Tell Unicef UK the playground games you loved as a child - £300 voucher to be won!

[EmmaMumsnet]

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Unicef UK are launching this years Soccer Aid Playground Challenge and would love to hear about the playground games you used to play at school and what games your children play now. The playground is the highlight of the school day where children can burn off all their energy and play with their friends; share below what you loved to play when you were at school and if any of the games have passed down generations.

Here’s what Unicef has to say: “This year, we’re asking all schools across the UK to join us for the Soccer Aid Playground Challenge to help raise money to help give more children around the world a childhood full of play. The idea is simple – teachers team up with their pupils, design an obstacle course that they will take on together, and fundraise to help children in danger in June 2019. Ask your school to sign up here and we’ll send everything you need for kick off - including fundraising and teaching resources to bring Soccer Aid to life for the whole school.”

Alex, Head of Sports for St Dunstan’s RC Primary School, Manchester says: “The Playground Challenge was the perfect way to get the whole school together for a great cause. Everyone (including staff!) had the best time raising money to help children all over the world.”

So what playground games did you love as a child? Were you Queen of hopscotch? Or perhaps you practised your circus skills with stilts? Maybe you created your own playground football league or were seriously skilled at skipping? Do you know if your children still play the same games now at school?

Everyone who posts below will be entered into a prize draw where one Mumsnetter will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list)

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Terms and conditions apply

We were lucky our school had green areas so a lot of it was spent running around and hiding behind the trees (red flag=stay off the grass!). I remember all the collections we had so there were many games of POGs and marbles etc. and spending a lot of time learning clapping rhymes.

I loved playing tag, taking turns to jump over a skipping rope while two girls others held the other ends and playing a game called what time is in Mr Wolf, I can't remember how we played that one though. In the Autumn we used to soak conkers in vinegar overnight, then tie them on a piece of string so we could play with them. My children don't seem to have nearly as much fun as I did as a child, there just seems to be too many rules nowadays.

French skipping, regular skipping, clapping games, Tig, and we spent year 4 doing handstands up against the playground wall.

My son is football mad, but there's a lot of imaginary play in reception too.

I remember loving tig and skipping! I think my daughter now loves the same!

Marbles..loved joining in with my brothers in the playground with the multi coulour array of the little glass marbles,also cats cradle was fun

In primary school in the late 80's/ early 90's we used to play games like British bulldog and red rover which both involved lining up and hurtling into each other. We also played stuck in the mud and it which were chasing games, and duck duck goose. I think they were great games as the whole class used to play them. It was very inclusive and the dinner ladies used to keep an eye on things to stop them getting too rough.

I think the older we got the less running around we did actually, the boys went on to play football in the older years and the girls started sitting around collecting stickers and chatting.

British Bulldog, Tag, Leapfrog when we were younger. As we got older we loved playing Marbles & Pogs.

We played elastics, rin-tin-tin/40-40, what’s the time mr wolf and skipping.
At school my DDs seem to play ‘monsters’ which I think just mainly involves running around and making monster noises and various other versions of running around and making a noise (they’re 7 and 5, so maybe a bit young for more organised games?)

British bulldogs, cats cradle and what time is it Mr wolf

I used to like British Bulldog, skipping and clapping rhymes and stuck in the mud. I don't think my children play any of these games at nursery but they are only 2 and 4.

For me it was the simple things:

Double rope skipping
Stuck in the mud
Bulldog
Tig
Hide and seek
Sardines
Make believe - princesses, my little pony or Captain Planet.

british bulldog was fun

British bulldog. Or kiss chase

British bulldog was amazing,skipping was a close second

We played British Bulldog, tag, kiss chase and when we had run out of energy it was jacks or who stole the cookie from the cookie jar. We also had bars in the playground so did toss-overs!!

Hopscotch, chase, British bulldog and skipping

The hopscotch was REAL when I was a kid, have a bit of chalk in your pocket and you were queen of the playground!!!!

Hopscotch, absolutely loved it! I remember how excited we all were when one was painted on the floor at primary school

What's the time Mr Wolf?.......

We played stuck in the mud, acky 123, also various other games I can't remember the names of (there was one that involved doing what the leader told you to move across squares in the courtyard - things like squat jumps called squashed tomatoes, lamp-posts which was lying down on floor and stretching out and then standing where your fingertips reached to, baby steps, giant steps, etc - the first person to get to the other side of the courtyard would then be the leader for the next turn!).

I used to love playing "in and out the dusty bluebells" if that's what it's called where one person would weave between the arms of the others who were in a circle then "pitter patter" on someone's shoulders who would then join them like a conga and it would continue like this.
We also used to play kiss chase a lot which was excellent exercise. I found it amusing that my daughter and her friends now play this but instead of kissing the boys when they catch them they put them in 'jail' 😀

Seeing that parachute in the photo reminds me that parachute games are my all time fave!! I even bought a parachute as an adult so that I could play parachute games with my kids and we take it along to barbecues and outings and school fetes etc. I remember playing stuck in the mud - which is still a real classic isn't it. then there were also phases of things like skipping ropes and french skipping - also great fun! I'm sure french skipping is due to make a comeback soon.

We used to play WWF wrestling where we would pretend to be our favourite wrestlers and have a bit of rough and tumble. Im sure it would be frowned upon now but we had great fun and no one got hurt. Ultimate warrior from the top rope!!!

Skipping
Hopscotch
Stuck in the mud
British bulldogs
Red rover
Also a made up game called face to face with the witch using the outline of the netball court - that was my fave!

I found it amusing that my daughter and her friends now play this but instead of kissing the boys when they catch them they put them in 'jail' 😀

Too right 👍😂