sports and recreation
Sports, Games and Recreation from the Colonial
times!!!
By Kate J.
Games
In the colonial times were pretty simple and easy to play. A popular activity that all the kids loved is a game where you would roll a wooden hoop. Kids try to chase the hoop to the finish line. It’s harder than it sounds. Colonist also bowled. They used nine pins instead of ten. Instead of rolling it down a wooden alley they would roll the ball down a lumpy-grass covered hill. Other activities are horseshoe toss, marbles, tag, hopscotch, kite flying, fishing, swimming or taking a nice long relaxing walk. Adults usually played dice games or cards.
Sports
A popular sport, mostly played in southern colonies is horse racing. Most wealthy colonists only played this particular sport. They would have to breed and feed the horses, for them to be able to be in the races. There are some horse racing tracks in Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, and Rhode Island. A few other popular sports for the colonist to play were cockfighting and ball baiting.
Cockfighting was a sport where male chickens that are ready and trained to fight they have steel spurs tied around their feet to make the chickens draw blood when hit each other. This was a fun sport to watch for the colonist, they’d bet on their favorite chicken and which one would win.
Another sport that was played in Colonial times was ball baiting. In this sport an enraged bull tires to fight off a pack of wild, attack dogs. (That’s really scary!!)
Take it from a local!
There is yet another sport, which young people take great delight in, and that is, the hunting of wild horses; which they pursue sometime with dogs, and sometimes without
-Robert Beverly, the History and Present State
Of Virginia, 1705
Recreational Activities
Fireplaces are usual gathering places for families and friends in the colonial times. (Or a firepot for that matter) Where you’d tell stories and share exciting events from the day. A popular thing for wealthy people to do was dancing. (Dancing is an important social skill to have in colonial times) Dancing was considered an entertaining event to watch. Dancing was very formal and it inquired rules. The rules that applied were waiting until the highest ranked dancing couple had started dancing, one at a time; and feel free to criticize other competitors. Dancing was usually only for wealthy colonist to meet people to meet for marriage. A suitor at the dance will judge manners and physical appearance such as fitness and the condition of a person’s teeth or breath.
Well, that’s sports, games and recreational activities from the Colonial times for you!!
By Kate J.
Games
In the colonial times were pretty simple and easy to play. A popular activity that all the kids loved is a game where you would roll a wooden hoop. Kids try to chase the hoop to the finish line. It’s harder than it sounds. Colonist also bowled. They used nine pins instead of ten. Instead of rolling it down a wooden alley they would roll the ball down a lumpy-grass covered hill. Other activities are horseshoe toss, marbles, tag, hopscotch, kite flying, fishing, swimming or taking a nice long relaxing walk. Adults usually played dice games or cards.
Sports
A popular sport, mostly played in southern colonies is horse racing. Most wealthy colonists only played this particular sport. They would have to breed and feed the horses, for them to be able to be in the races. There are some horse racing tracks in Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, and Rhode Island. A few other popular sports for the colonist to play were cockfighting and ball baiting.
Cockfighting was a sport where male chickens that are ready and trained to fight they have steel spurs tied around their feet to make the chickens draw blood when hit each other. This was a fun sport to watch for the colonist, they’d bet on their favorite chicken and which one would win.
Another sport that was played in Colonial times was ball baiting. In this sport an enraged bull tires to fight off a pack of wild, attack dogs. (That’s really scary!!)
Take it from a local!
There is yet another sport, which young people take great delight in, and that is, the hunting of wild horses; which they pursue sometime with dogs, and sometimes without
-Robert Beverly, the History and Present State
Of Virginia, 1705
Recreational Activities
Fireplaces are usual gathering places for families and friends in the colonial times. (Or a firepot for that matter) Where you’d tell stories and share exciting events from the day. A popular thing for wealthy people to do was dancing. (Dancing is an important social skill to have in colonial times) Dancing was considered an entertaining event to watch. Dancing was very formal and it inquired rules. The rules that applied were waiting until the highest ranked dancing couple had started dancing, one at a time; and feel free to criticize other competitors. Dancing was usually only for wealthy colonist to meet people to meet for marriage. A suitor at the dance will judge manners and physical appearance such as fitness and the condition of a person’s teeth or breath.
Well, that’s sports, games and recreational activities from the Colonial times for you!!