Exercise 1.5: Childhood Games

One of the best parts of childhood was all of the games that were played with friends. There are many types of games such as recess games, board games, sports, and games that are played with many people. No matter what type of game it was, any time a game was played during childhood, it was an extremly fun experience.

Some of the most memorable childhood games were the games played at recess. Recess was a time to get energy out after a long morning of elementary school level learning. One of the most memorable games was tag. This game is extremley simple but fun. It consists of one person who is It trying to tap another player. If they succeed, the person that they touch becomes It. Everyone playing is running around and having a great time. This game is fun because of the ability to get energy out and the suspense of wondering who is going to be it.

When tag got old, some students would decide to play jump rope. Jump rope consists of two people holding opposite ends of a rope and spinning it over a third player's head. The player in the middle of the rope has to jump each time the rope comes to the ground in order to avoid being tangled. This game is fun because of the suspense of whether or not the player is going to make the jump and because it is fun to watch your friends try to succeed.

One more recess game that was very enjoyable was four-square. This game consists of four squares on the ground labeled 1-4. There is one person standing in each square, and the goal is to get to the square with the number 1. Each round, a ball is bounced into a square, and the person in the square has to bounce the ball into a different square without catching it. When someone misses the ball, they are out and a new person enters the game at square 4. Everyone in a higher square number than the person who got out moves forward one square. This game is fun because of the competition that comes with it, and the desire to get to square 1 combined with the suspense of wondering if the ball will come to your square next.

Sometimes the group of children is too large to play a normal recess game, and a game is needed that supports more players. One example is hide and go seek. This game consists of one player who is the seeker. Everyone else is a hider. The seeker counts to a number determined by the group while the hiders all hide. After the seeker is done counting, they look for the hiders. Once a hider is found, they help the seeker look for the other hiders. The last hider to be found becomes the next seeker. This game is fun because of the suspense that comes when you don't know if you are going to be found.

Another game that many kids can play is sardines. This game is a lot like hide and go seek except in sardines there is one hider and the rest of the players are seekers. Gameplay is the same, except that once the hider is found the seeker gets into the hiding spot with them. The last seeker to find the hider is the next hider. This game is fun and suspensful because you often do not realize that seekers are finding the hider, and you don't know whether you are last.

A classic game for a large group of children is duck duck goose. The children sit in a circle and one is the ducker. The ducker walks around the circle touching each child's head and saying "duck". However, they will choose one child at random and say "goose." The "goose" stands up and chases the ducker around the circle. The ducker sits in the goose's old seat if they are not caught, or in the middle of the circle if they are caught. To get out of the middle of the circle, another ducker must be caught. This game is fun because you do not know if the ducker is going to say "duck" or "goose" when they touch your head.

Some athletic children like to play sporty games. One classic one is kickball. This game has a similar setup as baseball and softball with a pitcher, infielders, and outfielders. One team is out in the field and children on the other team take turns kicking a ball thrown by the pitcher. The objective of that player is to make it to first base and eventually all the way around the field without getting out. The game is fun because it makes children who score feel good about themselves, and children who get out leave wanting to improve.

Another game that can be played at a young age is soccer. While very small children cannot understand all of the rules of the game, they can still dribble, pass, and shoot while keeping the ball on the ground without using their hands. This game is fun because it consists of playing with friends, and is very competitive which makes it fun to win.

Some less energetic children prefer to stay inside and play board games. One fun board game for children is Candyland. The goal of this game is to make it all of the way around the board before your opponents. The challenging component to this game is that some of the cards send players to certain spaces on the board. Sometimes the space is way ahead of where the player is, and sometimes the space is way behind the player. This creates a feeling of suspense which makes Candyland fun.

Another board game enjoyed by many children is Chutes and Ladders. This game is similar to candyland because the goal is to get all the way around the board first. However, some spaces have chutes or ladders on them. Ladders advance the player in the game, and chutes slow them down. There is even a chute on the second to last space that takes the player down to the beginning! This creates a fun and suspenseful game because the player never really knows whether they are going to win or lose until the very end.

In conclusion, childhood was greatly improved through the different types of fun games that are enjoyed by children everywhere.