We were deep in decluttering mode the other day when we discovered a dusty carton box on top of the cabinets. I was wondering why the print on the box looked familiar. Upon further inspection (and to my giddy delight), we found that this was the box I stored my precious Barbies in…30 years ago!!
(Thirty years…I guess that makes them vintage??)
To make a long story short, my girls got their own Barbies out and we started playing together on the floor, giggling, coming up with different outfits (my vintage outfits were better quality, I have to say), role-playing—it was so much fun!
We felt like we were on a playdate!
We were connecting childhoods—I was reliving mine, they were living theirs. It was pure delight. A fun-filled, plastic fantastic Barbie afternoon.
Inspired by this magical moment, I thought about all the other childhood games we could play together—pick up sticks, jackstones, Chinese garter, hopscotch (or piko)—and asked my husband too. He came up with Tex cards, matchbox spiders (gagamba wars), marbles (holen).
Surely, you’ve got your favorites too. The games that instantly bring you back in time when you were in pigtails, had scratched knees and could jump rope without panting. Think of the ones you can all play, with the same enthusiasm and excitement you felt when you first learned to master them on the school playground or at your neighbor’s house.
Meaningful touchstones that can transport you and your children to the same mental and physical playground. Old memories, new memories blending together. It’s the perfect way to connect with them (while getting them offline).
Here’s a short list of some of our playtime touchstones. Hope this inspires you to recall some of your favorite childhood games and to start sharing them with your kiddies as well.
1. Pick Up Sticks
Who can forget playing these brightly colored sticks wherein skillzzz of steady hand, steely eyes and deeply held breath meant winning more sticks (and more points!).
Fortunately, it was easy finding some wooden and plastic pick up stick sets online. And they were cheap too! After teaching the girls the basic rules, we played like there was no tomorrow. And after a few rounds, they were holding their own and proving it’s one game that will always be a hit!
How to play: Gather sticks in a bundle. With one hand, hold the sticks upright and release. From the fallen sticks, one player takes a turn picking up sticks, one at a time, without moving or touching the others. The black stick is the master stick which gains the most points, it also allows the player to use this as a tool to flick the other sticks away as well. Each stick corresponds with a specific number of points. Winner has the most points.
2. Jackstones
Now, there are two kinds of jackstones—the star “jacks” with matching rubber ball or the pillow ones filled with mongo beans.
I remember being pretty good with the pillow ones.
Unfortunately, we only had the star jacks handy. However, the bouncy ball and the “exhibitions” were a bit tricky to learn for my 7-year-old and 10-year-old.
My advice is to start with 3 jacks to get them used to the movements and to gain more confidence.
Pretty soon, they’ll be battling you in the exhibitions! Walk them through some player tips and tricks to help with their hand and eye coordination—great for exercising motor skills.
Bonus? It can also be a fun DIY project to sew pillow jackstones with scraps of fabric and mongo beans. A two-in-one activity!
3. Chinese Garter
Originating from China, the Chinese “jumprope” game, popularly known locally as Chinese garter is just that. An elastic garter (used in sewing) of about 3 yards that’s knotted together at the ends.
Comprised of 3 or more players, it begins with two players standing opposite one another with the garter at ankle-height, stretched tautly between them. The third player completes a sequence of jumps on the garter before moving onto the next level—going higher and higher (knees, then underarms, then neck). Winner is the one who completes the jumps at the highest level among them.
Now, this game is made for younger knees and more flexible joints (my body just reminded me of my age). And my jumps were pathetically low. But it was so much fun!
Teaching the kids and counting through the steps with them (ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty…etc) made it all come rushing back.
We had a blast and they won…obviously. (And they learned how to skip count by tens, too! Win-win!).
4. Matchbox Spider Wars
I remember seeing my male classmates stuffing these loaded matchboxes in their pockets at school. And then watching them (from afar, of course) battle it out with each of their spider soldiers on a branch or stick.
Fight to the death?
Not really. The spider wins when it manages to “push” the opposing spider off the stick 3 times. Bonus? The hunt for spiders (the garden-variety kind, of course) in your backyards, plants, and garages will keep the kiddos occupied, outside and engaged (it’s also an amazing nature/insect homeschooling moment!).
5. Pepsi, 7-Up
My husband and our 3 girls are masters at this. They love playing this active game outside at the end of the day when the sun isn’t too hot. Tip: this is twice as much fun in a pool! Just make sure it’s at the shallow end for the littles.
How to play: One player (the “it”) turns his back while the rest wait behind a starting line several feet away. The game begins when the “it” says “Pepsiiiiiiiiiiii”, which signals other players to start moving towards the “it”. They stop when the “it” quickly turns around and says “7 Up” stopping them in their tracks and making them statues.
If one of the statues moves, he goes back to the starting line. This goes on until one of the players tags the “it” while he’s still turned around and still saying “Pepsi”. The “it” then tries to catch one of them before they reach the starting line. The one tagged by the “it” is the next “it”.
As a whole, these simple games add wonderful family memories that can last a lifetime; natural conversation starters about our culture and growing up years that encourage an exchange of meaningful stories and shared experiences.
An enjoyable and relaxed way to bridge the generation gap. (And a good workout too!)
