108 GAMES Children DON'T Play Anymore – but SHOULD

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108 GAMES Children DON’T Play Anymore – but SHOULD

 There once was a time when things were simpler. Do you remember that time? A time when days went slower (especially in summer!) and it was okay for kids to go to bed dirty. (Oh my did I just ‘say’ that?) The days before Facebook, and video games, remember? Jennifer and Kay, put this list together in hopes of encouraging other families to put aside all that technology, and find some simpler ways to enjoy their days. As you read through this list, I just bet you’ll find yourself smiling with some happy memories too! Enjoy!

  1. 20 questions
  2. Acrobatics – cart wheels, handstands, headstands, front walkovers, back walkovers, roundoffs, summersaults, front limbers,
  3. Ankle jump thingy (it has many names: Bell Hop, Footsee, Skip It, Lemon Twist, Jingle Jump, Skip-a-Roo)
  4. Annie, Annie Over Archery
  5. Badminton
  6. Balance beam Ball and cup Bean bag toss
  7. Bicycling
  8. Blind man’s bluff
  9. Bocce
  10. Bowling
  11. Building forts
  12. Button factory (“Hi! My name is Joe. I work in a button factory . . .)
  13. Button on a string Buzz
  14. Capsela
  15. Capture the flag
  16. Catch
  17. Checkers
  18. Chess
  19. Chinese checkers
  20. Chinese jump-rope
  21. Climbing up ropes (single and also woven/lattice like ones)
  22. Concentration
  23. Crab ball
  24. Crack the whip
  25. Croquet
  26. Dodge ball
  27. Dominoes on end – gently push the *last* one and they present the classic *domino effect*
  28. Duck-duck-goose
  29. Flashlight tag
  30. Folded boxes (from holiday cards, especially)
  31. Four square (with a ball)
  32. Fox and geese
  33. Foxtail
  34. Freeze tag
  35. Frisbee
  36. Frisbee golf
  37. Hand games (Peas porridge hot, or See, see, oh playmate, or I am a pretty little Dutch girl, etc.) Hangman
  38. Helicopters (out of construction paper- or with a stick launcher)
  39. Hens and chicks (wooden game with a frame and discs)
  40. Hide and seek
  41. Hide the button
  42. Hokey pokey
  43. Hopscotch Horse (basketball game with 2)
  44. Horse (AKA ghost – spelling game)
  45. Horse – shooting baskets game
  46. Horseshoes
  47. Hot potato
  48. Hula hoop
  49. Human knot
  50. I Spy
  51. Ice skating
  52. Jacks
  53. Jacob’s ladder
  54. Jump rope – alone
  55. Jump rope – 2 people jumping Jump rope – 2 people turning
  56. Jump rope – 2 ropes! (double dutch)
  57. Kick it and run
  58. Kick the can
  59. Kickball King of the Hill (played with kindness 😀 )
  60. Kite flying
  61. Lawn darts Lawn hose fights (! ! ! !)
  62. Leapfrog Legos Lincoln logs
  63. London bridge
  64. Lot ball (baseball in a small space – beware of nearby windows or use a waffle ball 😀 )
  65. Making flower garlands
  66. Marble game (wooden or plastic ramps, curves, spins, etc. that connect together;
  67. marbles race down the courses)
  68. Marbles Marco polo
  69. Miniature golf
  70. Model kits
  71. Monkey bars
  72. Mother may I
  73. Musical chairs
  74. Needle crafts – crochet, knit, needlepoint, hand sewing, embroidery, crewel work, cross stitch, petit point,
  75. Origami Paper airplanes
  76. Paper dolls (store bought or homemade)
  77. Paper snowflakes Pick up sticks
  78. Quoits (ring toss)
  79. Red light green light
  80. Red rover
  81. Roller skating
  82. Scrabble
  83. Seven up
  84. Sewing
  85. Shadow tag
  86. Shoot the moon
  87. Simon says
  88. Sledding Sliding down the barrister!
  89. Snow castles
  90. Spud Statues Stilts – wooden with posts or tin can and rope stilts
  91. String games – AKA cat’s cradle
  92. Strips of paper dolls (holding hands)
  93. Swinging
  94. Tag Telephone (whisper something to your neighbor, who repeats it to the next one, etc. AKA Gossip)
  95. Tetherball
  96. Tetter totter
  97. Thumb wrestling
  98. Tiddly winks
  99. Tinker toys
  100. Touch/flag football

101.Tricycling

102.Tug-of-war

103.Volleyball

104.Washing the car!

105.Water balloon

106.volleyball (with a blanket 😀 )

107.Wheelbarrel racing

108.Yoyo

 

What games do YOU remember from your childhood ? Add them to the list below for everyone to enjoy!

 

 

This list was compiled by Jennifer Rafferty, a homeschooling mom, and Kay Ness, a NeuroDevelopmentalist. They both would love to see more children playing! You can learn more about Kay Ness’s work for special needs kids at her website: www.senc.us

 

©Copyright 2013 Rita Davidson All Rights Reserved.

 


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One response to “108 GAMES Children DON'T Play Anymore – but SHOULD”

  1. Sandra Embry Avatar
    Sandra Embry

    Freezing statues!

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