Playground Games
Playground games are physical and verbal outdoor games which have been devised by groups of children for their own entertainment. These may be adaptations of existing sports or they may only exist informally in children's play areas such as parks, school playgrounds and streets around where children live.
As the rules and names of these games are passed down orally, there are many regional and generational variations. For example the game tag is variously known as 'it', 'tig', 'catch-as-catch-can', 'he' among others. Then there are variations on this basic theme such as 'off ground tig', 'budge' etc.
Many of these games are extremely old and have been played in one form or another for centuries. Others arise as a product of popular culture in a particular era or due to a particular toy or piece of equipment such as the skateboard, yo-yo, Rubiks cube or Scoobies.
Types of playground game
Selection methods
These are mini-games which are played to determine the initial set-up of a game, e.g. who is 'it' or which players are on which team.
'It' games
Probably among the oldest games played all over the world. One person is 'it' or 'on' and is up against the remainder of the players. The primary example of an 'it' game is tag which has many variations in all cultures and parts of the world. Hide and seek is another universal example.
Within this category a distinction can be drawn between games where there is always only one person who is 'it' at any time and games where more than one person can be 'it' at the same time. British Bulldog and 'Chain tig' are examples where more and more players become 'it' until one winner is left un-caught.
Ball games
Not necessarily using a ball as such, but rather any object which is considered as a ball for the purposes of the game, i.e. thrown, kicked, batted etc. For example, stones, tin cans, scrumpled paper etc.
Ball games are often derivatives of more formal sports such as Football or can be a kind of tag as above. Notable examples include:
'Donkey' and 'Spot'
The ball must be kicked, hit or thrown against an agreed length of wall by each player in turn. Every time the ball hits the wall the next player must attempt it from where it rebounds to. If a player misses the wall they are out (in 'Spot') or lose a life (in 'Donkey' they get a letter towards spelling out DONKEY) until they have lost all lives and are out.
Skipping games
These involve jumping over a rotating rope or several ropes and often use Skipping rhymes: rhythmic chants which determine the tempo of the jumping.
Word games
For example I spy, naming things starting with all the letters of the alphabet, linking words (e.g. "ball game", "game show", "show off"...)
Races
For example running, hopping, climbing.
Acrobatic and agility
For example hopscotch, limboing, handstands etc.
Performing games
Where players act out agreed parts, for example: cops and robbers, doctors and nurses
links
http://www.gameskidsplay.net/games/xtra_games.htm