Crafts & Fun

Mother May I, Red Rover, ball-against-the-wall, freeze tag. Remember those classic playground games we all loved as kids? Chances are your own children have never heard of them, let alone played them.

Kids today are being robbed of the magic of childhood games, says William Ross, a professor in the department of kinesiology at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. To help children learn the lost art of playing, several boards of education in Ontario have even started “game” workshops, so kids can be taught to play hopscotch, skip rope and throw a ball.

To get your own children hop, skip and jumping again, check out the games below. They’re easy to learn and a fun way to get fit.

Carry-the-Prize Wheelbarrow Race (Ages 4-12)
For four or more players

Remember old-fashioned wheelbarrow races where someone holds your legs while you walk on your hands? In this variation, sweatshirts tied in a knot or pebbles are placed on the backs of the “wheelbarrows.”

1. Assign teams of two players. Have players decide who will be the runner and who will be the wheelbarrow.

2. Pass out “prizes” to each team. Choose similar items. For example, if you are using pebbles, make sure they are about the same size and shape. Have each runner place the prize in the middle of his wheelbarrow’s back.

3. Set a start and finish line for the race. On the count of three, have each runner pick up the wheelbarrow’s legs. The wheelbarrow races towards the finish line, walking on his hands.

4. A team is out if the wheelbarrow collapses before the finish line, if the runner drops the wheelbarrow’s legs, or if a team drops their prize. The first successful team to the finish line is the winner.

Note: Make the game more challenging for older kids by using small rubber balls instead of pebbles. “Drivers” will need a steady hand to keep the balls from rolling off.

Originally published in Today's Parent, September 2004