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Victorian Playground Games

The Victorian era, during Queen Victoria's reign from 1837 to 1901, was a time in which children were often encouraged to use their imaginations for games. According to the Literacy Community website, children would come together for a number of group games that boosted teamwork and helped children bond with classmates. Many games played by Victorian children had been around for quite some time, while others came into popularity during this era. Several Victorian era games such as hide and seek and hopscotch are still enjoyed by children worldwide today.

Blind Man̵7;s Buff
- Known as Blind Man̵7;s Bluff in the United States, Blind Man̵7;s Buff was a popular outdoor game in the Victorian era, according to the BBC. In this game, one child is picked to be the "it" person and then blindfolded, hence the "Blind Man"̵7; part of the game̵7;s name. "Bluff" is a term used for a small push. Once the blindfolded child is spun around, he is then given a little push to get him going, while the other children run around trying to avoid him. He is tasked with catching one of the others and trying to identify that person. If he succeeds, the child he caught becomes the new Blind Man.
Hoop Rolling
- While hoop rolling has been popular for centuries, the activity exploded in popularity in Victorian England, as noted on the website Victoriana. Children rolled hoops along the ground, propelling them with a stick or a dowel. Wooden hoops were the norm in Victorian times, though hoops were once made of metal. Children would often hold races against each other to see who could push their hoop the fastest. The modern-day hula hoop is modeled on the hoops of the Victorian era.
Football
- In the United Kingdom, the sport known as soccer in America is referred to as football. This sport picked up popularity in Victorian times. Children would break into teams, and the team that scored two out of three times would be declared the winner, as noted on the Literacy Community website. More well-to-do families could afford real footballs for their children. However, children from families that weren̵7;t as affluent stretched their imaginations to come up with their own footballs. Most of the time, the children would get a pig̵7;s bladder from the butcher, blow it up and tie it off, and kick that around as a makeshift football, according to the BBC.
Battledore and Shuttlecock
- The game known as badminton evolved from the Victorian game battledore and shuttlecock, as mentioned on the Literacy Community's website. In this game, children paired off. Each child would get a racket, called a battledore. The birdie was known as a shuttlecock. Once the initial serve was made, the children would then see how long they could keep the shuttlecock bouncing in the air.

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