Games played when you were a youngun

Anonymous-0 · Aug 31, 2009

The post two pages back "oil can"reminded me of stamping on metal oil cans causing them to clamp onto my shoes then chasing my brothers. The same method worked well on bare feet crossing "the sand bur patch". A Prince Albert can nailed to a stick and used to push metal wagon wheel hub rings provided many hours intertainment also. What did you spend free time on that you never see kids doing now?

pete black · Aug 31, 2009

turn the oil can upright, punch 2 holes on opposing sides, tie string in a long loop to make elevated shoes. when drinks came in a glass bottle with the pry off cap we would take the cap and gently tap it around a stick for a point, add some chicken feathers to make arrows/spears. if i could sneak some of moms clothes pins i would clip some playing cards to the bicycle fender supports for noise makers. made many swords/knives out of wood to play with. made rubber band pistols using inner tube strips and clothes pins. amazing what growing up poor can do for imagination and ingenuity. oh, cannot forget the stick horse.

Dave_Id · Aug 31, 2009

I remember making the inner tube band pistol out of the ends of apple boxes, with the clothespin. This was in central Minnesota... wonder if this was a local thing

Bert in Ga · Aug 31, 2009

I remember growing up as a young boy in the early 50's we stayed outside from morning to lunch then lunch till dark. We wanted to be outside, we knew when dad made that last call at almost dark, we'd better go in. We did'nt sit in front of TV all day. The kids now days have no idea what its like to be outside. Can'nt get off their computers and cell phones long enough to enjoy the great outdoors. I would'nt take nothing for my young years in South Georgia.

Anonymous-0 · Aug 31, 2009

When I was young all my brothers & I were so poor all we did was play in the dirt. I guess that is how we ended up being farmers.

Fawteen · Aug 31, 2009

You got THAT right!

Older grandson (18) is like that. Computer, cell phone, Ipod, often simultaneously.

Do see SOME hope for the younger grandson (11). He's been going out lobstering with his Mom's boyfriend, working as a stern man. I'm here to tell ya, that's WORK! More'n I'd care to do at 59. I'm told he sticks right to it, works his butt off and gets ticked off if anybody tries to help him. I've seen the results physically and mentally. Almost gives me hope...

As to being outdoors, I was the same growing up in the 50's and 60's in Michigan. Out at the crack of dawn, in for 10 minute for a sandwich at lunch time, and out again until as much after dark as I could get away with. Riding bikes, building "hay forts" (love them small square bales...) and tree houses, hayfield softball, you name it. If it was outdoors, it was for me.

Bill Tom · Aug 31, 2009

We played marbles, mumbly peg with our pocket knives, bean shooters using those little white Navy beans for ammunition,played Army, BB gun fights (still have mine),stick horses, baseball.

GeneMO · Aug 31, 2009

My brother and I would dig foxholes in the garden and use dirt clods for hand grenades.

My dad would make us "bean shooters" out of forked tree limbs and inner tubes. Make whistles out of green limbs.

I am afraid this country is turning into a bunch of pansies.

Gene

msb · Aug 31, 2009

Used to play it for hours in a neighbor's big barn. Don't remember the rules, but it was similar to Hide and go seek except it didn't have an end like H&GS. Also played it on the streets in town.

Old Roy · Aug 31, 2009

Yeah and we would build snow forts too made rope swings in the summer to jump in our favorite swimming hole, or a, plank and a rock made a see saw
to have hours of fun on. Basket ball on the barn floor was another favorite.

Today s kids are bored out of their mind if the I-pod goes dead and he computer goes down or even worse they run out of minutes on their cell phone.
I laughed one day when I told my grandaughter she should take a string and two cans like we did explained how it worked. she said ya still can't text.

Nancy Howell · Aug 31, 2009

Grew up in 50's & 60's, too. Like the others, I was outside as soon as I could and stayed outside as long as I could. We played all kinds of games, built forts, tree houses and put playing cards on our bikes for noise, too. Our parents didn't have to worry about someone snatching us, either.

Last time I remember Momma getting after me was when she caught me running barefoot outside in November.

You can keep all the computer games and high dollar techno toys, I'll take a walk or another tractor over them any day.

buickanddeere · Aug 31, 2009

I used to try and figure out how to get the neighbor's blond and redhead twin daughters to go skinny dipping.

jwal10 · Aug 31, 2009

I was farming on my own at 12, Farmall B, #27V mower, #27 baler and a #52 combine, 20 cows and 60 sheep. I bought a little farm with 14 acres of pasture and was living in a chicken coop. I rented another 100 acres next door, I planted 60 acres of wheat, had 20 acres of lotus hay and 20 pasture there. Pulled my little flare box wagon to the elevator each day while combining. The elevator man would give me a bottle of orange crush, man was it cold. Moved irrigation pipe for the pasture and hay. I didn't have time to play. Well, I thought lambing was fun....James

krm · Aug 31, 2009

Nobody else played kick the can?We played it every
night in the summer.Set tin can up in the backyard
with back light on,one person was it and had to guard the can while trying to keeping someone from
running thru and kicking can,when he caught someone the person caught had to be it.I had six brothers and sisters and several nearby cousins
and nearby freinds so we had plenty of kids.

LAA · Aug 31, 2009

Built forts, made sassafrass bows and arrows, got whipped for making steel swords, went fishing, went hunting, camped out in the pasture. Had rock fights, dirt clod fights, horse chestnut fights, green apple fights -- if somebody got hurt bad enough that it couldn't be hidden we all got a whipping. Cowboys and indians, cops and bad guys, war. Jumped out of hay mows, tried to rope climb the silo, worked on the farm with my brothers and my Dad. Back then the livestock auctions were held at night so we got to go with Dad to sale barn. All my memories of growing up are good ones.

James Howell · Aug 31, 2009

As a kid in the 50's, I grew up in a rural black community.

There were at least nine or ten boys ranging from ages 7 - 11 that always wanted to play baseball, go swimming, climb trees, etc.

Typical summer day was baseball after lunch, a trip through the watermelon patch, melon in the creek chilling while we went swimming.

Life was good until the teen years and the 60's.

730 virgil · Aug 31, 2009

when we lived in town we would play baseball when it got dark tag or hide and seek.
also had a newspaper route 6 nights a week. when we wanted extra money for baseball cards or candy bar we would walk along road and pick up pop bottles.
when i got older would help neighbors make hay, cut weeds,shell corn and fix fence.

Walterdavies · Aug 31, 2009

If I told all of the things I did as a kid I would most likely be kicked off for giving kids good ideas to have fun.
Something to do with power and dina and water and other such things that go BOOM.
We also built small carts and went down steep hills at very fast speeds no brakes and a rope for steering that off ten broke.
On the other hand we did play hide and seek and scotch hop.
Walt

Anonymous-0 · Aug 31, 2009

I'd still spend most of my days outside if I had half a chance. Everything inside, except for sleeping, seems like work.

Billy Shafer · Aug 31, 2009

Me and my cousins used to ride our bikes on the loading dock at the cotton gin. Tried to see who could get closest to the edge without going over. Had a rich cousin that we did lot like. He had a bike with hand brakes. So one day when he was not looking I cut the cables. He went off the dock into a truck parked nearby. Got my butt beat for that one. But my dad was so busy trying to keep from laughing that the licks didn't hurt.

Pycoed · Aug 31, 2009

(quoted from post at 22:41:48 08/31/09) Me and my cousins used to ride our bikes on the loading dock at the cotton gin. Tried to see who could get closest to the edge without going over. Had a rich cousin that we did lot like. He had a bike with hand brakes. So one day when he was not looking I cut the cables. He went off the dock into a truck parked nearby. Got my butt beat for that one. But my dad was so busy trying to keep from laughing that the licks didn't hurt.

Grew up in a Welsh mining/iron town in the 50's. Same as lots on here, out all day & only in for food. Lots of street games played. King was my favourite, & "talu pump" (Welsh for count to five).
Played cricket in the summer, either in the street (no cars in those days!) or up the park. Rugby & football (soccer) in the winter. Lots of war games, Germans & British, Japanese(wont let me use the short term) & British, cops & robbers, cowboys & Indians. Girls were always nurses. Don't forget kiss-chase!
Trout fishing in the rivers, coarse fishing in local ponds. Getting maggots from the local skinyard for bait (I was the only one that could stomach gathering them from between the sheepskins!!). Once dug out a wasps nest for the grubs for bait. Was told they were certain for trout if you baked the comb. Put in in the oven when mam was shopping & forgot about it. Could still feel the thrashing I got when she died last september at 93 - we had a good laugh about that in the wake!
Bike rides up into the mountains to swim in the waterfall pools, later with girls - who could show off to them by jumping highest up the waterfall - oh happy days. Beats TV & computers & organised "adventure playgrounds". Feel sorry for the kids today, tho' mine were OK with a country upbringing, son is working on a red & black grouse project this year up on the Durham moors.
God I wish I was young again - anyone got the plans for a time machine? Oh & some monkey glands too please.

Fergienewbee · Aug 31, 2009

We used beer cans found along the road for "horseshoes" on our shoes. Sure made a racket on the road. We played kick-the-can, army, camped out, fished, hunted and once I turned 13 chased girls. Lots more fun but more costly than the cans on our shoes.

Larry in Michigan

Anonymous-0 · Aug 31, 2009

There was me and my cousin and about 6 other boys in the neighborhood. We'd find old babycarriage wheels and make soapbox buggies. Had a high swing in the barn from a rope my uncle brought back from the Navy. Rode bikes over jumps. Usta lay a barrel on it's side and lay a plank on it with one end on the ground, then ride up it and jump on the brake. Barrel would roll, plank tip other end down and ride off. Took most of the skin off on one shoulder one time falling off. Also swung gray birches, hang on with the hands and jump. Sometimes down hard, sometimes hanging with feet 5' off the ground. That ended when I fell out of one and broke my leg. Spent that summer(11) in traction and a cast.

Bob Kerr · Aug 31, 2009

Tractor tire inner tubes were pretty fun, you could climb inside and roll down a hill, use them to float in the pond and when they finally gave up the ghost, the rubber would make good straps for a slingshot or gigantic rubber bands for paper wad fights or launching various objects "into outer space". Also 55 gallon drums were good for "log rolling" around the yard. We had lots of football games in the ol neiborhood, tackle, touch and mud if conditions were right. Lots of basket ball played on dirt courts. I asked my girlfriends kids if they ever played "crack the whip" and they looked at me like I was going to give them whippins, it was pricless!. Then again I do remeber some kids getting casts or slings to wear from that game.

barn E · Aug 31, 2009

Lotta memories here. Really lucky kids had gas masks, canteens, military flashlights, pup tents, hammocks and all the good stuff from the surplus store. Didn;t get in there much, you had to have money or they asked you to leave. Plastic soldiers were special, we buried a lot of them, who knows where. Hot water tank crate made a good bunker. Christmas trees a good fort. Poor little girls, their doll buggies never had wheels. Two by fours and tarp was a swimmin pool, barely. Detroit 1948.

Billy Shafer · Sep 1, 2009

I also remember taking my dads card deck. And putting them in the spokes of my bike. Laying pennies on the tracks to let the trains run over them.Peanuts in cokes,moon pies,getting the toys out of cracker jack boxes.We made up our own games back then. Talked my cousin into jumping out of a hay loft with a tractor umbrella. He broke his arm,I got a whippin. Kids today just want there video games.ipods and what ever else they can get there parents to buy.My dads motto You want it you buy it.

Games played when you were a youngun

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