Does anyone remember playing Giant Steps? And I had great fun playing punchball, red light green light, red rover, potsy, stoop ball, I declare war on …., hit the penny, hot potato and other city kid games. We really used our imaginations, got lots of exercise, and learned how to get along with others and organize ourselves. I feel sorry for the kids today. They are so programmed by adults.
Wow, it’s been so long since I’ve been back to this site. I remember all of the above. The games, the streets, and the theaters. We lived across the street from the Forsythe Street Park. Does anyone remember the bike store on Forsythe Street just pass Delancy? You could rent a bike for 25 cents an hour. Of course in those days 1950’s that was considered a lot of money. I ran many a bike into the brick wall in the park. Got lots of scars to show for it. Do you remember that Pickle store on Hester Street? I went to P.S.42 and on our walk home we would stop and buy a pickle. You had to point to the one you wanted and the man would fish it out. The smell of a pickle, even now, brings those days right back to me. And the knishes. One of my favorite foods. What I would do now for a knish. Haven’t had one in years. I live in a state that doesn’t even know what a ‘knish’ is. Only those of us born and raised in New York know what these are. How about the Academy of Music on 14th Street, Manhattan? When Rock n Roll started, we could not wait to see all the new rocking stars. We saw them before they became a household name.
Does anyone remember the rest of this: …to the Jackie Gleason Studio Mr. Knickerboker, Knickerbocker Doobi-di do Your sure look slick A Hickory Stick Now lets get the rythmn with the hands 1,2,3, We got the rythmn with the hands 1,2,3, Now, lets get the rythm with the feet 1,2,3, Now we got the rythm with the feet 1,2,3, Who’s got the rythm with the eeeeyes We got the rythm with the eeeyes Who’s got the rythmn with the hips Oh Boy!! We got the rythm with the hips Oh Boy!! Who got the rythm with the count by 5’s 5, 10, 15,….so on. I think this was achoosing song with the girls standing in a circle. When you started counting by 5s the girl in the middle would close her eyes and spin around in a circle with her hand pointed out. When we reached 100, that girl would replace the girl in the middle and the song would start all over again. This was played in Jamaica, Queens during the ’60s.
double double this this double double that that double this double that double double this that candy apples on a stick makes my tummy go 246 not because im dirty not because im clean just because i kissed a boy behind a magazine hey boys how bout a fight? hey comes (boys name) with his pants on tight he can wiggle he can wobble he can do the splits but most of all he can kiss kiss kiss with his red hot LIPS! does anyone remember the one that goes something like: i went to chinese checkers to buy a loaf of bread bread bread they asked me what my name was and this is what i said said said (dont remember the rest) i also forgot the rest of a similar one: i went to chinese checkers to see a movie star… please help if u know or have an idea or what it is
Does anyone remember RCK? Run, Catch and Kiss?! My husband and I laugh when we think about how much fun we had running around trying to catch or be caught! He is 2 yrs older, we lived in Brooklyn and we remember how fun it was! And how it always happened that the person you didn’t want to catch and kiss would always slow down to get caught on purpose, and you would fall down on purpose so you let them get away(and you didn’t have to kiss them!) Or others would Quit on the spot! Screaming out “I Quit!” when it was time to kiss the unwanted person! lol! We have 5 children and they have no clue how much fun we had before the days of Atari and Commodore 64!
Does anyone remember playing Spud or War (same game) with a spaldeen? You needed a group of kids, the larger the better. “It” bounced the ball on the street really hard so it would go high straight up in the air and called another player’s name at the same time, saying I declare war on ______ using either a kid’s name or a country name. Then that person had to catch it while everyone else scattered. As soon as he caught it he yelled out Spud and everyone froze. Then the catcher could take 3 steps (as big as he possibly could) and fired the ball at the nearest kid trying to hit him. The kid that was hit was then “it,” if missed the same player was it again. This was a coed game, and we played it for hours on end. The best place to play was in the courtyards between buildings, there were lots of alleys and corners to run through. I grew up in East Flatbush in the 60s & 70s–Bedford and Ave D. Went to Farragut Park for the sprinklers, Farragut Pool until they put Pathmark there, and Brighton Beach by subway and Riis Park by the Green Line bus! Any memories out there?
Does anyone remember games of observation like out of state license plates? If you spotted an out-of-state license plate you would start slugging your buddy on the arm until he could either name the right car or it went out of sight. I am interested in identifying other games of observation. If you know of any please share them with me… pax90023 [at] yahoo [dot] com