…one hopes. The sky’s just gone that funny early morning red-purple. As I tell the boys, “Red sky at night, I’ve set something alight; red sky in the morning, the day’ll be boring.”

If it stays dry we’ll be wandering out into the welikeplay wasteland to play a little hopscotch as I found out yesterday that No2 child hasn’t picked this game up yet. It’s one of those games that should be passed down the generations, having been played on these noble shores of Blighty since the Romans trained their soldiers this way.

You will need
A stick of chalk and a pebble or (hacky-sac)

There are several different ‘official’ hopscotch grids, though none is as taxing as a random pattern designed by a 6 year old. Draw them out, number them up; taking turns throw a pebble into each square up through the numbers. Miss the number and you miss your go. Land in the square and you have to hop up through the squares missing out the pebbled one, get to the end and spin around and come back down stopping to pick the pebble up again. Lose your balance and you have to wait to your next turn to do it again.

Numeracy, physical coordination, turn taking… that’s why some games endure.

Enjoy.

Play Test
(two hours later)

Grids have been drawn, and the verdict is in. The UK grid is an easier starting grid, giving three places to do a two legged balance, whilst the US grid (aside from looking a little rude) is for advance hoppers.

tag... play for today, 5up, 8up, traditional games

Bizarre name, good game.  Imagine the classic playground stuck-in-the-mud without the crawling.

This game has become a firm favourite in the  welikeplay garden for the last 6 months, since the boys were taught it by one of their growed-up friends.  She, in turn, had been off on a disability equality course where she had been introduced to the game, as one with greater accessibility.  It also growed-up players to join in.

The classic stuck-in-the-mud is a game of tag, where the one who is it has the sticky touch.  When tagged you must stand still with legs apart until another player crawls between your legs to free you.  A great game, except if you have mobility difficulties, or are a barrel-chested 32 year old; then it kind of precludes you.

Toilet tag is a new spin on this game.  When you are tagged you have to stand in an ‘I’m a little teapot’ / 70s  camp stereotype pose.  You’re then freed by others coming up to you and flushing your hand handle and whooping FLUSH out really loud.  Lots of giggles.  Lots of players.

Enjoy.

tag... play for today, 3up, 5up, be healthy, running wild, traditional games

My own children have been a bit obsessive about collecting marbles for a good few years now. In the occasional, and slightly ritualised, visits to the local toy shops they are drawn time and again to these shiny treasures with vows of great behaviour proffered should they get one or two to call their own. I’ve resisted the urge to make them the de facto currency of the welikeplay shed, but their may still be mileage in that idea.

As yet they are still collectables, rattling around in a large Roses tin or skipping down improvised marble runs, but it occurred to me yesterday that they should learn how to play the game. But I missed out on this, my schooling included yoyos, trading cards, conkers but no marbles; so I turned to The Pocket Dangerous Book for Boys: Things to Do , a great resource for the play-pro and not as gender-specific as it purports. Unfortunately No1 child’s copy has gone to live where the lost things are, so it was time to Google it.

for rules… read on »

tag... play for today, 5up, 8up, collecting, toys, traditional games

Right now in the UK, and for three or four weeks to come, there are conkers beneath the mighty chestnuts. Collecting them is so much fun. Arm yourself with a sturdy bag and a polishing cloth for each child and set sail for your local woodland/scrubland/park/garden.

Please ensure that you’re not snaffling them from an area of nature conservation. And even in ‘normal’ areas ask them to sort and select for nicely round ones, leaving the others behind for bugs, weevils and grubs.

Once you’ve got them its time to use them, or they’ll rot in that plaggie bag of yours (in a grim experience this does take a year).

A list of uses follows the jump…

read on »

tag... play for today, 3up, 5up, 8up, cheating, collecting, nature, traditional games