Children's 'street games'

[Lost In Xanadu]

Growing up, summertime would find us outside playing with friends until mom or dad called me in for bed. Something I almost never see anymore. Do kids still play these games?

 

What games did you play, and which rules did you play by?

 

 

Here are some I can remember:

 

Kick the can:

One person was it, and we put a soda can in the street. 'It' would count to 30 and the rest of us would hide. When 'it' found us, we would go to the jail location. If someone kicked the can without being caught, the person in jail the longest would be freed. When everyone is caught, whoever was in jail the longest would be the next 'it'.

 

Freeze Tag:

One person is 'it' and the game is played like traditional tag excepting person that is tagged stayed frozen. One person is picked (without 'it' knowing) to be that thawer. They can thaw any frozen player. Game continues until all players are frozen.

 

Ghost in the Graveyard:

One player is the Ghost, all others count at the base to let the Ghost hide. "one o'clock, two o'clock..." Up to "midnight". The players will look for the Ghost, an when the Ghost is found, the player thy finds him yells "Ghost in the graveyard!" and a chase ensues. If they get back to base before being caught by the ghost, the ghost hides alone. If they are caught, both people go to hide. This continues until all are caught.

 

Statue Maker:

Probably one of the lamest games we played... One person was the statue maker, one player is they buyer, the rest are the statues. The buyer goes out of sight and the statue maker spins the players and they players decide on which statue they are based on how they fall. Once all the statues are made, the buyer enters, 'activates' the statues and they perform. The buyer picks his favorite and then the statue chased the buyer. Not sure how it ended, but that's what I can remember.

Edited April 8, 2013 by Lost In Xanadu

[Babycat]

I don't know about the name 'Freeze Tag', but I always called it 'It' - same rules applied.

 

'Hopscotch': A row of squares. You had to kind of hop along and pick something off the ground, like a marble or a Jack or something. I'm a bit vague on the details.

 

'Leapfrog': You had to bend double while someone else vaulted over you and you did the same to them.

 

'Marbles': Kind of like micro-bowls. There was a big marble called a 'King' with smaller ones. You would take it in turns to hit the smaller marbles with the 'King' marble in an attempt to win them. Some people referred to the 'King' marble as a 'Dobber'; everyone had different names for them.

 

'Bullying': Where the whole school would shout insults at you while you cowered and cried. And the teachers did f*** all to help you.

 

 

 

Having said that, it was over 30 years ago, so I practically can't remember any other games.

[LyndseyG]

I don't know about the name 'Freeze Tag', but I always called it 'It' - same rules applied.

 

'Hopscotch': A row of squares. You had to kind of hop along and pick something off the ground, like a marble or a Jack or something. I'm a bit vague on the details.

 

'Leapfrog': You had to bend double while someone else vaulted over you and you did the same to them.

 

'Marbles': Kind of like micro-bowls. There was a big marble called a 'King' with smaller ones. You would take it in turns to hit the smaller marbles with the 'King' marble in an attempt to win them. Some people referred to the 'King' marble as a 'Dobber'; everyone had different names for them.

 

'Bullying': Where the whole school would shout insults at you while you cowered and cried. And the teachers did f*** all to help you.

 

 

 

Having said that, it was over 30 years ago, so I practically can't remember any other games.

 

I don't remember ever playing marbles... And I was crap at leapfrog. Kept bottling it at the last min...

 

Loved hopscotch!!

 

The rest I remember VERY WELL...

 

This is for you, Babycat, for the last one

[USB Connector]

I can relate to Babycat. When we weren't playing some variant of tag or Bulldog (description), I was usually getting my ass handed to by several larger kids verbally, physically, or both while nobody intervened until I ran off or the bullies got bored and left because I was on the floor writhing in pain.

 

Bulldog:

Set two distinct lines as safe zones that span the ends of the playing field (rectangular). A small percentage of the group stands in the middle, back facing the others who are all in one safe zone. When the people in the middle yell bulldog, the people in the safe zone must make it to the opposing safe zone. There was a rule that the kids in the center couldn't turn around until a certain point or nothing they do would count, the condition was something they could only assume but not see being turned around but I don't recall. Anyway, if the condition is met and they touch a person leaving the safe zone, they join the kids in the middle. The game ends when everyone is in the center and nobody to cross to the opposite safe zone.

[USB Connector]

'Bullying': Where the whole school would shout insults at you while you cowered and cried. And the teachers did f*** all to help you.

 

 

Babycat. I know it's horrible. The worst feeling is when everyone around you is getting joy from your pain and those you trust either join in or do or just watch.

[Babycat]

I don't know about the name 'Freeze Tag', but I always called it 'It' - same rules applied.

 

'Hopscotch': A row of squares. You had to kind of hop along and pick something off the ground, like a marble or a Jack or something. I'm a bit vague on the details.

 

'Leapfrog': You had to bend double while someone else vaulted over you and you did the same to them.

 

'Marbles': Kind of like micro-bowls. There was a big marble called a 'King' with smaller ones. You would take it in turns to hit the smaller marbles with the 'King' marble in an attempt to win them. Some people referred to the 'King' marble as a 'Dobber'; everyone had different names for them.

 

'Bullying': Where the whole school would shout insults at you while you cowered and cried. And the teachers did f*** all to help you.

 

 

 

Having said that, it was over 30 years ago, so I practically can't remember any other games.

 

I don't remember ever playing marbles... And I was crap at leapfrog. Kept bottling it at the last min...

 

Loved hopscotch!!

 

The rest I remember VERY WELL...

 

This is for you, Babycat, for the last one

 

Thanks, Lyndsey...

[Babycat]

I can relate to Babycat. When we weren't playing some variant of tag or Bulldog (description), I was usually getting my ass handed to by several larger kids verbally, physically, or both while nobody intervened until I ran off or the bullies got bored and left because I was on the floor writhing in pain.

 

Bulldog:

Set two distinct lines as safe zones that span the ends of the playing field (rectangular). A small percentage of the group stands in the middle, back facing the others who are all in one safe zone. When the people in the middle yell bulldog, the people in the safe zone must make it to the opposing safe zone. There was a rule that the kids in the center couldn't turn around until a certain point or nothing they do would count, the condition was something they could only assume but not see being turned around but I don't recall. Anyway, if the condition is met and they touch a person leaving the safe zone, they join the kids in the middle. The game ends when everyone is in the center and nobody to cross to the opposite safe zone.

 

Thinking about it, I have heard of 'Bulldog' - I think it got so violent that the game, if you could call it that, got scrapped.

 

And it wasn't just the older kids but the ones younger than me that gave me hell.

[Babycat]

'Bullying': Where the whole school would shout insults at you while you cowered and cried. And the teachers did f*** all to help you.

 

 

Babycat. I know it's horrible. The worst feeling is when everyone around you is getting joy from your pain and those you trust either join in or do or just watch.

 

They didn't just watch, they also laughed. Thank you for the , USB.

[Lost In Xanadu]

Wow. Can we have a separate bullying thread? Sorry to hear you were bullied, but I have a feeling this thread is now dead.

[Babycat]

Wow. Can we have a separate bullying thread? Sorry to hear you were bullied, but I have a feeling this thread is now dead.

 

Sorry about that...

[ILSnwdog]

I remember playing ghost in the graveyard. We used to play romans and christians too.

[Lost In Xanadu]

I remember playing ghost in the graveyard. We used to play romans and christians too.

 

What is the other one??

[ILSnwdog]

I remember playing ghost in the graveyard. We used to play romans and christians too.

 

What is the other one??

Thinking back, I think it's just a less politically correct version of ghost in the graveyard.

[Territorial_Game]

Broom ball. Pretty much just baseball with a wiffle ball and broom, but with the addition of a new type of home run: if it hit a passing car, automatic home run.

[Babycat]

Just remembered another one: 'Kiss Chase'. Sort of self-explanatory.

[Lost In Xanadu]

Broom ball. Pretty much just baseball with a wiffle ball and broom, but with the addition of a new type of home run: if it hit a passing car, automatic home run.

 

We played this with a broomstick and tennis balls. It was real fun playing at one of my friend's house because he lived on the border of the suburb I grew up in and Milwaukee. When we would hit a HR, someone would always say "you hit that into Milwaukee!!" Stupid, but memorable

 

 

 

Interesting no younger members have really posted in here. Is my initial assumption correct?

 

When I was growing up, in the summer... no school, all of the neighborhood kids would get together and play games in the street. The ones I described above, stickball (aka broom ball), whatever. My mom worked at a bowling alley and would bring home old pins. We lived on a dead end street and would go bowling with our bikes

 

Seems like we were outside almost every night playing with the 10+ kids in the neighborhood... always on our street too because we lived on a dead end. My kids don't do these things, and I never see anyone doing these kinds of things in the area anymore. Does it still happen today? Is it a sign of the times with child predators and overprotective parents??

Edited April 9, 2013 by Lost In Xanadu

[Maverick]

Growing up, summertime would find us outside playing with friends until mom or dad called me in for bed. Something I almost never see anymore. Do kids still play these games?

 

What games did you play, and which rules did you play by?

 

 

Here are some I can remember:

 

Kick the can:

One person was it, and we put a soda can in the street. 'It' would count to 30 and the rest of us would hide. When 'it' found us, we would go to the jail location. If someone kicked the can without being caught, the person in jail the longest would be freed. When everyone is caught, whoever was in jail the longest would be the next 'it'.

 

Freeze Tag:

One person is 'it' and the game is played like traditional tag excepting person that is tagged stayed frozen. One person is picked (without 'it' knowing) to be that thawer. They can thaw any frozen player. Game continues until all players are frozen.

 

Ghost in the Graveyard:

One player is the Ghost, all others count at the base to let the Ghost hide. "one o'clock, two o'clock..." Up to "midnight". The players will look for the Ghost, an when the Ghost is found, the player thy finds him yells "Ghost in the graveyard!" and a chase ensues. If they get back to base before being caught by the ghost, the ghost hides alone. If they are caught, both people go to hide. This continues until all are caught.

 

Statue Maker:

Probably one of the lamest games we played... One person was the statue maker, one player is they buyer, the rest are the statues. The buyer goes out of sight and the statue maker spins the players and they players decide on which statue they are based on how they fall. Once all the statues are made, the buyer enters, 'activates' the statues and they perform. The buyer picks his favorite and then the statue chased the buyer. Not sure how it ended, but that's what I can remember.

 

We played Ghost in the Graveyard, but we called it Bloody Murder. Same rules. And we always played it after dark. If it was still light outside, we played Hide and Seek.

 

We also played Red Rover and Freeze Tag.

 

When we had a yard to play in, we played Smear the Queer. One guy has the football, and everyone else is chasing him, trying to tackle him. If he gets tackled, there is a jump ball, and the next person gets it.

Edited April 9, 2013 by Sheldon Cooper

[USB Connector]

HORSE, a basketball game. I don't feel like typing the rules, so I'll let wikipedia do it:

 

The first player with possession of the ball attempts to make a basket. If that player is successful, every subsequent player must attempt to make a basket while using identical technique, stance, and physical location as the first player. If a player fails to make the specified shot, that player is assessed one of five penalty letters. The five letters are H, O, R, S, and E, in that order; the player receives the first letter that he has not already received from a previous round. The round then continues, as every other player needs to attempt the original shot. When a round is complete, the ball passes to the next player in turn, who is allowed to try a new technique, stance, or physical location to begin a new round.

When a player has been assessed all five penalty letters, thus spelling the word "horse," that player is eliminated from the game. Rounds are played until all but one player has been eliminated. The remaining player is the winner.

[ILSnwdog]

Broom ball. Pretty much just baseball with a wiffle ball and broom, but with the addition of a new type of home run: if it hit a passing car, automatic home run.

 

We played this with a broomstick and tennis balls. It was real fun playing at one of my friend's house because he lived on the border of the suburb I grew up in and Milwaukee. When we would hit a HR, someone would always say "you hit that into Milwaukee!!" Stupid, but memorable

 

 

 

Interesting no younger members have really posted in here. Is my initial assumption correct?

 

When I was growing up, in the summer... no school, all of the neighborhood kids would get together and play games in the street. The ones I described above, stickball (aka broom ball), whatever. My mom worked at a bowling alley and would bring home old pins. We lived on a dead end street and would go bowling with our bikes

 

Seems like we were outside almost every night playing with the 10+ kids in the neighborhood... always on our street too because we lived on a dead end. My kids don't do these things, and I never see anyone doing these kinds of things in the area anymore. Does it still happen today? Is it a sign of the times with child predators and overprotective parents??

Over protective parents and video games. Between the Nintendo DS and the computer, I have to fight with my kids to go outside and play.

[Digital Man]

All manner of sports in the street. "CAR!!!"

 

 

Hide-n-seek, best after dark when you could dress in dark clothes and hide in shadows.

 

Frisbee soccer: I think it's like ulitmate frisbee. We had rules that you could only catch with one hand and had to stop running when you caught it. We got really good at running alongside the frisbee and catching it just before it hit the ground. If it hit the ground the other team took possession.

 

We had tons of open space across from where I lived. We spent hours and hours and hours out there. Hills, creeks, trees, rope swings, snakes, cows, tree forts.

 

The red circle is where my house was and the blue cirlce was where we roamed.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v620/skopetski/Ramsay_zpsbf85b82e.jpg

[librarian]

Manhunt -

 

Hide and go seek team tag. Access to all yards in the neighborhood. Running though people's gardens, jumping over hedges.

Have a scar on right elbow from colliding into my stepsister running though a church yard.

 

good times! : )