If the “blinded” player identifies the assailant once his or her eyes are uncovered, the offending player must assume the position in the middle. A player in the surrounding circle then smacks the “blinded” player in the back of the head and returns to his or her position in the circle. This was tame compared to the variant played in the Middle Ages, where participants would harass and buffet (repeatedly strike) the “blind man.”Īmong the Igbo in Nigeria, a variation of the game is called Kola onye tara gi okpo? Which roughly translates to “can you find the person who knocked you on the head?” In this variation, children form a circle around the child who is “it.” Instead of taking the risk with a potentially faulty blindfold, another player covers the eyes of the unlucky player in the centre. In the Blind Man’s Bluff we played growing up, the blindfolded player who was “it” was often teased verbally by the other players as they evaded capture.
The change in name may have been a classic case of broken telephone, occurring over the game’s 2,000 year history dating back to ancient Greece.īut it may have also had something to do with the omission of a particularly violent aspect of the game that existed in earlier versions. In 1264, he led a revolt against King Henry III of England - who also happened to be his brother-in-law. Actually, he wasn’t much of a family man at all. Simon Montfort, the 6th Earl of Leicester is rumoured to be the man Simon Says is named after - but, if true, he wasn’t exactly the embodiment of family fun you’d expect him to be. While I Love Lucy showcased the fun-loving, madcap couple, behind the scenes, there were extramarital affairs and plenty of scandal. to note how many scenes from this book were for typically boy type stuff. Lucille Ball met Desi Arnaz in 1940 at RKO Pictures. Simon Says A statue of Simon de Montfort on the Haymarket Memorial Clock Tower in Leicester, England. A boys madcap adventures as he tries to retrieve his bouncing ball are told. These iconic games have been passed down generation to generation and we know why - they’re timeless fun! 1. Back when we were ahem, young, nothing beat getting to outsmart and outrun your best buddies (and the occasional schoolyard bully, too). Or if they do look up from their devices it’s to play Pokemon or twirl a fidget spinner. Today’s kids are obsessed with tech - just try and get someone under 12 to go outside and play catch.
Here, some recess faves and their fascinating origins. Many of the classic schoolyard games we loved growing up have quite the history beyond the scraped knees and other madcap mishaps.