Category Archives: Chicago
In Dundee, Illinois (near…
In Dundee, Illinois (near Chicago) in the 1930’s and ’40s, we played a similar game called Holly. We usually played at an intersection of two streets. Some of the differences with Ringoleavio were: each team had a “goal” (usually a telephone pole) on the corner; while you were tounching your own goal you were in a safe area where you couldn’t be tagged/captured; the jail was called “stink”; object of the game was to touch the other team’s goal and say “Holly”. Either “Holly” or “Kick the Can” were our favorites, especially after dark but with the corner streetlights providing illumination.
Sixteen Inch Softball and…
Sixteen Inch Softball and SPUD These are two ways I use to determine if someone grew up in Chicago! Sixteen inch softball was popular because the ball was so big you couldn’t use a glove! Which leveled the field between the haves and have nots. Also, you couldn’t hit the ball very far, so the game was a lot faster paced. You also didn’t need a large firld. Spud was played with a playground ball, or a volley ball. Each player was assigned a number, and someone was chosen to be “it”. Whoever was “it” threw the ball in the air, and called someone’s number. Everyone scattered, except the person who’s number was called. The had to catch the ball and yell “SPUD”. When you heard SPUD, you had to stop where you were. The person who caught the ball was then allowed to take three giant steps toward any player, then throw th ball at them. The person was allowed to dodge, but could not move his feet. If he was hit, he got a letter “S” and was “it”. If the thrower missed, he got the letter, and was “it”. Play continued until someone got S-P-U-D, then they had to go through the spanking machine!
No one here has really described…
No one here has really described the game “statues” and I was wondering if it’s the same game I knew. I grew up in Chicago in the 60’s and the girls in my neighborhood played a game called “statue maker.” I don’t know who taught us it (one of our moms?)or how we learned it, but it was one of our favorites. From what I remember, it went something like this: You needed at least 5 or 6 girls in order to play. One girl played the part of the “statue maker” and the other was the “customer.” The statue maker would spin the other girls around and around by the arm and when she let go, the girl would have to freeze in whatever position she landed in. (We used to have the most hilarity with this … crazy positions that you remain in!) Then the statue maker would walk the customer by each girl, trying to “sell” the merits of each statue. The customer would eventually pick one of the statues by tapping her. This brought her to life and then she would chase the customer around and around. My memory is fuzzy at what happens after this point, but I think the freed statue then becomes the customer and repeats the same. Does this ring a bell with anyone? I’m curious if this is a similar version to what you all played in New York?
Here’s a different version…
Here’s a different version on D-I-S-H. I was born in chicago, I’m 40 now, living in Denver. Wish I be apart of the Double Dutch Divas’in New York, they’ve got it going on! We sang,”D-i-s-h, D-i-s-h, “D” is for double dutch, “I” is for irish, “S” is for single, and “H” is for hop. Which ever on you landed on is how you jumped next. If you stopped on “D” or double dutch, you jumped double dutch to whatever rhyme you wanted. “I” or Irish you jumped to whatever rhyme you wanted, but Irish was turned like double dutch, except you turned the rope under handed. “S” was just plain single which you turned with a single rope, and did red hot peas or something. “H” or Hop, you jumped double dutch, and you jumped high on both feet, or we also called them pop ups. Have fun.
I’ve never heard anyone…
Debra Reyland (and all others…
Debra Reyland (and all others looking for a chinese jumprope game), I remember a similar rhyme we used to use in Chicago in the 70’s when playing chinese jumprope: Starting position was : catch the rope with your feet and jump to cross the rope over and stand in the center . (you are now in a “loop” you created with the elastic making an x in front and back of your ankles) Jump in an alternating pattern – spreading your feet apart, then with legs crossed, right foot in front of left, then apart, then left in front of right, then apart, etc. ( remaining inside of the “loop” you created upon jumping in) Jump in this pattern while chanting: “Ching-chong chinaman sittin’ on a fence tryin’ to make a dollar outta 69 cents he missed… he missed… he missed like this! ” On the word ‘this’ the object was to disentangle yourself and land on the now straight rope, one foot on each of the ropes. If you did this correctly, you got to continue: Step to one side, use both feet to catch rope as before and jump alternating now once with left foot in front (ching), then apart, then once with right foor in front (chong), then disentangle yourself again landing on the spead ropes (ONE!). (You are chanting “Ching-chong-ONE!,”) Step to side cross ropes over and repeat- counting your jumps in the same alternating pattern: “Ching-chog-TWO!, Ching-chong-THREE!”,etc. until you miss the ropes. The person who got the highest won. Sound familiar? Or is this yet another variation? I can’t believe how many memories this site has brought back!!!!! Wish I had that energy and coordination now!!!!!
Hopscotch: Chicago, circa…
Hopscotch: Chicago, circa 1970: Hopefully you remember the hopscotch diagram. These varied, I’m sure from neighborhood to neighborhood. Colored chalk was always the best, but we’d use peeled drywall (garbage picked from the alley!) if necessary. Ours were in this format: …………………………..TOP…………………………………….. …………………..was in an arc……………………………… ……….inside was written ‘Sky Blue’………………….. the squares were drawn and laid out in this ………………………..order by #………………………………. …………………………… 10 …………………………………….. ……………………………. 9………………………………………. ………………………….7……8…………………………………… ……………………………..6………………………………………. ………………………….5……4…………………………………… ……………………………..3………………………………………. ……………………………..2………………………………………. ……………………………..1……………………………………….. …………………………_______……………………………….. ………………………..(start line)………………………………. Squares 1, 2, and 3 took up one sidewalk paver, (about 3 feet by us), 4&5, 6, 7&8 the next, 9, 10 and Sky Blue the next for a total of 9 feet. For an easier game, or younger kids, we’d sometimes eliminate #’s 9 & 10, and make sky blue only in the 3rd paver. (Don’t make it too big! You have to be able to jump over it!) Get stones. ( ours were from the alley— again!) The best were roughly round , but with some flat sides, to allow it to land and stay-not roll out of the box. They should be about as big as a ping-pong ball, and try to find ones that don’t look alike. Players throw their stones from the start line. Whoever gets closest to the middle of sky blue goes 1st. Player must throw their stone from the start line so it lands in square #1. If it lands there they hop through the squares, they may not hop in a square containing a stone. On squares 1, 2, 3,6, 9, and 10 it is a single hop–one foot–no changing feet! Squares 4&5, and 7&8 were hit simultaneously, one foot in each square. Player would have to turn as they jumped to sky blue so they’d land facing start-could land on both feet. They’d return jumping through the squares in reverse order now, and at the #2 square, bend, pick up their stone (on one foot as 2 is a single square), jump on #1 (no stone now) and across the start line. If they completed this sucessfully, they can continue their turn, now throwing their stone in square #2, and continue as before. Their turn ends when they make one of the following faults: missing the square when throwing the stone, switching feet on single jumps (you must stay on the foot you started on until you reach sky blue or start), touching the other foot down during single jumps or when picking up your stone, touching the ground with your other hand when picking up the stone, or jumping on a square that contains a stone. When player 1’s turn ends, they leave their stone on the square that they faulted on; they must successfully complete this square on their next turn to continue, and player 2 takes their turn. (No player can jump on any square that contains a stone, so the game gets a little hard with 4 or more players. In that case, a round-robin is better. ) Players continue through the squares in order. Sky Blue is treated as a numbered square. On the approach, the player must jump over Sky Blue and turn, and land facing start. They then pick up their stone and return to start.The first player to complete this wins the game. For an extra-long game, we’d continue back through the squares in reverse order, with square #1 being the end. Guess we just had alot of energy! Hope this helps!!! Have fun!!!!!
Here I am, Age 38, born…
Here I am, Age 38, born and raised in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, only girl on the block–Still have my skate key–it’s on the same key ring with my Suburban keys. One of my fondest memories, my Dad taking me to Triangle on 5th Ave & 83rd Street for a pair of Chicago Rollers Shoe Skates–black, of course. Mom was pissed, so was my brother. But I played a mean roller derby. Hockey was my forte’. Now, had a great pair of roller blades, 11 year old son trashed them. Now, I am the Mom, and I am pissed.
That’s funny… Everyone…
That’s funny… Everyone I know calls them Underdogs, not underducks. Maybe it’s different in different places (I’m from Chicago) You push the person in the swing, then say One! (push), Two! (push), Three! (push)… Underdog! And you push hard and run under the swing. The 2 kids I babysit for are constantly asking for them. I usually say no, especially with the older one (longer legs), cause I don’t wanna get kicked in the back! It is fun to give, though!