Childhood Games and Memories

As I was looking through old photos yesterday, I came upon this one of me and my three older brothers, apparently ready to play. Check out those cowboy hats.

And that made me think about all the games we used to play. Because, as with most of you who read this blog, we didn't have electronic devices to amuse ourselves. We played outside most of the year, and when that wasn't possible we played inside. Together. Not sitting alone with a toy, but playing games as a group.I'm not saying there weren't squabbles and even outright fights, and times when one or another would go off in a huff and try to play alone. It didn't work though, because where is the fun in that? Although I suppose younger generations would argue they have all kinds of fun alone with their video games--but even then many engage online with other players.

The little house in Centreville, where we lived until I was 5, and there were 6 children. Dad and his brothers built it in 1948-49, and it had no running water, and an outhouse. We were surrounded by woods. No one wanted to live in Centreville then, because the soil didn't perc so you couldn't have a septic tank and of course there was no city sewage. Dad bought an acre for $10.00 down, $10.00 a month. I wonder what that land is worth today? It really wasn't crooked, just the photographer!

What games did we play? A quick list of outside games: baseball, dodge ball, Red Rover-- where did that game get its name, I wonder?, hide-and-seek, tag, freezetag, Mother May I, Simon Says, London Bridge, Duck Duck Goose, blind man's bluff, In and Out the Windows, I Spy, tetherball, volleyball, badminton, basketball, kickball, and Red Light Green Light. We also played jump rope, using a long rope with two to turn the rope and one or more jumping, but this was one game it was possible to play alone, along with hopscotch. Not as much fun, but doable when necessary.

In Centreville, the Morans lived down a path through the piney woods. I still remember the oldest one was Mickey Moran, and one of the girls was Pinky, but can't recall the others. They often were our playmates, but Mom didn't like them much, possibly because they were Irish. We loved them because they were wild and always ready for adventure. in the photo, I think it is a Moran on the glider, my brother Joe in the shadows in back, me in front, holding something, Pinky behind me, my brother Bill, another Moran girl standing, and Mickey on the swing.

When we were stuck inside, we played card games, like Go Fish, Old Maid, Slap the Ace, BlackJack, Battle, War, and probably others that I don't recall. I think we played Rummy too when we were a little older. Then there was checkers, Chinese Checkers, Monopoly, Sorry, and again, probably others. 

When I say we, I usually mean most of the ones in the photo below, taken late1967 or early 68. I am on the back row left, beside me is Mary, Judy, Mom and Dad. Seated left to right, Lizzie, Julie (the baby of the family), Cathy, Theresa, Maggie, and John. Joe played with us a lot, and Tom occasionally. Bill left for the seminary when he was 14, around 1962. but I don't remember him playing with us. None of them were home at the time of the picture, but were probably working as they started working on local farms when they were in their early teens. Stephen is missing from this photo for some reason--he was one of the younger ones. between Maggie and John. I was married in November 1968, still a child really. 

Sometimes, whether inside or outside, we made up games, like cowboys and Indians or one we made up called Western Town. We made our own bows and arrows with sticks and strings. We made telephones with string and tin cans, always an activity that kept us busy, trying longer and longer strings to see how far away we could "hear"each other. We played in the dirt with our tootsietoy cars, long games that could last all summer, and inside we might just play records and dance. Of course we girls played with our dolls, sometimes pushing them up and down the walks in buggies or towed along behind our bikes in wagons. We made houses in piles of leaves in the fall, designating rooms and roles amongst us. In winter if there was snow, we were plenty busy, in and out so much I am sure it drove Mom crazy trying to dry so many mittens and socks and boots. Sometimes on Sunday evenings, we would have "family entertainment", a sort of talent show in which we told jokes, sang, etc. -The sliding pocket doors of the living room made a nice "stage", and I seem to remember that Joe was our MC. Some nice summer evenings we would have a weiner roast and would just sit around afterward and sing.

The old house we moved to, in Manassas, is still standing, and beautifully renovated and restored. We were hard on it. Mom planted many flowers in the front gardens over the years. This must have been taken soon after we moved in.

One glorious summer we decided to stage a musical. We chose Mikado. Dad's parents broke up housekeeping when Grandpa retired in 1956 or 57 and they gave us pretty much everything from their house, as they were moving to New Orleans to live with their youngest son who was single. They didn't need furniture, dishes, glassware, or the record player and big record collection. Apparently they liked musicals because there were many in the collection; we loved Mikado because we could sing the songs. We used cardboard to try to make sets and scrounged around in the attic for costumes. Sadly, our production was never completed. I can't remember why--did we argue over who got which role, or did we just lose interest? Whatever the reason, the whole thing kept us busy for weeks. I think I was inspired to do this by Little Women, Louisa May Alcott's book, in which the girls often staged plays that Jo wrote. It was fun and still makes me smile,  remembering how earnest we were. 

Me at 8 years old. Don't I look a little angel? Looks can be so deceiving.

I know one thing--if we ever told our mother we were bored, look out. She would quickly find us something to do. And if we complained that we had no one to play with, she would just laugh and laugh. With so many siblings, really? No one to play with? 

We didn't have money, but the lack of it never seemed to matter when it came to having fun.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.