Classic Children's Games

We can all remember the childhood games we played outside and that would also apply to our ancestors, no matter how long ago it occurred.

The game of Dodgeball was done during recess at school and in any neighborhood playgrounds. It began as a general free-for-all-ball throwing game. Of course, there was a dangerous element like being clobbered in the face with a ball.

An all-time popular game for all youngsters was Jump Rope. It was most popular with the girls and many contests were established to see who was the best. While two people turned the rope in a circle, someone else attempted to see how many times they could jump and not hit the rope or miss. An individual could also jump rope on their own, they turned the rope, one end in each hand to see how many rounds they could go and how fast.

Playing Jacks has been popular for decades. Two could play or a large group taking turns. It was a fun activity, especially for the boys. Just five jacks and one ball were needed. The jacks are just a more modern representation of knucklebones or stones each one is a six-pronged, metal form with bobbles on the end of each prong – a three-dimensional cross. Still a popular game today.

Everyone remembers playing Hopscotch. It was done on a smooth flat surface like a volleyball court or on the sidewalk in front of your house. There can be a variety of hopscotch designs drawn with chalk on the playing ground surface. The player tossed a small object called a lagger into numbered rectangles made in the chalk design. Then player hopped or jumped through the spaces to retrieve the object. A child could play by themselves or with a group. If the player steps on a line miss a square or lose balance, the turn ends. Players begin their turns where they last left off. The first player to complete one course for every numbered square on the court wins the game.

Another game played on the ground (sidewalk or dirt) was Marbles. Using lovely glass marbles (that were inexpensive) was such fun and especially winning the marble to keep.

Photo: Playing with Jacks and a ball.

Related FamilyTree.com Blogs:

Your Ancestor and Crossword Puzzles

Playing Dominoes

Playing Old Maid Card Game

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