City kids don't always have a park or a playground nearby, and so, over many generations, they developed games that could be played on a hard surface, in a small space. The games emphasize fine motor skills and coordination but, more importantly, they provide practice in negotiation, dispute resolution, and other important social skills. There is no referee or computer program to decide whether a foot or a bottle cap is "in bounds" or "on the line." Children must work out these problems on their own, and doing so leaves them better prepared for life in the world of adults.
Parents like these games because they are played outdoors, not in a dark room lit by a computer screen – and the biggest investment is a box of chalk. For children, the games are challenging and entertaining. Here are a few ways to add some city fun to your suburban driveway:
Marbles
Draw a circle about five feet across (or smaller, for younger players.) In the center of the circle, arrange thirteen marbles in an "X." The first player puts his knuckles down on the ground anywhere along the circle, and flicks his "shooter" marble at the marbles inside the circle. The object is to strike one or more hard enough to send them out of the circle. If he succeeds, he goes again.
If his shooter stayed inside the circle, he "knuckles down" again from wherever it stopped. When the first player fails to hit any marbles out of the circle, the second player goes, shooting for the remaining marbles – but if the first player's shooter was left in the circle, and the second can hit it out, she gets all the marbles he previously won.
Skully
Draw a skully court, as shown in the diagram, about six feet across. The players take turns shooting bottle caps from each numbered box to the next, from one to nine, back down to one again, and then directly into box nine to win. A player whose bottle cap lands in one of the "deadly" skully trapezoids surrounding the number nine must go back to square one and start over.
The aluminum caps from plastic bottles won't work, so save some steel caps from glass bottles, or substitute large, flat buttons. "On the line" doesn't count, either for attaining a numbered box or for being sent back to start.
Hit the Penny
Draw two lines six to eight feet apart (or use the lines on a sidewalk), and place a penny halfway between them. Players take turns throwing a ball at the penny, trying to hit it. Hitting the penny counts for one point; flipping it over counts for three. Play to 21 points.
Hopscotch (Potsie)
There are many variants of this ancient game, and almost every adult knows at least one. Surprisingly, though, many children today never have had an opportunity to try it. If your children are among those missing out, show them how it's done!
Driveway Safety
Always place traffic cones or some other highly visible obstacle at the end of your driveway when children are playing there, and warn anybody who might back a car out of your garage. Children playing on their hands and knees may be hard for drivers to see.
Informal children's games are part of a folk tradition that goes back centuries. The games have lasted because children enjoy them, generation after generation. They deserve to live on because they contribute to healthy growth and development.
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