man claps, the circle stops moving, and the blind man points at one of the other players. The blind man then gets one chance to guess the identity of the player he has pointed out. If the guess is correct, the blind man and the player exchange places. If the blind man is wrong, the other player must step into the center of the circle. While still blindfolded, the blind man attempts to tag the other player in the center, who tries to avoid being caught. Once tagged, however, this player must remain still while the blind man tries to identify him by touching clothing, facial features, and hair. This player, once identified, is blindfolded for the next round, and the blind man joins the circle.

BUTTON, BUTTON, WHO’S GOT THE BUTTON?

One person is “It” and has a button between the palms of his/her hands. The rest of the players sit on the couch in the living room with their hands pressed together (as in prayer) in front of them. The person who is “It” runs his closed hands between the player’s closed hands and drops the button secretly in someone’s hands. Then each person takes turns guessing who has the button. The person who has the button must bluff while guessing so as not to disclose that he/she has it. The person who guesses right is “It” for the next round.