I was out trying to dig my garden bed and it started raining on me. It got me to thinking about games we played as children. They were all outside :-D We stayed outside from the time we got up until it got dark. We explored in the woods, rode bikes, had contests and races. When it rained I would get a peice of cardboard and go yard surfing or play jump over the ditch. What would y'all play?
As children, we spent almost all day outside too. We loved to explore and play in the forest, swim, jump rope, play hopscotch, ride our bikes, play baseball. I remember playing "jumpsie's" with a rope made of elastic bands and double dutch with a skipping rope. In winter we would make snow forts, snow men and snow angels or go tobogganing and have snowball fights. We were able to keep ourselves amused outdoors through all the seasons quite easily. I wish I could say the same for my kids! Their generation has to be constantly amused with electronic gadgets or they complain that they are "bored". And heaven forbid there be a power failure!
We also spent all day outside. We did all those things you both mentioned. We also played fox & hounds, red rover, flashlight tag, collected lightning bugs, rode our bikes to the river and the ocean to swim. There were a lot of kids in our neighborhood and we were always organizing some kind of game. When it rained we played lots of cards and board games. I was the oldest of 6 so there was always someone to play with. :-D
We did lots of outdoor games too. The house was too small to play "properly" in. We climbed trees, played lots of ball games and jumping games, rode bikes, made "tents" and little villages in the little wood near our houses, and I can't remember everything. It was the same in winter. We were outside all day, making things out of snow, skiing and what-not.
We swam, went crabbing, soft shell crab hunting, canoeing, played in the woods, made stuff out of other stuff.... lots of our activities centered around the water in Summer. Rode our bikes EVERYWHERE.
Rode my bike all over and never had to fear a predator. We played till 10:00 at night (in the summer of course). Caught lightening bugs, played red rover, mother-may-I, laid on quilts and looked at the stars. At the end of the day, I would often come in with 'sweaty beads' under my chin! Dirty little gal was I!! If only things were as simple and uncomplicated as they were back then!
I had my share of sweat beads around my neck myself, KG! We were pretty grimy in these parts back then too. Haha.
james, that's what we played, hide and seek! i remember calling out ''EEAWKEE", too which was from the Lassie show i think. we played all day outside too, building forts, swinging on the swings dad made, playing in the neighboring fields. we didn't have bicycles cause the only place to ride was the road...too much traffic. we swam alot and played games in the water...when the tide was in.
All of your descriptions of playing these games has made me nostalgic for the good old days! Kids did a lot more playing outdoors. I guess sadly, that many parents think its unsafe to let their kids be out too far from home. Right now, with all our snow, we were remembering the school playground game "fox and hounds" and of course, snowman building and snow angels... I like it when I see the neighbor kids outside playing!!
Lots of memories in those posts - I remember playing some of those games too. - does anyone remember Chikity, Chikity, China? "I come from China-town..." It's akin to red-rover and crack-the-whip. I also remember Red-light, Green-light, Little Sally-Ann, The Noble Duke of York and Hot Potato.
My brother & I lived in a neighborhood with many children our age that of course we went to school with. Most of us were also outdoors most of the time, playing games in the streets or biking or hide-N-seek. picking neighbors fruit trees. yip childhood seemed so much better back then when we didn't have a worry in the world.
