CHILDHOOD GAMES I PLAYED
AND TOYS I ENJOYED
TIDDLYWINKS. Tiddlywinks is a parlour game originating in Victorian England where players use a “squidger” to flick small, plastic discs called “winks” into a pot, with strategic elements and trick shots, especially in competitive play. The objective is to get your team’s winks into the center pot or have the most points after the time limit. The game can be played as singles, partners, or even with a single player trying to beat their own high score
DOMINOES. Dominoes is a tile-matching game where players take turns laying down dominoes with matching numbers on adjacent ends to form a “line of play”. The goal is to be the first to play all your dominoes or, in some variants, to score points by making the ends of the line of play add up to a multiple of five. Players draw a hand of tiles, and when they can’t play, they draw from a face-down “boneyard” pile until they can, or they pass. The winner of a round scores points based on their opponent’s remaining dominoes.
CHECKERS. Checkers[note 1] (North American English), also known as draughts (/drɑːfts, -æ-/; British English), is a group of strategy board games for two players which involve forward movements of uniform game pieces and mandatory captures by jumping over opponent pieces. Checkers is developed from alquerque.[1] The term “checkers” derives from the checkered board which the game is played on, whereas “draughts” derives from the verb “to draw” or “to move”.[2]
TOPS. A spinning top, or simply a top, is a toy with a squat body and a sharp point at the bottom, designed to be spun on its vertical axis, balancing on the tip due to the gyroscopic effect. An assortment of spinning tops.
YO-YO. yo-yo, a toy that falls and rises back to the hand by the unwinding and rewinding of a string attached to an axle that connects two disks of equal size and weight. The disks can be made of plastic, wood, or metal. As a person drops the yo-yo, the string that is wound around the axle releases. https://www.youtube.com/embed/bOGumTjYjUw
HOPSCOTCH. “Hopscotch” refers to a traditional playground game played by hopping through a numbered pattern drawn on the ground. The Playground Game. The first player to complete all the squares wins. What you need: Chalk, a flat surface, and a small object called a “lagger” or “shooter”. Draw the court: Outline a pattern of numbered squares, typically 1 through 10, on the ground. How to play:Toss the marker into the first square. Hop through the squares, one foot in single squares and both feet in side-by-side squares. Skip the square with the marker. At the end, turn around and hop back, picking up the marker on the way back.
JACKS. The term “jax” or “jacks” refers to the same classic game, with “jacks” being the more common and widely accepted spelling. The game involves a small rubber ball and a set of metal or plastic “jacks” (which are often six-pointed), where players bounce the ball and attempt to pick up an increasing number of jacks with the same hand before the ball bounces a second time. How to Play. Winning: The game continues until one player successfully completes all the rounds, often the last person to successfully finish the sequence of picking up all the required jacks. Gather Materials: You’ll need a set of 6-10 “jacks” (small objects) and a bouncy ball. Scatter the Jacks: Spread the jacks on a smooth, hard surface, like a floor or table. Start the Game: A player tosses the ball into the air. Pick Up a Jack: With the same hand that tossed the ball, the player tries to grab one jack before the ball bounces. Catch the Ball: After grabbing the jack, the player must catch the ball after its first bounce. Progress: If successful, the jack is placed in the other hand, and the player continues to pick up the next jack, then the next, until all the jacks are collected. Fouls and Next Rounds: A player loses their turn if they drop the ball or fail to pick up the required number of jacks. Players then progress to higher “rounds” where they must pick up two jacks, then three, and so on, before their turn ends.
PICK-UP-STICKS. https://www.youtube.com/embed/aZ-z7-PrWx8. pick-up-sticks, game of skill, played by both children and adults, with thin wooden sticks or with straws or matches. In the early 18th century sticks were made of ivory or bone; later they were made of wood or plastic. To begin the game, 20 to 50 sticks are bunched in one hand and set vertically on a table or other smooth, flat surface then released suddenly so that they fall in a jumble. Each player in turn attempts to remove a single stick without disturbing any other. If he succeeds he may try again, but if another stick moves the player loses his turn.The player with the most sticks when the pile is totally reduced wins
MONOPOLY. “Monopoly” can refer to either a popular board game where players buy, sell, and develop properties to bankrupt opponents, or to an economic concept describing a market dominated by a single seller with no close substitutes. The board game involves players moving around the board, collecting properties, and paying rent, with the last player standing winning. Economically, a monopoly gives a single company significant control over a market, influencing prices and competition.
CARD GAMES. Including – poker, spades, hearts, pitch, cribbage.
KICK THE CAN. Kick the Can is a classic children’s outdoor game that combines elements of tag and hide-and-seek, where one person (the seeker) counts while others hide, and players race to kick a can at the center of the play area to free jailed teammates. The seeker identifies hiders and sends them to a designated “jail” area, but if a free player kicks the can before being caught, all jailed players are released. The game continues until all players are jailed or a new round begins after someone successfully kicks the can. How to PlayA new round can then begin with the first person caught becoming the new seeker. Choose a Seeker: Select one person to be “it” or the seeker for the first round. Set Up: Find a large, open space and designate a central spot for the can and a separate area for “jail”. Hide: The seeker closes their eyes, counts to a predetermined number (like 10 or 50), while the other players hide. Seek and Catch: The seeker opens their eyes and searches for the hiders. When a seeker spots a hider, they must call out the hider’s name. The Can Race: The seeker and the hider then race back to the can.Hider Wins: If the hider kicks the can first, they are safe and can go find a new hiding spot. Seeker Wins: If the seeker kicks the can first, the hider is captured and goes to jail. Jailbreak: Any player who has not yet been caught can sneak from their hiding place and kick the can.If a free player successfully kicks the can, all players in jail are released. The seeker must then close their eyes and count again, and the game continues. Winning the Round: The game ends when the seeker has successfully caught and jailed all players.
HIDE AND SEEK. Hide and seek is a classic children’s game where one player (the “seeker”) counts to a number while others (the “hiders”) hide in an agreed-upon area. After counting, the seeker looks for the hidden players. The last person found is often the winner, while the first person found may become the next seeker. This game can be played indoors or outdoors with no special equipment and helps develop physical, social, and cognitive skills.
MARBLES. A marble is a small spherical object often made from glass, clay, steel, plastic, or agate. These toys can be used for a variety of games called marbles, as well being placed in marble runs or races, or created as a form of art. Sizes may vary, but usually range from about 0.5 to 3.5 cm (0.2 to 1.4 in) in diameter.[1] They are often collected, both for nostalgia and for their aesthetic colors. In northern England, the game and objects are called “taws”, with larger marbles being called “bottle washers”, named after the use of a marble in Codd-neck bottles.
JUMP ROPE. A skipping rope (or jump rope) is equipment used in sport and play that involves rhythmically jumping over a rope swung underfoot and overhead. The activity is practiced recreationally and competitively, with disciplines such as freestyle routines (featuring creative, combination techniques) and speed events (maximum jumps within timed intervals).Accounts from the 16th century describe vine-jumping among Indigenous peoples, and by the 17th century, rope skipping had spread in Europe.[citation needed] Once treated as a gendered pastime, it became widely popular; in the 19th century it flourished in urban settings and children’s street culture. Today the sport is overseen internationally by organizations such as the International Jump Rope Union (IJRU). Skipping rope is often used for cardiovascular fitness and coordination.
CHINESE CHECKERS. Chinese checkers (US) or Chinese chequers (UK),[1] known as Sternhalma in German, is a strategy board game of German origin that can be played by two, three, four, or six people, playing individually or with partners.[2] The game is a modern and simplified variation of the game Halma.[3]The objective is to be first to race all of one’s pieces across the hexagram-shaped board into “home”—the corner of the star opposite one’s starting corner—using single-step moves or moves that jump over other pieces. The remaining players continue the game to establish second-, third-, fourth-, fifth-, and last-place finishers.[4]
TAG. Tag is a popular chase game where players try to tag others to make them “it,” often with variations like Freeze Tag (tagged players freeze until unfrozen), Infection Tag (tagged players become “it”), or Shadow Tag (taggers step on shadows instead of bodies). The basic game requires no equipment and can be played with a small group, though intricate rules and multiple players can make it a complex, ongoing game. How to Play Tag
- Choose “It”: Select one player to be “it”.
- Start Chasing: The “it” player chases the other players to tag them.
- Tag: A tag is typically made by touching another player with a hand.
- New “It”: The player who is tagged becomes the new “it”.
Popular Variations Octopus Tag: One “octopus” tags “fish,” who become “crabs” and must stay where tagged but can now help tag the remaining “fish”. freeze Tag: When a player is tagged, they freeze in place until another unfrozen player touches them to “unfreeze” them. Infection Tag: When someone is tagged, they also become “it,” spreading the “infection” of being “it”. Shadow Tag: Instead of physically tagging, players step on another player’s shadow to tag them. Blob Tag: The first two players who are “it” link arms, and as they tag other players, those players also join the “blob” and link arms.
COWBOYS AND INDIANS. To play “Cowboys and Indians,” children typically divide into two teams, one “Cowboy” and one “Indian,” and use imaginary weapons or toy sticks to chase, tag, and have pretend fights. There are also commercial board games and card games based on the theme, which have specific rules for capturing ponies or collecting cards. Traditional “Cowboys and Indians” (Chasing Game)Ending the game: The game continues until the players decide it’s over, often with a winner being the last person not “hit” or “captured”. Divide into teams: Kids form two groups, one playing as cowboys, the other as Indians. Use pretend weapons: Players often use sticks or other small toys to act as “guns” or “bows and arrows”. Chase and tag: The teams run around, hiding behind objects, chasing each other, and pretending to shoot or tag opponents. Imaginary fights: The game involves making sounds and engaging in imaginary conflicts.
SPIN THE BOTTLE. Spin the bottle is a party game where players in a circle spin a bottle, and the player the bottle points to must perform a predetermined action, such as kissing another player or completing a dare. The original version was a kissing game, but modern variations include tasks like answering a truth, completing a dare, or even participating in a drinking game. The game fosters social interaction and can be tailored to various situations, from a simple group activity to a more elaborate themed challenge.
TWENTY QUESTIONS. The game Twenty Questions involves one player secretly thinking of a person, place, or thing, while others ask up to 20 “yes or no” questions to guess it. The first player is the “thinker,” and everyone else are “questioners”. If a guesser correctly identifies the item within 20 questions, they become the next thinker. If not, the thinker reveals their answer, and play continues with a new round.
TINKERTOYS.
Tinkertoys were invented by Charles H. Pajeau, a stone mason. He thought up the toy after watching children play with pencils and wooden spools. Pajeau drilled holes around the sides of a spool and sawed thin wooden dowels into various lengths to create the first set of Tinkertoys. The sticks and spools could be combined to create a huge number of shapes, from cars to boats to the Tinkertoy classic Ferris wheel (see entry under 1900s—The Way We Lived in volume 1). Pajeau joined with former stock trader Robert Pettit to form a company called The Toy Tinkers of Evanston, Illinois. In 1914, they set up Tinkertoy Ferris wheels in shop windows in Chicago, Illinois, and their toy became an immediate hit. For the next several decades, demand for their product was high. In 1952, the original owners sold their company. The Tinkertoy brand passed through several owners before being purchased by toy giant Hasbro in 1986.
TIDDLYWINKS. Tiddlywinks is a parlour game originating in Victorian England where players use a “squidger” to flick small, plastic discs called “winks” into a pot, with strategic elements and trick shots, especially in competitive play. The objective is to get your team’s winks into the center pot or have the most points after the time limit. The game can be played as singles, partners, or even with a single player trying to beat their own high score. EquipmentPot: A small cup or container placed in the center of the mat. Winks: Small, colorful discs that are flicked with a “squidger”. Squidger: A larger, flat disc used to flick the winks. Mat: A felt playing surface, typically 6×3 feet, with the target pot in the center.
PADDLEBALL.
Paddle ball is a one-person game played with a paddle and an attached ball. Using the flat paddle with the small rubber ball attached at the center via an elastic string, the player tries to hit the ball with the paddle in succession as many times as possible.
The paddle (sometimes called a bolo bat[1]) is similar in size and shape to a table tennis racket. It is usually made from either wood or plastic.
There are others, but these I remember without a prompt.
The kids today play any of these games or glue themselves to a monitor and computer to play video games?