Childhood games

[rich p]

No, not doctors and nurses you disgusting lot.

I was reminded of jacks or five stones today. A game of rare nimble dexterity that has disappeared these days. My sisters were brilliant at it while I was a plucky trier. It involved more and more convoluted ways of picking up the jacks whilke bouncing a small rubber ball - back of the hand flicks were involved too.

Hopscotch is rarely seen these days too as far as I know.

Those blue-remembered hills in halcyon days of yore!

 

[ianrauk]

Don't see kids playing British Bulldog either

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Hopscotch is still played but it's largely confined to primary school playgrounds. But, then again, just about all children's play has been banished from the street and hidden away.

That said, I haven't seen marbles being played anywhere for a while.

I was competent at 5 jacks but never good enough to earn myself a name at it - I was quietly pleased with my own developing dexterity, though.

 

[Shaun]

Funnily enough our 7 yo. asked me the other night why it was called hopscotch, so we looked it up and it's original name was Scotch Hoppers.

The site we found was quite detailed about the rules, and variations that have been played over the years, etc. Quite interesting.

Must admit though, it was mainly building sites (with no barriers, fences, warning signs, etc.) and my mates "massive" back garden for me when I was a kid.

Cheers,
Shaun

 

[ventoux50]

Don't see kids playing British Bulldog either

My litle lad (aged 5) has just started rugby at the local club (non contact) but they do play bulldog ! I was smiling from ear to ear when I first saw them playing it - brought back memories (I wanted to join in but thought some of the other parents might object !)

The kids love it !

 

[Night Train]

School games for me tended to involve balls being kicked, usually at me.

I prefered swimming and cycling, I could do that with friends but it didn't require being overly social all the time.
Sometimes we played tag, that was good because I can run fast and so wasn't always 'it'.

 

[rich p]

Don't see kids playing British Bulldog either

I can imagine you were pretty good at it Ian

 

[ChrisKH]

I am reminded of hot summer holidays spent playing "Runouts" which involved two teams; one defending a telegraph pole ( or similar) and the other "running out" and hiding (I suppose). The aim was to get someone on the runout team to get back to the pole and touch it, without being caught & touched by the defending team. Some of these runout games used to go on for days, in fact I think I haven't been caught since the last game started in 1977 and I've yet to make it back to base. We sometimes used to amass 20 to 30 kids from the immediate neighbourhood to play this.

Those were the days eh?

 

[upsidedown]

Looking back at it my childhood was a ten year long Health & Safety video, consisting of climbing on pipes over canals, asbestos roofs in disused factories and air-raid shelters in back gardens.

 

[Aperitif]

Telegraph poles- with the tarry creosote trickling down on a hot day... My childhood continues, so anything goes, but I did like to play chess using a travel chess set, lockable lid and formed from that exclusive plastic that resembled wood.

For me, true (out of school) childhood games involved guns I think - Winchesters, Thompson sub-machine guns, Sekiden pistols etc - it was only necessary to get a dose of war film (on telly every Sunday), practice shooting the enemy on screen and then call on friends to re-enact the film that we had all watched, hiding in our respective front gardens, or behind Mr Kerslake's big Woolsey, or Keith's Rover - the only two cars in the Crescent!

 

[Globalti]

Sekiden guns? I remember them! http://forums.doyouremember.co.uk/threads/810-Sekiden-Gun

 

[Aperitif]

They were good fun when used with empty fag packets 10s preferably (My Mum and Dad smoked Embassy for the coupons :rolleyes).
I yearned for a Man From Uncle Kit, which was a Mauser I think - lots of bolt on goodies to make it into a rifle, and most important of all - a membership card for 'The Organisation' My firend Nick's Dad used to travel a lot for GKN, and Nick was lucky enough to get the Thrush rifle - a splendid bit of kit! And caps - all those cheap metal die-cast cap guns, with enough ammo to fill the living room with a lovely scent and down a lot of TV actors

 

[marzjennings]

Don't see kids playing British Bulldog either

Our infant school banned Bulldog back in '79 after a couple kids got hurt. Mind you, they also banned snow ball fights.

 

[XmisterIS]

Our infant school banned Bulldog back in '79 after a couple kids got hurt. Mind you, they also banned snow ball fights.

We used to play BB, great fun it was too. Mind you, I expect that health and safety have banned it completely now.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Most children these days seem to have abandoned games in favour of posting in P&L.