Before we all had TVs and video game consoles, we had to entertain ourselves by partaking in or coming up with a number of games that defined our childhoods.
"Society" says that we can't play them anymore since we're grown ups and we're supposed to have given up having fun years ago, but that doesn't mean that we can't reminisce about a simpler time. Back in our day, we kept boredom at bay by playing some of the best games that mankind ever created:
Murder in the dark
One for the indoors at night (or a room with heavy curtains), murder in the dark was essentially a murder mystery game that involved, as you might have guessed from the title, someone getting murdered in the dark. Everyone was assigned a role in the proceedings, from detective to murderer, and the long arm of the law must try and find the perpetrator of the crime. If, by some twist of fate, the murdered killed off the detective, then you would be stuck in the game FOREVERRRRRRR. We lost three of our best friends that way, and believe that somewhere out there, they're still playing...
Heads & volleys
When there weren't enough of you to play a proper football match, the game turned to heads and volleys, which only required a few people and demanded that you score a goal either by a header or by a volley. Inevitably, this lead to arguments about where the imaginary crossbar was (normally set at the level of how high the goalkeeper could jump) and what technically qualified as a volley. Controlling it on your knee and then hitting it does, alright?
Curbs
If you had a football that you didn't mind getting mauled by the asphalt and concrete on the road, then a game of curbs was insanely addictive and could last for hours on end. Rules varied depending on the region the game took place in, and if you were visiting a mate, it was important to clarify what interpretation of the regulations would be applied. Still, some common ground emerged where all camps agreed that it was extra points (sometimes double) for throwing the ball over a car, also throwing it backwards over your head or catching the ball without it bouncing when it came back off the curb was also awarded with extra points. Busts (going over the score and having to start again) and hitting someone with the ball to get all their points were optional.
Pic via Daniel Lobo/Flickr
Tip the can
"Tip the can I free all!" was the cry that could be heard ringing around many a road as children all tried to reach the free their team mates. Sometimes literal, sometimes metaphorical, the can could be any object, but was often a traffic cone that had found its way into the possession of one of the group from the nearby road works that became communal property. A game of strategy and diplomacy, you needed to form alliances that would allow you to be freed if you had been spotted and caught rapih', while the final face off between the last two standing was tense enough to be televised live on Sky Sports with dramatic music.Y'know, something like this:
Rounders
The rules of baseball and cricket were far too complicated for our tiny child brains, so instead we pared it down to the absolute essentials in the form of rounders. Hit a ball with a stick, run around, have fun. For those who were blessed with a powerful swing, the fielders would step back as a mark of respect for the distance that they could get on their hits. On the other hand, it was a psychological battle when the fielders stepped in; a disgusting taunt that would either spur you on to greatness or see you crumble under pressure and bunt one three feet in front of you.
Hopscotch
Balance, agility, composure, explosive athleticism, the ability to throw a stone; hopscotch required that you be at the peak of your physical and mental fitness to succeed. To this day, it's still known in Scotland as simply 'hop'. True story.
Hide & seek
Self explanatory really, but if you could find the right hiding place, respect and the game were yours for the winning. Going full on Rambo and camouflaging yourself in a pile of nettles worked a charm, but came at a hefty cost. What price victory?
Stuck in the mud
A variation on chasing, of sorts, this involved getting stuck where you were if you were caught, and you could only be freed by someone crawling through your legs to set you free. It could get awkward if you were playing with a mixed age group, as the older kids would not be able to free the younger kids. It was simple physics, really, but that didn't mean it hurt our feelings any less.
Red Rover
Rhyming, holding hands, the high risk of serious injury, Red Rover had it all. A quite literal bond needed to be broken for you to win this game, and there was an element of strategy in picking who thought would be too weak or lacked the physical prowess to smash through your barrier of intertwined arms. That arrogant hubris would often mean that your fall was all the more spectacular when they proved you wrong, leaving you with a bruised ego and a sore arm.
Football tennis
A two or four player game, the goal was simple: kick the ball over the wall (or net, if you actually had access to a real court) and don't let it hit the ground. Some interpretations allowed for the ball to bounce once for players with lesser technique, but we always felt that if you don't reach for the stars then you will remain in the gutter. We tried to play recently at a fancy tennis club, but were unceremoniously turfed off for "misuse" of club property and not "having" a membership. Rules, man. It looked like this when we played because we were obviously brilliant.
Slaps
Not one for the fainthearted, slaps involved trying to avoid getting your hands slapped by your opponent, and failure lead to your hands being beaten until they turned red, or possibly even purple as the game became more vicious. Psyching out the other player was part and parcel of the game, and if you could get them to flinch when you weren't making a swing, then they would have to sit there and take their punishment in the form of a free slap, which could normally be heard echoing for miles around.
Conkers
When the autumn rolled around, the main benefit was not only the fact that we could bust out our stylish mittens on a string to keep our hands warm, but that we could also have a game of conkers. Stopping to pick up only the finest specimens for our arsenal, there were a number of techniques that were used to make the conkers extra resilient, from putting them in the hot press to soaking them in vinegar. Some people call that cheating, others call it preparation. Losers call it cheating.
Main pic via F_A/Flickr
