Awesome Childhood Games We Played As Kids + bonus
It’s time we taught our kids to play the childhood games we played as kids!
I don’t know about you, but my mom always told us to “go and play outside”. Our parents did not entertain us – I mean, do we need to be entertaining our kids all the time? I digress. They didn’t stress about keeping us busy and preventing us from being bored at all costs, literally ($ R £). We were forced to create our own fun and to play games we learned at school with our friends, in the park, or with our cousins. Either we played on our own as kids, or we played some of these with our parents.
I decided that during our time at home this summer holiday, I would try to remember some old school games we played as kids, the games from our childhood and teach them to the girls.
Granted, I grew up in Africa (in a far more peaceful and free time of life, with fantastic weather) but after a bit of investigating and asking around, it seems that there are several games we played as kids that transcended countries, continents, and lifestyles. These childhood games were all from our childhood in the late 70s, 80s and early 90s, the good old days before TV was life, and screen time was currency! So, let’s see how this list is looking.
Here are some of the most popular suggestions for childhood games we played as kids. There are a few explanations because I discovered that we might have played similar games, but sometimes the rules were different, or they had other names.
Hopscotch
Hopscotch seems to be the most popular suggestion from so many people. I mean, what’s not to love. It’s so simple. You draw the hopscotch plan out on your driveway or pavement in chalk that will just wash off so no stress about cleaning up, and voila! Granted, I had to google the rules. But it did take my girls all of 10 minutes to crack it. They obviously play it at school because they did know it. I think I’m going to have to find a few more complicated versions to keep them intrigued though cos the novelty did wear off a bit quicker than I had hoped for. Although I’m glad I’m not the only one who doesn’t remember all the rules. A number of other parents my age also had a little trouble.
Blowing Bubbles
Blowing bubbles is a fun, simple activity where you use a little wand dipped in soapy water to create bubbles. You blow air through the wand, and—ta-da!—bubbles float through the air, shimmering in the sunlight. It’s a favorite pastime for kids, but honestly, it’s just as magical for grown-ups who love a bit of playful fun. You can chase them, pop them, or just watch them drift away—it’s relaxing and silly all at once!
Playing In The Mud
Sometimes I think we can all get caught up in the idea of an Insta-Perfect garden, perfectly landscaped and suitable for the cover of any home improvement or DIY catalogue. But the joy, for you and your kids, of having a little mud patch in the corner where they can just be dirty, messy kids is one of the things they will remember forever.
I have vivid memories of growing up and being hosed down in the outside bath (I don’t know why it was there, just hooked up to cold water under the kitchen patio area), but I do remember that we were allowed to play in the mud, get as dirty as we wanted to, as long as we ‘bathed’ in that outside bath before being allowed inside. And if you don’t want to mess up your garden, there’s always the option of donning your wellies, and going for a walk to find a muddy puddle (no mention of pigs please – she’s banned on my blog!). Just look how much fun it can be.
Making ‘Perfume’
Letting your children mix concoctions of mud, leaves, sticks, flower petals etc. keeps them busy for ages and is one of those old childhood games that undoubtedly grew simply from being left to our own devices to create our own fun. Provided you are happy to sacrifice a patch of landscaped garden for a messy play, preferably a muddy patch, of course!
Sarah says: Making ‘perfume’ by mushing water and rose petals in the garden. Don’t feel guilty, many of my priceless memories of growing up are moments and times spent at home. Watch their faces if you randomly put a hose pipe on them from the kitchen window.
A Hose Pipe and Water Play
When I was growing up, one of the places we lived in was a town called Bulawayo that even today has terrible drought problems and water restrictions. We had a swimming pool in our garden that was only 1/4 full at the best of times. Other times we had to make do with a hose-pipe and spray. I turned the spray on my girls the other day and they loved it. My lawn took a while to recover, but there is water play fun to be had without a swimming pool. Even though we do miss ours in South Africa. It definitely did occupy the girls a lot.
Writing With Chalk On The Pavement / Sidewalk
Don’t underestimate the fun to be had drawing on the pavement or sidewalk with chalk. My daughters are extremely creative when it comes to this. We also had some leftover pavement chalk, which came in handy for the HopScotch plan. After that was done, they just had fun drawing on the pavement. Juanne from 4 Sticks In A Bundle says: I think it’s important for the kids to be bored every now and then. They also need to figure out how to entertain themselves. But what my kids love, although a bit younger, is playdough, writing on the sidewalk with chalk, and perler beads / fuze beads (you put them into some sort of shape or design and then iron over them).
Keeping “Pets”
Pets are always a great distraction for kids. The conventional ones are cool, but finding the unconventional ones can be just as much fun, if not more so, because of the imagination it inspires. Emma Phillips of Fuelled By Latte says: I remember keeping a ladybird that I’d found on the drive as a pet and spending ages watching it walk about. I would’ve been in primary school as I remember the house. Also Rounders! I remember playing rounders in the street in between the 4 trees that grew in 4 different gardens.
Elastics / Skip Jump / Chinese Skipping / French Skipping
We called it French Skipping, but these are just some of the names that the same game concept is known by. And remember, there’s nothing wrong with using a chair if you don’t have three kids. Nicole says: French skipping (although you need more than two people) – do you remember the one you have to spell out Mississippi? I just remember that one & “England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales. Inside, outside, inside, on”
Oranges and Lemons
Gosh I remember playing this game as a young girl at school … “Oranges and lemons, ring the bells of St Clements”. This song dates back to Victorian times. Two players form an arch by holding their hands up, while the rest of the players pass under the arch in a line, singing the rhyme. At the end of the song, the players forming the arch drop their hands and catch the player currently under the arch. That player is either out, becomes part of the arch, or takes a turn in the next round, depending on the variation. The game continues, with players singing, passing under the arch, and trying not to get caught.
Dominos
Yes, I need to get us some of these. I think this is definitely a game that my two would enjoy spending time doing. This is one of those games that was always there on our camping trips as a kid. Thanks Amber for suggesting it. Obviously another ex-Zimbo who spent time roughing it without TV, making memories and playing for fun. As well as Dominos, Amber Cathro also suggested: Marbles, dominoes, hopscotch, hula hoops, any skipping rope game (two people swinging, one jumping), colouring the pavement with chalk. My 5-year-old is so good at dominos! I’m ashamed to say he beats me (also proud as punch though!)
Kerbs
One person stands each side of the road up on the kerb. Take turns to throw the ball at the other person’s kerb. If it bounces back off the kerb you get a point and keep your turn until you miss the kerb with the ball.
Tip The Can
Tip The Can is like hide and seek but the person that is “on” has to tip an agreed lamp post and say “tip the can, I see Jane behind the wall”… The others that are hiding have to try and sneak up to touch the same lamp post. They can say “tip the can free my soul”. The last person can say “free all souls” so anyone that has already been caught can hide again! Hours of fun.
Cat’s Cradle
We definitely called this something else, but I definitely remember playing this for hours with my sisters and my friend Louise. Thanks for the reminder, Joanne. Here are a few other suggestions that she had: Clapping games – we spent hours doing them as children. ‘Miss Mary Mack’ and ‘Say say my playmate’ were my faves. Also handstands, elastics and cat's cradle… ah memories!
Clapping Games
Clapping Games were a major pastime for me as a child. What’s so weird is that the girls came home singing Tic Tac Toe a few weeks ago, so obviously, it’s still something they play at school. Here’s a reminder of “A Sailor Went To… ” but there was also “Tic Tac Toe”, “Miss Mary Mack“, and – again, Louise, I’m sure you will remember many of these. I’m pretty sure we played A Sailor Went To in groups, not just in pairs.
Rulers
This one is one I don’t remember playing but here are the rules by another fab follower, Rachel Matthews: You get a bunch of school rulers (or woodcuts about the same size) and lie them down in a line (all horizontal) one foot apart. You run the course, stepping in each gap. Hit a ruler or miss a gap and you are out. The last person jumps after the last ruler and then chooses a ruler to place where he or she landed. The course gets increasingly complex and you keep going until there is only one person left. If the ruler mover gets out, the person before them in the line takes over the job. Normally about twelve rulers at a time.
Jumping Jacks
This was a game I remember playing during a similar time in my life as the dominos’s memories. It was a great Christmas Stocking gift, too, if I remember correctly. You got a back of metal crosses and a bouncy ball, and you had to see how many Jax (the metal crosses) you could pick up between the bounces of the bouncy ball. Thanks for the reminder, Nicky Liddell (who is an amazing photographer based in Winchester, Hampshire), another Zimbo Expat. I decided not to wait to buy one and ended up making our own with some Hatchimals Colleggtibles and an old bouncy ball. It was fun for one child, but the other is possibly unsuitable for a game requiring patience and practice.
Rock Paper Scissors
Remember playing Rock Paper Scissors? You and a friend would count together and then throw out one of three hand shapes: a fist for Rock, a flat hand for Paper, or that classic V with your fingers for Scissors. Whoever wins a round follows the simple rules you probably already have memorized: Rock crushes Scissors, Scissors cut Paper, and Paper wraps Rock. And of course, if you both throw the same shape, it’s a tie—you just go again, laughing, until someone finally wins.
Tag
Remember all those different ways we used to play tag? It wasn’t just running around trying not to get caught—sometimes you switched it up completely. There was Freeze Tag, where everyone had to stay frozen until someone came to unfreeze them. Or Blob Tag, where once you got tagged, you had to hold hands and grow a “blob” to chase the others. Shadow Tag had you sneaking around just to step on someone’s shadow, and Chain Tag turned the game into a growing team of linked players. Sometimes you even got creative with what you played with—noodles, socks, anything you could tag with. And then there were days when you changed how you moved—crab walking, shuffling, or even making everyone “it” at once, turning the playground into pure chaos.
Hide-and-seek
Set up a home base and mark the area where everyone can hide. One person closes their eyes at home base and counts out loud to the agreed number while the rest scatter, looking for the perfect hiding spot. When the counting’s done, the seeker yells, “Ready or not, here I come!” and begins hunting for everyone. If you’re spotted, you dash toward home base, hoping to make it before getting tagged. The game wraps up once everyone is found, and usually, the first person caught ends up being the next seeker—ready to do it all over again.
Red Light, Green Light
One person stands at one end of the field as the caller, or “traffic light,” while everyone else lines up at the other end, ready to run. When the caller shouts “Green Light,” you sprint forward, hearts pounding. Then, without warning, “Red Light!”—and you freeze in place, hoping you didn’t move a muscle. If the caller spots even the tiniest twitch, you’re either out or sent back to the start. The game keeps going, with sudden bursts of running and frozen pauses, until someone finally makes it all the way across and tags the caller, claiming the win.
Hare and Hounds
Hare and Hounds is a traditional chasing game. One player is chosen to be the hare, and the rest are the hounds. The hare sets off first and runs ahead, leaving a trail behind, which might be made with bits of paper, chalk marks, or sometimes just by choosing a path that the hounds must follow. After a short delay, the hounds start chasing, following the hare’s trail as best they can. The aim for the hare is to stay ahead and avoid being caught, while the hounds work together to track down and catch the hare before the game ends.
Blind Man’s Buff
Blind man’s buff is a very old playground game. One player is blindfolded and becomes the “blind man.” The other players scatter around and try to avoid being caught. The blind man moves around with the blindfold on, listening carefully for sounds and reaching out with their hands to tag someone. The other players can tease, call out, or quietly sneak away to make it harder. Once the blind man manages to catch someone, the tagged player usually becomes the next blind man, and the game starts again.
I can’t believe how many awesome memories of childhood game writing this post has brought back for me.
BTW To skip rocks, find a flat, smooth stone about the size of your palm and grip it with your thumb and middle finger, curling your index finger around the edge. Stand sideways to the water, get low, and throw the rock with a low sidearm motion, flicking your wrist at release to give it maximum spin and a nearly horizontal trajectory. Consistent practice is key to mastering the technique and achieving multiple skips.
Tic-tac-toe, noughts and crosses, or Xs and Os is a paper-and-pencil game for two players who take turns marking the spaces in a three-by-three grid, one with Xs and the other with Os.
VOCABULARY
digress /daɪˈɡrɛs/ – temporarily stray from the main topic in speaking or writing
During her lecture on climate change, she digressed for a few minutes to tell a funny story about her childhood in the countryside.
stress about – feel anxious about something
Don’t stress about things you can’t control.
granted – given that, considering that
Granted, it’s expensive, but it’s worth it.
hopscotch (klasy) – a children’s game where players toss a marker onto numbered squares and hop through them to retrieve it
The kids spent the afternoon playing hopscotch on the pavement, laughing every time someone stumbled.
what’s not to love – something is clearly great or very enjoyable
The park had swings, slides, and a huge sandpit—what’s not to love about spending a sunny afternoon there?
hopscotch plan – pre-arranged layout for playing hopscotch, often drawn on the ground with chalk
Lily carefully drew her hopscotch plan on the driveway, making sure each square was perfectly sized for hopping.
driveway – private road leading from a street to a house, often used for parking or outdoor play
The kids chalked a giant game board on the driveway, turning it into a colorful playground for the afternoon.
the novelty wears off – something that was exciting or fun stops feeling special over time
At first, everyone was obsessed with the new trampoline, but the novelty wore off after a few days of jumping.
to blow bubbles – to create floating soap bubbles by blowing air through a wand dipped in soapy water
Sarah loved to blow bubbles in the garden and watch them glimmer in the sunlight before popping.
wand – a small stick or rod used for magic tricks or for blowing bubbles
He dipped the wand into the soapy water and gently blew, creating a stream of delicate bubbles that floated into the air.
soapy water – water mixed with soap
The children filled a bucket with soapy water and giggled as they dipped their wands to blow bubbles.
mud patch – a small area of wet, soft earth that becomes muddy when it rains
After the rain, the garden had a big mud patch, perfect for jumping in with wellies on.
to hose down – to spray something with water from a hose to clean it
After the kids finished playing in the mud, they had to hose down their boots and the garden chairs.
don (your wellies / hat / fake smile) – to put on
Even though she was nervous about performing, she donned a smile and stepped onto the stage.
concoction – mixture of various ingredients
The kids created a muddy concoction of water, leaves, and soil for their pretend potion.
to make do – to manage with what you have, even if it isn’t ideal
She forgot her gloves, so she had to make do with socks over her hands while building a snowman.
hose-pipe – a flexible tube used to direct water from a tap for watering plants or washing things
We turned on the hose-pipe and made a little water slide in the backyard for the kids.
figure out how to entertain themselves – discover ways to keep busy or amused without help
With no toys around, the children quickly figured out how to entertain themselves by playing hide-and-seek in the garden.
perler beads / fuze beads (koraliki do prasowania) – small, colorful plastic beads that can be arranged on a pegboard and fused together with heat to make designs
Emma spent the afternoon carefully arranging perler beads, then ironed them to create a bright, shiny keychain.
elastics / Chinese skipping / French skipping (guma) – two players stretch a long rubber band around their legs while a third player jumps in and out in a set sequence; after each round, the band is raised higher, making the jumps trickier
The kids spent the afternoon playing elastics, hopping in and out of the stretchy band without missing a beat.
drop their hands – lower one’s hands
As the music stopped, the dancers dropped their hands and bowed to the audience.
to spend time roughing it – to live simply or outdoors, often without comforts
Last summer, the kids spent time roughing it in a tent, cooking over a campfire and exploring the woods.
hula hoop – a large plastic ring that you spin around your waist, arms, or legs for fun or exercise
Mia could keep a hula hoop spinning around her waist for almost five minutes, impressing all her friends.
skipping rope (skakanka) – a rope used for jumping over in a rhythmic game or exercise
During recess, the children took turns jumping over the skipping rope, counting how many skips they could do in a row.
proud as punch – feeling extremely proud
Tom was proud as punch when he finally managed to do a perfect handstand on the grass.
on the kerb / curb – on the edge of the pavement
The kids sat on the kerb, sharing ice creams and watching the cars go by.
lamp post – a tall post with a light on top, usually on streets or pathways
A cat was perched on top of the lamp post, watching the busy street below.
cat’s cradle (zaplatanka, kocia kołyska) – a game played with string, making shapes between the fingers
They spent the afternoon making all sorts of patterns in cat’s cradle, laughing when the string kept slipping.
handstand – balancing on your hands with your feet in the air
Jenny practiced her handstand every day, getting stronger and more confident with each attempt.
pastime – an activity done for enjoyment during free time
Reading comic books was his favorite pastime after school.
to throw out (in paper, scissors, rock) – to put your hand forward to show a choice in the game
On “one, two, three,” everyone threw out their hands to reveal rock, paper, or scissors.
to throw out – to discard or remove something
He threw out the moldy bread without a second thought.
blob – small, shapeless drop or lump of something
A blob of paint fell on the floor while the children were decorating the garden chairs.
shuffling – walking by dragging your feet
The cat was shuffling along the carpet, trying not to wake anyone.
The zombie in the movie was shuffling slowly toward the heroes.
scatter – spread things over an area
The kids scattered leaves across the lawn to make it look like autumn had arrived early.
to wrap up – to finish
As the sun set, mum told the children it was time to wrap up the games and go inside.
red light, green light (babajaga patrzy) – players move on “green” and freeze on “red”
In red light, green light, everyone has to stop suddenly when the caller says “red light,” or they’re out.
hare and hounds (podchody) – a chasing game where one player is the hare and the rest are hounds trying to catch them
The children played hare and hounds in the park, laughing as they chased and tried to escape each other.
trail – path or mark left behind, often followed by others
The hare left a trail of chalk marks for the hounds to follow during the game.
blindfold – a piece of cloth covering the eyes to prevent sight
She tied a blindfold over his eyes for the surprise birthday game.
skip rocks (puszczać kaczki) – throwing flat stones across water so they bounce multiple times
At the lake, the children loved to skip rocks, counting how many times each stone bounced before sinking.
blind ban’s buff (ciuciubabka) – a children’s game where one player is blindfolded and tries to catch the others.
The kids laughed as Tom, blindfolded in blind man’s buff, stumbled around trying to tag someone.
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Source: https://www.momoftwolittlegirls.com/games-we-played-as-kids/
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