Children's Games From the 1860s

Ball Games

• Balls were a common toy in the 1860s. They were usually made of cloth and were about the size of a softball. A boy could be entertained for hours with a ball and a stick used as a bat. Baseball was gaining popularity and was played by groups of boys across the country. Shuttlecock, played with two small rackets and a ball decorated with feathers, was another popular children's game. In Knurr and Spell, children would take turns hitting a ball, a knurr, with a special kind of stick, called a spell, to see who could hit it the farthest toward a target.

Parlor Games

• People in the 1860s spent much of their free time inside the parlor of their homes. It was here they entertained guests and played parlor games to pass the time. Blindman's Bluff was a popular game among children. In this game, one person was blindfolded while everyone else scattered around. When the blindfolded player caught someone, he either identified the person caught or the prisoner was freed and play began again. Other common games were charades, a version of the modern day 20 Questions called I'm Thinking of Something and Name the Nursery Rhyme.

Board Games

• In 1860, a 24-year-old by the name of Milton Bradley began the Milton Bradley Co. A few years later, this company produced its first board game, called "The Checkered Game of Life." The game was a success and began a new era in the history of board game production. Other board games that were played in this era include checkers, chess and a board game played with marbles.

Marbles and Jacks

• Marbles have been a common childhood game for thousands of years. In the 1860s, marbles were commonly made from glass. The player would roll his shooter, or largest marble, into the circle and try to knock out his opponent's marbles. He would collect any marbles that were knocked out of the circled area. Jacks were also a popular game that could be played anywhere. The player had a set of jacks, normally made from pewter or metal pieces, and a wooden ball. He would bounce the ball and try to pick up as many jacks as he could before he caught the ball. There were several variations on the game as well as the materials the jacks and ball were made of.