Kids seem to have a lot more free time than adults, which might be why they have always been finding new ways to entertain themselves. Today a very commonly used source of entertainment is technology and social media, not just for younger people but also everyone else. In the 1950โs with the television only just starting to be common in family homes, finding something to do was not as easy as it is today. In class this week we tried out some popular games from the 50โs that kids would spend their time doing. What did all these games have in common, and what do these similarities have to do with the 1950โs?
Hopscotch
You are likely already familiar with this game, where players hop through a path drawn on the ground in chalk. In further research about this activity I learned that there are many different variations and that it is played around the world.
Button, Button, who has the Button?
If you are like me, you are less familiar with this game than you are with hopscotch. In this game someone has a button (a pretty common household item especially in the 50โs when sewing was also a pastime for young girls) and you have to guess who has it.
Mother, May I?
Another game where the title is a question. This game is similar to โWhat time is it Mr. Wolfโ and requires no equipment, just three or more players.
Kick the Can
This game was probably the class favourite. The objective is like the title says, to kick the can and to also try not to be seen while doing it. Similar to the button game, it only requires a common item, a can.
Now that Iโve brought up similarities, what do all of the games have in common? With having no equipment or some equipment that is easy to find around the house and not very complicated rules, these games are quite simple. Sometimes people say that the 1950โs were simple times but with prominent gender roles, discrimination, and overall Canada experiencing so many changes at the time, that may have not been the case. However families wanting to live a simple lifestyle could have played these simple games. Like I said earlier, people didnโt have much technology to turn to and the television was only beginning to change the dynamic of families and how they spend their time, so these simple games were a perfect source of entertainment especially for young children.