Games Children Played

There are times I feel curmudgeonly.

When I was growing up, we played games. Several of my fondest childhood memories involved a rousing game of Red Rover, dodgeball, and Steal-the-Bacon.

• Red Rover – Popular in my childhood, I have no clue as to whether it’s still being played. Children line up in two lines facing each other. Children hold hands or link arms with a firm grip, forming a (hopefully) unbreakable chain. Each line selects a child from the other line whom they hope to “bring over.” One line begins the chant: Red rover, red rover, let [insert name of child] come over. The selected child attempts to run through the opposing team’s chain of children. If he or she is successful at breaking through, then he or she returns to his or her team. If he or she is unsuccessful at breaking through, then he or she joins the opposing team.
• Dodgeball – Although popular for many generations and the subject of a movie or two, this game has been judged too dangerous for the modern child and is subject to lawsuit.
• Steal the Bacon – This game was especially popular in elementary although many continued playing in junior high. Children begin in two lines, facing each other. Between the two lines lies “the bacon,” a ring or disc. At a signal, one child from each team runs to snatch the bacon to bring it back to his or her line. The other child attempts to “steal the bacon” to take back to his or her own line. No physical contact is allowed.

Other games, of a less innocent nature, were also played. These are the games of childhood nightmares.

• Swirly – A group of children (usually male), a.k.a. the bullies or the gang, would find a smaller child (also usually male). They would dunk the smaller child’s head into a toilet and flush the toilet. Sometimes the hair and head would be immersed; more often, not. This game was a game of nostalgia, not played by my age group very often.
• Indian Burn – This game for all ages and sexes consisted of twisting the arm of another child until a red mark, or burn, appeared. This game was quite popular in junior high and was a way of asserting dominance.
• Uncle – In this gender neutral game, one child had to “give up” and admit to being weaker by whimpering, crying, screaming, whispering, or saying the magic word: “uncle.”
• Purple Nurples – This game was played by boys of all ages. The objective was to twist another child’s nipples until they bruised to a lovely purple shade.