In the days before computers, Netflix and video games, kids had to come up with other ways of entertaining themselves. This often meant kids played outside with their neighbours and friends and used their imagination to have fun.
In those days, the political-correctness police weren’t as bad as they are and children happily played games because they were fun – not because they were trying to offend people. Times have certainly changed, though, and the things that were perfectly normal to Baby Boomers aren’t considered acceptable by today’s generation.
For many who grew up in the ’50s and ’60s, cowboys and indians was often a popular game to play. The game was make-believe take on tag and saw a group of kids divided into two teams – one being the cowboys and the other being the indians.
Each team had to try and protect their “land” and could advance in the game by “shooting” the other team and claiming their land. Kids sometimes dressed up, but it wasn’t always necessary. It is believed the game originated in the US when American pioneers tried to win land from Native Americans.
The game is considered racist these days, with many labelling it as politically incorrect and offensive to Native Americans.
Another thing a lot of kids played with was golliwogs. The soft dolls with colourful outfits, fuzzy woolen hair and black faces were loved by their kiddy owners at the time, but they’re now deeply controversial. It is believed the character originated in 1895 in a book called The Adventures of Two Dutch Dolls by Florence Kate Upton.
The dolls first faced criticism in the ’60s, however, with some saying the dolls were a racist characterisation of African American slaves and performers. Golliwog dolls are still sold in a few Australian stores and in many other parts of the world, while activists continue to fight for their removal from sale and most modern parents shun them as toys for their children.
Hangman used to be a game that many kids played, particularly during rainy days at school. The guessing game saw one person come up with a secret word and others having to guess letters to try and figure out the word. For each incorrect guess or wrong letter the team got, the drawer add a part of a person being hanged. The team would win if they guessed the word before the picture was complete.
While the game seemed harmless enough, it has come under fire in recent times for making light of suicide and capital punishment.. Teachers have been encouraged not to play the game anymore, but are instead asked to call it ‘Snowman’, ‘Making a Man’ or ‘Living Man’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufw7wr_ZyKc
Many have questioned if parents today are trying too hard to protect their kids by banning physical games like Red Rover and Bull Rush.
Across America, a number of summer camps have labelled the classic games as a “dangerous contact sports”. Red Rover consisted of two groups of teams. One team would yell “Red Rover, Red Rover” and ask for a child from the opposing team to run towards them.
The aim of the game was for the team to join hands and block the runner from breaking their link. While it was innocent enough, it is believed that the game can quickly turn violent and actually cause irreversible brain injury to small children.