Good Ol' Childhood Games

"With a dirty, dirty dish rag on your toe . . ." Sometimes random thoughts pop into my head. This ending to the IT-identifying chant came to me as I washed the dinner dishes a few weeks back. It's one of those childhood sayings that sticks with you for a gazillion years just like, "I'm rubber and you're glue, whatever you say bounces off me, and sticks to you" or "Not IT!" Of course in my mind, one random thought leads to another, and before ya know it, a Good Things post is born.

Well, it sort of works that way. In this case, I needed a little help from my friends, and Brian's friends too. With the magic of social networking, I recruited contributors to tell me one good outdoor game from their childhood. The graphic above is the product of their responses. Some games are familiar like Dodgeball or Hopscotch, others are not so well known like Dr. Tangle or Hunt for the Ol' Gray Woolie?!?

In this tech age, kids are most likely to be attached to something digital or electronic, rather than gathering up the neighborhood gang for a friendly game of Kick the Can, which by the way was the game mentioned more than any other in my unscientific poll. Wacky!

What was so good about these outdoor games from our childhoods? I'll tell right now:

3. Little or no special (expensive) equipment needed: A ball, a can, a flashlight, a stone and some chalk, a doorbell . . .

2. Mom or dad did not have to drive any kids here or there to take part: Go outside. Find some friends in your neighborhood on foot or by bike. Round them up in a backyard, an empty lot or field, or in the alley if you had one. Play a game or two, or more. There ya have it - no seatbelt required.

1. These games were actually fun despite the potential risk for injury. (I'm not a big fan of Dodgeball for that very reason) Good times were had by all, OK, maybe not by the kid who always was IT, but heck yeah, simple summertime fun!

Unplugged.

Kudos to the following folks who shared their favorite childhood games with me, not in any particular order: Kevin, Deneen, Kristen, Jeff, Kelly, Joe, Beth, Donna, Joan, Narda, Marianne, Donna, Kim, Daphne, Greg, Ruth, Connie, and Dana. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Now get out there, grab some friends, and go play!