Games
Pioneer children had simple toys and games made out of available materials. They were great at repurposing materials! Dolls were made out of scraps of cloth and wool. Some toys were made with leftover wood. Children were imaginative and resourceful in creating toys and inventing games with few materials. Some of the games and toys they played with are:
Sack races, hopscotch, leap frog, hide & seek, ring toss, spinning tops, jack straws (pick-up sticks), charades, marbles, cards, checkers, string games, rolling the hoop, jump rope, and many more!
Here are a few popular pioneer games you may want to try:
Three-Legged Races – Players are paired up and each pair of players has to tie one of their legs to their partner's so that they have three legs among them. They then compete in a race against another pair!
Hopscotch – Create a hopscotch outline using chalk, or by using a stick to draw the lines on the dirt. You will need a marker, such as a rock or a bean bag. Toss your marker onto the first square. It must land on the square without touching any of the boundaries, or else, you lose your turn. Then hop through the squares using one foot only (except on the even numbered or specified squares, where you can rest on both feet), and avoiding the square that has the marker. Pick up the marker (while balancing on one foot!) on your way back. If you made it back without losing your balance, your turn continues. Toss your marker onto square 2 and so on.... The player who completes the whole course without losing their balance or missing the square, wins.
Hide the Thimble – Everyone closes their eyes while one player hides a thimble (or another small object) in the room. The other players get to look for the thimble, whoever finds the thimble first, gets to hide it the next time.
Where's the Button - One person (it) leaves the room while the others hide a large button or another small object. When “it” returns "it" has to try and find the button. The other players may give hints by saying “warm, warmer, hot, or cold, colder, etc.”
Jack Straws - Straws or very thin sticks are placed in a stack coming to a point at the top. Each player takes a turn pulling a straw out of the pile while trying not to move any of the other straws. If a player is able to get a straw without moving any others, he keeps that straw and it's the next player's turn. The game ends when the stack falls. The winner is the player with the most straws or sticks.
Shadow Tag - “It” tries to step on another player's shadow. When "it" steps on another player's shadow, that player becomes "it".
One very popular game to play that required few materials was the Game of Graces:
You will need two people to play graces. Players stand about ten feet apart. One player takes a wooden hoop and crosses two dowels on the inside of the hoop to make an "X", then swiftly pulls the dowels apart, causing the hoop to fly through the air! The second player has to catch the hoop using one of their two dowels. It is now their turn to toss. The first player to catch the hoop ten times is the winner.
Your box contains materials to make your own set of graces. See below for instructions, make sure to pause the slideshow as needed.
Sack races, hopscotch, leap frog, hide & seek, ring toss, spinning tops, jack straws (pick-up sticks), charades, marbles, cards, checkers, string games, rolling the hoop, jump rope, and many more!
Here are a few popular pioneer games you may want to try:
Three-Legged Races – Players are paired up and each pair of players has to tie one of their legs to their partner's so that they have three legs among them. They then compete in a race against another pair!
Hopscotch – Create a hopscotch outline using chalk, or by using a stick to draw the lines on the dirt. You will need a marker, such as a rock or a bean bag. Toss your marker onto the first square. It must land on the square without touching any of the boundaries, or else, you lose your turn. Then hop through the squares using one foot only (except on the even numbered or specified squares, where you can rest on both feet), and avoiding the square that has the marker. Pick up the marker (while balancing on one foot!) on your way back. If you made it back without losing your balance, your turn continues. Toss your marker onto square 2 and so on.... The player who completes the whole course without losing their balance or missing the square, wins.
Hide the Thimble – Everyone closes their eyes while one player hides a thimble (or another small object) in the room. The other players get to look for the thimble, whoever finds the thimble first, gets to hide it the next time.
Where's the Button - One person (it) leaves the room while the others hide a large button or another small object. When “it” returns "it" has to try and find the button. The other players may give hints by saying “warm, warmer, hot, or cold, colder, etc.”
Jack Straws - Straws or very thin sticks are placed in a stack coming to a point at the top. Each player takes a turn pulling a straw out of the pile while trying not to move any of the other straws. If a player is able to get a straw without moving any others, he keeps that straw and it's the next player's turn. The game ends when the stack falls. The winner is the player with the most straws or sticks.
Shadow Tag - “It” tries to step on another player's shadow. When "it" steps on another player's shadow, that player becomes "it".
One very popular game to play that required few materials was the Game of Graces:
You will need two people to play graces. Players stand about ten feet apart. One player takes a wooden hoop and crosses two dowels on the inside of the hoop to make an "X", then swiftly pulls the dowels apart, causing the hoop to fly through the air! The second player has to catch the hoop using one of their two dowels. It is now their turn to toss. The first player to catch the hoop ten times is the winner.
Your box contains materials to make your own set of graces. See below for instructions, make sure to pause the slideshow as needed.