Children's old-fashioned games

 So you sing something like: "You are my sunshine/ My only sunshine-- " Here you break off and say, okay, I'm stopping on the word "sunshine". The children have to think of a song with the word 'Sunshine' in it. (eg Sunshine on my shoulder makes me happy). So the person who chose that, stopped on the word 'happy' . So the next song must contain the word and so whoever thinks of "If you're happy and you know it clap your hands " wins and then the winner thinks of a song with 'hands' in it and so on. You can change the rules of course:  I like songs from different countries, or songs from American states ("Kentucky Blues? West Virginia? California Girls?) then the one who can't think of a song loses. 

 With very little children who can't spell, let them play by choosing something they can see inside the car (not out, because you drive past too fast!) and telling you the colour. So  CHILD: "I spy with my little eye something the colour of Black and Silver" YOU: "Rearview Mirror?" CHILD: "No!" YOU: "Steering Wheel?" CHILD: "Yes!" YOU: "My turn". With older children the words go: "I spy with my little eye something beginning with F" ... and it could be a fence or a field, something that isn't seen in a flash, that is. 

 For this you need a tennis ball and a wall to bounce it against. (Preferably no windows in it!) And the advantage is you can play this all by yourself. So you start with seven, which is throwing it against the wall, without letting it bounce and catching it seven times. Six: throw the tennis ball against the wall letting it bounce once, and catching it six times. Five: throw the tennis ball against the ground, let it bounce up onto the wall and into your hands five times. Four: throw under your leg against the wall and catch without a bounce (four times). Three: touch the ground with both hands after you've thrown the ball and catch it without a bounce. Two: spin around and then catch the ball twice, without a bounce and finally One: throw, clap your hands, and then catch. 

Stuck-in-the-mud is a very simple chasing game. One person is on, and he has to chase and try and catch all the other children. As soon as he touches someone, that person has to stand with their legs apart and shout I'm stuck in the mud, help! The way to free that person is to crawl between their legs, then they become unstuck. Of course the dangerous part is crawling through the legs, because that's when the person who is on can catch you both. If you are caught, you have to also be on, and help catch other people and make them stuck in the mud. The point of the game is to get everyone stuck, with no-one to help rescue them. 

One person is on, and stands, preferably against a wall, with his or her back to the rest of the children, who stand in a row as far back as they can within earshot. The one who is on, shouts K-I-N-G spells King! and on the word King, spins round to look at the children. While she/he is spelling, the children run towards her. They can move forward while her eyes are hidden, but as soon as she shouts the word King! and turns around they must freeze. Anyone who moves, or wobbles, is out.  The aim of the game is to reach the one who is on and touch him or her, and then he's out. If you are the one who touched, you become the speller. You carry on playing until the last one standing is the winner. 

One of the very oldest is one of the simplest:  Ouma, Ouma, hoe oud is jy?  .. and you count your granny's age in Afrikaans and in skips: Een, twee, drie, vier, ... and so on, to much hilarity. It never seemed to pall, having a gran who was only ten or fourteen or however many skips each child managed.  This one is more difficult:  An dy Span dy , Sugardy Can dy French  Al mond ROCK! Breadandbutterforyoursupper'sallyourmother'sGOT! And the last bit had to be done as fast as possible. This one was an unusual one, and I'm not sure if I have it right: The High Skip The Sly Skip The Skip like a feather The Long Skip The Strong Skip  The Skip altogether! With each skip you would try to skip as described.