Hobbies And Interests
Conkers
"Conkers" has been played since 1848 and is based on a game from the 15th century that used hazelnuts. The name "Conkers" is of unknown origin, but is thought to have come the French word "cogner," meaning to hit. The game consists of two players who each have a conker, a nut from the horse chestnut tree. A small hole is drilled in the middle of the nut and a string is put through the hole with a knot tied at the end of the string to secure it. During the game, one player has his conker dangling in the air on the string, while the other player tries to hit the first player's conker with his own.
Oranges and Lemons
"Oranges and Lemons" is a game in which two children -- one designated an orange and the other a lemon -- hold their arms out, making an arch through which other children pass. A rhyme is sung as the children walk through. The rhyme is: "Oranges and lemons, say the bells of St. Clement's. You owe me five farthings, say the bells of St. Martin's. When will you pay me, say the bells of Old Bailey. When I grow rich, say the bells of Shoreditch. When will that be, say the bells of Stepney? I'm sure I don't know, says the great bells at Bow. Here comes a candle to light you to bed. Here comes a chopper to chop off your head. Chop chop chip chop the last man's head." At this point the arch falls on a child. The child is then asked secretly if they want to be an orange or a lemon. That child then stands behind the lemon or orance team leader. At the end of the games there is often a tug of war between the two teams to see which is the strongest.
Hopscotch
Hopscotch, well-known in the United States, is another game traditionally played in Wales. To play, one person draws the squares using chalk or colored tape. These squares need to be large enough for a person to jump onto. They also need to be numbered. A player stands behind a throw line and throws a marker onto the hopscotch grid. The number that the marker lands on is jumped over the first time that the player hops through the squares. The player gets to the end of the squares, turns around and hops back. When he gets to the square with his marker, he bends down to pick it up and then continues hopping until he is at the beginning of the hopscotch squares. The player places the marker in the square that he will start on during the next round.
Rhymes
Rhymes like "Oranges and Lemons and "Inkie Pinkie Parlez Vous," around since at least 1914, are also sung by children. Chase and skipping rhymes are also enjoyed by children in Wales.