Researcher: Chapters 12-14

Childhood Games

In chapter 12, Francie describes some of the games that the kids would play. I found a website that outlined the history of "Street Games" (http://www.faqs.org/childhood/So-Th/Street-Games.html). The best part about street games is that it doesn't matter how much money a person has because any child can enjoy themselves playing these games without having to go out and buy toys.

Popular "street games" in the United States are:

• red rover
• jump rope
• king of the mountain
• kick the can
• hide and go seek
• stickball
• marbles
• hopscotch
• jacks
  

Red Rover began in England in the 19th century before making its way over to the United States. There are two teams that stand in lines opposite each other. The players hold hands and form a chain. They then call out, "Red rover, red rover, send [name of player on the opposite team] over!" That player runs over and tries to break the chain of hands. If they do not succeed, they become a part of the opposite team. if they do succeed, they go back to their original team. When there is one player left on a team, they must try to break through the chain. If they succeed, they get another player and the game continues. If the do not, larger team wins.

Jump Rope is a game where one or more person jumps over a rope that is swung above their heads and below their feet. It can be played in a group or alone. Double-dutch is a method of skipping rope that involves two ropes.

King of the Mountain involves a hill or pile in which the players try to get to the top in order to be "King of the Mountain". When someone is alread king of the mountain, the other players try to knock them off so they can get to the top.

Kick the Can is similar to tag. One person or a team of people is designated as "it" and a can or similar object is placed in an open space. The other players run off and hide while "it" covers his or her eyes and counts to a previously decided number. "It" then tries to find and tag each of the players. Any player who is tagged (caught and touched) is sent to the holding pen (jail) which is simply a designated area for all the captured players to congregate, generally in plain sight of the can. Any player who has not been caught can "kick the can". If they can do this without being caught, then all of the captured players are set free. If "it" catches all of the players he or she wins that round and generally a new "it" is designated for the next round.

Hide & Seek is a game where one player is "it" and counts to a number while the other players hide. "It" must find the other players, the first one found is the next player to be "it". This game can be played with two or more players.

Stickball is the street version of baseball.The equipment consists of a broom handle and a rubber ball.This game was widely popular among Irish, Italian, Jewish, and Puerto Rican youths growing up from the 1920s to the 1980s in Boston, Philadelphia, New York City and Northern New Jersey. A rectangle is drawn on the artificial backstop in order to create a strike zone. The rectangle is chalked. If the batter does not swing and any part of the ball has chalk on it when it bounces back to the pitcher, the result is a called strike.

Marbles has many ways to be played. The most common version of the game involves drawing a circle in sand, and players will take turns knocking other players' marbles out of the circle with their own marble. This game is called ringer. Other versions involve shooting marbles at target marbles or into holes in the ground (such as rolly or rolley hole).

Hopscotch is played on a drawn court. There are many variations to drawing the court, but the course is usually composed of a series of linear squares interspersed with blocks of two lateral squares. The first player tosses the marker into the first square. The marker must land completely within the designated square and without touching a line or bouncing out. The player then hops through the course, skipping the square with the marker in it. Single squares must be hopped on one foot, and side by side squares are straddled. Upon successfully completing the sequence, the player continues the turn by tossing the marker into square number two, and repeating the pattern. If while hopping through the court in either direction the player steps on a line, misses a square, or loses balance, the turn ends. Players begin their turns where they last left off. The first player to complete one course for every numbered square on the court wins the game.

Jacks originated hundreds of years ago, when the only playthings boys and girls had were materials they found near their homes. After the players decide who goes first, then jacks are scattered loosely into the play area. The players take it in turn to bounce the ball off the ground, then pick up jacks, and then catch the ball before it bounces for a second time. The number of jacks to be picked up is pre-ordained and sequential: at first you must pick up one ("onesies"), next two ("twosies"), and so on like mentioned on page 112 of the book. Depending on the total number of jacks included, the number may not divide evenly and there may be jacks left over.