My dad and mom made a house of horrors for one halloween with wet sponges and bowls of peeled grapes (eyeballs) and cold spagetti for brains. We had a tent in the back yard and played "spin the bottle"! About 1958 in Newton Iowa!
What a wonderful thing to think about tonight!

I needed a prize for all my students, and I found some inexpensive plastic jacks sets. I showed the kids how to play the game, and they were amazed. I wasn't sure how they'd react, but it was one of the best prizes I've ever given the class. They loved them.

I played jacks at school during recess and at home. I wonder if they still make them. The last ones I saw were bigger than those we used. At home we used rocks and a small rubber ball. We also played school and hide and seek. In the winter time we built snow forts and were often sled riding. We lived on a farm but I come from a large family so there was always someone to play with. There were always work to do but there was time to play, as well.

An Aboriginal man used to take me bush walking and taught me how to track animals and people, and how to recognise the different tracks of animals and people - female tracks are different to males etc.When we went walking, he instructed me to follow the dogs - if the dogs went around a clump of grass, I was to follow as there was possibly a snake in there... He taught me to survive in the bush and where to find water etc He also taught me to throw spears and knives (until my mother found out and made him promise to stop).He showed me the safe way to climb rocks and I got to eat some unusual things. It all sounds very romantic now, but I enjoyed those days very much as I was not at all interested in playing with dolls.

I loved my roller skates!!! Ice-skating took second only because I was always cold! Still am and I grew up in Utica New York :)
Loved pic-up-sticks, played tons of cards and board games, jump-rope, hopscotch, red rover.
I remember one game at school when we played jump rope and you got to jump as many times till you got to your birthday month and mine is February so that bothered me b/c I only got to jump twice LOL
What a fun thread!!

I really enjoyed this thread...brings back so many great memories. We played jacks, but we used a ping pong ball or if I could find one, a golf ball...it would really bounce. We also threw china berries at each other, mostly girls against the boys..and trick or treating, we went all over several neighborhoods with no worries...now?

We use to go on trantula hunts. when it was due to rain they were all moving to higher ground (when we stayed with my Gram, in the foothills of the Sierra's out side of Clovis, Ca.), the fishing, the tag. I remember jacks, and chinese checkers, base ball games where no one won. Fire works on the fourth of july, sitting in the sand dunes, laughing and having a ball with the family. Cold watermelon, picnics on the beach, chase the dog. Catching frogs, pollywogs, and red racers. First crush on the neighbor boy down the street. Horse tag, and races in the fields. Playing horses. Laughing until your sides hurt, at the stupidest jokes. Grandpa teaching us to fish and bait the hook. Shooting lessons. Studying to get our hunting permits. Bike races galore. I don't remember ever saying "I'm bored. Playing in the tree fort that belonged to the Anderson's. My brother carrying me home when I got my fingers smashed in the door. Life was good, laid back, and summer vacation was more than just a break from school work. Boy was I a Tomboy.

Made lots of that taffy--as my grandma had a very easy recipe that I lost now naturally but would love to have.
Had to be careful not to burn my hands. Always made it
and popcorn for my teen parties --now it is drugs and booze I think

[quote=ptquilts]we used to play Chinese Jumprope, does anyone remember that? It was a circular elastic cord.

Loved the Chinese Jumprope, and have actually seen them in stores around here now...I actually bought one, put it around chairs, and away I went...I really have to work on this to get back to the level I was at about 40 years ago... :lol:

I remember Chinese jumprope!
We used to make our own by joining rubber bands!