Playground games
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Playground games are physical and verbal outdoor games which have been devised by groups of children for their own entertainment. These may be adaptations of existing sports or they may only exist informally in children's play areas such as parks, school playgrounds and streets around where children live.
As the rules and names of these games are passed down orally, there are many regional and generational variations. For example the game tag is variously known as 'it', 'tig', 'catch-as-catch-can', 'he' among others. Then there are variations on this basic theme such as 'off ground tig', 'budge' etc.
Many of these games are extremely old and have been played in one form or another for centuries. Others arise as a product of popular culture in a particular era or due to a particular toy or piece of equipment such as the skateboard, yo-yo, Rubiks cube or Scoobies.
Types of playground game
- See also Counting-out game
These are mini-games which are played to determine the initial set-up of a game, e.g. who is 'it' or which players are on which team.
Probably among the oldest games played all over the world. One person is 'it' or 'on' and is up against the remainder of the players. Hide and seek is a universal example.
Within this category a distinction can be drawn between games where there is always only one person who is 'it' at any time and games where more than one person can be 'it' at the same time. British Bulldogs and 'Chain tig' are examples where more and more players become 'it' until one winner is left un-caught.
Manhunt
Possibly derived from the adult game of the same name, this game is where one or two people are designated as 'it' or 'on', and the others must hide or escape from those who are 'it'. Some ingenious methods of hiding include disguising themselves as bags of rubbish or even a tree, although break times often do not last long enough for such devices to be implemented.
Physical Contact Games
Group games played without a ball where the objective involves physical contact with the participants. Examples are Buck buck and Pile-on. Many of these games, including Tag, are now outlawed in schools. So more and more these games are played by older participants in unregulated settings.
Line Tig
A variation on 'tig', this game is most commonly played on grounds which have some form of markings, such as basketball courts or football pitches. one person is designated as 'it', and others must escape from that person, all while keeping to the markings.
Not necessarily using a ball as such, but rather any object which is considered as a ball for the purposes of the game, i.e. thrown, kicked, batted etc. For example, stones, tin cans, scrumpled paper etc.
Ball games are often derivatives of more formal sports such as Football or can be a kind of tag as above. Notable examples include:
'Donkey' and 'Spot'
The ball must be kicked, hit or thrown against an agreed length of wall by each player in turn. Every time the ball hits the wall the next player must attempt it from where it rebounds to. If a player misses the wall they are out (in 'Spot') or lose a life (in 'Donkey' they get a letter towards spelling out DONKEY) until they have lost all lives and are out.
Fumble (aka) Wall Ball
In this increasingly popular playground game, a tennis ball has to be thrown or kicked at a wall. When it bounces off you have to catch it/pick it up and throw/kick again, however, if the ball hits you and doesn't hit the wall, you have to run and touch the wall. If another player returns the ball to the wall by throwin/kicking it before the 'fumbler' has touched it, then the 'fumbled' player has to run the length of the wall, while the person who fumbled him, has a free chance to throw the ball and hit him. The game continues, until you decide to finish.
Another variation of Wall Ball is that once the ball bounces back off the wall, a player must try to catch it (or stand aside to let someone else have at the ball, although this is seen as cowardly). If the player touches the ball but fails to catch it, drops it, or is hit by it while it is bouncing/rolling, the player must run to touch the wall before another player throws the ball at the wall. If the player fails to reach the wall before the ball is thrown he/she gets a point. After a player receives three points they must then get face up against the wall and spread their limbs for a "pegging" with the tennis or raccquetball. Each player (excluding the one on the wall) then throws the ball at the player on the wall as hard as they can, aiming for the person (except for the head) on the wall. If the player is hit in the head, the thrower then goes up for a pegging. This version is extremely painfull and most players will "chicken out" and decide not to play.
Also known as Redass or Red-A.
Square
This game uses a small ball, such as a tennis ball; the smaller the ball the more challenging the game. It is played within a marked-out rectangular area, usually a tennis court or a basketball court – hence the name “Square”. The game is played by two or more players; the more players there are the longer the game lasts. The game has no set time limit although it is usually stopped by the ending of the break and the need to return to lessons!
The object of the game is to remove your opponents from the game area by making them break one of the rules. The rules are:
- Do not kick the ball outside of the playing area
- Do not touch the ball more than once
- Do not kick the ball off the ground
- Do not deliberately avoid the ball
When there are many players, a successful player will usually employ the tactic of rebounding the ball off an opponent to go outside of the playing area; the player to last have contact with the ball before it left the playing area is “out” and leaves the playing area (usually to remain on the sidelines to shout encouragement to their friends or to ridicule others). To counter this rebound tactic, players usually try to stop the ball dead with their foot but they must be careful not to touch the ball more than once.
The rule to not deliberately avoid the ball is controversial as its interpretation is subjective. If the ball is kicked towards an opponent, passes within their reach and they make no attempt to touch the ball then they would fall foul of the rule. If the opponent has to run to touch a moving ball, the ball goes out of the playing area and the opponent had no chance of reaching the ball then they would usually be safe and the kicker would be out.
Groups of players may choose to act as a team if they wish although it is usually played as a game of many individuals. Discussions during the game on the interpretation of the rules is usually lively.
The winner is the last person remaining who has not broken the rules.
These involve jumping over a rotating rope or several ropes and often use Skipping rhymes: rhythmic chants which determine the tempo of the jumping.
Word games
For example I spy, naming things starting with all the letters of the alphabet, linking words (e.g. "ball game", "game show", "show off"...)
Races
For example running, hopping, climbing.
Acrobatic and agility
For example hopscotch, limboing, handstands also running jumping soccer(depending on age) etc.
Performing games
Where players act out agreed parts, for example: cops and robbers, doctors and nurses
External links
- http://www.gameskidsplay.net/games/xtra_games.htm
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.
Probably among the oldest games played all over the world. One person is 'it' or 'on' and is up against the remainder of the players. Hide and seek is a universal example.
Within this category a distinction can be drawn between games where there is always only one person who is 'it' at any time and games where more than one person can be 'it' at the same time. British Bulldogs and 'Chain tig' are examples where more and more players become 'it' until one winner is left un-caught.
Manhunt
Possibly derived from the adult game of the same name, this game is where one or two people are designated as 'it' or 'on', and the others must hide or escape from those who are 'it'. Some ingenious methods of hiding include disguising themselves as bags of rubbish or even a tree, although break times often do not last long enough for such devices to be implemented.
Physical Contact Games
Group games played without a ball where the objective involves physical contact with the participants. Examples are Buck buck and Pile-on. Many of these games, including Tag, are now outlawed in schools. So more and more these games are played by older participants in unregulated settings.
Line Tig
A variation on 'tig', this game is most commonly played on grounds which have some form of markings, such as basketball courts or football pitches. one person is designated as 'it', and others must escape from that person, all while keeping to the markings.
Not necessarily using a ball as such, but rather any object which is considered as a ball for the purposes of the game, i.e. thrown, kicked, batted etc. For example, stones, tin cans, scrumpled paper etc.
Ball games are often derivatives of more formal sports such as Football or can be a kind of tag as above. Notable examples include:
'Donkey' and 'Spot'
The ball must be kicked, hit or thrown against an agreed length of wall by each player in turn. Every time the ball hits the wall the next player must attempt it from where it rebounds to. If a player misses the wall they are out (in 'Spot') or lose a life (in 'Donkey' they get a letter towards spelling out DONKEY) until they have lost all lives and are out.
Fumble (aka) Wall Ball
In this increasingly popular playground game, a tennis ball has to be thrown or kicked at a wall. When it bounces off you have to catch it/pick it up and throw/kick again, however, if the ball hits you and doesn't hit the wall, you have to run and touch the wall. If another player returns the ball to the wall by throwin/kicking it before the 'fumbler' has touched it, then the 'fumbled' player has to run the length of the wall, while the person who fumbled him, has a free chance to throw the ball and hit him. The game continues, until you decide to finish.
Another variation of Wall Ball is that once the ball bounces back off the wall, a player must try to catch it (or stand aside to let someone else have at the ball, although this is seen as cowardly). If the player touches the ball but fails to catch it, drops it, or is hit by it while it is bouncing/rolling, the player must run to touch the wall before another player throws the ball at the wall. If the player fails to reach the wall before the ball is thrown he/she gets a point. After a player receives three points they must then get face up against the wall and spread their limbs for a "pegging" with the tennis or raccquetball. Each player (excluding the one on the wall) then throws the ball at the player on the wall as hard as they can, aiming for the person (except for the head) on the wall. If the player is hit in the head, the thrower then goes up for a pegging. This version is extremely painfull and most players will "chicken out" and decide not to play.
Also known as Redass or Red-A.
Square
This game uses a small ball, such as a tennis ball; the smaller the ball the more challenging the game. It is played within a marked-out rectangular area, usually a tennis court or a basketball court – hence the name “Square”. The game is played by two or more players; the more players there are the longer the game lasts. The game has no set time limit although it is usually stopped by the ending of the break and the need to return to lessons!
The object of the game is to remove your opponents from the game area by making them break one of the rules. The rules are:
- Do not kick the ball outside of the playing area
- Do not touch the ball more than once
- Do not kick the ball off the ground
- Do not deliberately avoid the ball
When there are many players, a successful player will usually employ the tactic of rebounding the ball off an opponent to go outside of the playing area; the player to last have contact with the ball before it left the playing area is “out” and leaves the playing area (usually to remain on the sidelines to shout encouragement to their friends or to ridicule others). To counter this rebound tactic, players usually try to stop the ball dead with their foot but they must be careful not to touch the ball more than once.
The rule to not deliberately avoid the ball is controversial as its interpretation is subjective. If the ball is kicked towards an opponent, passes within their reach and they make no attempt to touch the ball then they would fall foul of the rule. If the opponent has to run to touch a moving ball, the ball goes out of the playing area and the opponent had no chance of reaching the ball then they would usually be safe and the kicker would be out.
Groups of players may choose to act as a team if they wish although it is usually played as a game of many individuals. Discussions during the game on the interpretation of the rules is usually lively.
The winner is the last person remaining who has not broken the rules.
These involve jumping over a rotating rope or several ropes and often use Skipping rhymes: rhythmic chants which determine the tempo of the jumping.
Word games
For example I spy, naming things starting with all the letters of the alphabet, linking words (e.g. "ball game", "game show", "show off"...)
Races
For example running, hopping, climbing.
Acrobatic and agility
For example hopscotch, limboing, handstands also running jumping soccer(depending on age) etc.
Performing games
Where players act out agreed parts, for example: cops and robbers, doctors and nurses
External links
- http://www.gameskidsplay.net/games/xtra_games.htm
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.
These involve jumping over a rotating rope or several ropes and often use Skipping rhymes: rhythmic chants which determine the tempo of the jumping.
Word games
For example I spy, naming things starting with all the letters of the alphabet, linking words (e.g. "ball game", "game show", "show off"...)
Races
For example running, hopping, climbing.
Acrobatic and agility
For example hopscotch, limboing, handstands also running jumping soccer(depending on age) etc.
Performing games
Where players act out agreed parts, for example: cops and robbers, doctors and nurses
External links
- http://www.gameskidsplay.net/games/xtra_games.htm
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.