Old-School Playground

The shooter (also called a 'taw') was the larger marble players used to knock other marbles out of the ring. Marbles was one of the most popular playground games from the 1940s through the 1960s.

Jacks (or jackstones) required bouncing a small ball and scooping up an increasing number of small metal jacks before catching the ball. It was a favorite recess game, especially among girls.

The classic jump rope rhyme went: 'Cinderella, dressed in yella, went upstairs to kiss a fella. Made a mistake and kissed a snake. How many doctors did it take?' Then children counted jumps.

Freeze Tag was a variation of regular tag where tagged players had to freeze in place until another free player tagged them to unfreeze them. The game ended when all players were frozen.

'Miss Mary Mack, Mack, Mack, all dressed in black, black, black, with silver buttons, buttons, buttons, all down her back, back, back.' This hand-clapping rhyme has been a playground favorite for generations.

Peggy (also called Tipcat) was a classic street game where players used a large stick to hit a smaller sharpened stick (the 'peg') into the air and then hit it as far as possible, similar to cricket or baseball.

Hopscotch involved tossing a stone into numbered squares drawn on the ground, then hopping through the pattern on one foot to retrieve it. Different regions had their own variations of the layout.

Red Rover had two teams standing in lines holding hands. One team would call 'Red Rover, Red Rover, send [name] right over!' and that player would run and try to break through the opposing team's chain.

The widely known version goes 'Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, catch a tiger by the toe.' This counting-out rhyme was used by children to fairly select who would be 'It' in various playground games.

The seesaw (or teeter-totter) was a playground staple for decades. Two children sat on opposite ends and alternately went up and down. Many have been removed from modern playgrounds due to safety concerns.

Sevensies (also called Sevens) was a ball game where players threw a ball against a wall and had to complete a series of increasingly difficult actions (clapping, spinning, touching the ground) before catching it.

Stoopball was hugely popular in urban neighborhoods, especially in New York City. Players threw a Spalding (or 'Spaldeen') rubber ball against the stoop steps and earned points based on how far it bounced back.

Chinese Jump Rope (also called Elastics) used a long loop of linked rubber bands stretched between two players' ankles. The jumper performed increasingly complex patterns as the band was raised higher.

Hide and Seek is one of the oldest and most universal children's games. The seeker counted at 'home base' while others hid, then called 'Ready or not, here I come!' before searching.

Kick the Can combined elements of tag, hide and seek, and capture the flag. A 'can' was placed in the open, and hidden players tried to kick it before being tagged, which freed all captured players.