Hobbies And Interests
Quoits
Similar to today's game of horseshoes, quoits was played using two wooden sticks. These were placed upright at either end of a designated space. A circle was drawn in the dirt around each stick to designate how close each player's piece would get to the stick. Players would line up at one end of the space and take turns throwing their piece--in this case, a small ring made of rope or metal--to the opposite stick. Whichever player came the closest to hooking their ring around the stick would win. Colonial kids would also play quoits with horseshoes.
Hoop Game
Colonial children used wooden hoops for this game, though a hula hoop can be used in the modern day game. Typically, boys would line up so they were even with one another, as in a foot race. They would turn the hoop upright and roll it alongside them while running. If the hoop fell over, the runner was disqualified. Whoever finished first was the winner.
Girls preferred to throw their hoops up into the air and catch it with two sticks. They would then try to keep their hoop spinning while using the sticks to guide it. If their hoop fell, they were disqualified. The one who kept her hoop spinning the longest was the winner.
Ball and Cup Game
Colonial children would use a wooden cup attached to a wooden stick for the ball and cup game. The wooden cup would have a small hole at the bottom so a piece of rope could be threaded through it. The other end of the rope would have a small ball tethered to it. The object of the game was to try to get the ball into the middle of the cup using only an up and down motion. Using the other hand to guide the ball was not allowed.
This game can be modernized by using a paper cup with a hole in the bottom. A piece of thin rope or heavy string can be threaded through the bottom. Part of the rope should be left in the cup. This piece can either be knotted or taped to the bottom inside of the cup. Put holes in a ping pong ball or other small ball and attach it to the other end of the rope.