Category Archives: Locales

Back in the late fifties…

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Back in the late fifties and early sixties (yeah, that was last century) we kids on Lefferts Avenue, in Brooklyn, used to play a game called, Hot Peas And Butter. Somebody went and got their father’s best butt beatin’ belt and a “papa” was chosen (either by “Engine Engine Number Nine” with the feet or by “The Odd Finger Is It” with the fingers) who then hid the belt somewhere (in the bushes, under a garbage pail, down a basement entrance, in a milkbox, etc.) while the rest of the bunch kept their eyes closed in the “Safety Zone”. Then, the “papa” came back to the safety zone and yelled, “Hot Peas And Butter!” Everybody went out looking for the belt. The “papa” would declare, COLD, WARM or HOT, depending on the proximity of the searchers to the belt. Once the belt was found, the new “papa” chased everyone back to the safety zone, swinging the belt and lashing anyone within reach. God help the kid who fell down! We would play until the real father found out that his best belt was missing. He’d come out with his fists on his hips and a nasty scowl. But he couldn’t help it; he’d soon break into a big smile. Ah, the memories of good, clean games! I hope they’re not gone forever.

hey all, There is a…

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hey all, There is a pick up league in Clinton MA every Sunday and I was just hoping to post this and see if there were any takers. We have guys each week that show up from Boston and even NH so let me know if you are interested drop a note. kdl8228 [at] hotmail [dot] com

OK, I’m so glad that I’ve…

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OK, I’m so glad that I’ve found this site. I have been looking for years to find the rules to games that I played when I was growing up in the 50’s in Chicago. I used to play the ball games that have been described in the messages from others. Please if anyone remembers the rules to “Roly-Poly”? We would draw a very large rectangle and divide it up by drawing a line down the middle and lines across to make up boxes. We would write something like Boys, Girls, Colors, Fruits, Movie Stars, etc. in the boxes. We would bounce a ball in each square while moving around to the last square. Somehow we would be able to kind of “own” a square and no one else could step on it. Anyone recall the rules to the game?

Growing up in Staten Island…

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Growing up in Staten Island in the 60’s we kids would get .25 from our parents every sat to go down to the corner candy store ‘every neighborhood had one’. Once a month, my cousin and I would take turns, one buying a Spaldeen ball and the other buying the candy, so every month we had a new ball to play with. I can remember the firt thing we did withour new ball was to inscribe it with our name so no one could steal it. When the store ran out we would end up with a pnky which was a dissapointment because the smell, feel and bounce were so different. It was something from my childhood that I will never forget. That rubber smell to this day brings back such great memories. I have been trying to find one for my grandson, now I know they are back I can look a little harder. But in the age of tv video games and romote control everything, will the thrill be the same? I doubt it, but I guess to thier generation, we are the olden days and the balls part of our nostalgia.

In Washington Heights (181st…

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In Washington Heights (181st Street)in the late 50’s/early 60’s, you could get both – Spaldeens were harder and cost 25 cents, while the Pennsie Pinky was only 15 cents and a lot softer and smoother. We preferred the Spaldeen for stickball and the Pinkie for punch ball. When they went “dead” and lost their bounce, the game was to “roof” the ball by throwing it onto the roof of a 6 story apartment building. Sid’s candy store on 181st street was the only place in the neighborhood that let you check all of the Spaldeens and Pinkies by giving them the “bounce test” before buying – holding a ball at about chest height and letting it go to see how high up it would bounce. I broke Mrs. Morrison’s living room window with a Spaldeen and hit the super of the building across the street with a Pennsie Pinkie!

I was raised and taught…

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I was raised and taught skellies on Jerome Ave in the Bronx and later moved to West New York, NJ where with the best friends a guy could ever have played this game from morning to night. The rules were standard but like Eric from WNY we also used the “P” for pit around the 13 box. We played on 64th Street between Broadway and Dewey Ave.’s Carlos, China(edwin), Danny(Brigs), Ralph and Henry(Littleman). The Kelso’s got in a few rounds of play as did others from around the neighborhood but mostly it was just us. One of our favorite rule variants was called Downtown. A true rule breaker if ever there was one. If a players cap started to roll, anyone playing could yell out the words “Downtown!” or (my personal favorite) Hoboken!!! Then proceed to kick the rolling cap as far away as possible. Brig’s cap once landed in front of Saint Josephs on the corner of 64th & Palisade (Google earth this to get an idea of the distance, its 2.5 blocks, but the last block is all up hill and probably close to 300 yards by itself!) I live down the Shore now in Silverton, and have 2 teenange boys of my own. It’s their turn to learn now. Thanks for the memories. Hey guys, if you ever come across this message, bro, I don’t care if your 90 years old, look me up.

In Brooklyn in the 50’s…

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In Brooklyn in the 50’s we sang while bouncing a ball: Oh, I won’t go to Macy’s any more, more, more There’s a big fat policeman at the door, door, door He’ll grab you by the collar And make you pay a dollar So I won’t go to Macy’s Anymore, more, more We sang this while bouncing a ball and crossed our leg over the rhyming words..more, door, collar, etc.

I grew up in Woodside, Queens…

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I grew up in Woodside, Queens in the seventies and loved Red Rover, Red Rover, Red Light, Green Light, etc. I remember the boys playing stick ball,etc. Being a girl, we did alot of the jumprope games/rhymes, and also more “girlie” steet games. I recall one being called “germany”, where you needed four concrete “squares” and would have to step for “one”, hop for “two”, Skip for “three”, etc. I think it went up to nine, and you couldn’t touch any “lines” and couldn’t step into “germany”, or the third box. Sound familiar to anyone? WE also played “girls, girls, out” This one used six boxes and had different categories in each box like, colors, girls names, boys names, etc. You would have to hop into the box twice saying “girls, girls out”, then go over each box saying a different girl’s name twice, then go into the next category and do boys names, etc. If anyone has more info on these games, please share. Love this website – it’s so nostalgic!