Games

Life on the farmstead consisted of many chores for both adults and children. However, as we know all work and no play makes for a dull boy. When children weren't helping with chores they found entertainment in playing games such as jumping rope, chasing hoops, throwing horse shoes and hiding the thimble. Check out some of the games listed below and start playing.

Jumping Rope

Children could head out to the barn and make their own ropes out of hemp or cotton using the roping making tool. While most of the rope was use for utilitarian purposes, some might be spared for children to play jump rope. This source of entertainment could be done individually or three or more kids. Two kids hold each end of the rope and turn it while one or more kids jump in the middle. To add to the fun many different chants or rhymes were created. Try jumping rope to some of these rhymes.  

Down By the River
Down by the river, down by the sea
Johnny Broke a bottle and blamed it on me
I told ma, ma told pa,
Johnny got a spanking so ha, ha, ha
How many spankings did Johnny get
1, 2, 3 ...

Apples, Pears, Peaches, Plums (start slow)
Apples, Pears, Peaches, Plums
Tell me when your birthday comes,
(Rope is turned much faster now as the months of the
year are chanted. The rope skipper tries not to miss
until it is their birthday month).

Teddy Bear
(Kids jump rope while they sing the
​ rhyme and act out the motions)
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn around,
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, touch the ground
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, show your shoe
​Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, that will do
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, go upstairs
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, say your prayers
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn out the lights
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, say good-night!

Hide the Thimble​

This game can be played indoors or outside. It made for a great game indoors during long cold winters or rainy days. You just need two or more players and a thimble. If you don't have a thimble than any agreed upon object will work.

Directions:
Everyone except the hider closes their eyes and counts to 30 (or longer depending on the age of the kids and level of difficulty in hiding the object). While others count the hider places the object in a hiding place. When the counters have reached 30 everyone except the hider starts searching for the thimble. The hider then counts to 50. If the thimble is found before the count of 50 then the person finding it becomes the hider. If it is not found the first hider gets another turn. For added fun the hider can shout out hot if someone is close to finding the thimble and cold if no-one is close.

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Marbles

Marbles are beautiful round balls usually made of colorful glass, however before glass they were made of clay. Marbles come in different sizes with the larger marbles heavier referred to as the shooter while smaller marbles are the mibs. Playing marbles was a game played at recess or with a group of friends. Most of the time it was friendly competition but sometimes kids played Keepsies, which meant if you won the opponent's marbles you got to keep them.

Directions:

1. Create a circle on the ground usually 3-6 feet in diameter. This can be drawn in the dirt, drawn with chalk or made with the use of a string.
2. Each player places the same number of mibs in the center of the circle usually in an X pattern.
3. determine who will be the first shooter by drawing a line about 10 feet away. Each player shots or rolls their marble trying to get as close to the line as possible. The player who gets their marble the closest to the line will be the first shooter.
4. The first player shoots their marble toward the marbles in the center of the ring. Typically the player shoots by using their thumb to flick the marble from their hand putting their "knuckles down" onto the ground. They shoot the marble trying to force other marbles out of the ring by knocking them with their shooter marble.  The first shot must start from outside the circle. If the shooter stays inside the circle the next shot can be taken from where the shooter landed.
5. If a marble goes outside of the ring, the player gets to keep the marble until the end of the game and take another turn. If no marbles go outside the ring then it is the next players turn. The shooter stays in the circle until it is that player's turn again.
6. If a player knocks the other player's shooter from the circle, then the shooter wins all the player's marbles they have won so far and that player is out of the game.
   
   
   
   

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