Tag Archives: Statues / Three Feet Off the Ice

How about Red Rover? You…

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How about Red Rover? You form two lines opposite each other and everyone holds hands on one line. Someone from the line holding hands says, “Red Rover Red Rover send (Ann-Marie) over!” I as the chosen one had to charge to the other side and attempt to break through the hands of two of the opponents. If I didn’t break through, I would have to join their line. If I did, I could rejoin my side and wait for them to call the next person over. The game was played until the last player joins the line holding hands. Or until enough people got hurt to quit the game, lol!

I grew up in Queens. My…

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I grew up in Queens. My mom, who was from the Bronx, taught us a great game called Sardines. It was the opposite of hide and go seek. The person who was “it” would go out and hide somewhere. Everyone else counted to 50 or whatever, and when time was up, we all went out in separate directions and tried to find the person who was hiding, and when you found the person, you hid with them until everyone eventually is there hiding. The last person to find the group is “it” next. The name of the game makes more sense if the person who is “it” hides in a phone booth or something. Eventually everyone is packed in like a can of sardines!

I grew up near Bensonhurst–Dahill…

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I grew up near Bensonhurst–Dahill Road near Kings Highway–in the 50’s, and I definitely remember “Statues” as well as a variation called “Red Light, Green Light.” The person who was “it” would shout “Red light, green light, 1-2-3,” and everyone would move toward her as quickly as they could. Then she’d shout “RED LIGHT!” and everyone would have to stop and stand completely still. Anyone caught moving a muscle by even a millimeter was out. The first person to tag the leader took over for the next game.

Statues! Sure, I remember…

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Statues! Sure, I remember that game and loved it. We played it in the 50s and 60s growing up in Queens. I hope kids are still playing it. As for the ball bearing roller skates, they were the best! If you couldn’t skate very well, they had enough resistance to hold you up and keep you from falling on your face, at least long enough to grab onto a fence post, lamppost or side of a building. I loved the sound they made, the little yellow “hubcaps” that were actually the ball bearings, and the ritual of tightening up the clamps to fit just so around your sneaker. I also loved wearing the key around my neck and feeling it swing back and forth as I went.

I grew up in Bensonhurst,Brooklyn…

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I grew up in Bensonhurst,Brooklyn in the 40’s and 50’s. Both of these games were played in the middle of the street. There were not all that many cars then. Both boys and girls participated. Does anyone else remember these games and how exactly they were played?In Statues the leader closed his or her eyes and counted to three. The players moved toward the leader as quickly as possible but when the leader looked you had to be frozen as a statue. If you got caught moving you were out. The one who could tag the leader won.I can’t seen to remember Three Feet Off the Ice But I believe we played it on roller skates. Does anyon remember ball bearing skates.