Keeping the Guilds’ Childhood Games Alive

Good as Ever

by Carol Sutton

WE ALL HAVE FOND MEMORIES of the childhood games we played, but if your’e scratching your head trying to remember the details of how to play some of them, scratch no more. Here is a listing of all of the Guild favorites and instructions for how the Guilds played them. If you introduce these to your kids or grandchildren you’ll be keeping a channel of creative play open. It’s worth noting that these games require nothing more than just “being there” or some minor prop such as a can or button or handkerchief. They also involve touching contact you just can’t get from a toy or computer; all valuable contributions for the healthy socialization of kids. Once your youngsters learn these, you can be sure they will remain powerful memories in their minds and hearts throughout their adult years.

“YOUR IT!”

The first thing to be decided in many games is who will be “It”, who goes first, and how to divide up the teams. Remember the rhyme we used to say? Eeeny, meeny, miney, moe, Catch a tiger by the toe, If he hollers, let him go, Eeeny, meeny, miney, moe. My mother says to choose the very best one, and you are It. As the rhyme is said, the counter goes around the circle pointing at each player with each syllable he speaks. At the end of the rhyme the person the counter points at is “It” or on his team. TAG

Two or many players. The simplest game ever. One person is arbitrarily named “It” by saying, “your’e It!”, and everyone else runs from that person. “It” tries to touch (tag) any other person they can catch by chasing them and that person becomes “It.” That tagged person tries to touch another person who is then “It,” and so forth until the game becomes tiring or boring.