Playground games: Encyclopedia II - Playground games - Types of playground game

Playground games - Types of playground game

Playground games - 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.

Playground games - '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.

Playground games - 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:

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.

Playground games - 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.

Playground games - 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"...)

Playground games - Races

For example running, hopping, climbing.

Playground games - Acrobatic and agility

For example hopscotch, limboing, handstands etc.

Playground games - Performing games

Where players act out agreed parts, for example: cops and robbers, doctors and nurses

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Types of playground game", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki