Hobbies And Interests
Earth, Air, Fire, Water
"Earth, Air, Fire, Water" can be played with any number of players. One player sits in the middle of the other players, who are sitting in a circle. The player in the middle tosses an object, such as a kerchief or ball, to another player and shouts either "earth," "air," "fire," or "water" and counts to 10. The player who catches the item must name an animal living in that element. For example, elephant or dog would both be correct answers for "earth." The player sits quietly during "fire," as no animal can live in fire. The player in the middle continues tossing the item to different players until a player answers incorrectly, at which time positions change. The game becomes more challenging when played without repeating the same animal.
Tip-Cat
"Tip-Cat," also known as "One-A-Cat," was a popular outdoor game played during colonial times. The concept of the game is similar to today's versions of baseball and cricket. The players used a 3-foot long stick as a bat, striking a 4-inch piece of wood on the ground to propel it upward. The player would then "bat" the airborne wood to send it as far as possible and attempt to round the bases before a fielder returned the wood to home base. The batter made an "out" if the fielder caught the piece of wood on a fly or missed hitting it three times. The early Americans called the bat, "cat" and the striking the wood, "tipping the cat."
Blindman's Buff
During the colonial period, both adult and children enjoyed playing Blindman's Buff. To play, a blindfolded player stands in the center of a circle formed by the other players. He is then spun around two or three times. The circle of players walk in a circle around the blindfolded player until he or she claps three times. The blindfolded player points to one player and has the opportunity to guess who that person is. A correct guess ends the round and makes the person pointed at the new blindfolded player. An incorrect guess requires the blindfolded player to tag the player, and have another chance to guess who the player is. A second incorrect guess forces the blindfolded player to return to the center of the circle and begin again.
Traditional Games
Many of the popular games enjoyed in the colonial era are still enjoyed today. Traditional games, such as hide-and-seek, checkers, leapfrog, and hopscotch have their origins in the colonial period. Other classic games included playing with rag dolls, kites, marbles and spin tops.