Games People Play

[Krikit 1,164]

When I was growing up we would play various games during recess. Winters were mainly snowball fights - boys against the girls - with the odd kid's face stuck to the chainlink fence because he wanted to see what the other kids were talking about when they told him not to stick his tongue against the chain link fence.

When there was no snow on the ground the boys would play "cards" or marbles. Cards would be where each boy would bring in their hockey cards, then take turns throwing them against the wall. The boy whose card got closest to the wall won all the cards in that round. Marbles was like curling, except the winner got to keep the marbles.

The girls would all play double-dutch or jumpsies. Jumpsies involved two people holding a stretch band at varying levels (ankle, knee, arms length, waist, underarm, shoulder, arms, top of head, arms outstretched) while the other girls would take turns trying to jump over it. You would have to "announce" which method of jumping you were going to make before you made it. Sometimes you could fake it and sneak under the rope without getting "caught" (having the two "ends" bring it down and touch you). If you did get caught, you had to trade places with the end and wait for someone else to get caught before you could go back to jumping.

Double-dutch rope was fun too. Sometimes, if there were only two of you, you would skip rope singly and your friend would jump in and you would skip together. There would be songs you would chant while you're skipping. I can't remember any of them, now, and that makes me sad.

I don't think kids play these games very much anymore (if at all). Did you?

Edited June 4, 2009 by Krikit

[Sprailenes 47]

Double dutch all the way. I was on the double dutch league in elementary school and we raised a ton of money for jump rope for heart. Good times. I bet if I tried now I would fall on my a$$.

[JillA 2]

I've never heard of jumpsies... I played hopscotch!

[Krikit 1,164]

I've never heard of jumpsies... I played hopscotch!

D'oh! I will add that to my poll.

Double dutch all the way. I was on the double dutch league in elementary school and we raised a ton of money for jump rope for heart. Good times. I bet if I tried now I would fall on my a$$.

Wow. It really advanced after I played double dutch. We never even had leagues!

Oh phooey. It won't let me edit the poll.

[Carlawarla 1]

Oh my gosh...such fun! I wished recess would never end! I remember all those games...but my favourite was a game that I don't remember what it was called now! We took a rubber ball, and put it in a nylon stocking, backed up to a wall...preferrably brick and sang while doing movements.

Ordinary

Moving

Laughing

Talking

One Hand

The Other Hand

One Foot

The Other Foot

Clap at the Front

Clap at the Back

Front and Back

Back and Front

Tweedle

Twidle

Curtsey

Salutesey

Bowsie

Jumpsie

Away She Goes

It was SO much fun!

Another game we had was something that was a ring, that you put around your ankle, and it had a plastic cord and bell on the end. You'd swing your leg around propelling the bell to be outstretched and jump over it with the other foot.

I'm sure I can think of hundreds of games like this....

This brings back such happy and fun memories!

[Sprailenes 47]

I went to grade school in inner city Toronto so double dutch was all the rage.

Hey speaking of "inner city" do you guys remember the inner city angels balloon races?? Then they stopped using balloons because birds were eating them and dying... or something.

[Krikit 1,164]

Ohmygosh, I remember doing those games too, Carla! The ring around your ankle was called footsies. And then there were the clackers..... which eventually got banned because there were so many injuries.

Hey speaking of "inner city" do you guys remember the inner city angels balloon races?? Then they stopped using balloons because birds were eating them and dying... or something.

I've never heard of that.

[Carlawarla 1]

Ohmygosh, I remember doing those games too, Carla! The ring around your ankle was called footsies. And then there were the clackers..... which eventually got banned because there were so many injuries.

Ouch!! clackers. Yes. Those HARD large marbles! The ball game that I love so much, I should have mentioned that you swung the ball in the nylon against the wall over your head, one side to the other, between your legs...my parents would say..." enough of that!!" I'd be banging on the chimney outside of the house, and I guess it reverberated throughout the house when I was playing it.

I was thinking as well, of all the games of skipping, jumpsies, street hockey...that we played on the street. We'd move to the side when cars came by. Adults didn't mind at all. Kids here would be run over before they'd be allowed to play in the street now. How sad. We also used to play hide and seek...throughout the WHOLE neighbourhood. There was no cause for alarm to be in every neighbours backyard, hiding in bushes and such. It would take HOURS.

[Emancipation 2]

ahhhh I went to a pretty rough elementary school where recess games included boys throwing lawn darts at me, boys pushing our heads in the snow until we passed out, and the ever popular - laugh at the guy who got his head stuck between the boards in the treehouse

Honestly.. it was a rough elem. school

Edited June 4, 2009 by Emancipation

[Krikit 1,164]

Ouch!! clackers. Yes. Those HARD large marbles! The ball game that I love so much, I should have mentioned that you swung the ball in the nylon against the wall over your head, one side to the other, between your legs...my parents would say..." enough of that!!" I'd be banging on the chimney outside of the house, and I guess it reverberated throughout the house when I was playing it.

OMG, I had totally forgotten about that! Yes! I used to get in trouble too.

We also used to play hide and seek...throughout the WHOLE neighbourhood. There was no cause for alarm to be in every neighbours backyard, hiding in bushes and such. It would take HOURS.

Same.

ahhhh I went to a pretty rough elementary school where recess games included boys throwing lawn darts at me, boys pushing our heads in the snow until we passed out, and the ever popular - laugh at the guy who got his head stuck between the boards in the treehouse

Honestly.. it was a rough elem. school

I have no words. lol

[Carlawarla 1]

I have to have a shower now and get to my volunteer work. I've had such joy remembering these games! You've made my morning Krikit helping me to remember such delightful pastimes!

[trailmix 77]

I had forgotten about the rubber ball in a stocking against the wall thing

Yes and clackers - ouch, definately double dutch, hop scotch, hide and seek, red rover - and a ball game called 4 square - four squares were painted on the playground cement - a person in each square and there was some method to the whole ball passing thing.

My Sister and I played a lot of tacks too.

We also had a game with a piece of long elastic, but there was no jumping over it, you had to do a certain set of moves and as you completed each set the elastic (which was around two people on each end) would get moved up, from their ankles, to their knees, then hips, waist etc - I loved that game. I was good at it too, perhaps because I was the tallest girl in elementary school

[Krikit 1,164]

I have to have a shower now and get to my volunteer work. I've had such joy remembering these games! You've made my morning Krikit helping me to remember such delightful pastimes!

Have a great day, Carla!

Yes and clackers - ouch, definately double dutch, hop scotch, hide and seek, red rover - and a ball game called 4 square - four squares were painted on the playground cement - a person in each square and there was some method to the whole ball passing thing.

I've never heard of the 4 square game.

My Sister and I played a lot of tacks too.

That sounds familiar but I just can't remember it.

We also had a game with a piece of long elastic, but there was no jumping over it, you had to do a certain set of moves and as you completed each set the elastic (which was around two people on each end) would get moved up, from their ankles, to their knees, then hips, waist etc - I loved that game. I was good at it too, perhaps because I was the tallest girl in elementary school

I remember that! It's a lot like cat's cradle, which was done with the hands.

[trailmix 77]

My Sister and I played a lot of tacks too.

That sounds familiar but I just can't remember it.

Tacks! That should be Jacks - now tacks would hurt

[Krikit 1,164]