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What was your favorite activity during outdoor recess? Mine was jumping rope. What was yours? (Original Post) debm55 Mar 6 OP
Red Rover... MiHale Mar 6 #1
Thank you, MiHale. I played it a couple of times. My school banned it too. It was rough. debm55 Mar 6 #2
Swinging Emile Mar 6 #3
Thank you very much for sharing, Emile. I loved to swing. We didn't have a swing set on our playgroung. You were lucky debm55 Mar 6 #6
The Jungle Gym justaprogressive Mar 6 #4
I loved that, Thank you very much for sharing with us. justaprogressive. Notice the ground--cement. My school had no debm55 Mar 6 #7
Wonder Rebl2 Mar 6 #14
I agree, Rebl2. I don't think anyone thought of it at the time. It was fun and at the time that is what matter. Things debm55 Mar 6 #16
And if/when they did, it never occurred to their parents to sue the school. It was... 3catwoman3 Mar 8 #74
Agree, 3catwoman3 debm55 Mar 8 #75
So true Rebl2 Mar 9 #84
That spinning thing EYESORE 9001 Mar 6 #5
HAHAHAHAHHAHA. Thank you EYESORE 9001, you were the kid that that would spin it and had all the kids get sick. We didn't debm55 Mar 6 #8
Four Square Thunderbeast Mar 6 #9
I liked 4 Square. Thank you for sharing with us. Thunderbeast. debm55 Mar 6 #10
I had three Grim Chieftain Mar 6 #11
Thank you very much for sharing with us. Grim Chieftain. I like all three , also. I liked Freeze and Defrost. It was a debm55 Mar 6 #12
Hop scotch Rebl2 Mar 6 #13
Thank you very much for sharing with us. Rebl2. I remember that game fondly. debm55 Mar 6 #17
My first favorite activity I don't want to talk about Eko Mar 6 #15
Thank you very much for sharing with us. Eko. debm55 Mar 6 #18
Swinging on the swings with my two best friends Mad_Dem_X Mar 6 #19
Love it. Thank you very much for sharing with us, Mad_Dem_X. Love swinging on swings.. But had none at our school. debm55 Mar 6 #20
Playing in the Creek Behind the Playground NEOH Mar 6 #21
Oh boy. You were in trouble. Did they call your parents? debm55 Mar 6 #22
Broomball (may have been during gym). applegrove Mar 6 #23
HAHAHAHHAHA. That sounds like fun. Thank you for sharing with us, applegrove. debm55 Mar 6 #25
We also played red rover. boonecreek Mar 6 #24
Thank you boonecreek for sharing. I think all schools banned it. It was sort of rough. I played it once and only once. debm55 Mar 6 #26
My elementary school had a decorative adding to the brick wall Alpeduez21 Mar 6 #27
HAHAHHAHHAHAHA, You lived dangerously, Alpeduez21. I would be afraid to the walk around. I think the second game is debm55 Mar 6 #29
We had an old-time playground equipment called the giant strides. CrispyQ Mar 6 #28
Honestly , that looks like fun. I sure would have liked to try it. Thanks for sharing, CrispyQ. debm55 Mar 6 #30
Deb, I'm just stunned that your playground didn't have any playground equipment! CrispyQ Mar 6 #31
It was a Catholic school. No swings, slides, merry go rounds. On Sundays it was the church parking lot. I did have a debm55 Mar 6 #33
Yep. Same here for grades 1-6. The parking lot was the playground. tonekat Mar 8 #72
OMG , That is funny. Thank you tonekat. Someday I am going to post a OP about going to a Catholic School.---Our Lady of debm55 Mar 8 #73
Mine was... Alansworld Mar 6 #32
Thank you very much for sharing with us, Alansworld. That sounds like fun. debm55 Mar 6 #34
Me too! oberle Mar 6 #41
Kickball Wiz Imp Mar 6 #35
Thank you for sharing Wiz Imp.. I enjoyed playing that also. debm55 Mar 6 #37
Also jump rope Laurelin Mar 6 #36
Laurelin, thank you for your selections. I vaguely remember a recess game called 7 UP. Maybe someone will give us more debm55 Mar 6 #38
Could you do double-dutchies? viva la Mar 6 #39
HAHAHHAHAHAHA. Yes, I did do Double Dutch and Chinese jump rope. Thank you , viva la, for bringing back those memories.. debm55 Mar 6 #40
"John Paul George Ringo.... viva la Mar 6 #42
We sang that too. I would also "stop" on George. HAHAHAHHAHA. Thank you viva la debm55 Mar 6 #45
Oh, you were an intellectual! viva la Mar 8 #70
Thank you very much, viva la. I always liked George. He got more handsome as grew older. RIP George. debm55 Mar 8 #71
recess. tetherball AllaN01Bear Mar 6 #43
Thank you very much for sharing, Bear. debm55 Mar 6 #46
The Big Toy. Aristus Mar 6 #44
That's great, Aristus. Thank you for sharing.HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA debm55 Mar 6 #47
Hop scotch Figarosmom Mar 7 #48
Thank you very much for your recess activities, Figarosmom. I played some of them too. debm55 Mar 7 #50
Kickball LogDog75 Mar 7 #49
That's wonderful. Thank you very much for sharing, LogDog75. debm55 Mar 7 #52
Fist fights. NoMoreRepugs Mar 7 #51
Oh you, Thank you for sharing , NoMoreRepugs. debm55 Mar 7 #53
Another vote for swings. The swingset was very tall. It was over gravel. Diamond_Dog Mar 7 #54
Thank you very much ,Diamond_Dog for sharing with us. My school didn't have a playground-just a parking lot for the debm55 Mar 7 #60
OMG I just remembered recess at pre-school!!! Nittersing Mar 7 #55
Oh wow. Thank you for sharing, Nittersing. I bet that was fun, but it sounds like it could be dangerous too. debm55 Mar 7 #61
"Touch" football or the swings Delarage Mar 7 #56
Oh wow. Thank you for sharing with us, Delarage. I remember the boys playing rougher games. debm55 Mar 7 #62
Horse or dodgeball. paleotn Mar 7 #57
Thank you very much, paleotn, We played dodgeball until it was banned. What is horse? debm55 Mar 7 #63
I spent a lot of time.... DemMedic Mar 7 #58
Oh, I am so sorry. DemMedic. I was a small girl too. And got beat up by some of the bigger girls. I always wonder if debm55 Mar 7 #64
Dodge ball and kick ball for sports requiring equipment lark Mar 7 #59
Thank you very much, lark. I played until they were banned. Most of the time, students just ran around the school and debm55 Mar 7 #65
Chinese jumprope surrealAmerican Mar 7 #66
Thank you very much, surrealAmerican . I did it also. Enjoyed it. debm55 Mar 7 #68
Tetherball - didn't have to chase runaway balls, and jacks. Dorothy V Mar 7 #67
Thank you very much for sharing, Dorothy V. That is true about the balls being taken by the other kids. debm55 Mar 7 #69
The parachute. Groundhawg Mar 8 #76
Thank you very much, Groundhawg. We had a parachute at our local playground. I loved it. When I taught school. The gym debm55 Mar 8 #78
3rd grade, cowboys and Indians. FuzzyRabbit Mar 8 #77
Yes they were FuzzyRabbit. Not that way now debm55 Mar 8 #79
I actually found recess to be a waste of my time. no_hypocrisy Mar 9 #80
Thank you, for sharing with us, no_hyposcrisy. I would sometimes take a book outside to read. debm55 Mar 9 #81
Being the tallest kid with long arms....... KS Toronado Mar 9 #82
Thank you for sharing, KS Toronado. that's great. debm55 Mar 9 #83
KS for short works OK for me KS Toronado Mar 9 #87
Will do. Thank you. debm55 Mar 9 #88
That metal spinning wheel of centrifugal death. kairos12 Mar 9 #85
Yep . I slid off of it once at the local playground and into the gravel. Older kid was spinning it. Never went on again. debm55 Mar 9 #86
The public elementary school I attended didn't have recess. La Coliniere Mar 9 #89
That is a neat idea--to go home for your and having an hour to eat, watch TV . read, etc. Congratulations on answering a debm55 Mar 9 #90

debm55

(60,783 posts)
2. Thank you, MiHale. I played it a couple of times. My school banned it too. It was rough.
Fri Mar 6, 2026, 11:09 AM
Mar 6

debm55

(60,783 posts)
6. Thank you very much for sharing, Emile. I loved to swing. We didn't have a swing set on our playgroung. You were lucky
Fri Mar 6, 2026, 11:21 AM
Mar 6

debm55

(60,783 posts)
7. I loved that, Thank you very much for sharing with us. justaprogressive. Notice the ground--cement. My school had no
Fri Mar 6, 2026, 11:24 AM
Mar 6

playground equipment. I wish they did. Bummer.

debm55

(60,783 posts)
16. I agree, Rebl2. I don't think anyone thought of it at the time. It was fun and at the time that is what matter. Things
Fri Mar 6, 2026, 11:59 AM
Mar 6

are different now.

3catwoman3

(29,437 posts)
74. And if/when they did, it never occurred to their parents to sue the school. It was...
Sun Mar 8, 2026, 09:56 PM
Mar 8

...just one of those things accepted as part of life.

EYESORE 9001

(29,743 posts)
5. That spinning thing
Fri Mar 6, 2026, 11:20 AM
Mar 6

They may have called it merry-go-round, but I was determined to make it a spin-n-barf machine.

debm55

(60,783 posts)
8. HAHAHAHAHHAHA. Thank you EYESORE 9001, you were the kid that that would spin it and had all the kids get sick. We didn't
Fri Mar 6, 2026, 11:29 AM
Mar 6

have one at our school, but the local playground had one. I didn't get sick, but went flying off in the gravel. yes, gravel.

Grim Chieftain

(1,756 posts)
11. I had three
Fri Mar 6, 2026, 11:33 AM
Mar 6

Jump rope, especially double Dutch, tether ball, and four square. Wow, That's a trip down memory lane for this baby boomer.

debm55

(60,783 posts)
12. Thank you very much for sharing with us. Grim Chieftain. I like all three , also. I liked Freeze and Defrost. It was a
Fri Mar 6, 2026, 11:38 AM
Mar 6

tag game.

Eko

(9,995 posts)
15. My first favorite activity I don't want to talk about
Fri Mar 6, 2026, 11:54 AM
Mar 6

except that it involved a good sized rock, a hill and not long after about 10 stitches. After that it was whatever did not involve said hill, rock and stitches.

Mad_Dem_X

(10,196 posts)
19. Swinging on the swings with my two best friends
Fri Mar 6, 2026, 12:07 PM
Mar 6

While we sang songs from the movie Grease, LOL. Good times.

debm55

(60,783 posts)
20. Love it. Thank you very much for sharing with us, Mad_Dem_X. Love swinging on swings.. But had none at our school.
Fri Mar 6, 2026, 12:10 PM
Mar 6

NEOH

(319 posts)
21. Playing in the Creek Behind the Playground
Fri Mar 6, 2026, 12:14 PM
Mar 6

A couple of classmates would sneak down to the creek which was close to the playground. We’d always get in trouble and our teacher would make us sit in the hallway for the rest of the day.

debm55

(60,783 posts)
22. Oh boy. You were in trouble. Did they call your parents?
Fri Mar 6, 2026, 12:18 PM
Mar 6

Last edited Fri Mar 6, 2026, 01:50 PM - Edit history (1)

debm55

(60,783 posts)
26. Thank you boonecreek for sharing. I think all schools banned it. It was sort of rough. I played it once and only once.
Fri Mar 6, 2026, 01:55 PM
Mar 6

Alpeduez21

(2,054 posts)
27. My elementary school had a decorative adding to the brick wall
Fri Mar 6, 2026, 01:55 PM
Mar 6

It was a band of concrete that stuck out from the brick wall about three or four inches. We strove to see who could go the farthest walking on it before falling. At t he playground side it was two feet off the ground. As one went around the building, because the school was on a hill, you could get as high as 15-20 feet off the ground. Me and my brother were the only two to complete a lap.
In middle school we played the game where someone had the ball and everyone else would try and tackle them. Once tackled the ball carrier would huck the ball in the air. Someone would catch it and take off only to be subsequently gang tackled unless the ball was sufficiently flung so one got out of the middle of the crowd upon catching. King of the hill on the snow plowed mounds at end of the parking was great fun as well

debm55

(60,783 posts)
29. HAHAHHAHHAHAHA, You lived dangerously, Alpeduez21. I would be afraid to the walk around. I think the second game is
Fri Mar 6, 2026, 02:12 PM
Mar 6

what we call "dog pile" around here. Mostly the boys played it. Thank you very much for sharing with us.

CrispyQ

(40,980 posts)
28. We had an old-time playground equipment called the giant strides.
Fri Mar 6, 2026, 02:04 PM
Mar 6

It was a pole with six long chains & some kind of metal contraption at the end that kids hung onto. Then we'd run & circle round & round. It was way more fun than it sounds. Ours was over blacktop, like all our equipment was. We had two playing fields; one was gravel & one was grass.



debm55

(60,783 posts)
30. Honestly , that looks like fun. I sure would have liked to try it. Thanks for sharing, CrispyQ.
Fri Mar 6, 2026, 02:16 PM
Mar 6

CrispyQ

(40,980 posts)
31. Deb, I'm just stunned that your playground didn't have any playground equipment!
Fri Mar 6, 2026, 02:23 PM
Mar 6

That's just wrong! There should always at least be swings!

debm55

(60,783 posts)
33. It was a Catholic school. No swings, slides, merry go rounds. On Sundays it was the church parking lot. I did have a
Fri Mar 6, 2026, 02:38 PM
Mar 6

playground at the top of the Double Dip, that we used for sledding. Also, there was no Adult Supervision. I remember the boys played more rough games then the girls. But it was, what it was. Sorry to say.

tonekat

(2,533 posts)
72. Yep. Same here for grades 1-6. The parking lot was the playground.
Sun Mar 8, 2026, 04:54 PM
Mar 8

Eventually, as we advanced in the school, we'd take off and walk a few blocks to a candy store that also sold those Japanese made toy guns that shot clay pellets, erasers, etc..
During morning Mass, a kid who's dad was a M.D., would pass out syringes we used to inject our slot car tires with lighter fluid.

debm55

(60,783 posts)
73. OMG , That is funny. Thank you tonekat. Someday I am going to post a OP about going to a Catholic School.---Our Lady of
Sun Mar 8, 2026, 08:03 PM
Mar 8

Perpetual Guilt. Thinking about it . that was very dangerous.

Laurelin

(899 posts)
36. Also jump rope
Fri Mar 6, 2026, 02:50 PM
Mar 6

I got really in to double Dutch.

I also loved this game with a ball and a wall called 7Up. Anyone ever heard of it?

debm55

(60,783 posts)
38. Laurelin, thank you for your selections. I vaguely remember a recess game called 7 UP. Maybe someone will give us more
Fri Mar 6, 2026, 03:28 PM
Mar 6

information.

debm55

(60,783 posts)
40. HAHAHHAHAHAHA. Yes, I did do Double Dutch and Chinese jump rope. Thank you , viva la, for bringing back those memories..
Fri Mar 6, 2026, 03:45 PM
Mar 6

Also do you remember singing these little songs as a rope swinger?

viva la

(4,602 posts)
42. "John Paul George Ringo....
Fri Mar 6, 2026, 04:39 PM
Mar 6

Which one will I marry!"

I always purposefully stumbled on Paul. It didn't work though.

viva la

(4,602 posts)
70. Oh, you were an intellectual!
Sun Mar 8, 2026, 03:56 PM
Mar 8

I was shallow. I went for cute.

Though looking back at pics of the young George, he was plenty cute too!

debm55

(60,783 posts)
71. Thank you very much, viva la. I always liked George. He got more handsome as grew older. RIP George.
Sun Mar 8, 2026, 04:25 PM
Mar 8

Aristus

(72,229 posts)
44. The Big Toy.
Fri Mar 6, 2026, 04:43 PM
Mar 6

That was the most fun, and the best for imaginative kids at recess. All those logs, pipes, levers, and hubbed wheels made for a great imaginary submarine. So we played 'Submarine' at recess. Naturally, I was the Captain, because even at ten or eleven, I knew enough submariner lingo to make a go of it.

Figarosmom

(12,082 posts)
48. Hop scotch
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 01:19 AM
Mar 7

And jump rope or marbles

Liked dodge ball until they banned it. Too many kids getting hurt.

Forgot one year the yoyo was popular.

LogDog75

(1,304 posts)
49. Kickball
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 02:02 AM
Mar 7

We played with a large rubber ball and I remember I was one of the best at being able to kick the ball. I could get that ball sailing through the air like a batter hitting a home run.

Diamond_Dog

(40,630 posts)
54. Another vote for swings. The swingset was very tall. It was over gravel.
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 10:38 AM
Mar 7

We all tried to swing as high as possible. Sometimes we would stand on the swing. They were flat hard seats, not the rubber strap kind. I fell off mine once and got gravel in my knee and was sent to the nurse’s office. Back then girls had to wear dresses to school. Hardly any girls would play on the jungle gym because of the wearing dresses thing. The boys would stand on the ground below and look up your dress and make comments if you did. What a dumb rule! One of many dumb rules for girls only back then. Our school chose a different student every morning raise the flag. But it always had to be a boy. Girls weren’t allowed to raise the flag. I don’t know why. Oh, don’t get me started…..

debm55

(60,783 posts)
60. Thank you very much ,Diamond_Dog for sharing with us. My school didn't have a playground-just a parking lot for the
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 10:56 AM
Mar 7

church. but our neighborhood playground was fully equipped with equipment. Swings were my favorite. We would swing really high and jump off into the gravel. Yes, I remember the boys putting the flag up , never girls. But as it was after school activity , I could wear my shorts and use the jungle gym and the merry go round.

Nittersing

(8,390 posts)
55. OMG I just remembered recess at pre-school!!!
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 10:42 AM
Mar 7

It was a place called Beaverbrook I think, and they had an old, abandoned school bus that we would play in.

When I say abandoned, I mean rust everywhere, the pads on the seats were all worn or torn with big ol' springs popping out everywhere. We loved playing in that thing!!

debm55

(60,783 posts)
61. Oh wow. Thank you for sharing, Nittersing. I bet that was fun, but it sounds like it could be dangerous too.
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 11:00 AM
Mar 7

Delarage

(2,600 posts)
56. "Touch" football or the swings
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 10:42 AM
Mar 7

Although the "touches" bordered on tackles periodically. I came in dripping blood from my chin once as a 5th grader.

debm55

(60,783 posts)
62. Oh wow. Thank you for sharing with us, Delarage. I remember the boys playing rougher games.
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 11:05 AM
Mar 7

DemMedic

(595 posts)
58. I spent a lot of time....
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 10:52 AM
Mar 7

engaged in not getting beat up by the bigger kids. And every kid was literally bigger than me

debm55

(60,783 posts)
64. Oh, I am so sorry. DemMedic. I was a small girl too. And got beat up by some of the bigger girls. I always wonder if
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 11:27 AM
Mar 7

they grew out of their mean ways or stayed the same bullies they were in their younger days.

debm55

(60,783 posts)
65. Thank you very much, lark. I played until they were banned. Most of the time, students just ran around the school and
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 11:31 AM
Mar 7

parking lot to get out their energy..

surrealAmerican

(11,888 posts)
66. Chinese jumprope
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 12:38 PM
Mar 7

I'm not sure it was a favorite, but I remember doing it most of the time at recess for a few years.

Dorothy V

(508 posts)
67. Tetherball - didn't have to chase runaway balls, and jacks.
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 01:15 PM
Mar 7

Problem with runaway balls is they usually got pounced on by kids who didn't want to give them back.
A body had to be careful with their jacks. Teachers tended to confiscate them, as well as marbles.
I also liked swings and hopscotch. I hated the jungle gym. The rings were better.

debm55

(60,783 posts)
69. Thank you very much for sharing, Dorothy V. That is true about the balls being taken by the other kids.
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 01:52 PM
Mar 7

debm55

(60,783 posts)
78. Thank you very much, Groundhawg. We had a parachute at our local playground. I loved it. When I taught school. The gym
Sun Mar 8, 2026, 11:41 PM
Mar 8

Teacher let me use the school's parachute. There are all kinds of activities to do with it.

FuzzyRabbit

(2,217 posts)
77. 3rd grade, cowboys and Indians.
Sun Mar 8, 2026, 11:24 PM
Mar 8

We'd all take our cap pistols to school. By the time recess was over the playground smelled like a battlefield. Times were sure different then.

no_hypocrisy

(54,945 posts)
80. I actually found recess to be a waste of my time.
Mon Mar 9, 2026, 04:50 AM
Mar 9

In elementary school, I despised the little girls who had nothing better to do during recess than to walk around the playground, holding the hand of the Principal or the hands of those who were holding the hand of the Principal.

I eschewed the swings, the sliding pond, hop-scotch, the jungle gym, tag, etc. I looked forward to winter where we had indoor recess where I could read.

debm55

(60,783 posts)
81. Thank you, for sharing with us, no_hyposcrisy. I would sometimes take a book outside to read.
Mon Mar 9, 2026, 08:44 AM
Mar 9

debm55

(60,783 posts)
86. Yep . I slid off of it once at the local playground and into the gravel. Older kid was spinning it. Never went on again.
Mon Mar 9, 2026, 10:28 AM
Mar 9

La Coliniere

(1,940 posts)
89. The public elementary school I attended didn't have recess.
Mon Mar 9, 2026, 03:05 PM
Mar 9

However, at 11:45am we walked home for lunch and returned an hour later. When I got home for lunch I was greeted with a bowl of Campbell’s soup, usually chicken or turkey noodle, accompanied by half a luncheon meat sandwich which I devoured in front of the tv while watching Jeopardy with Art Fleming. I felt so grown up when I was actually able to answer one of the questions and thus began my 60 year journey with that game show.

debm55

(60,783 posts)
90. That is a neat idea--to go home for your and having an hour to eat, watch TV . read, etc. Congratulations on answering a
Mon Mar 9, 2026, 03:22 PM
Mar 9

Jeopardy question.

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