[005] Game Warden Performance Review

⭐ I'm teaching some upcoming classes: Basketry and Woodcarving at the Mankato Makerspace. Toys and Games at the Arts Center of Saint Peter. Toys and Games and Old World Games at North House Folk School! ⭐

"Complex missile weapons interpose a launcher between the human and the missile. Such weapon systems include the bow as well as the sling, the blowgun, the spearthrower, and the firearm. In the hands of a skillful and muscular archer, the (pre)historical bow was a powerful and accurate weapon. The firearm replaced the bow because it was easier to use, not because it was technically superior." - When Lethal Weapons Grew on Trees , Low-Tech Magazine

Today we will be reviewing the large outdoor games I brought to North House Folk School this past weekend for their annual Solstice Festival . I was invited to attain the position of Game Warden last year, and it was such a hit they invited me back.

We will be judging these games based on three criteria:

Capacity for Obsession: Some games and activities can be played for hours and hours, scratching just the right addictive itch. Others are fun for a moment but don't facilitate sustained enjoyment. This will be ranked from 1 to 5 locks: 🔒🔒🔒🔒🔒

Relationship-Building Opportunities: My favorite thing to see this weekend was parents teaching children, grandparents teaching grandkids, and friends teaching friends. This will be ranked from 1 to 5 swirling doublehearts: 💞💞💞💞💞

Craftsmanship: I'm more proud of some of these activities than others. This will be ranked from 1 to 5 axes: 🪓🪓🪓🪓🪓

Capacity for Obsession [🔒🔒🔒]

Jenga is a wonderful game and everyone above 3 years old knows how to play - and, importantly, knows how to set it back up again for the next people. The game demands intense focus, and I did indeed see a good amount of Locking In during play. However, I didn't see anyone play more than one round of Jenga. I just think it's not exactly a game you'd play all day.

Relationship-Building Opportunities [💞💞💞]

This is, of course, a group game. Unfortunately, it is very competitive, and so even though players are sitting together and paying lots of attention to each other, there is a bloodthirsty attitude to the whole affair that poisons any sense of camraderie.

Craftsmanship [🪓🪓🪓🪓]

I made this Jenga set a very long time ago, and the pieces have lasted admirably long. The paint is still bright and they've taken minimal damage for being banged around so bad these years. Unfortunately, the sizes are not exactly correct, and so the slightly larger blocks can get stuck in place and require some aggressive flicking. A set with a little more consistency and a little more smoothness would be very nice.

Capacity for Obsession [🔒🔒🔒🔒🔒]

One young girl in particular absolutely locked into the ring toss game this weekend. She was persistent; adamant; relentless. Her binocular vision sharpened, her predator's eyes watched every ring fall onto every hooked branch. She was an inspiration.

Relationship-Building Opportunities [💞💞]

There were some nice moments of parents helping their kids throw rings, but mostly the kids were left on their own for this one. The ring toss is for the solo adventurer, the wanderer through the valley of death, the soul-searching toddler.

Craftsmanship [🪓]

Three branches, one block, and many easily-broken small rings. Not my finest work but a very encouraging first prototype. I would definitely like to make the rings heavier, maybe by wrapping them in bright fabric. Some more interesting hooks and branches would also be fun!

Capacity for Obsession [🔒🔒🔒🔒]

I'm not sure what the secret sauce is, but ladderball just didn't have exactly what the ring toss was oozing. And yet, I did see a good amount of kids walking back and forth and back and forth between the two ladders, collecting their sticks for another throw. Perhaps if they had more throwable sticks they would obsess more completely.

Relationship-Building Opportunities [💞💞💞]

Many sweet moments of parents getting thwacked by an errant toss.

Craftsmanship [🪓🪓]

Well, I made this game too thin. When I was working on this ladderball set, it all felt very sturdy, but the moment I set it up I could see that I had nothing but a flimsy set of twigs. Indeed, one ladder completely broke in half on the first day. On the bright side, the game makes more sense and is more fun with just one ladder anyway. Note to self: if kids are going to use something, it needs to be twice as sturdy as you think it needs to be.

Capacity for Obsession [🔒]

Ah, my lovely, my dearest game! I love fidchell so very very much. I have the rules written up on my website ( along with a printable board ), and my friend Maeve Gathje and I teach fidchell-board-making as part of our Old World Games class . However, in the context of an outdoor yard game, it does not fit in so much with the others. It's a game that takes a bit of explaining - though it is no more complex than checkers - and a bit of practice to learn it correctly. Of course, those that take the time are duly rewarded with the most engaging gaming experience this side of the Pleistocene.

Relationship-Building Opportunities [💞💞💞]

I'm not sure how to rate this one. I witnessed a spectrum of relationship moments over the fidchell board. I saw a grandfather and very young grandson play a beautiful and engaging hour-long game together - but I also saw a marriage dissolve right on the board.

Craftsmanship [🪓🪓]

This drop cloth was a hardware store purchase, and I am ashamed to say the paint is just some simple acrylic glunge. However, I am quite proud of the evenness and symmetry of the lines. The game pieces were lake stones and small cuts of willow. There is so much that could go into a more beautiful fidchell board, but this one is real simple!

Capacity for Obsession [🔒🔒]

The classic! I think with the right pair of folks this can be an obsessive winner. Most of what I saw was a one-sided affair, where one player was fully engaged and the other player was getting demolished. Still, a quick round of checkers gets the mind humming.

Relationship-Building Opportunities [💞💞💞💞]

I saw so many parents teaching kids how to play checkers this weekend, and it warmed my heart. Us adults love passing on knowledge of the things we love! Even kids too young to understand the "real" game made their own fun and knocked the rocks around together.

Craftsmanship [🪓]

Anyone coulda painted squares on a sheet and found some rocks, and y'know what, that works just fine.

Capacity for Obsession [🔒🔒🔒🔒🔒]

This archery kit was a real experiment and real win! The target has two big birch bark circles, and it spins when hit. I only gave out a few arrows at a time, so kids would have to collect their arrows after shooting them. Very very very many kids clearly could have shot arrows for hours and hours, and could hardly be torn away by their accompanying adult.

Relationship-Building Opportunities [💞💞💞💞💞]

A wonderful moment that I saw again and again this weekend: a dad would squat down, wrap his arms around his child, and show them how to shoot their bow. It was really beautiful and I was proud to have facilitated those moments.

Craftsmanship [🪓🪓🪓🪓]

I was really pleased with how this turned out! I was expecting for a bow to get snapped, but it survived in one piece. I did have to replace the arrow fletchings quite often, but I figured out a new way to tie the birch bark into the shaft and now I'm quite confident I've got this one down. I may try and make a few sets to sell!

Capacity for Obsession [🔒🔒🔒🔒🔒]

I didn't get many good pictures of the pick-up sticks set, but I don't have to. You know it. It's the perfect game.

Relationship-Building Opportunities [💞💞💞💞💞]

People of all nations can unite under the banner of picking up sticks.

Craftsmanship [🪓🪓🪓🪓🪓]

No notes.

"A whole chapter of this study of games is devoted to examining the means by which games become part of daily life. Indeed, these manifestations contribute to the development in various cultures of their most characteristic customs and institutions." - Roger Caillois, Man, Play, and Games (1958)