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Huckle, Buckle, Beanstalk
a game
You can play Huckle, Buckle, Beanstalk indoors or outdoors, for ten minutes or an hour. Some people call this game Hot Buttered Beans or Hunt the Thimble. Kids played Huckle, Buckle, Beanstalk more than a hundred years ago.
You need at least three or four people, including yourself. You also need a small object you can hide. A spoon, coin, pencil, bandage, grape, old key, or little toy will work.
One player is It. All the players except It must leave the room or the play area. Then It hides the small object in an easy-to-find place - on top of or behind something or on the floor. No one should have to move anything to find the object.
After hiding the object, It calls everyone back. The players start looking for the object. When a player finds it, he or she doesn’t yell, “I found it!” Instead, the player walks quietly to the center of the play area, sits down, and says, “Huckle, buckle, beanstalk!” That means the player knows where the object is hidden.
All the other players keep looking. Every player who finds the object sits quietly down and says, “Huckle, buckle, beanstalk.” If a player cannot find the object, It can give clues, such as, “Cold, cool, warm, hot,” as the player moves closer to the object.
When all the players have found the object, that round is done. Whoever found the object first gets to hide it next.
If this is too easy for you and your friends, then let It hide the object in more difficult places, like under cushions or between books. You can decide how hard you want the game to be. Maybe it depends on how much time you have.
Here’s a secret for finding a good hiding place: Look for a spot that’s the same color as the object you’re hiding. If you’re hiding a green grape, tuck it beside a green plant or a green candle (not where it will get squished!). If you’re hiding a purple eraser, set it on top of a purple book or a purple pillow. Maybe you’ll hide it so well that no one will find it!
Adapted from Bancroft, Jessie H. Games for the Playground, Home, School, and Gymnasium. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1909 (pages 109-110).