A History of Playing Games

In the first part of our blog series we demonstrated how play is vital for a child in many ways, both physical and mental. Playing with others their age allows them to learn how to communicate with others and learn the technique of conflict resolve.
Games are typically played at birthday parties because they inspire joy and laughter. In this blog, we will continue to delve deep into the rich history of humanity’s favorite childhood-games.

Bobbing for Apples

Though you might think the game, “Bobbing for Apples” is an old game, it is a lot older than you might think. For example, Bobbing for Apples can be traced back to the Ancient Romans! In fact, the game can be found as far back as when the Romans first invaded Britain. The game was actually a combination of the two cultures: Roman and Celtic. Originally, “Dooking” was found in United Kingdom. When the Roman invaded they took on the celebratory game and added apples.
After the game was widely enjoyed, it developed into a tradition in the Roman Empire during their annual celebrations. The tradition was that young unmarried people would try to bite into a barrel full of water and apples. The first to bite into an apple would be the next one allowed to marry. Later, in Ireland, the Celtic traditions believed that if you caught an apple and slept with it under your pillow, you would dream of your future spouse.
Today, the game has changed to be innocent. Instead of a game to determine marriages or spouses, it is an innocent game to determine who is the best at bobbing for apples! Although this game was once extremely popular, today, the game is not as popular — for a few important reasons. For one, Bobbing for Apples can be a dangerous game if more than two people are searching for apples. But how? Well, in older versions of the game, players were blindfolded and bound in order to prevent cheating. However, depending on the age of the children playing, they are more prone to accidental drowning or suffocating. Second, because Bobbing for Apples requires multiple parties diving their faces into water, sanitary issues have arisen in the past. Because of these two reasons, Bobbing for Apples has become less popular at modern-day birthday parties.

Egg and Spoon Race

The earliest recording of the games was documented in September of 1894. The game was originally used as a game during the celebration of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. Specifically Egg and Spoon Races were seen during 1897, which was the height of their popularity. At this time, due to the mass immigration to America, many have claimed that the game started in the New World. However, this is untrue, as documented evidence has identified England as its origin. However, since so many English ancestors migrated all over the world, this game became widespread.
In the original days of the game, it was constructed by carrying a wooden egg on a wooden spoon. Only in modern times was the egg changed to a raw egg.
The object of the game is simple; try to win a race with an egg on a spoon. Though seemingly easy, this game is dependent on balance and patience. If you try to run with the egg, you will drop it and lose. However, with patience and cautious steps, you should win. The Egg and Spoon game is a perfect way to teach patience and wisdom.
Egg and Spoon games once were allowed in school. However, due to salmonella scares and accidental ingestion of the egg’s contents, parents, as well as the schools, forbid students from participating in the games on school grounds. However, the game doesn’t always have to be played with a raw egg. Wooden eggs are easily obtainable and make the game even more of a challenge.

Tug of War

The game “Tug of War” dates back as far as Ancient Egypt. In fact, in almost all Ancient cultures, such as Burma, India, Japan, Korea, and South America, there is some variation of this game. Though all these cultures play this game, they used different ways of performing the game. In Ancient Egypt, the game was played with two central players tugging on each others arms, with the help of their teammates behind them.
In Greece during 500 BC, the Olympics featured this type of man-on-man sport. During that time however, the game was seen as physical training for battle with neighboring countries. In the Olympic Games from 1900 to 1920, Tug of War was featured as an actual competitive sport. In this version, however, there was a rope that conjoined both teams. The object of the game was to pull the rope hard enough, to where the opposite team would be pulled over the boundary line. The last team to win the gold medal for Tug of War was Great Britain in 1920. The game was discontinued from the Olympics but was carried on through a separate Tug of War Association.

Rebounderz

At Rebounderz, we encourage physical activity for children, by offering them a place to play at their heart’s content. Our indoor trampoline parks are a great place to bring your children and celebrate their birthday. If you are interested in giving your child the best place to enjoy their birthday, Rebounderz would be it!