The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

WATER GAME

PARTS: SEVERAL SPOONS, EGGS, PEANUTS OR CHESTNUTS, AND A WHISTLE.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: SIX OR MORE, BUT NOT MORE THAN TWELVE.
OBJECT OF GAME: FOR ONE TEAM TO GET MORE POINTS THAN ITS OPPONENT
TEAM IN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME.
RULES: THE PLAYERS ARE DIVIDED INTO TWO TEAMS.
ONE PLAYER BESIDES THE TEAM PLAYERS IS CHOSEN AS A REFEREE. A SWIM
COACH CAN ALSO BE THE REFEREE.
THE REFEREE REMAINS OUT OF THE WATER.
THE TWO TEAMS GATHER AT ONE END OF A SWIMMING POOL.
A SPOON IS GIVEN TO EACH PLAYER.
EACH PLAYER ALSO RECEIVES SOME OBJECT.
THIS OBJECT IS USUALLY AN EGG OR A CHESTNUT.
PEANUTS HAVE BEEN USED BEFORE ALSO.
THE REFEREE TELLS THE PLAYERS WHAT STYLE SWIMMING STROKE IS TO
BE USED.
ALL OF THE PLAYERS MUST ADHERE TO THIS STYLE STROKE
WHEN PLAYING THE GAME.
THE PLAYERS LINE UP IN A READY POSITION WITH THE SPOONS IN THEIR
MOUTHS. BALANCED ON EACH SPOON IS THE OBJECT.
THE PLAYERS MUST SWIM TO THE OTHER END OF THE POOL AND BACK WITHOUT
DROPPING THE OBJECT OFF THE SPOON.
THE SIGNAL FOR THEM TO GO IS GIVEN BY THE REFEREE.
HE BLOWS A WHISTLE.
WHEN THE PLAYERS GET BACK TO THE OTHER SIDE, POINTS ARE GIVEN
TO THE TEAMS ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER OF PLAYERS WHO SUCCESSFULLY SWAM
THE LENGTH WITH THE OBJECT BALANCED ON THE SPOON IN THEIR MOUTHS.
EACH DOUBLE LENGTH SWAM IS ONE MATCH.
BOTH TEAMS PLAY A CERTAIN NUMBER OF MATCHES, THEN THE GAME IS OVER.

Submitter comment: MRS. ST. AMOUR TOOK SWIMMING LESSONS AT THE DETROIT ATHLETIC CLUB
DURING HER 7, 8, AND 9 GRADE YEARS IN GRADE SCHOOL.
AT THAT TIME SPECIAL PERMISSION HAD TO BE OBTAINED FROM THE SCHOOL
PRINCIPLE.
HER SWIM COACH WAS THE, NOW NATIONALY KNOWN, MATT MANN.
BESIDES LESSONS AND SPORTS, THE STUDENTS HAD FREE TIME TO SWIM,
THIS WAS KNOWN AS OPEN SWIM.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; BLOOMFIELD HILLS

Date learned: 12-03-1982