The Games of Colonial America

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The Games of Colonial America

• By Alex Paseka 7C ID1

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Summary

• Back then children didnt have the kind of
  technology to play virtual games so they played
  real out door games
• Some kids made their own games
• Some girls made their own dolls
• Some boys made wooden horses to ride them

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Games

• The Game of Jackstraws
• Iroquois Snow Snakes
• Whirligig
• Chore Games
• Tops
• Rolling Hoop
• Nine Pines
• Bilbo Catcher
• Riddles
• Hopscotch

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The Game of Jackstraws

• First you need 2 or more players and 21 broom
  straws or any other thin stick thing.
• Cut all straw to a length of 6 inches.
• Player 1 will hold several straws with the
  fingertips of one hand at the top of the straws.
  The bottom of the straws much be on your playing
  area. Then let go of the straws so that they land
  in a little pile.
• After that, Player 1 will try to pick up 1 straw
  off the pile without touching or causing any
  others to move. If he/she succeeds without moving
  any other straw then he/she keeps that straw and
  tries to get 1 more.
• If someone moves a straw by accident when try to
  get a straw the that players turn is over and
  they must put the straw back.
• The game continues until all straws are picked
  up. The player with the most straws wins.

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Iroquois Snow Snakes

• Choose one side of your stick to be a head.
  Decorate the rest of your snow snake with colored
  paper, dots, markers, or even stickers. Draw a
  tail on the opposite side of the head. Each snow
  snake should have a special look. Use a rag to
  apply a coat of furniture wax to the entire snow
  snake.
• Go to your special sliding track and hold the
  snake by the tail and throw it under hand. Take
  turns with others to throw the stick. The person
  who throws it farthest gets 1 point. You win when
  you get 10 points.

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Whirligig

• Cut a 4 inch circle on a piece of cardboard or
  use a large button.
• Make two holes in the cardboard about 3/8 inch
  from the center.
• Put a piece of string about 2 feet long through
  the holes and tie it together. Continue by
  spinning the circle until the string is tangled
  and then pull.
• Continue doing this to have fun with the
  Whirligig.

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Chore Games

• Kids made games out of their everyday chores.
• When boys were tasked with carrying wood or
  finding berries they made contest to see who
  could do the task faster or who can find more
  berries than the other or carry more wood then
  the other.
• This was a fun thing for them to do when they
  were bored.

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Tops

• Tops was a game played indoors.
• Children spin tops and tried to either hit the
  other players top to make it fall before
  his/hers did or to spin it and see whose top will
  last longer.

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Rolling Hoop

• Kids have a 2 and a half foot diameter hoop and a
  wooden stick. They need to roll the hoop with the
  stick.
• This is very simple. They had races with the
  hoops to see who could get to the finish first
  without messing up their hoop.
• If you grab the hoop and run or push with
  something other than the wooden stick then you
  are disqualified.

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Nine Pins

• This is a game like todays bowling but there are
  only 9 pins and u only get 1 chance to throw the
  ball for a score.
• This was a indoor game so the pins were only 5
  inches tall
• Kids played several round and who ever had the
  most points at the end would win

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Bilbo Catcher

• Bilbo catcher is a game where kids had a ball and
  a cup. They had to make the ball go in the cup
  with out shake/flick of the cup.
• I dont understand why they didnt just call the
  game Ball in a Cup.

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Riddles

• Kids told riddles to pass time when they had
  nothing to do.
• A few of the riddles were
• 1- What can be seen falling down, but never
  crying?
• 2- What kind of room is not in a house?
• 3- What has three feet, but cannot walk?

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Riddle Answers

• 1- Rain
• 2- A mushroom
• 3- A yardstick

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Hopscotch

• Hopscotch is played by marking squares on the
  ground and jumping into other squares in a
  pattern.
• Kids would throw a rock at a the hopscotch area
  and the square it lands closest to they must jump
  there.
• If they lose balance, step on the line, or missed
  the rock when going back then they lose.
• To win you must throw the rock jump to the end
  and on the way back pick up the rock while
  jumping and get back to the start.

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Bibliography

• American Kids in History Colonial Days Discover
  the Past with Fun Projects, Games, Activates, and
  Recipes by David C. King pgs.94-97
• http//www.ushist.com/victorian_toys-and-games_f.s
  html
• http//www.pencaderheritage.org/main/teachtool/gam
  es.pdf