Let's Play

Let's Play. . , Can history be fun? Kids who lived long ago had fun just as we do today. These yards and walkways have been play spaces for generations of Piatt children. Enjoy their spirit , have fun playing games from the past. , , Hoops , Kids have been creating hoop games for hundreds of years. Ring toss began as an ancient Roman game called quoits. To play quoits see how many small rings you can toss over the wooden post. Or, try running next to a large hoop tapping it with a stick to keep it rolling. Play graces with two ribbon-decorated hoops. Each player tosses one and then catches the other with a pair of sticks. All of these games were popular long before the hula hoop. , , Hopscotch , Do you play hopscotch? Try this version from the 1800s. The goal is to throw a stone into each of the 10 spaces starting with space 1. Hop on one foot to the space where the stone was thrown, the kick it back to the baseline. On your next turn, toss the stone into the next numbered space. If your stone goes out of bounds or lands on a line, you lose your turn. After you reach space 10, hop from 1 to 10 then turn around and hop back to 1. The first player to do this without failing is the winner! , , Croquet , When Abram Piatt was building the castle in the 1860s, croquet was a popular game for adults. By 1960 shorter mallets made it easier for children to play. Abram's great-great grandchildren played on this lawn. Join the family tradition! , , Battledore and Shuttlecock , Do you like badminton? It is a lot like battledore and shuttlecock. When playing alone, keep the shuttlecock (cork topped with feathers) in the air by hitting it with the battledore (racket). In pairs, bat the shuttlecock back and forth. Play the game like children of long ago who sang a rhyme, one line to each bat until the shuttlecock falls. Here are two examples: , , Up the ladder, down the wall , A twopenny loaf to serve us all. , You buy milk and I'll buy flour , And we'll have pudding in half an hour. , One, two, three, four, five, six, etc. , , Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross, , To see a fine lady upon a white horse. , Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, , She shall have music wherever she goes.