Not a bad idea for kids at a certain age, though we didn’t call them playdates back in the Pleistocene era. But when the kids are old enough that they can walk themselves to school, e.g., that’s when I find that my friends tend to let them play, on their own, with their friends in the ‘hood.
“the ones who only get to have supervised playdates are definitely missing out on probably one of the best parts of childhood”
I totally agree. We’re basically the last generation to do this. What is different between childhood and adulthood now? Both are filled with responsibilities and overcommitted on time issues. When I was a kid it was go do whatever you like, just come home for supper not in a police car.
We played Ghost in the Graveyard and Foursquare, along with the usual football and baseball. I was allowed 10 outs because I was so uncoordinated.
quote:
I was just telling Man of the House I want our kid to play on the streets like we did growing up in NYC. None of this setting up playdates and controlled playtime. Make some friends on the block and surrounding area, go ring their bell and play ball on the sidewalk.
lol. there is this one kid in park slope who is always playing outside by himself, throwing a baseball in the air then trying to hit it and then fetching the ball. it’s weird to think that he sticks out like a sore thumb so much like that. where ARE all the other kids his own age? hahahah. granted, id much rather have them all be inside so i dont have to deal with them… but i feel like the ones stuck inside all the time and the ones who only get to have supervised playdates are definitely missing out on probably one of the best parts of childhood..
no doubt things were called different things in different nabes. We called it ‘boxball’ cuz each player (could be played by several kids) had his own ‘box’, delineated by the squares in the sidewalk.
BTW Chinese Handball seems to be the correct name, has it’s own wiki page:
“Chinese handball (known in its 3-or-more-player forms as Ace-King-Queen, King(s), Down the River or Slugs), is a form of American handball popular on the streets of New York City and Bridgewater, NJ during the 1960s and ’70s, and is still played today, mostly in New York City and San Diego. Different variations are played around the world. Its defining feature is that, unlike traditional handball, in Chinese or indirect handball, for a shot to be valid, the ball must hit the ground before it hits the wall. It would seem that this game, or mini variants of it, were highly popular almost worldwide in the 1950s, 1960’s and 1970’s.”
quote:
I was allowed 10 outs because I was so uncoordinated.
HA!!!!!!!!!!!!! me too but it was cuz i was gay and was always made to play on the girls team!!!
*rob*
“I cringe when I hear the word playdate”
Not a bad idea for kids at a certain age, though we didn’t call them playdates back in the Pleistocene era. But when the kids are old enough that they can walk themselves to school, e.g., that’s when I find that my friends tend to let them play, on their own, with their friends in the ‘hood.
quote:
I was allowed 10 outs because I was so uncoordinated.
HA!!!!!!!!!!!!! me too but it was cuz i was gay and was always made to play on the girls team!!!
*rob*
^^^^^^
10 strikes, I mean, at bat.
“the ones who only get to have supervised playdates are definitely missing out on probably one of the best parts of childhood”
I totally agree. We’re basically the last generation to do this. What is different between childhood and adulthood now? Both are filled with responsibilities and overcommitted on time issues. When I was a kid it was go do whatever you like, just come home for supper not in a police car.
We played Ghost in the Graveyard and Foursquare, along with the usual football and baseball. I was allowed 10 outs because I was so uncoordinated.
quote:
I was just telling Man of the House I want our kid to play on the streets like we did growing up in NYC. None of this setting up playdates and controlled playtime. Make some friends on the block and surrounding area, go ring their bell and play ball on the sidewalk.
lol. there is this one kid in park slope who is always playing outside by himself, throwing a baseball in the air then trying to hit it and then fetching the ball. it’s weird to think that he sticks out like a sore thumb so much like that. where ARE all the other kids his own age? hahahah. granted, id much rather have them all be inside so i dont have to deal with them… but i feel like the ones stuck inside all the time and the ones who only get to have supervised playdates are definitely missing out on probably one of the best parts of childhood..
*rob*
“cobble, you’re such a girl.”
Yep, and I throw like one, too! LOL!
hey benson…
no doubt things were called different things in different nabes. We called it ‘boxball’ cuz each player (could be played by several kids) had his own ‘box’, delineated by the squares in the sidewalk.
BTW Chinese Handball seems to be the correct name, has it’s own wiki page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_handball
“Chinese handball (known in its 3-or-more-player forms as Ace-King-Queen, King(s), Down the River or Slugs), is a form of American handball popular on the streets of New York City and Bridgewater, NJ during the 1960s and ’70s, and is still played today, mostly in New York City and San Diego. Different variations are played around the world. Its defining feature is that, unlike traditional handball, in Chinese or indirect handball, for a shot to be valid, the ball must hit the ground before it hits the wall. It would seem that this game, or mini variants of it, were highly popular almost worldwide in the 1950s, 1960’s and 1970’s.”
Thanks CH!
lobstah!!! – YUM!!!
haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa