[Graytop]

Originally Posted by Bill-n-Brillo

I remember playing tetherball and "four square" when I was in elementary school.

Used to play "army" in a sandbox with some friends - we made homemade rubber band 'guns' and would shoot at the other person's toy soldiers in the sandbox. A hit counted as a point.

Also made a homemade skateboard out of an old disassembled "shoe skate" (the metal ones that clamped to your shoes.....with the 'key' to tighten them!) Nailed the two halves to the bottom of a board and away I went. Lots of fun til I hit a big crack in a downhill sidewalk - crashed and burned big time! Still have the scar on my elbow.......

Bill

Bill,...today the PC crowd wouldn't let their kids play with that stuff,..."it's too dangerous" (said in a whiney voice) .......we had 12 kids in my family,...when I think of some of the stuff we did as kids it's a wonder we all survived, but we did.

[aljetmet]

As a teenager we played two hand touch at night. Used a white football in the school yard. Just had the lights in the street next to the school.
Alos play hockey at night but used a dead spalding ball and we did not wear skates. When our sticks broke we taped with metal to support the broken blade. We enjoyed watching the sparks fly!

One other game, a version of hide and seek. It ws calll ring-a-levio. Have no idea how to spell it. There were two teams of about 10 and one team had to hide (generally in bushes) Lot's of fun when guys were tackled when found.

How about playing hardball on a softball asphalt field.

Played punchball but the "hitter" threw the ball up to himself.
My secret was to place my thumb in my fist. 350 CCs of power!

Lastly, did anyone play skelly? Hitting a soda cap on the floor to numbered boxes in a square. We also used tops of jars as well.

[Graytop]

Originally Posted by Trish Crocker

I find it sooooo sad that kids don't get out and get dirty. I think some of the problems labeled 'ADD and ADHD' can be contributed to kids not getting rid of all the energy that comes with being a kid. It's great that everywhere you look (not just TV) you see nicely manicured lawns but when we were kids, you played on the lawn...the folks didn't care because the hadn't spent tons of money making it perfect. There is no place to get dirty, we built forts out of wood stacked behind the garage, played softball, converted an old shed into our 'fort'. Now parents are afraid to let the kids out of their sight...I absolutely HATE it when my grandkids spend their entire days playing video games and texting. They really, really do not know how to play outside, if they do play, it's an organized sport, not a bad thing but just not the same. So sad

[2BNTV]

Originally Posted by Trish Crocker

I find it sooooo sad that kids don't get out and get dirty. I think some of the problems labeled 'ADD and ADHD' can be contributed to kids not getting rid of all the energy that comes with being a kid. It's great that everywhere you look (not just TV) you see nicely manicured lawns but when we were kids, you played on the lawn...the folks didn't care because the hadn't spent tons of money making it perfect. There is no place to get dirty, we built forts out of wood stacked behind the garage, played softball, converted an old shed into our 'fort'. Now parents are afraid to let the kids out of their sight...I absolutely HATE it when my grandkids spend their entire days playing video games and texting. They really, really do not know how to play outside, if they do play, it's an organized sport, not a bad thing but just not the same. So sad

I am saddened by the fact of today's kids are not thrown outside and free to roam the neighborhood as we did. It's a sign of the times that did not change for the better.

[pooh]

I did fall out of a tree...I don't recommend it!
My sister, brother and I grew up at the coast and the beach played an important part of our "play time." Swimming, row boating, fishing, floating on innertubes, were things that we did...as well as bicycling, rollerskating, sledding and ice skating in winter (little swamp "lakes" near the shore froze early and solidly). I do remember playing cowboys and each of us would have a small piece of rope in our hands...they were the reins of our horses. Games of jump rope, red rover, etc, were played more at school than at home....at home we were more on the go than not.

[glgene]

I used to sing "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall..." while riding on the school bus. Felt a little more macho than singing "Three Blind Mice."

Gene

[Trish Crocker]

Originally Posted by glgene

I used to sing "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall..." while riding on the school bus. Felt a little more macho than singing "Three Blind Mice."

Gene

That's one song that you don't encourage your kids to sing when you take a long road trip....by the time you get to 'seventy-five bottles of beer on the wall' you throw the kids out of the car!!! (hey, maybe it IS a good thing...they'd be forced to play outside!!)

[Bill-n-Brillo]

OH! I almost forgot one - 'Spin the Bottle'......................



Bill

[brostholder]

Originally Posted by Bill-n-Brillo

OH! I almost forgot one - 'Spin the Bottle'......................



Bill

and the more advanced version.....7 minutes in heaven

[CaptJohn]

Originally Posted by pooh

I did fall out of a tree...I don't recommend it!
My sister, brother and I grew up at the coast and the beach played an important part of our "play time." Swimming, row boating, fishing, floating on innertubes, were things that we did...as well as bicycling, rollerskating, sledding and ice skating in winter (little swamp "lakes" near the shore froze early and solidly). I do remember playing cowboys and each of us would have a small piece of rope in our hands...they were the reins of our horses. Games of jump rope, red rover, etc, were played more at school than at home....at home we were more on the go than not.

Much of this sounds very familiar to me since I grew up at Pensacola Bay and Pensacola Beach. Lots of beach and boating stuff along with canoes. It helped that I was in the Sea Explorer Scouts. Got a speedometer for the bike and put over 1,000 miles on it. Only time I saw snow was once in the early 50's (pretty rare in Florida) until I was an adult.
When younger we'd jump off the garage roof and pretend it was parachuting. Never fell out of a tree but climbed many. Played cowboys. Also in playing army we'd throw D cell batteries at each other as hand grenades (we at least had enough sense to wear real helmets!).

[aljetmet]

Never played those games outside.

[tainsley]

In the city we played wiffle ball, half ball (broomstick handle and half of a dimpled hollow rubber ball which we purchased at the corner store), shot bottlecaps in the street and also marbles, hopscotch, jacks, and my favorite flipping baseball cards against a wall. In the burbs we played capture the flag, dodge ball, kickball (I guess because there was more room to run around), osage orange fights (boy did it hurt when you got hit with one of those), baseball and of course sledding, ice skating and snowball fights in the winter. I also remember playing 1 2 3 red light, mother may I? and Simon Says. Hubby and I taught our kids all those games. In the summertime my husband would line our yard with chalk to make a baseball diamond and every kid in the neighborhood (girls and boys) would play baseball all day, everyday in our yard. I always knew where my kids were! Ah the good old days!

[Trish Crocker]

How about Jacks??? I know, it was a girl thing but I spent many hours trying to perfect my skill. When I showed it to my daughters they just rolled their eyes (oh well, their loss!)

[skyguy79]

Originally Posted by aljetmet

As a teenager we played two hand touch at night.

I'll bet that was a blast especially when coupled with spin the bottle!

[hedoman]

Simon says
Mother May I?
Spin the bottle,my fav
Crack the whip (on snow sleds)
Mock army battles in the woods ala "Combat" the television show each played a character I was ALWAYS Sgt Saunders
"Doctor"
Red Rover
dodge ball
kick ball

Oh those were the days......................