Light As a Feather, Stiff As a Board: The Rules & Mystery Behind the Game

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Plus more scary sleepover games to play next
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Like Ouija boards, the "light as a feather" party trick has been a staple sleepover game for years. In fact, it’s been played for centuries! In this “supernatural” game, a single person is lifted solely by the fingers of four or five people surrounding them. Is it levitation? The power of suggestion? Magnetic forces? A specific combination of muscle tension, balance, and distribution of weight? Whatever the explanation, it certainly looks magical, and this guide will tell you everything you need to know to play and understand the “light as a feather, stiff as a board” game!

Light As a Feather Stiff As a Board: Game Overview

“Light as a feather, stiff as a board” is a popular slumber party game. To play the game, one person lies in the middle of a circle, and the other players place their index fingers under the person’s body. Players then repeat “light as a feather, stiff as a board” in unison while they attempt to lift their friend.

Section 1 of 6:

How to Play the Light As a Feather Game

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  1. You may want to put blankets or pillows underneath them, both for their comfort and their protection in case they are dropped. The lifters should kneel or sit beside the liftee, preferably with one person at each shoulder and one person at each knee. If you have a fifth person, they should kneel at the liftee’s head. [1]
  2. The leader is usually the party host, but it can be anyone who knows the game well. This person is in charge of guiding the group through the trick, so they must know how to do the trick from start to finish.
    • It helps if the leader is a bit theatrical. The leader has to tell the group about the spooky, supernatural origins of the game , and it's much more fun if they really sell it!
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  3. Ask each lifting player to clasp their hands together and release their two index fingers. Have them place both of their index fingers under the participant’s shoulders or knees, depending on where they’re seated. If there’s a fifth person at the participant’s head, have them place one finger beneath either shoulder. [2]
  4. The leader should instruct everyone to try to lift the person together, but there should be no countdown or special set-up. Attempt to lift the participant off of the ground—the lifters probably won’t be able to move the participant very high, if at all. They will likely feel too heavy to lift with just two fingers. [3]
    • At this point, the leader should tell the group that it isn't working because the participant hasn't become "possessed" yet. Because the group hasn't performed their mystical chant, the spirits have not yet been summoned. Now, it's time to get serious (ly magical) .
  5. Once you’ve established how difficult it is to lift the person, it’s time to employ some simple "mind over matter" tricks to increase your group strength—or at least increase the mystical nature of the game! Start by having the leader say the phrase “She’s looking ill,” which the other lifters will repeat. Continue this call-and-repeat pattern several times, then do the same thing with the phrases “she’s looking worse,” “she’s dying,” and “she’s dead.” [4]
    • In another variation, the leader will tell a story about the death of the participant, which will unsettle the group and add to the creepy ambiance of the game.
    • The leader can be creative with the explanation. For example, the leader can explain that the person’s body will be overtaken by the spirit of a deceased person, turning corpse-like and levitating . Make it as creepy or funny as you’d like!
    • Dimming the lights and adding candles can add to the supernatural quality of the trick.
  6. Hands should alternate so that each person's hands are separated by another person. Press down on the participant’s head—lightly, of course! The leader should then tell the group that they are opening the liftee's body to supernatural influences with this step, and at this time the outside spirits are entering the body and making it lighter.
  7. Have each player return to the same position they were in during the trial lift—hands clasped with the pointer fingers extended and placed under the participant’s body. Then, lead the group in a chant of “light as a feather, stiff as a board.” Together, repeat this phrase over and over again. The participant should be perfectly still, with their eyes closed. [5]
  8. Continue leading the group in the chant and begin to lift in unison—the participant should lift with ease this time around. If your group is still struggling, instruct them to all lift together on a certain word, like “light” or “board.” Once the participant is lifted, slowly lower them to the ground as you continue the recitation. [6]
    • To complete the trick, the leader should command the “spirits” to exit the participant’s body and, voila, you’ve completed the trick!
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Section 2 of 6:

‘Light As a Feather’ Chair Variation

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  1. Seat the participant in a basic wooden or plastic chair, then gather four volunteer “lifters” around them. Have two of the lifters stand on the sitter’s left side and two on their right, each one occupying a corner of the chair. [7]
  2. Have each lifter clasp their hands together and extend their pointer fingers. Each lifter must then place their extended fingers under their designated corner of their chair. Tell the players to attempt to lift the chair and the sitter—this trial lift will generally fail. [8]
  3. Since the initial lift failed, it’s clear that the group will need a little dose of mystical energy! Lead the group in some sort of chant or “ritual,” like rubbing their hands together or circling the chair in various directions. Then, have each lifter hold their hands over the sitter’s head for a few seconds—explain that they’re “transferring” their energy into the sitter to make them magically weightless. [9]
  4. Instruct the lifters to return to their lifting positions with their index fingers under their respective corners of the chair seat. Then, countdown from five and have everyone lift on zero. This time around, the group should be able to easily lift the chair and the individual sitting in it. [10]
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Section 3 of 6:

What is the trick to ‘Light as a feather, stiff as a board’?

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  1. “Light of a feather, stiff as a board” is based on physics. The weight of the person being lifted must be divided equally between each lifter, so each player must apply their lifting force at the exact same moment. Otherwise, the lift will fail, as it often does in the test run. [11]
    • The need for synchronization is the reason why the chant is so important to the game—repeating a phrase in unison will naturally encourage the lifters to move at the same time. If this synchronization doesn’t happen naturally, however, the leader of the group may also instruct players to lift on the count of three.
    • The stiffness of the lifted player also helps this trick work. As the lifters chant the words, the lifted player will become stiff and focused. When their body is rigid and their muscles tensed, the lifting becomes much easier.
Section 4 of 6:

Is ‘Light as a feather, stiff as a board’ fake?

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  1. The spooky slumber party game can definitely work, so it’s not necessarily fake. However, the ability to easily lift one person in the game is based on physical science, so it has nothing to do with spiritualism, supernatural forces, or witchcraft. [12]
    • Keep in mind that, even if the game works, the participant in the middle will really only be lifted for a few seconds at most. Some people have exaggerated memories of playing the game as children where they’ll recall the subject levitating for some time, which shouldn’t be possible and isn’t based on fact or evidence.
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Section 5 of 6:

History of the ‘Light As a Feather’ Game

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  1. In a diary entry from 1665, British naval administrator Samuel Pepys recorded observing the game being played by a group of young girls in France. However, we don’t know how far the game goes back before this diary entry or how the girls themselves learned the game. [13]
    • Pepys also recorded the game’s spooky chant, which is similar to but distinct from today's “light as a feather, stiff as a board.” The original chant went as follows:
      • Original French: Voici un corps mort / Raide comme un bâton, / Froid comme le marbre / Léger comme un esprit, / Lève-toi au nom de Jésus-Christ!
      • Translated English: Here is a body / Stiff as a stick / Cold as marble / Light as a spirit / Lift yourself, in the name of Jesus Christ
    • The next official record of the game comes from 1857’s The Magician’s Own Book , which describes a new variation of the game (similar to the chair variation ) that’s played in Venice, Italy. [14]
    • In the modern day, the game is often associated with spiritualism, sciences, and spooky slumber party activities. It also became increasingly popular after it was featured in the film The Craft (1996). [15]
Section 6 of 6:

More Scary & Spooky Sleepover Games

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  1. Don’t let the spooky sleepover fun end after ‘light as a feather, stiff as a board!’ There are plenty of other creepy slumber party games and activities to give you and your friends some spine-tingling and memorable experiences that you’ll be talking about for years to come. Here are just a few of our favorite scary games to play at any party: [16]
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  • Question
    Is the game dangerous? Can it hurt anyone?
    Community Answer
    If you drop the person then it may hurt, but as long as the liftee stays still and the lifters are focused on not dropping the person, it should be okay.
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  • Question
    How many times should I say "light as a feather stiff as a board"?
    Community Answer
    Keep repeating the phrase as many times as needed until you are done lifting the person.
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  • Question
    How did the game Light as a Feather start?
    Community Answer
    It's uncertain, but it has been recorded being played as early as 17th Century London as a way to attempt to stave off the plague.
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      References

      1. ↑ http://urbanlegendsonline.com/light-as-a-feather-stiff-as-a-board/
      2. ↑ https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/light-as-a-feather-stiff-as-a-board-story
      3. ↑ http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2008/05/27/2257305.htm
      4. ↑ https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/tv/a23724447/light-as-a-feather-game-origin/
      5. ↑ https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/light-as-a-feather-stiff-as-a-board-story
      6. ↑ https://journeys.dartmouth.edu/folklorearchive/15622-2/childrens-games-based-around-touch/light-as-a-feather-stiff-as-a-board/
      7. ↑ https://kids.kiddle.co/Light_as_a_feather,_stiff_as_a_board
      8. ↑ https://www.gutenberg.org/files/60687/60687-h/60687-h.htm
      9. ↑ https://kids.kiddle.co/Light_as_a_feather,_stiff_as_a_board
      1. ↑ https://www.gutenberg.org/files/60687/60687-h/60687-h.htm
      2. ↑ https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/tv/a23724447/light-as-a-feather-game-origin/
      3. ↑ https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/tv/a23724447/light-as-a-feather-game-origin/
      4. ↑ https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1665/07/31/
      5. ↑ https://www.gutenberg.org/files/60687/60687-h/60687-h.htm
      6. ↑ https://blogs.iu.edu/establishingshot/2022/12/05/the-corruption-of-power-in-the-craft/
      7. ↑ https://scholarworks.iu.edu/journals/index.php/cfr/article/view/25374/31235

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      ­Light as a feather, stiff as a board, is a fun party trick you can play with your friends. To perform the trick, have one volunteer lie down on a soft carpeted area. Then, gather as many friends as you can and invite them to spread out around the person lying down. The more people you can get to participate, the more likely the trick will work. Ask the person lying down to cross their arms across their chest and be as still and stiff as possible. Then, instruct your friends to hold out their index and middle fingers and follow your lead. Ask everyone to slide their fingers underneath the person on the ground and begin chanting, “Light as a feather, stiff as a board” together over and over again. As you chant, slowly increase your lifting effort with your fingers. Tell your friends that the “spirits” are going to help them raise this person up. If everyone lifts with the same amount of pressure, the person’s weight will be evenly distributed across everyone’s fingers and they should slowly lift off of the ground like they’re levitating. Once they're a few inches off of the ground, slowly lower them back down. Like the Ouija board or “Bloody Mary,” light as a feather, stiff as a board is often played on Halloween under the pretense of a magic ritual, so feel free to play it up like you’re inviting spirits to help you all lift your friend! For tips on making the experience feel spooky and supernatural, read on!

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