Two favourites from my childhood were Mother May I and Simon Says. As today's population ages, both games have a big advantage in that they can be played by people of all ages and abilities.
Like many old-fashioned children's games, Mother May I and Simon Says don’t require any kind of equipment. Simon Says is even a good game for elderly adults in long term care facilities, since it can be played by anyone, doesn’t require any physical exertion and helps keep the mind alert.
In both games, a group of people is led by a single person who gives the commands. A player who gets too caught up in the game to listen to the commands will end up making a mistake and either be eliminated or have to return to the beginning.
To play Simon Says, the leader (“Simon”) gives a series of commands that the other players must follow. For example, “Simon says touch your nose” or “Simon says clap your hands”. In another version of this game, Simon may say "Simon says do this" and demonstrate the action required, such as twirling around, patting the top of the head, or whatever.
The trick is that each command must be preceded by “Simon says”. If Simon just says “Touch your head” or "Do this" then players must remain still. A player that follows a command without “Simon says” is eliminated. The game ends when the last person is out.
This is a fun game, and it is easy to get tripped up and do what Simon says even if the magic words were not said.
Like Simon Says, Mother May I uses a leader ("Mother") who gives permission to move. The children line up about 20 or 30 feet away from Mother and one at a time each child asks to move forward by asking, “Mother, may I take a step?”
Mother, who has her back to the children, then answers “Yes, you may” or “No, you may not”. In some versions, Mother specifies how many steps and what kind — for example, “Yes, you may take two giant steps” or “Yes, you may take one baby step”.
The key here is that when the answer is yes, it must be “Yes, you may.” If “you may” is not said, the person is not supposed to move. If the child steps without hearing “you may” he or she must return to the starting line. The child reaching Mother first is the winner and, if the game continues, the winner is Mother for the next session.
Rules in this game vary from place to place. In another version, Mother tells the child to move — for example, “Vicky, you may take two baby steps” — and the child must respond “Mother, may I?” and then wait for “Yes, you may” or No, you may not”. If the child takes the steps without asking “Mother, may I?” he or she is either out or must return to the starting line.
Even people in wheelchairs can play by modifying a request from taking steps to moving a certain distance. Since each person has individual commands, children and adults of all abilities can take part in the same game.
Simon Says and Mother May I can be played by almost anyone, since physical speed and strength are not factors required to play them well. But a quick mind is an asset, and playing often is likely to improve one's ability to recognize critical information contained in verbal language. Simon says listen and yes, you may win!
Another popular game from my childhood is Hopscotch. This game has been popular with children for centuries and daties to the time of the Romans. It uses a grid or pattern pattern drawn in the dirt with a stick, or on a hard surface using chalk or red ochre. There are many ways to play, but the basic idea of the game is to toss a marker into the first square of the grid, then hop through the grid without hopping in a square with a marker in it, turn around and hop back. The marker has to land inside the correct square and be picked up on the way back. The player then tosses the marker into the second square and repeats. If the marker ends up outside the proper square or if the player puts a hand or other foot down for balance, steps in a square with a marker in it or steps outside the pattern or on a line, the turn is over. That person’s marker must stay in the last square it was in, and the next player has a turn. Generally, the first to get his or her marker all the way to Home wins.
There are many different versions of hopscotch. The traditional Canadian game uses a grid consisting of three single blocks, then two side by side, another single, another pair, a single, and Home, which is a large semi-circle at the top. Each square is numbered: 1, 2, 3, then left one is 4, right one is 5, then 6, left 7, right 8, then 9, then Home.
Each child finds a small flat stone, a metal bottle cap or, in the days before plastic bottles became common, a small piece of weathered coloured glass to use as a marker. Glass was favoured because it didn’t roll or bounce as much as rock. Flat pebbles such as sandstone, mica and shale were used if glass was unavailable, but anything with enough weight could be used, such as shells or large buttons.
Each player must toss his marker in one square at a time, hop successfully through the grid and back, then toss into the next numbered square. The last and hardest toss is into Home. All throws have to be made from the starting position in front of square 1.
If there are three or four playing, the game is much more difficult, since more squares have markers in them. The first player to successfully throw his marker into Home, then negotiate the grid to retrieve it and get back to the start is the winner.
There are several ways to play the Canadian version. All the markers can be placed in square 1 to begin the game, or the grid can start empty, so each player’s first toss is into 1. Sometimes a line is drawn a foot or so back of the first square, and all jumps and all throws have to start from behind this line. If children of different ages or heights are playing, there can be two start lines, one close to the first square for smaller players and one further back for taller players.
Occasionally the grid is drawn differently, with a single square, then a double, then single, double, single, double, home. Permanent grids painted on playgrounds or gym floors may be different again.
There are many other ways to play hopscotch indifferent parts of the world. In Indonesia, the game is called One-Leg Jump and the squares are side by side. In Australia and some other countries, there is a version called Snail Hopscotch, in which the basic design is a segmented spiral.
In some countries, Home is a rest area where the player can pause before hopping back through. Sometimes there are squares designated as neutral areas where two feet can be used. Sometimes the squares are not numbered, and sometimes the player has to switch feet for the return trip, or even jump through backwards coming home.
Of course, children can make up their own variations and combinations. But however it is played, hopscotch is a great fitness activity and fun for children of all ages.
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