Old Time Games of the Loyd Grandchildren

In Mystery at the Loyd Homeplace I make mention of several favorite childhood games.  They were a big part of my life and especially those visits to Mama and Papa Loyd's.  I hope these will remind you of fun and games in your own life.  These are well worth sharing with our children and grandchildren.  Games, too, are part of our heritage.

FUN AND GAMES AT MAMA AND PAPA LOYD’S

These are some of the favorite pastimes when the cousins gathered at Mama and Papa Loyd’s.  The cousins were Annette, Terry, Vickie, Stan, Buddy, Ken, and Caryn.  As with many of the best games, winning or losing were usually not important to us—EXCEPT for Checkers!

Bum Bum Bum

Two teams face each other, some distance apart.  Alternately, each team decides on a certain activity or occupation to pantomime.  When the other team guesses it, they chase the opponents back to their home base and can capture players.  Half of the fun is the exchange of chants between the teams.  For example:

Team 1:  (As they walk forward side by side)

                    Bum, bum, bum, here we come, 

                     Bum, bum, bum, here we come,

                     Bum, bum, bum, here we ARE!

Team 2:       What’s your trade?

Team 1:       Sweet lemonade.

Team 2:       Go to work and show us something.

                    

Swinging Statues 

In an open field one of the older cousins—Buddy, Annette, or Vickie—would swing the rest of us around and around.  When released we would go flying off but had to freeze like a statue in whatever awkward position we found ourselves.  Sometimes players would tell each other what they looked like.

Rock School

A small group of players can play this wherever stairsteps are found.  The more steps, the better, and Mama and Papa Loyd had a bunch!  Players are seated on the bottom step, which represents kindergarten (in those days it was 1^st grade because few children went to kindergarten).  One, designated as Teacher, hides a small rock in one hand, then holds both closed hands before each “student” in turn.  If a student guesses the correct hand, he is promoted to the next step or “grade.”  It is an equal opportunity game—even the youngest has a chance to win.  I think there were enough steps to make it to college!

Freeze Tag

Standard Rules

Red Light, Green Light

A “caller” stands at one end of a playing area with his back to the other players.  When he calls “Green light” they can run forward.  When he calls “Red light” he will turn and any player caught in motion is sent back.  First player to tag the caller becomes new caller.

Checkers

(Mama Loyd called it “Checks”) - Standard rules.  This means once you have moved a checker and removed your hand you cannot take the move back.  As long as your hand is on the piece you may change your mind.  You MUST take an available “jump.”   If there are two options you may choose the more favorable, but you may never decline to take a jump.  There is no such thing as “flying kings.”   If interested in learning the secrets of “double corners,” contact the author.  I can’t explain it—I’ll have to show you!

Swap-out

(Mama Loyd sometimes called it “Swaps”) - The exact opposite of checkers.  The object is to LOSE all your pieces to your opponent.  It’s bad news to get a king in this game!

Dominoes 

We didn’t play dominoes—we just built towers and chain-reaction designs.

Red Rover, Red Rover

We didn’t really have enough people to play this game, but liked it anyway.  Two teams (we never had more than three players on a team) would form chains and call an opponent to try to break through.  For example, “Red rover, red rover, send Buddy right over.”  If Buddy caused the other team to break hands he “captured” one of the players he broke through and they join his team.  See why we didn’t have enough players?

Simon Says

Standard rules

Dollar, Dollar

Buddy and I recall a version of this game but we’re fuzzy on some details.  Mama told us the version she played as a girl.  A group forms a circle and hold their hands out as if praying.  They begin secretively passing a folded up dollar (or any other small object) from person to person while avoiding detection by one person in the center of the circle.  So all players are making passing motions at the same time.  This could be played indoors or outdoors, sitting or standing, by young or old.  Mama remembers her playmates chanting:

                    

                     Dollar, Dollar, how you wander,

                     From one hand unto the other.

                     Is it fair, is it fair,

                     To keep this dollar waiting there?

Mother, May I?

We usually called it simply “May I?”  One player, the “Mother,” stands some distance from the children in an open, preferably grassy area.  Mother assigns each child in turn a certain number of moves forward (even occasionally backward in our friendly game).  Sample commands could be:

          Take 3 Giant Steps. . .                Take 8 Baby Steps. . .

          Take 2 Umbrella Twirls. . .        Take 4 Frog Leaps. . .

          Take 5 Banana Splits. . .            Take 3 Somersaults. . .

          Take 2 Hops on one foot. . .       Take 5 Kangaroo hops. . .                                                              Make up your own!

Any unfortunate player who neglects to say “Mother, may I?” before moving must return to the starting point.  You definitely wanted to stay on Mother’s good side.  If she told you to take two Giant Steps BACKWARD, you should do it without whining or complaining—Mother could reward your patience and humility later!

Clouds

When we were finally tired of other games or the weather was just too hot, we might lie on our backs in the old pasture, imagining what each cloud might be.