Games of My Youth … I know we all remember the “things” (games) we enjoyed playing during our (I believe) youth.. We called many of the “things, items, and thoughts, guaranteed to get you in trouble” actions — “Games of My Youth“. I always had lots of family members and friends to do these things and create joy and happiness…

Some of the more memorable “Games of My youth” were:”

Game Hide and Seek

Jumping Rope – “Double Dutch” and Single (Two ropes or one)

Red Light…Game

Game of Hopscotch

All Kind of Ball Games…

Then there were the really creative ones. Such as when my brothers and I would take an old useless bicycle wheel, remove the inner wires, and add rubber “stuff” so the wheel was smooth. Then take a stick that would fit loosely in between the sides of the “former” wheel and push it along in a race.

It sounds simple: “Right?” or “Wrong, we were doing this on a” dirt path, with uneven stuff in it. Oh boy…

Okay let’s get back to those games in which everyone could play (I know some of you are saying, “I don’t remember those..”)

Heroic ” Game of “Hide and Seek”

For “Hide and Seek” you had a person, who was called the “caller”. “His or her” purpose was to stand at the side of the house, a tree, a post, or whatever, in which he or she could fold his (or her) arm, lean against it with eyes closed, and call out numbers 1 to 30, 40, or 50. If creative, repeat a favorite poem (Mary Had A Little Lamb, Whose Fleece Was White As Snow, Everywhere Mary Went, The Lamb was sure to go, etc.. Immediately yell out, to the “hidden players”, “Here I come.”

If the caller saw you in your hiding place, they had to touch you, and say “out”. If not you (the hidden person) and you could outrun them back to the “caller’s post, you were one winner. However, oftentimes there were 6, 7, 8 or more people playing this game, and the caller’s objective was to get all “out”.

One day, while I was in elementary school, during lunch, we played this game. I chose to go into a wooded area, where there were some wild berries growing.

As I was crawling along, I heard a sound on my right. I looked, and there was a snake crawling along with me. Time to go. You see, about three years before that, I was bitten by a nonpoisonous snake, walking in a similar wooded area. Oh boy., games of My Youth….

Gallant “Jump Rope: Single Rope and Double Dutch”

This was another schoolyard game that was brought home. It’s very simple: two people take a rope and turn it over and over so that there is space in the middle to clear the “jumper’s head” while he/she is jumping. Many times, there were 3 people jumping at the same time. The objective is to jump to some “made up” poem or song. A “jumper” was “out,” if that “jumper” stopped the rope in any way. The “culprit” jumper was “out” and could not start again until all of the remaining jumpers were tired, or penalized for stopping the rope. By the way, getting “hit” by the turning rope, made you an excellent “in and out” jumper.

“Double Dutch” was when there were two ropes being turned at the same time (you ladies were geniuses at turning these). Each rope is turning in a different direction. I didn’t play that one. I decided if I wanted to get “beaten” by a rope, it would be through my own efforts.

The “beauty of “jumping rope” was to see some doing it, with just their toes touching the ground. And, oh yeah, there were “made up” poems and songs to jump by with the occasional parent joining in.

“The Game Of Challenges: “Red Light”

Most of the time, we played this under a Florida moon…

It has similarities to “Hide and Seek,” except you don’t hide. Again, there is a caller at a wall, post, tree, etc. About 15 to 20 feet behind the caller is the line of players (single file) — the more players, the more challenging and daunting it was.

The objective is to get to the “caller’s post” before the caller says, “Red Light”. The caller counted, only, from one to 10: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, then yelled: REDLIGHT. However, anyone caught moving after “red light”, has to go back to the starting point and start over. Some of us “callers” would call one number, look around, and see who we could catch moving.

A few years ago, as I was visiting a friend in France, I looked outside and saw three young people standing by a pole while uttering a well-known word:

“sur, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuve, dix …lumiere rouge“

So I asked my friend, “Do they always play “red light?” and he replied “Oh yeah, they play that all of the time”. So “Red Light” is international.

Hopscotch…

I’m not sure who came up with the name” Hopscotch”, but it was a favorite in my younger years.

 In the beginning, you draw a pattern of squares and circles in the sand, on concrete, or (as of today) on sidewalks.

Starting with one or two circles, you move on to a square, another circle, two squares, another double square, a circle, and an ending circle.

I am aware that this does not resemble the contemporary version of Hopscotch. However, this was my creative era.

Playing Techniques:

You might wonder why we typically choose a soft drink cap or a pebble as a marker. Because we frequently played on sand and those objects were difficult to pick up while standing on one foot.

The players’ goal is to move from the beginning point, skipping over the box or circle where the object was lying, turn around, return to the play field, pick up the “things,” continuing “hopping” over the area where it was laying (on one foot), and move on to the finish line.

You believe it is simple, right? Wrong.. a player  did not “win” until he or she had repeated the procedure in all 8 or 10 combination of squares and circles. We never played with fewer than six boxes (plus the turnaround box) and three circles.

Naturally, there were consequences for

 . Failing to throw the marker inside the box or circle or

 . Touching the line on a box or circle.

 . Misses a circle or square

 . Hand makes contact with the ground when stooping  to retrieve the marker.

 . Player lands in a solitary block or circle on both feet.

. Your fine: You  lost your “turn” and had to start again.

Bragging Rights…

One could brag if you won the game without incurring any penalties. We were never too old to enjoy playing this game. I occasionally come across adults playing a “unattended” game on the sidewalks when I’m out and about.

 By the way, there are several other nations where this game of Hopscotch is also played, such as Spain (Rayuela), Poland,  (Klasy), Latin America ( Golosa), Italy ( Mondo), Mexico ( Bebeleche), and Brazil ( AmareLinha).

What about “Games of Your Youth,” go ahead and laugh…I know you are thinking of some….