School Playground Games

[Kav]

Bulldog

Tag

40 40 In - we called it Kick-Stone and shouted "kick-stone 1 2 3"

Man-Hunt - two teams, one would hide and run, the other would hunt them down and tag them, those that were tagged would then become hunters too until everyone was caught... this was the best game ever by the way!

[The Peeps]

40 40 in... we just called it 40 40 or "Run outs".

 

Stuck in the mud was a great game too, we didn't do the whole under the legs thing though. People who were caught had to stand there like blocker lemmings and you would run under their arms to free them.

 

Had a horrible experience playing bulldog once. There was like a 10 kid pile-up that I was at the bottom of (NO, REZ.). I was covered in cuts and scrapes, massive cuts on both knees and my left elbow. My head was slammed into the ground and it chipped my top two front teeth in half =\ dentist rebuilt them out of something so it's all good! Except now they pick up signals from space....

[Jimbob]

Ah, the school playground. Played many-a-game i did, including

 

40, 40 in (or, as we called it in Wales, "Mob in")**

Hide and Seek

Tag

British Bulldog

Whats the Time Mr Wolf

Dodgeball

Stuck in the Mud

Four Court

 

Four Court, Dodgeball and Bulldog were carried on into the Comprehensive for the first 2 years, with only Dodgeball being played around Year 10/11. Dodgeball even became a part of the P.E sessions we had, well only when it rained and it wasn't Rugby Season. Of which i hated Rugby, well only the teacher who taught it. What an arse he was, and still is.

 

Remember being told by the head that Bulldog was banned in the playground, due to "health and safety reasons. Remember being in a group who took the mick with this "health and safety" lark, basically we didn't do anything in the case we "hurt" ourselves. Those were the days indeed.

 

** Mob in was played on both the school grounds, and at home. Had a perfect area we played it in, it was an area with flats we could hide behind and lots of bushes/trees.

 

Also played a game called "Kirby", which basically was throwing a ball (could be anything from a Tennis ball, to a Football) and seeing if you hit the kirb with it (2 players, one on each side of the road on opposite kirbs). Hit the kirb, and you went to the middle of the road/path where you proceeded to throw the ball at the kirb. Each bounce equalled one point. If the ball didn't hit the kirb, and the opposite player caught it, then they could "tag" the player with it. They would lose the points they gained at the time. Points were safe, if you made it back to your kirb. First to 100 games we used to play.

[Coolness Bears]

I used to pretend I was a Pokemon and punched someone in the face.

[mcj metroid]

Pogs

I used to even have one of those "pog makers" Where you cut the paper out and throw it onto a pog. Great times looking back.

[arnold]

Loved British Bulldogs, then it got banned in our school after one kid got his nose broke, lol

 

We had Queenie-o, you have a tennis ball, one kid was facing the wall and you had to pass the ball around until they turned around, if you got caught or dropped it it was your turn to face the wall.

 

We had one called Sharks or Lava, you had to pretend the floor was shark infested water or LAva whichever one we were playing and get onto something or you'd be eaten/burned alive.

 

Me and a 3 other kids had this ultimate game fighter thing, we could be any fictional character (Comics, Video games, movies, books) and we "Battled"on our imaginary playing fields, kinda like Marvel vs Capcom....we were nerds but it was fun, had Fatalities and stuff.

Edited May 31, 2011 by arnold

[Sméagol]

Hmmz. Some stuff sounds familiar, although not quite what I remember playing.

 

So.. Dutch games at primarily elementary school:

 

Bulldog (I'm using your name, we called it "overlopie", or "walk-a-crossy" sort of translated)

 

Basically as previously described. It starts with 1 guy who's "it", and all the others on one side of the line. Then you try to get across. If you make it, great, if not, you work together and become "it" with the rest who are "it".

We varied the rules with.. Variations. Occasionally you were allowed to get back to the line you started from, but this wasn't often. More often you were allowed to take "one step across the line", not fully making a commitment to running. I think I also remember a variation where the people who were "it" had to form a line by holding hands. We never used rugby tackles though. And I can't recall any injuries from this particular game. Banning this game?

 

Other details: the way we decided who was the first to be "it", was simply the last one to make it across the line on the other side when recess started.

Also, this was simply the game that was played, primarily by the last class (senior class you'd call them I guess, to us this is simply "group 8"). Nothing else was played by those people, and there was a big part of the schoolgrounds that was pretty much dedicated to this game. So what did group 1-7 do? I can't remember many specifics. Hang around, a lot of people had specific hangspots I guess. Sometimes play other games, but there really wasn't anything that stuck out. Bully other schoolkids :p. Perhaps one thing that does[/i[] come to mind is:

 

I forgot what you call it, but we called it "anne maria-koekoek" (anne maria cuccoo)

 

Simply the game where someone at a wall is "it", and you have to make it to the wall without being seen moving. "Anne maria koekoek" is what the person who's "it" would say.

 

During physical exercise (what we call "gym"), if we do something that is more "gamey" (since I'm not listing the normal exercises we'd do):

 

Dodgeball

 

We call it trefbal, which basically literally translated means the same. I don't have to explain this.

 

In fact, this is probably the most prominent one, all the other stuff we did was mostly all kinds of gymnastics and some sports, and for the latter, predominantly football. But there was one game, wildy popular, and not listed here (but then again, it isn't something you'd do on the playground.

 

Apenkooi (literally translated monkey cage)

 

We didn't do this as much as we would have liked back then. Basically some crazy variant on tag. Everything that was available, could be used to set up some kind of obstacle course covering the whole gym, so mats, ropes, rings, ladders, hoops and other typical gymnastic stuff.. One person was "it". Nobody (including the tagger) can touch the ground or they are out automatically. If you're tagged, I think you join the tagger. I can't remember the specifics unfortunately, but I loved this game.

 

Outside of school, with friends and neighbour kids:

 

Bussietrap (no idea how to translate this, except the last part, which is "kick")

 

A variation on hide and seek. It sounds a little bit similar to that 40/40 which has been mentioned a few times, but not quite.

 

One person is "it". One of the others kicks a ball, as far as he can (ended up on the road a few times). The guy who's "it" has to get the ball, and with the ball, walk backwards, to the original location (near the tree in my case, on the grassfield in my old street). In the meantime, others go hide. the ball, when returned, is sort of the base in your 40/40 game. The person who's it, has to look for the others, and when he finds someone, it is a race to the ball. If he makes it (he has to yell "buurt <name>"), the one hiding is out. If the one hiding makes it first, he's free. The first person to be found and "buurted", is the next one to be "it" in the next round.

 

Usually there were rules to keep it fair. No hiding at home for example (), and no going to far out of the street.

 

If we were tired of playing that or simple football, we occasionally played

 

Bordjeball (numberplateball)

 

Ah crap, I can't remember the specifics of this one too. A variation on tag involving a tennisball. This one has some sort of obstacle course as well, but always along the wall of our building. They could be specific cars, entrancedoors, lampposts, or other things. These were the safehavens, people could not be tagged when touching these. The one who was the tagger, had to tag using the tennisball, whenever someone was trying to get across to one of the other safehavens. The thing is, he can't simply hold the ball, he had to constantly bounce it against the wall. What I can't remember is where the numberplate (the sign designating the housenumbers) fits in. I think the tagger not even simply had to bounce the ball against the wall, but the numberplates specifically, before he was allowed to attempt a tag.

 

Anyway, those were my games from yonder.

[Pit-Jr]

Red Rover, already explained

 

Duck Duck Goose

 

Jump the River, where 2 parallel ropes are spread apart to represent the widening river. As usual, the girls were terrible at this.

 

and my personal favorites, Kickball and War Ball (dodgeball)

[Mr-Paul]

I'd forgotten about Manhunt!

 

Never quite sure of the rules that we used, basically "It" and running around chasing people and hiding. I remembered we played that one well into/all the way through secondary school too!

[MoogleViper]

I see. We called it Knock-A-Door-Run.

 

I'll second this.

 

Also that "random number in" game you're all on about I think we used to call Man Hunt. Although that may have been a similar game.

[EEVILMURRAY]

Anyone play this game called "Kerby" I think that's how you spell it, pronounced like Kirby. Involved two people on opposite sides of a road. Each person takes turns to throw a ball and hit the kerb at such an angle that it bounces back to you. When you do you take a step forward. You have to get to the other side to win. If you're on the road and you miss your opponent can grab the ball and throw it at you before you can make it back to the pavement you get sent back to the start.

 

Obviously a good game to play on a not so busy road.

[Rummy]

Anyone play this game called "Kerby" I think that's how you spell it, pronounced like Kirby. Involved two people on opposite sides of a road. Each person takes turns to throw a ball and hit the kerb at such an angle that it bounces back to you. When you do you take a step forward. You have to get to the other side to win. If you're on the road and you miss your opponent can grab the ball and throw it at you before you can make it back to the pavement you get sent back to the start.

 

Obviously a good game to play on a not so busy road.

 

No, no I don't think anybody on these forums here could have possibly ever played such an obscure game. That is too ridiculous a suggestion or even question for me to ponder.

[EEVILMURRAY]

No, no I don't think anybody on these forums here could have possibly ever played such an obscure game. That is too ridiculous a suggestion or even question for me to ponder.

T'was most fun. Much more action than knocking on doors and then running away to see 5 seconds of bewilderment.

 

That and Wall Ball. Kick a ball at a defined wall portion. Miss and stand by the wall and people will then kick the ball at you.

 

That brick wall the Sun reported about would've done nicely. But we used the side of the community centre. Plenty of wall to go around!

[Cube]

Anyone play this game called "Kerby" I think that's how you spell it, pronounced like Kirby. Involved two people on opposite sides of a road. Each person takes turns to throw a ball and hit the kerb at such an angle that it bounces back to you. When you do you take a step forward. You have to get to the other side to win. If you're on the road and you miss your opponent can grab the ball and throw it at you before you can make it back to the pavement you get sent back to the start.

 

Obviously a good game to play on a not so busy road.

 

I played that a lot, but the rules were slightly different - it was a points game.

 

If it bounces off the kerb you got a point (it has to actually bounce upwards and away from the kerb, if it goes to the opponents path or just hits it and rolls along the road it doesn't count).

 

If you caught the ball when it bounced back then you get one throw from the middle of the road.

[MoogleViper]

T'was most fun. Much more action than knocking on doors and then running away to see 5 seconds of bewilderment.

 

 

I played that a lot, but the rules were slightly different - it was a points game.

 

If it bounces off the kerb you got a point (it has to actually bounce upwards and away from the kerb, if it goes to the opponents path or just hits it and rolls along the road it doesn't count).

 

If you caught the ball when it bounced back then you get one throw from the middle of the road.

 

I played it as a points game as well.

[Rummy]

Yeah basically Jimbob already totally mentioned it with details. I don't think I ever played it though.

 

Anybody for Goalie Squash? Maybe you had another name, I don't know why it was that, and despite never being much of a footbally kind of person it was fun for me. Basically you set the 'posts' for the goal on the wall with bags, and someone goes in goal, then the other players take it in cycle turns to kick the ball from where it is to the goal in an attempt to score, keeping track of points if you like(well, you ususally would). It's not just that though, basically you take your turn from wherever the ball ends up, if it's somewhere tricky you collectively decide as a group how many 'shots' you get, in the sense of touches. Obviously if it's stick in a ditch/corner somewhere you'd get a couple in order to get it out. It's a nice amalgamation of lots of different concepts, but as I said we didn't play it as often as I liked(and I sucked anyway). The goalie rotates in a way of if you don't score, you go in goal. So if you miss the goal or it's saved, you're in goal until this happens again.

 

EDIT: Should maybe have added we did this with a tennis ball, not a football. No footballs unless on the field, or something, maybe.

Edited June 1, 2011 by Rummy

[EddieColeslaw]

I remember playing something akin to Goalie Squash! Mainly when everyone felt too lazy for a proper game of football.

[Rummy]

We tended to do it when it was too wet to be allowed on the field, and when we got fed up/bored of/had the space to play it instead of/- the infinitely gayer patball.