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English Folk Games

For hundreds of years, English children have played a variety of folk games, and many still play these games today. Unlike modern games, folk games require no special equipment, but they do have rules, variations and often, a specific educational objective. For example, the rhymes used when jumping rope in England were used to teach religion, counting and social graces. Hoops, a girls' game popular in 17th century England that was also called Graces, involved playing with round, wooden rings while reciting prose and verse variations.

Ball Games
- Nine Pins, which evolved into bowling, had a religious beginning. This game arrived in England in the mid-16th century and quickly became an indoor and outdoor pastime. Meanwhile, quoits, a game similar to horseshoes, was outlawed in 13th century England because of its popularity. In the late 16th century, the Duke of York learned how to play Paille Maille, a game played using a small wooden ball and a set of mallets. As this game spread across England, each shire modified the rules to suit the area. Players knocked the ball down the course with a mallet until the they reached a suspended hoop goal. Once there, the ball was hit through the hoop with a cup-shaped mallet, similar to a putter.
Group Games
- Drop the Handkerchief is an English parlor game played much like Duck Duck Goose, while I Spy, similar to Hide and Seek, was a game played by both girls and boys; it was based on the daily activities of the Royal English Guard. Only boys play Hide and Fox, which mimics a royal hound hunt in which the fox runs across the English countryside to hide while the other players seek him out.
Girls Games
- English girls played a variety of word games, which served to teach the players about class status and English protocol. During the Middle Ages, girls played games like Birds, Beasts and Fishes, which is similar to today's Hangman word game. Rhymes used while jumping rope often contained verses that taught social lessons. Group games like Contrary, played in the 17th and 18th centuries, used song verses unique to the customs of the English shires in which they were played.
Boys Games
- Hustle Cap is an English version of catch. All boys in England during the 17th century wore caps, and during the game they used the caps to catch a tossed stone. The early English word for a cherry pit was an ̶0;od̶1;, and Cherry Ods involved players tossing cherry stones into a small hole. Knights was a game played in England during the Middle Ages by teams of two boys. Larger boys were the horses and younger boys were the knights. Younger boys would ride on the ̶0;horses̶1; shoulders and try to knock the off the other knights.

Kids Games