We’re a little saddened by the impact technology, namely video games, smart phones and tablets, is having on children these days. Many spend hours, if not full days, cooped up inside their bedrooms, playing mindless video games as a form of entertainment. So it got us thinking, what about all those classic games we used to play as kids, namely the ones that didn’t require electricity. Here’s our list of Top 10 Old School Kids’ Games.
10. Rock Paper Scissors
This ancient form of hand to hand combat first originated in China some 1800 years ago. Known as Shoushliling (hand command) it was used by warlords, peasants and farmers both in friendly competition and to settle disputes.
Archaeologists recently uncovered ancient frescos near the Mongolian border thought to depict shoushiling battles to the death. It is thought that victors of these ancient battles were highly revered with some even achieving the status of demi-gods among their local community.
Nowadays, kids often use rock, paper, scissors to get out of household chores like dishes but we still think it’s the best method for settling grown up debates, like who should cook.
9. Tiggy
This would have to be the simplest of all childhood games as there was no equipment needed. As long as you had a group of buddies and a bit of room to run around in, you were good to go. One person started as “it” while the others ran around, trying to avoid being tagged. Variations in the rules exist; however, the tagged person then becomes “it” and either joins the previously tagged person to form a team or the previously tagged person becomes “untagged” and joins the others in trying to escape the person who they just tagged.
8. British Bulldog
Probably the most banned game in primary schools around the country, British Bulldog sees one or two people (bulldogs) standing in the middle of the playing field while all remaining players stand on one end of the area. The goal is to get from one end of the playing field to the other without getting tagged by one of the bulldogs. Those that get tagged become a bulldog themselves and before long the pack grows, making it harder for the other players to duck and weave from one side to the other without getting caught.
Rough play and injuries can often see teachers storming to the oval to stop such madness before any broken bones ensue, but before they catch on to the joyous activity, dodge and eave to your heart’s content. It’s a battlefield out there.
7. Backyard Cricket
Perhaps the best kid’s game of all is backyard cricket, not only because it can be enjoyed by people of all ages, but it can also be played far beyond the confines of a garden. The street, parks, beaches… basically anywhere with enough room to bowl and hit a ball. Bins are traditionally used for wickets and depending who you play with, all manner of rules exist. Then there’s always the one bloke who makes up a new one when things aren’t going his way.
Some of the classic rules, that should never be adapted include:
One Hand, Once Bounce: If an outfield player catches the ball with one hand after it has bounced once, the batter is goneski.
No golden ducks: A batter cannot go out without making a run.
No LBWs: There’s no umpires or video replays here.
Six and out: This one’s pretty self-explanatory. If you smack it over the fence, you’re out son.
Tippity run: You have to run if you hit it.
So, with summer in full swing now, it’s time to drag out the wheelie bin, cover half a tennis ball with tape and get your backyard cricket on!
6. Conkers
It’s amazing, when you think about the amount of technology it takes to keep most kids occupied these days. It really does make you appreciate how much simpler things were, even a few decades ago, when a couple of chestnuts and a length of string could provide entertainment. Conkers is an old British game that uses horse chestnuts threaded onto a piece of string. Two players then take turns striking the other’s conker until it breaks. Cheaters would often paint their conkers with clear varnish, soak or boil them in vinegar or bake them briefly. It’s a bit of a far cry from sourcing cheat codes from the internet these days… at least it required a bit of thought and finesse.
5. Four Square
The skills of four square (AKA handball, downball, squareball, blockball, champ and king’s square) have been passed down from classmate to classmate for generations and will continue to do so long after we’re gone. Four square can be played with the hand or feet and only requires four players and well, four squares.
Popular among primary school kids, four square allows the competitive nature of kids to really come out as each player strives to become king!
The rules are simple:
- To begin, the player in square four serves the ball by bouncing it in their square once before hitting it towards one of the other squares. The receiving player then hits the ball to any other player in one of the other squares.
- A player may hit the ball before it bounces, but once the ball bounces it must be hit to another player before it bounces a second time.
- If a player hits the ball so that it misses another player’s square, or fails to hit the ball before the second bounce after it has landed in their square, they are “out”.
- When a player is out, the other players move up to take their place, and that player moves to the last square, or to the end of the line, if there are more than four players.
- The object of the game is to move up to and hold the server’s position.
If you’re keen for a game but don’t have the space for it, go to a local car park and get into it there… the painted parking spots make for the perfect playing field.
4. Marbles
The ancient art of marbles echoes back to a simpler time when folks found enjoyment in flicking small glass balls across a playing surface – playing ‘for keepsies’ in the hopes of winning a coveted ‘semi-bowler or tom-bowler’ from one’s opponent.
While going to primary school in the 90’s though, the game of marbles was fiercely competitive and plenty of tears were shed when one’s most prized possession was lost to one of the marble bullies from the grade above. Punk!
3. Knucklebones/Jacks
Back in the day, folks used actual bones from the ankle of a sheep to play this game. Luckily for us, the butcherly practices of our forefathers are not a necessary element of play for the modern child.
These days, knucklebones consist of six points, or knobs, stemming from a base, and are usually made of metal or plastic. The winner is determined by successfully completing a series of throws, which, can differ widely in minor detail.
The commonest throw consists of tossing up one stone and the jack before picking up one or more from the table while it is in the air. This continues until all five stones have been picked up. Simple, but harder than you might think. Test out your hand-eye coordination with a game; you might just surprise yourself…
2. Yo-Yo
Yo-yo’s, while simple in form, provided hours of entertainment as a kid. Trying to master tricks such as walk the dog, rock the baby and around the world kept kids busy and thoroughly interested… a bit like smart phones and tablets do now.
1. Frisbee
The Frisbee’s origin dates back to 1938 when Fred Morrison was offered 25c for a cake tin he and his wife were tossing to each other on the beach. Exactly why they were standing on a beach tossing a cake tin to each other is less clear. In any case, we’re glad they were… and we reckon a few of our four-legged buddies are too.
