BY John Sutera 7A3 Fun and Games in Colonial America

After A Day of Hard Work… Colonial people did work hard every day, but there was always time for fun Colonial people did work hard every day, but there was always time for fun Many games such as rolling the hoop and nine pins were played by friends and family Many games such as rolling the hoop and nine pins were played by friends and family

Some Children Played Games For A Reason Games, such as the ones mentioned before, would improve skills such as running, jumping, and throwing Some of the games and toys would also help children to learn how to solve problems Archery helped boys aim, making hunting easier for them Quoits, a game played with rope circles and stones, helped children practice their aiming and throwing

Tag….You’re It! Children also played the game of “ Tag” and “Blind Man’s Bluff” (Marco Polo outside of water) Children also played the game of “ Tag” and “Blind Man’s Bluff” (Marco Polo outside of water) These games were played in a very open space, especially “Blind Man’s Bluff” because there is a good chance of banging into something These games were played in a very open space, especially “Blind Man’s Bluff” because there is a good chance of banging into something

Sing -A-long! Just like we have “Ring Around The Rosy” and “Wheels on the Bus”, they had “London Bridge is Falling Down” and “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush” We still have “London Bridge is Falling Down” and it is sang all around the world, we can thank the Pilgrims for that

Boys Boys loved to play ball Boys loved to play ball They used a leather bag filled with feathers as the ball and a stick for the bat They used a leather bag filled with feathers as the ball and a stick for the bat They also loved to shoot marbles, fly kites, and spin tops They also loved to shoot marbles, fly kites, and spin tops What about Girls? What about Girls?

Girls Girls played with dolls Dolls were made of rags and cornhusks, apples cut and poked with features for the head, made by children Girls also sewed samplers using tiny stitches Cute, Huh?

What Was Used??? Everyday materials were used: Corn Cob-cobs were cut into pieces and used as building blocks Dandelions-used to make necklaces and bracelets Walnuts-were halved, cleaned, and hung on Christmas trees Fruit Pits-were used as pieces in games Gourds-children would hollow them out and blow through them to make noise Pressed Flowers-used for designs or pictures

The Buzz Saw…Oh My Gosh!! Yea, I know what you’re thinking, it’s dangerous Well, it’s not The Buzz Saw TOY was a button or disk held on a string between your hands You would twist the string then pull your hands to watch the button/disk whirl back and forth till it stops

How to Play Nine Man Morris This game is like the game of checkers and tic-tac-toe combined This game was played in the dirt with a couple of rocks or acorns, but could be played on paper, by two people You take nine pennies and nine nickels, each player choosing the one they want You take turns placing each coin on a dot The goal is to line up three pieces in a row while blocking the opponent from doing the same thing Capture one of the opponent’s pieces whenever a line of three is completed When a player is down to only two pieces, the other player wins

Bibliography Fun and Games in Colonial America: by Mark Thomas Fun and Games in Colonial America: by Mark Thomas ardens.com/files/Colonial%20FunAndGamesPDF.pdf ardens.com/files/Colonial%20FunAndGamesPDF.pdf