Many games from our childhood hold fond memories, yet not all would pass today’s standards of safety and sensitivity. This list revisits 10 childhood games that, due to their risk or inappropriateness by modern standards, would likely be banned today.
AUTHOR: Ben Rice
Table of Contents
1. Tag
In 2018, Jeremy Renner, Ed Helms, and Jon Hamm starred in the comedy Tag, a hilarious movie about a lifelong game of tag between Gen-X school friends. An excellent example of how overprotected children today comes in the form of a British headteacher who banned the game due to higher-than-usual playground injuries in her school.
2. Red Rover
Growing up in England, we played the same game as Red Rover, calling it "British Bulldog." Beginning with one "bulldog" in the middle, a horde of runners would attempt to run across the playground, whereby the catcher would tag them, enlisting more team members. Collisions and tumbles were inevitable, although one could argue that it taught essential teamwork and agility skills.
3. Conkers
In British September, horse chestnut trees begin shedding their seeds as giant but inedible nuts. Until 20 years ago, kids would find their choice nut, attach it to a shoestring, and then challenge others to a one-on-one duel, whereby each combatant would swing at the other's conker until one was destroyed. Of course, many schools banned the game in the age of nut allergies and soft policies.
4. Ding-Dong Ditch
For some strange reason, the British call "ding dong ditch" a different, wholly weird name: "knock down ginger." Anyone who grew up before the Internet age will remember the inherent boredom of living in suburbia. Ringing doorbells and running away was one of life's adolescent pleasures. However, parents would be mortified to see their kids doing this in today's nervous, trigger-happy American suburbia.
5. Marbles
Marbles were part of every playground across the Anglosphere throughout the modern age, although their presence is missed today. While the health and safety aspect is obvious, the reality is that colorful glass balls cannot compete with shiny screens or video game controllers.
6. Soccer
Believe it or not, many schools no longer allow soccer on the playground. One example of this happened in 2013 when CBS News reported how a Long Island superintendent banned the use of sporting equipment, such as balls, from the playground. The thought of errant shots hitting innocent students was too much for some parents and school administrators.
7. Human Knots
If you leave children without devices or toys long enough, they will invariably resort to physical play. One example was the human knot, wherein children attached themselves to others via their limbs and started spinning until they became a knot. A "doctor" would then need to enter the scene to break them apart.
8. French Skipping
Known as "jump rope" in the U.S., this has been on playgrounds for centuries. In 2007, an elementary school in Leeds, England, banned jump ropes from the playground after one youngster was injured. Sadly, it only takes one fearful parent to end years of fun for other children. However, getting rid of French skipping will not be easy, which is a good thing.
9. Kiss Chase
We can understand why this game needed to end. Today, parents would balk at the thought of a kiss chase. The title betrays the game's premise: boys are selected as "it" just as in 'tag,' but the difference is they will then try and kiss anyone they catch. For all the obvious litigation-based reasons, this one had to go.
10. Garden Hopping
Garden hopping was a favorite from childhood and a stalwart game among daredevil youths everywhere in the '80s and '90s. If you lived in suburbia, the game's object was to cross into as many neighboring gardens as possible before getting caught or reaching the end of the block. While in gunless Britain, garden hopping was outrageous fun, American children may not have been so daring with their open-carry neighbors. In any case, who does this anymore, and more importantly, why not?
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