When I was a child, we did this thing called,”playing”.  We played outside until we were called in at dark.  We played Hide and Seek and I remember yelling “Olly, olly oxen free” which meant you could come out of hiding because someone had been discovered and the game was starting anew.

We girls jumped rope for hours and we giggled if a boy wanted to join us.  We let him.  I remember singing, “Down in the valley where the green grass grows, there stood Wilma as sweet as a rose.  She sang, she sang, she sang so sweet.  Along came blank and kissed her on her cheek.  How many kisses did she get?”  And you kept jumping and counting until you missed.  That was how many kisses she got.  I usually missed right away since I was a tomboy and was not getting any stupid kisses from any stupid boy.

We also played “Annie, Annie, over.”  You had a team or if it was just you and your playmate, would go to opposite sides of the house.  You yelled “Annie, Annie, over” and tossed the ball over the house.  That team or the person would try to come around the house and tag you.  Then you would be on their team.  It was a limited game if it was just you and your mate.  You can watch this game at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRSgOmeZH14.

Another game we played was Red Rover.  You had to have a team for this.  This was played a lot at school at recess.  Each team joined hands and were across a field from each other.  The team would decide who to dare and you sang, “Red Rover, red rover, we dare (fill in the blank with person’s name) over.  That person would then run very hard at the line of the other team and try to break the hands of the holders and they could then pick someone to come be part of their team.  Or if they didn’t break the handhold they had to join up with that team.

During this game there was a lot of picking on the smallest or weakest children.  We almost killed a little girl when my girls were little.  She was so determined to break the handhold and choked herself.  I believe we quit playing this game about then.

We also played tag.  Plain old tag, freeze tag, blindman’s tag.  We had so many versions of tag.  I looked up versions of tag on the internet and there were three pages of tag games.  I remember taking a Physical Education class in college.  You had to make up a game.  I am pretty sure I made up a tag game but I can’t remember what it was exactly.

My brother annoyed the heck out of me as a child.  He would slap at me and yell, “You’re it!” out of the clear blue.  And “no touchbacks”.  The first time I visited his grave, I touched his headstone and said, “You’re it!”  I am so bad!

During the winter we played board games like Monopoly or Sorry.  We weren’t allowed to play cards at our house as they were considered sinful.  We played jacks on the kitchen floor but not on the hardwood floors.

Speaking of hardwood floors, my mother kept ours spotless with real paste wax.  After they dried my sister and brother would pull me around on a throw rug to polish the floor.  I remember giggling so much during those tough housework games.

My family was very musical also.  My parents belonged to a church that was very musical.  My dad would trade instruments with fellow church members and we got to try out all sorts of instruments.  We played several kinds of guitars, dobro, banjo, mandolin, and tambourine.  I was never very good at tambourine because I lack a sense of rhythm.  But I did learn several songs on the mandolin.  I could also follow other people playing guitar if I could look straight on to their fingers.

Another of our favorite pastimes during the winter months was making popcorn over the fire in the fireplace.  We would turn out the lights and just watch the fire.  Sometimes Daddy would start a song and we would all sing together.

Sometimes I am sad for children being raised in this technological world.  They are not getting any exercise, they are not socializing and I believe there is a lot more depression issues with young children now a days.

I do often wonder what the next generation will turn out to be.

Peace be with you.