Children's Web Magazine

Play

A couple of years ago there were two articles in the newspaper that caught my eye. One was about bringing back playground games and the other was 33 things you should do before the age of ten. Now I can safely say I have done the majority of the things on the list and all before I was ten. But children nowadays according to research will have been lucky to have done a single one. This is a real shame and rather worrying. Not only are the activities fun, they are great to do with family and friends so you are able to enjoy them together.
You couldn't have stopped me rolling down a grassy bank or climbing THAT tree, even though I got poked in the eye by a twig and had to have eye drops as a result. I revelled in throwing mud pies at the wall in our garden the evidence of which still remained there after we had gone. I enjoyed finding worms although I wasn't keen on them when my brothers would dangle them in front of my face. It also became a regular ritual for my brother and I to make our parents breakfast in bed at weekends.
Doing all these kinds of things and much more was not only fun it was a learning process and it brought me great satisfaction in achieving something. It all helped me develop and was all part of growing up. If you want to know what the 33 things are then visit www.dirtisgood.co.uk

The old traditional playground games are going to make a comeback, I am amazed that they ever stopped. It seems the electronic age has killed off a lot of things. But I am surprised it has done so in the school playground. At my schools we would draw hopscotch with chalk if there wasn't one already marked out for us on the ground. Then a group of us would queue up and take it in turns to have a go. Skipping and French skipping I loved, as well as the hand clapping games. Although I have long since forgotten the rhymes and the various hand clapping techniques that went with each one. What's the time Mr Wolf? Kiss chase, it, oranges and lemons and leapfrog were all games I enjoyed playing. So now that you are all back at school it is the perfect time to try out a new or old game. Go on have some FUN. If you want to know more about playground games you can play then visit www.playgroundfun.org.uk

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