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The Origins of Kim's Game
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Boy Scouts of America History & Traditions

One of the games used in many Boy Scout camps is Kim's game. The game is so well known that many times it is referenced without even an explanation of how the game is played. It is simple, fun, and challenging. However many American Scouters have forgotten its origins. The original Handbook For Boys refers to it simply as "Kim's game" without the lengthy explanation that Baden-Powell had in his handbook. 

Rudyard Kipling was a friend of Baden-Powell. B-P borrowed much from Kipling's ideas in Scouting. He wrote the story of Kim which whas published in 1901.  Part I of the 1908 booklet, "Scouting For Boys" included a condensed version of Kipling's Kim.

In Kipling's story, Kim becomes friends with a dealer in old jewelry and curiosities. who is a member of teh governement intelligence service. The man saw that Kim had potential for the smae. He gave Kim lessons on noticing small details and remembering them. A tray full of jewels was uncovered. Kim looked at them for a minute before they were again covered up. Kim is beaten by a youth in this game. He then played the "Jewel Game" often to increase his powers of observation. 

Here are the instructions as given in the first BSA handbook. 

Place about twenty or thirty small articles on a tray, or on the table or floor, such as two or three different kinds of buttons, pencils, corks, rags, nuts, stoines, knives, string, photos - anything you can find - cover them over with a cloth or a coat. 

Make a list of these, and make a column opposite the list for each boy's replies.

Then uncover the articles for one minute by your watch, or while you count sixty at the rate of "quick march." Then cover them over again.

Take each boy seperately and let him whisper to you each of the articles that he can remember, and mark it off on your scoring sheet.

The boy who remembers the greatest number wins the game.