Do you remember calling for your friends to come out to play? What did you do??

I lived in Bridlington as a child and remember cycling with friends to Flamborough and Danes Dyke, areas not commercialised at all then. We took a picnic and were out all day. I think we spent most of our time on and around the beach even in winter.

Shoe the White Horse - interesting that our area of London name for the same game was Knock Down Ginger. There are probably many variations all over the UK.

I grew up in a Welsh mining village, went to same school as friends and cousins - large extended family, lived in same street as the school.

We chalked hopscotch on the road, walked up the coal tip and made dens in the fern.

And with shame I admit we played - shoe the white horse -
knocking the door and running away , and also scrumping for
apples and rhubarb which we ate with cocoa powder and sugar in our dens on the tip, and I loved beating the boys at marbles and conkers.

A fabulous childhood with a garden that went on forever. The same as next door as our two houses were built together.
Just a hop into the next garden was the furthest any of us went apart from when we were all together then were allowed to go down a country lane to a pond and spend a day fishing. Friend and I were left to cut up worms

At home the brothers made stilts and we all mastered them very well and couldn't wait to go on them, balanced against the wall. Friend and I used to push her dad's rabbits around in our doll's prams, poor things. Then we made a house from the thick bracken/ ferns at the top of the garden, playing mummies and cooking all kinds of things picked from the garden. We had a sort of a camping stove and boiled freshly picked potatoes and mint. Bit on the hard side.

Then we all played tag, using a piece of rope that was thrown and if it hit you you were then the chaser. Never once were any of us ever bored and every day was different. I don't remember it raining all through the long summers we had---but it must have done. Winters were fun too if it had been snowing, which it invariably did in the 50's. Idyllic indeed.

Friend and I would dress up and put on a concert and her dad, who grew flowers for sale, used to treat us if we sold a bunch of flowers each---they were 1/6 a bunch and in buckets at the front of their house at the bottom of the drive so an easy sell and we got to keep the profits of the first two bunches---1/6 each which was a heck of a lot. Mum bought a loaf out of it for 7 pence halfpenny and the rest between brother and I for sweets for the week.

An old neighbour gave us a load of beads and stuff for dressing up. It was our old headmaster's sister and her house always filled us with fascination with all the nik-naks she had. It was like an Aladdin's cave and smelled of must and mothballs and friend and I used to giggle.

How lovely to look back on a happy childhood and the neighbour and I have remained friends for 75 years and still going. She sent me the biggest bunch of roses last year for my Birthday and I get a Christmas card every year from her brother and sister also. I'd attended both funerals of her mum and dad in the past too and they mine. Lovely neighbours.

I feel so sorry for todays children without a past to speak of really. Innocent fun and freedom and make-do and mend playthings when we all used our imagination. So happy.

I wasn't a particularly naughty child, but I do remember at some point playing Knock down ginger in the local flats.

Also we used to to do penny for the guy. A group from our street would make up a guy from old clothes etc, borrow a pram and and sit near the station hopefully.

we played rounders in our road . it was a narrow road and no cars. If the ball went into 'mrs lawrence's garden it was game over. She wouldn't give it back.

as a small child I got 'run over' twice, by bikes.
played hopscotch, skipping, whats the time mr wolf.

lots on you tube . documented clips of children playing on bomb sites london , liverpool etc.

We used to call for each other. If the first person you called for wasn't allowed out to play, you'd knock on the next door until you found someone who was. Me and the girl next door invented a "knock on wall code" between our semi detached houses. One for "yes", two for "no", three for "are you coming out to play?" Etc.

We used to have scooter races, played hopscotch, skipping and French skipping. We had yoyos and whips and tops. The boys had conkers. We'd disappear for hours on the old railway lines next to what is now a country park. I'd freeze when I heard my name called sharply as it meant my dad was looking for me as I was home late and I'd be in trouble. Building sites were adventure playgrounds. We'd go to the shop with a penny and see how many chews it bought us.

Good memories.

Salt,vinegar etc was used in skipping?

NannyJan53

We used to play in the road, as cars were a rarity then. Main games were Hopscotch, French Skipping, hide and seek and 'kerbie' (where you each stood each side on the road, threw a ball aiming for the kerb so it bouced back to you). Also a game called Queenie Eye, where one child had their back to the others and threw the ball behind them. One child caught the ball and hid it behind their back, then we all took one step forward. Then the one who had thrown the ball had to guess who had it, if they guessed incorrectly she had to do it again.

The Farmers in his Den! I had forgotten about that.

Also used to get Mums clothes horse and build a tent!

Innocent times.

My heart melted recently when my 4 yr old granddaughter appeared in my heels. It just took me straight back to my childhood. She was so thrilled.

Building on our road had started before the war, our house being one of the few. When building started again I was about 7 and we had great fun playing in the foundations of new houses, making castles with the builders's sand. It wouldn't happen this century! The road was quiet - hardly anyone had a car - and we played ball games, peevers (kind of hopscotch) and skipping - I was known to pinch mum's clothes line but she put an end to that. Out the back we had access to a big field, from which we could get into an uncultivated part of granny's garden, scope for hide and seek, cowboys and Indians, tree climbing and messing about in the air raid shelter. Oh and there was the beach! With all these opportunities for outdoor play, I was nevertheless a keen reader, never without a book on the go.

henetha

I lived near a small park with a path running through it.
We used to play a game called "Please Sir may I cross the river". One person would stand in the middle of the path and try to stop us crossing to the other side. The shrubs and bushes which surrounded the park were ideal for hide-and-seek, or tag.
And we used to play hopsctoch, and do a lot of skipping with long ropes. We used to chant "Salt Vinegar Mustard and Pepper" for some reason which escapes me.

I could never get the hang of skipping ?. And that game with long elastic bands round two peoples ankles where you jumped in and out and over and round and chanted. I was also rubbish at handstands against the wall and two balls.

We used to play in the road, as cars were a rarity then. Main games were Hopscotch, French Skipping, hide and seek and 'kerbie' (where you each stood each side on the road, threw a ball aiming for the kerb so it bouced back to you). Also a game called Queenie Eye, where one child had their back to the others and threw the ball behind them. One child caught the ball and hid it behind their back, then we all took one step forward. Then the one who had thrown the ball had to guess who had it, if they guessed incorrectly she had to do it again.

The Farmers in his Den! I had forgotten about that.

Also used to get Mums clothes horse and build a tent!

Innocent times.

hulahoop

We played out everyday all the games mentioned by other posters mum used to have a problem getting us in ?

When choosing my kids names I deliberately chose ones I wouldn’t feel daft shouting when I wanted them to come in from playing. ?

We moved from inner city to farm land which was in the process of becoming an estate. It was like being in the wilderness unbelievable to us children. In the summer we would be out all day with jam butties and water. Climbing trees and playing amongst haystacks picking berries from the hedgerows.
When all the houses were built and the road was laid we played marbles skipping hopscotch and ball games. We were never bored our dad worked nights we were not allowed in the house until teatime.

Oldwoman70

I grew up in a deprived area and when calling for a friend I would have to knock on the door and "sing" her name. The reason was her parents wouldn't answer the door in case it was a debt collector!

We played hop scotch and skipping in the street and marbles in the gutter, would walk to nearby open countryside and spend the day there, fishing for "tiddlers" in the stream, building "forts" with any bit of wood we could find, hide and seek etc. I don't know if it was safer then but no-one worried as long as we were home in time for tea!

I came from a deprived area too. When I was 6 we moved to a house in a nicer area. The lady next door told me off for my strong Sheffield accent. She told me it was ‘road’ (pronounced rode) and not ‘roard’ as I said it. Always hated her after that. Miserable woman.

We played out everyday all the games mentioned by other posters mum used to have a problem getting us in ?

I played on bomb sites too, health and safety would of had a fit. Our local rec had a huge paddling pool we’d go up there with our lunch and stay all day till one of our Mums would come looking for us. We also collected snails in jars put a few leaves in and just watch them. The boys in the other flats would make go-karts and give us a go, ooh and those silly adjustable metal skates that always came apart when you were in full flow and you fell spectacularly, the lady on the ground floor would come out with sugar sandwiches or toffee apples for us kids. Happy days indeed.

Septimia

These days they seem to have 'play dates', arranged by their mothers. Not at all in the same spirit.

My best friend and I usually arranged things while walking home from school.

My friend and I used to walk home from brownies in the dark. We’d get to the top of my road where she went one way and I went another. We’d say ‘good luck’ and then leg it home as fast as possible. Phew. My hearts beating a bit faster thinking about it!

I can claim that I’ve cycled on the M1! They built it across the top of our estate. We took our bikes up and cycled for ages. I was always sooo worried though that suddenly a mass of cars would appear on the horizon! I was always a bit of a worrier. ?

These days they seem to have 'play dates', arranged by their mothers. Not at all in the same spirit.

My best friend and I usually arranged things while walking home from school.

Jane43

I had two best friends from the age of 9 and we would play together every day. We used to spend hours playing hopscotch, rounders with other neighbours’ children, marbles, two tennis balls against the wall, statues, skipping games. As we got older we were allowed to go to the playing fields or the woods, go to the local shops or to town to do errands for our mothers, long bike rides lasting all day. When we reached the teenage years we would cut pictures out of fan magazines and make scrapbooks of all the people we liked, we learnt to jive together and went to one friend’s house to listen to the records we saved up our pocket money to buy. When my family moved away I was heartbroken but they used to come to my house for the weekend and I used to go to their house as well. The youngest of the three of us passed away at the age of 69, the second youngest passed away at the age of 74 leaving me, the oldest, with very happy memories.

Rounders! We lived on an estate and just above my house was a large ‘crossroads’. Not main roads of course. Every street corner was a base. All the kids from the roads around came to play.
Fan magazines!. Oh happy days. I had Paul Newman and Steve McQueen on my bedroom wall.

We used to play out in our little unmade road. We had seasons for games - hopscotch, whip and top, skipping, roller skates etc. Good times we were out from dawn til dusk.

This brought back memories of my childhood and how fortunate I was to be able to play safely in the street doing such simple thngs.

Such happy carefree days with no sign of a Health and Safety inspector. I was lucky enough to spend all my childhood on one of the lovely Channel Islands. My friends and I would sit on a garden wall writing down car numbers and when the chimney sweep called at one of the houses in our road, he would ask us to shout loudly when we saw his brush coming out of the chimney. Marbles, Jacks, skipping and Knitting Nancy's were popular. My Dad was a bus driver and he would bring home all his used bus tickets for me. My friends and I would play for hours making things out of them or sit on the stairs one behind the other while the 'bus driver' asked where we were going and selling us a ticket. In the summer, when we weren't at the beach we would spend ages making model gardens on an old tin tray. Children in the 50's had very little compared to today. We were good at improvising and imagining. If we didn't have the real thing, we had to pretend. Very happy times.

Franbern

As a Primary school aged child I played in Hackney on bomb sites. Had some wonderful hiding places to put messages in these.

By secondary age I was living in Harold Hill - East London overflow estate. Here we had woods, and fields to play in. Yes, gangs of us, quite mixed ages. One time my g.parents came to visit my us - long walk from nearest station, and reported in horrified tones to my parents that they had seen me hanging upside down from a tree (not appropriate behavior for a 13-year old girl!!!!)

Great times, during school holidays we would go out early in the morning, and, except maybe for a quick trip back home for a snack and a drink, play together until dusk. Not saying we did not get into some problems and trouble, including broken bones, etc. I can remember my 14-year old 'boyfriend' teaching me how to ride a 2-wheel bike. He used his older brothers (who was away doing his national service), so, the bike was a lot too big for me. The teaching method involved going up to the top of long hill, me sitting on the bike, and him giving me a good push. Few times of this, bike was not in good repair, but I had learned how to pedal enough to keep it going!!!

Severe gravel rash was always a risk ??. Limping home with bits of muck embedded in your leg wasn’t fun. Picking the scabs after was good though. (Sorry)