Hidden Corners of History- Fun and Games

Fun and Games

Jarrod E. Stephens

As I was waiting on an elevator after a routine doctor’s appointment, the door opened to where an older gentleman and a child around six or seven years old were standing. The gentleman made eye contact with me, and I said “hello” and then pressed the button for the floor I was traveling to. The ride was brief, but the kid never looked up at all and stared at a tablet that was resting snuggly against his stomach. He appeared to be playing some sort of brain eating game.

Then, like a jump scare from a movie, the little gamer looked up at me and said something like this. “I like Roblox……blah, blah, blah……” and while I can only remember those first few words, he continued saying things that seemed to me as confusing as the code that is used to create the games. As the kid finished talking about the game, the older guy looked up at me with tired eyes and said, “I have no idea what he’s talking about. All he does is play games.”

It is now more common than ever to see people of all ages swiping phones and i-pads in every setting imaginable, even church and funerals. We all know that there is nothing wrong with games and getting involved in gameplay is a blast. Humans have enjoyed recreational gaming for centuries, but today’s games have gone beyond what I could have imagined and have made me begin to long for simpler times. Just for fun, I got out a journal that I have given to my mamaw to fill out with tidbits of history for me. She is now 98 years old, and I’m convinced that she did grow up in the good ole days. Here are some of the ways that kids used to spend their summer months before bits and bites began nibbling at their brains.

“There were plenty of summer games that we played like: hide and seek, Red Rover, Andy over, drop the handkerchief, dare base, London Bridge, marbles, jump rope and hopscotch.”

After looking at her list of games I realized that those were the games that she had us play whenever we would stay with her. It also became apparent to me why kids today don’t play these games. The games would require them to be removed from their chairs and go outside.

As a country girl in the early 20^th century, they never had fancy toys and play places. That’s why the kids would go into the woods, find a sturdy grapevine, cut it off at the ground, pull it up the hill and swing the day away. I can attest that my siblings and I have spent hours swinging from grapevines. The first rides were always the worst because all the loose bark would fall into our eyes and grip at your hands. The fun was immeasurable. 

If you walk through my house, you’ll see plenty of toys that were bought with the intentions of play, but instead they are collecting dust. Mamaw and her siblings never had a lot of toys, but they had a lot of fun.

“We would use a stick for a horse. Tie a string to it and we had a bridle and in our happy little minds that horse would take us to lots of places. We would also ride small saplings over and stand straddle of it as a horse.” In this world of digital obsession, kids need to be reminded that the world of imagination is still reachable and has plenty of room for all of them. 

Board games used to be quite common in most households and I’m sure some still play them. We have more games than I can count but it seems they only get attention in a sparing manner. My Mamaw and her family had a few games that didn’t require batteries, and we also have and still play them. “When we couldn’t go outside, we would play dominoes, ball and jacks and checkers.”

As a parent, I find the newest gaming trends concerning because it leads to sedentary behavior that leads to other issues. This summer may have been quite hot, but summers are always hot. Trees still make shade and water in the creek can still cool kids off. Jump ropes still work and board games can still entertain. If you are reading this and have young kids in your life, give them a dose of the good ole days and introduce them to fun and games that won’t require a Wi-Fi signal or charging cord. Who knows, they may just enjoy it.