streetgames games
with
hoops games
with tops games
with marbles indoor
party games toddlers'
toys youngsters' toys party game: Shadows party game: Flip the kipper party game: Blob Eye
Old indoor family and party games -
what we learnt from our parents
Guest contribution by Neil Cryer
Nowadays with electronic media, games such as - Shadows, Flip the kipper and Blob eye could be forgotten which would be a pity as in my childhood we laughed a lot when playing them. This is why it seems worth recording them. They are on the Leisure menu. Currently only a few of the games are described but more will be added as time permits. Perhaps you know of one that would be worth adding. If so, the webmaster would be pleased to hear from you.
How I learnt the games
My parents came from a large family that had to make its own entertainment using only the enthusiasm of one another with little or no bought equipment, and my mother instilled this in her own children. Consequently I too grew up in an atmosphere of "Let's play some-game-or-other" during the dark winter evenings.
Rewards for the games
There were no tangible rewards for her games. The reward was simply winning, plus a lot of laughing, so that we all felt better for having played. This was in the 1940s and 50s when, even if there had been spare money, there was little enough to buy due to the shortages in and after the Second World War. These games could well be played at today's parties: children and adults would all laugh a lot and feel that they had enjoyed themselves without the expense of buying in entertainers, organising party bags or any of the other trappings of the affluent society.
Who the games are suitable for
The games can be played in small groups, such as families of four or more people, including parents, any other adults present and children old enough to understand. They can readily be adapted for larger gatherings such as those we used to entertain at birthday and Christmas parties. If you would like to play them, you can easily adapt them for the situation in which you would like to use them.
There must be numerous variations of the games and what they were called. I shall refer to them by the names we used in my childhood. If you knew any of them by different names, the webmaster would be pleased to hear from you.
Page contributed by Neil Cryer
