Children's street games
Encyclopedia
This is a list of game
s that are traditionally played by urban
children in playgrounds, parking lots, and back streets. They are all games which may be played on a hard surface, like asphalt
. They are part of children's street culture
.
Using a rubber ball (such as a spaldeen
Game
A game is structured playing, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool. Games are distinct from work, which is usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more often an expression of aesthetic or ideological elements...
s that are traditionally played by urban
Urban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
children in playgrounds, parking lots, and back streets. They are all games which may be played on a hard surface, like asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
. They are part of children's street culture
Children's street culture
Children's street culture refers to the cumulative culture created by young children. Collectively, this body of knowledge is passed down from one generation of urban children to the next, and can also be passed between different groups of children . It is most common in children between the ages...
.
Using a rubber ball (such as a spaldeenSpaldeenthumb| 250px|Modern-day SpaldeenA Spalding Hi-Bounce Ball, often called a Spaldeen , is a small pink rubber ball, somewhat similar to a racquetball, supposedly made from the defective core of a tennis ball without the felt. It was the more expensive and more popular version of the Pensie Pinkie...
)
- Butts UpButts UpButts Up is a North American elementary school children’s playground game originating in the 1950s or earlier...
- HalfballHalfballHalfball is a sport that is a variant of baseball.The sport is typically played on a city street. There are two opposing teams, typically composed of two players each . The equipment for the sport consists of a bat and a ball...
- PunchballPunchballPunchball is a sport spawned by and similar to baseball, but without a pitcher, catcher, or bat.The "batter" essentially plays "fungo" without a bat, bouncing or tossing up the ball and then using a volleyball-type approach to put the ball in play, punching the ball with his closed fist...
- StickballStickballStickball is a street game related to baseball, usually formed as a pick-up game, played in large cities in the Northeastern United States, especially New York City. The equipment consists of a broom handle and a rubber ball, typically a spaldeen, pensie pinkie, high bouncer or tennis ball. The...
- Pat ball
Typically played by girls
- Cat's cradleCat's cradleCat's cradle is a well known series of string figures created between two people as a game. The name of the entire game, the specific figures, their order, and the names of the figures vary. Versions of this game have been found in indigenous cultures all over the world—from the Arctic to the...
- Clapping gameClapping gameA clapping game is a type of usually cooperative game which is generally played by two players and involves clapping as accompaniment to a singing game or reciting of a rhyme...
- HopscotchHopscotchHopscotch is a children's game that can be played with several players or alone. Hopscotch is a popular playground game.- Court and rules :- The court :...
- Jumprope or Skipping
- singing gameSinging gameA singing game is an activity based around a particular verse or rhyme, usually associated with a set of actions and movements. They have been studied by folklorists, ethnologists and psychologists and are seen as important part of childhood culture...
Other games
- MarblesMarblesA marble is a small spherical toy usually made from glass, clay, steel, or agate. These balls vary in size. Most commonly, they are about ½ inch in diameter, but they may range from less than ¼ inch to over 3 inches , while some art glass marbles fordisplay purposes are over 12 inches ...
- RingolevioRingolevioRingolevio is a children's game which may be played anywhere but which originates in the teeming streets of Depression-era New York City. It is one of the many variations of tag. It requires close team work and near-military strategy. In some quarters this game is known as Manhunt which is really...
- Skully (a.k.a. skelly, bottlecaps)Skully (game)Skully is a children's game played on the streets of New York City and other urban areas. Sketched on the street usually in chalk, a skully board allows a game for two to six players...
External links
- Streetplay.com A website devoted to the documentation of children's street games