Children's Games in Street and Playground, Volume 2: Hunting, Racing, Duelling, Exerting, Daring, Guessing, Acting, Pretending

by Iona Opie, Peter Opie

Overview

Perhaps this book should come with a warning to parents: within these pages, children deliberately scare each other, ritually hurt each other, take foolish risks, promote fights, and play ten against one. And yet, throughout, they consistently observe their own sense of fair play.

In the 1960s, Iona and Peter Opie carried out an exhaustive survey of the rough-and-tumble outdoor games that children aged six to twelve played, normally out of the sight of adults.

The result was their classic work, Children's Games in Street and Playground, which recorded games played by 10,000 children from the Shetland Isles to the Channel Isles, and particularly from the big cities such as London, Bristol and Glasgow.

This second volume focuses on games involving seeking, hunting, racing, duelling, exerting, daring, guessing, acting and pretending. More than 85 games are described in detail including the rhymes and sayings children repeat while playing them, together with the different names under which they are played. There are also brief historical notes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780863156670
Publisher:	Floris Books
Publication date:	01/28/2009
Pages:	220
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.70(d)

Table of Contents

5 Hunting games: Games in which there are no boundaries, in which both pursuers and pursued generally operate in teams, and in which the pursued generally have to give some assistance to their pursuers 11

Hare and Hounds. Pursuers are guided by the calls of the pursued 11

Jack, Jack, Shine a Light. Will o' the Wisp. Pursuers are guided by lights flashed in the darkness 13

Tracking. Pursuers follow signs left by the pursued 15

Paper Chase. Pursuers follow trail of paper scattered by the pursued 16

Stalking. Pursuers attempt to come upon the pursued who in turn hope to come up behind their pursuers 17

Hoist the Green Flag. Pursuers are supplied with a guide, although an abstruse one 17

6 Racing games: Races, and chases over set courses, in which fleetness of foot is not necessarily the decisive factor 20

Types of Races 21

Hesitation Starts. Competitors are momentarily uncertain whether they should begin running (cf.'Poison' Vol.1 p. 145;'Crusts and Crumbs' p. 146) 22

Races in which the Progress of Those Taking Part is Dependent on Their Fulfilling a Condition or Possessing a Particular Qualification

May I? Competitors have to obey commands of a third party 23

Aunts and Uncles. Competitors' progress dependent on possessing relatives with the names that are called out 29

Letters. Progress dependent on competitors having given letters in their name 29

Colours. Progress dependent on competitors having given colours on their person (cf. 'Farmer, Farmer, may we cross your Golden River?' Vol.1 pp. 182f) 30

Eggs, Bacon, Marmalade, and Bread. Progress dependent on what has been eaten for breakfast 30

Peep Behind the Curtain. Progress dependent on not beingseen to move 30

Games in which only Two Competitors Run Against each Other at a Time, One of them Generally being Instrumental in the Selection of the Other

Black Magic. Player touches under side of hand of player he wishes to race against 34

Kerb or Wall. Competitors selected by 'dipping' (see 'Starting a Game' Vol.1 p. 50) run different courses over the same ground 34

Time. Competitor who guesses a correct number (cf.'Starting a Game' Vol.1 p. 45;'American Times' p. 129) runs different course from rival but over same ground 36

Drop Handkerchief. A race or chase around a circle started by a signal which second contestant does not necessarily notice 37

Bump-on-the-Back. Whackem. As 'Drop Handkerchief', but second contestant unlikely to remain unaware of signal 43

Stoney. Player secretly selected runs to given point, and may be chased by all the rest (cf.'Black Magic' p. 34) 47

Games in which the Players Start Running from Different Places

Puss in the Corner. Players keep changing places and an odd-man-out tries to reach one of their places first 48

Hot Peas. Players race from different starting-points assigned to them by chance 50

7 Duelling games: Games in which two players place themselves in direct conflict with each other 54

Contests Mainly Requiring Strength

Elbows. Contestants attempt to force each other's arms down on to a table 54

Knifing. Divie Dagger. Contestants attempt to stab each other with sticks 55

Lifting. Contestants attempt to raise opponent from a sitting position, remaining seated themselves 56

Cock Fighting. Eggy Peggy. Contestants attempt while hopping to knock each other over (cf.'Cockarusha' Vol.1 pp. 186f) 56

Dance, Fight, or Windmill. Contestant challenged can choose one of three types of contest (cf.'Kings, Queens, and Jacks' Vol.1 p. 193) 58

Branch Boy. Contestants straddling the branch of a tree attempt to push each other off 58

Bucking Bronco. Contestant attempts to unseat the player on his back (cf. 'Skin the Cuddy' p. 109) 59

Piggyback Fights. Players mounted on the backs of others attempt to unseat each other 59

Contests Requiring Nerve and Skill

Danger Ride. Contestants riding bicycles attempt to unseat each other 62

Split the Kipper. Contestants attempt, by throwing knives beside each other's feet according to certain rules, to make standing impracticable 63

Territories. Contestants attempt, by throwing knives, to make each other's territory smaller 63

Knifie. Contestants attempt to complete a series of knife throws in fewer turns than their opponent 65

Contests Requiring Fortitude

Knuckles. Contestants clash knuckles until one of them retires 66

Flat Jack. Contestants hit the back of each other's heads 67

Bob and Slap. Contestant tries to slap opponent's bobbing head 67

Slappies. Contestants try to slap the backs of each other's hands 68

Stinging. Contestants slap each other's wrists according to their luck at finger flashing (cf.'Odd Man Out' Vol.1 p. 47f) 69

Stampers. Contestants try to stamp on each other's feet 69

Duels by Proxy

Soldiers. Stalks of ribwort plantain are struck against each other 70

Lolly Sticks. Sticks from ices, etc., are struck against each other 71

Conkers. Horse-chestnuts are struck against each other 72

8 Exerting games: Games in which the qualities of most account are physical strength and stamina 78

Tussles. Players attack and defend given positions 78

Chain Swing. Players attempt to remain on feet when swung round in human chain 80

Tug of War. Two groups of players pull against each other 80

Adders' Nest. Players forming a circle attempt to force each other into centre 82

Bull in the Ring. Single player attempts to break out of ring of players 83

Red Rover. Individual players attempt to break through line of opposing players 85

King of the Barbarees. Players in turn attempt to force way between pair of players 88

Honey Pots. Players attempt to keep hands clasped under knees when lifted by arms (cf.'Jams' p. 136) 90

Statues. Players attempt to remain still in set position 92

Leapfrog. Players vault over the bent backs of others 94

Gentle Jack. Players rough-up the one they are vaulting over 97

Spanish Leapfrog. Players deposit object on back of the one being vaulted over 98

Foot-an-a-Half. The vaulting made more difficult according to the ability of one of the players 98

Jumping Games. Tests of jumping ability 101

Hi Jimmy Knacker. The strength of one side which is bending down is matched against the ability of the other side to remain mounted on them (cf. 'Husky-bum, Finger or Thumb?' p. 147) 103

Skin the Cuddy. The ability of a single player to remain astride a line of backs is tested (cf.'Bucking Bronco' p. 59) 109

9 Daring games: Games in which players incite each other to show their mettle 111

Truth, Dare, Promise, or Opinion. Players undertake to do as instructed 111

Follow my Leader. Players challenged to emulate leader's actions 115

Get the Coward. A player chosen by lot has to do as instructed 116

Last Across. The player wins who last moves to safety 117

Chicken. Players are challenged or shamed into performing rash actions 119

Misplaced Audacity. Foolhardiness with knives, swings, roller-towels, and consciousness 121

10 Guessing games: Games in which guessing is a necessary prelude or climax to physical action 124

Film Stars. I Sent My Son John. Shop Windows. Anything Under The Sun. Capital Letter, Full Stop. Players have to race or chase before they can make their guess 124

Birds, Beasts, Fishes, or Flowers. Players on one side guess, and if they guess correctly chase the other side (cf. 'Crusts and Crumbs' Vol.1 p. 146)

American Times. Players guess individually and if correct change roles (cf. 'Time' p. 36) 129

Three Jolly Workmen. Players on one side chase other side if a mime is correctly identified 130

Fool, Fool, Come to School. Jams. Single player takes captive any player whose assumed name he identifies 135

Coloured Birds. Single player chases player he correctly identifies 139

Queenie. Single player tries to guess who secretes a ball 142

Stroke the Baby. Single player, to stop being hit, has to identify who last hit him 145

Husky-Bum, Finger or Thumb? A stooping player has to name the finger formation held up by a player mounted on his back. Also played with two teams (cf.'Hi Jimmy Knacker' p. 103) 147

How Far to London? A blindfolded player has to guess identity of a static player he has touched (cf. 'Blind Man's Buff' Vol.1 pp. 165ff) 154

11 Acting games: Games in which particular stories are enacted with set dialogue 157

Old Man in the Well. Principal player disbelieves in bogey until bogey gives chase 158

Ghosties in the Garret. Children sent individually on an errand fail to return, and mother goes to find 160

Old Mother Grey. Children sent out to play are impudent or disobedient when called in 161

Fox and Chickens. The fox, approached by an inquisitive hen, tries to seize her chicks strung in a line behind her 164

Johnny Lingo. A thief steals farm animals despite the warnings of the farmer who eventually tries to retake them 170

Mother, the Cake is Burning. A mother places her children in charge of a maid, and does not become aware of a kidnapper's activities until all her children have been stolen. The children are turned into edibles, and the mother has to identify them (cf.'Jams' p. 136; 'Coloured Birds' p. 139) 172

12 Pretending games: Children make-believe they are other people, or in other situations, and extemporize accordingly 00

Mothers and Fathers. Children pretend to be their elders in every-day situations 187

Playing Schools. Children behave naughtily knowing that the punishments are only pretence 189

Road Accidents. Boys feign injury; girls make-believe they are nurses 190

Playing Horses. Children pretend to be or to possess animals 192

Storybook World. Children make-believe they would be able to manage in abnormal situations 194

War Games. Children engage in pretence battles, either against an imaginary enemy or an opposing group of children 196

Cops and Robbers. Players on one side chase or seek the other side (cf.'Relievo' esp. Vol.1 pp. 225ff), rather than shoot them as in 'War Games' 198

Fairies and Witches. Girls enact the everlasting fight between good and evil 200

Endnotes 202

Acknowledgments 211

Index of Games (volumes 1 & 2) 219