Long before jigsaw puzzles were ever dreamed of, block puzzles were popular with both young and old. Their introduction into the sickroom will induce a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment, rather than irritation, if the usual procedure is reversed, and the answers are cut up by the patient for others to solve. Colored cardboard which can be cut with scissors is ideal, although it is no trick at all to apply water colors to a finished cutout, nor is construction paper to be despised.

To start the ball rolling, the patient's own initials, or a 3- or 4-letter nickname is cut out with a different color for each letter. Then lines are drawn dividing the letter into uneven, tricky sections which are numbered consecutively on the back, from the bottom up, and from right to left, wherever possible; see the examples in Figure 7.5. The lines are then scissored and the parts scrambled in an empty cigar box or cardboard box top, so that the numbers are not visible.

Fig. 7.5. Alphabet block puzzles.

One or more scrambled letters of the patient's name can be submitted to him for solution first. If failure irritates, show him the numbers on the reverse side. Then set him or her to work making sets for his friends or relatives, a different color for each letter.

As examples, the six letters commencing with "T," the oldest historically, use a width of 3/4 in. for their component parts. All letters are 33/4 in. long, and from 2 1/2 to 3 in. wide. Favorite combinations can be jigsawed later from plywood or cigar box scraps and painted on one side.

Spillington

Cram as many wooden safety matches as possible in an upright position in an egg cup, demitasse cup, or cordial glass.

Each player in turn then removes one match at a time from the container and lays it horizontally across the tops of the remaining matches. The play continues until all matches are horizontal, resting upon the rim of the container, or have fallen to the table.

Each time a player disturbs a horizontally balanced match so that it falls to the table, he or she "wins" that match, for the purpose of scoring. The winner of the game, however, is the player who has "won" the fewest matches.

Fig. 7.6. Tower of India.

Pyramid Solitaire

Sometimes called Tower of India, this simple little puzzle is an engrossing one-handed game. As indicated in Figure 7.6, the board consists of a piece of scrap with three dowel pegs set in it 41/2 in. apart. On the center peg are piled seven circular blocks, with a hole in the center of each, graduated in 1/2-in. sizes commencing with a top disk of 11/2-in. diameter. Instead of round disks, squares may be used, or any type of figure which will clearly show variations in size.

The object of the game or puzzle is to transfer the pyramid to one of the outside pegs, one block at a time. The catch is that at no time may a larger block be placed on a smaller one. Count the number of moves and try for the irreducible minimum.

Typewriter Pictures

When a typewriter can be made available, long hours can be happily occupied in the construction of typewriter pictures. The samples illustrated in Figure 7.7 include simple combinations which can be "drawn" without altering the standard spacings. More advanced "artists" will be able to produce amazingly realistic compositions once they have learned the technique of half-spacing, by holding the typewriter carriage between the standard stops, both vertically and horizontally.

Fig. 7.7. Typewriter art.

Jack and Jill, by the way, make easy sewing patterns for young needle-crafters. Jack in a red cross-stitch alternating with Jill worked in a simple blue chain stitch, will result in an effective border for an apron or play smock. For very young needle-pushers, the outline of Jack and Jill on a sewing card can be punched in light cardboard with a darning needle, and colored yarn threaded through a blunted carpet needle used to fill in the punched-out silhouettes.