Listography: Games I Used to Play

Kate is taking us on a trip down memory lane with this week’s Listography, recalling games we used to play as children.  This one really got me thinking.  At first I struggled to think of any but then those playground days soon came rushing back to mind.  Too many to choose from but, as ever we must, so here are my top 5…

1. Elastics!  God I used to LOVE this one.  We had a super long loop of elastic, probably a couple of metres long.  Two kids would stand inside the loop, a fair distance apart facing each other, with it looped around their ankles to hold it taut.  The ‘jumper’ would then perform an elaborate routine of hops and jumps in and out of it along to varying chants, none of which I can remember the words to right now.  After completing a routine successfully the loop would be moved slightly higher up the holders’ legs, towards the knees, until the jumper tripped!

2.Cat’s Cradle.  This involved a loop of string intricately threaded between the fingers of both hands.  You would then kind of ‘knit’ with it between your fingers into different shapes.  I realise this is a hopeless description but hopefully it will ring a bell.

3. Hopskotch.  With a piece of chalk you draw out your squares. Square 1, then 2 and 3 behind it side by side, then 4, 5 and 6 side by side……etc until you end with 10.  The player then throws a stone on square 1, hops over it to land with feet in squares 2 and 3, hops on one foot to 4, jumps to land with feet in 5 and 6 etc.  You remember. GENIUS!

4. Kiss-chase……enough said!  Mr B would like me to state here that he was the king of this game.

5. Clapping games.  Can’t think of any better way to describe this.  You would stand facing your partner and clap hands in various routines of single and double handed claps along to varying chants.  I can only remember 2 of these.  Heres the first…