{"id":50165,"date":"2019-05-14T12:26:54","date_gmt":"2019-05-14T16:26:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=50165"},"modified":"2019-05-24T12:11:23","modified_gmt":"2019-05-24T16:11:23","slug":"idea-for-family-reunion-fun-old-time-guessing-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/idea-for-family-reunion-fun-old-time-guessing-games.html","title":{"rendered":"Idea for Family Reunion Fun: Old Time Guessing Games"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/em><\/strong>: In this article \u2013 to prepare for the summer family reunion season \u2013 Mary Harrell-Sesniak presents ideas for family fun with old-time guessing games. Mary is a genealogist, author and editor with a strong technology background.<\/em><\/p>\n

With the summer family reunion season fast approaching, many of our readers are scouring the Web for ideas. My article The 30 Best Family Reunion Games, Activities, & Ideas<\/a>, posted five years ago, still gets feedback \u2013 but I\u2019d like to suggest some new ideas. How about looking up jokes, tips and other items in old newspapers and having your family guess the answers?<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: Pershing family reunion, Idlewild Park, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, 8 September 1923. Credit: Eli R. Pershing; Library of Congress.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How to Find Jokes<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you search for the term \u201cjokes\u201d in an online newspaper collection, such as GenealogyBank\u2019s Historical Newspaper Archives<\/a>, you\u2019ll get many results. Keep an eye out for regularly-appearing jokes columns, then search for that column by name. One that I like was called \u201cDaffydils.\u201d It appeared in many papers from long ago.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s an example of a \u201cDaffydils\u201d column from 1911. I\u2019ve blocked out the responses in red \u2013 can you guess what they are? (Answers below.)<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
El Paso Herald-Post (El Paso, Texas), 14 June 1911, page 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Answers:<\/strong> Sardine can; baseball (base bawl); carfare; Leavenworth; Idaho.<\/p>\n

Tip:<\/em><\/strong> I save the newspaper articles and, using a graphics program such as Paint, I cover the punch lines. If you want an easier method, print the jokes, cross out the answers and copy new pages for the family reunion!<\/p>\n

Household Tips<\/strong><\/p>\n

In another newspaper, I found some long-ago forgotten household tips. I wonder how many of you can guess the answers without looking? (Answers below.)<\/p>\n

In 1889, what was the recommendation to mend cracks in the stove? By mixing water with: 1) old bread; 2) ashes and salt; or 3) dirt and coal?<\/p>\n

What was the recommendation of where to place scorched garments to remove the stain? By placing the garment where the: 1) sun can shine on it; 2) rain will soak it; or 3) family dog can lick it clean.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Opelousas Journal (Opelousas, Louisiana), 9 March 1889, page 3<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Answers:<\/strong> 2; 1.<\/p>\n

Quizzes<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some of my blog articles have fun quizzes that will work well at your family get-together. Go to the GenealogyBank blog<\/a> and search for \u201cQuiz Sesniak.\u201d Please make sure to tell your attendees the quizzes came from my articles at GenealogyBank \u2013 and let me know if they helped with your reunion.<\/p>\n

Here are a few of the quizzes I\u2019ve written in the past.<\/p>\n