Top 30 playground games from marbles to British Bulldog
A poll of 2,000 adults has unveiled the enduring popularity of traditional children's games, with classics like marbles, British Bulldog, conkers and 'What's the Time, Mr Wolf?' making the top 10 list.
The study revealed that over half of the adults surveyed played outdoor games daily during their school years. Other beloved playground pastimes included football cards, yo-yos, 'Cat's Cradle' and hopscotch.
Most adults felt these activities were instrumental in forming friendships when they were younger, with nearly three-quarters saying these interactions are some of their most cherished childhood memories.
Gillian McMahon, executive director of international charity Right To Play, commented: "Play is a deep-rooted part of childhood in the UK; however, millions of children globally are unable to claim this basic right."
Right to Play is dedicated to transforming the lives of millions of children annually through play. Gillian added: "Extreme challenges such as conflict, poverty, child labour and early marriage are depriving many vulnerable children of the childhood they deserve."
The research was released to coincide with International Day of Play on June 11. This UN-recognised day aims to raise awareness about the vital importance of play for children, and emphasise it as a fundamental right.
According to the research, most adults are not aware that children's right to play is protected by international law.
However, a significant majority of 67% agree that every child should have the right to play, recognising its benefits, including physical exercise, forming friendships, and developing essential social skills like empathy and cooperation.
Gillian McMahon emphasised: "Many children are denied the chance to just be kids. We are working to change this situation.
"Through our global programmes, we are reaching more than 4.7 million vulnerable children each year in some of the most difficult places on earth.
"Using the power of play we are helping children to stay in school, resist exploitation, overcome prejudice and heal from the trauma of war and displacement."
TOP 30 PLAYGROUND GAMES OF ALL TIME:
Hide and Seek
Tag/You're It
Skipping ropes (solo and group games)
Marbles
Hopscotch
Conkers
British Bulldog
What's the Time, Mr Wolf?
Football stickers
Football cards
Hand clapping games (e.g. A Sailor Went to Sea, Miss Mary Mack)
Cat's Cradle
Yo-Yos
Simon Says
Sticker albums
Stuck in the Mud
Duck, Duck, Goose
Top Trumps
Swingball
Ring-a-Ring o' Roses
Elastics
Paper fortune tellers (chatterboxes)
'The Floor is Lava'
Pokemon cards
Tamagotchis
Pogs
Grandma's Footsteps
Sleeping Lions
Double Dutch
Loom bands
Hashtags
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North Wales Live
a day ago
- North Wales Live
Top 30 playground games from marbles to British Bulldog
A poll of 2,000 adults has unveiled the enduring popularity of traditional children's games, with classics like marbles, British Bulldog, conkers and 'What's the Time, Mr Wolf?' making the top 10 list. The study revealed that over half of the adults surveyed played outdoor games daily during their school years. Other beloved playground pastimes included football cards, yo-yos, 'Cat's Cradle' and hopscotch. Most adults felt these activities were instrumental in forming friendships when they were younger, with nearly three-quarters saying these interactions are some of their most cherished childhood memories. Gillian McMahon, executive director of international charity Right To Play, commented: "Play is a deep-rooted part of childhood in the UK; however, millions of children globally are unable to claim this basic right." Right to Play is dedicated to transforming the lives of millions of children annually through play. Gillian added: "Extreme challenges such as conflict, poverty, child labour and early marriage are depriving many vulnerable children of the childhood they deserve." The research was released to coincide with International Day of Play on June 11. This UN-recognised day aims to raise awareness about the vital importance of play for children, and emphasise it as a fundamental right. According to the research, most adults are not aware that children's right to play is protected by international law. However, a significant majority of 67% agree that every child should have the right to play, recognising its benefits, including physical exercise, forming friendships, and developing essential social skills like empathy and cooperation. Gillian McMahon emphasised: "Many children are denied the chance to just be kids. We are working to change this situation. "Through our global programmes, we are reaching more than 4.7 million vulnerable children each year in some of the most difficult places on earth. "Using the power of play we are helping children to stay in school, resist exploitation, overcome prejudice and heal from the trauma of war and displacement." TOP 30 PLAYGROUND GAMES OF ALL TIME: Hide and Seek Tag/You're It Skipping ropes (solo and group games) Marbles Hopscotch Conkers British Bulldog What's the Time, Mr Wolf? Football stickers Football cards Hand clapping games (e.g. A Sailor Went to Sea, Miss Mary Mack) Cat's Cradle Yo-Yos Simon Says Sticker albums Stuck in the Mud Duck, Duck, Goose Top Trumps Swingball Ring-a-Ring o' Roses Elastics Paper fortune tellers (chatterboxes) 'The Floor is Lava' Pokemon cards Tamagotchis Pogs Grandma's Footsteps Sleeping Lions Double Dutch Loom bands
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
The 30 greatest playground games of all time - from hide and seek to tag
A study of 2,000 adults has uncovered the greatest ever playground games which are still enjoyed by children in school today. A survey of 2,000 adults has revealed which classic children's games have stood the test of time and are still considered the 'best playground games' today. Favourites such as marbles, British Bulldog, conkers and 'What's the Time, Mr Wolf?' all feature in the top 10. Meanwhile, the list also included other well-liked games such as football cards, yo-yos, 'Cat's Cradle' and hopscotch. The research has shown that over half of adults spent time outside playing games every single day when they were at school. The majority believe these social interactions were key when it came to making friends; nearly three quarters regarded these play sessions with friends as some of their fondest childhood memories. Gillian McMahon, executive director of the international charity Right To Play, said: "Play is a deep-rooted part of childhood in the UK; however, millions of children globally are unable to claim this basic right." Right to Play is an organisation which strives to transform the lives of millions of children every year through play. "Extreme challenges such as conflict, poverty, child labour and early marriage are depriving many vulnerable children of the childhood they deserve," Gillian added. The research was published to coincide with International Day of Play, on June 11. This annual UN-recognised day promotes awareness about the crucial role of play for children and underscores play as a fundamental right. The study indicated that the majority of adults were unaware that play is recognised as a basic right for children under international law. However, 67% believe every child should have a right to play, with physical exercise, making friends, and building social skills such as empathy and cooperation seen as key advantages of playing. Gillian McMahon added: "Many children are denied the chance to just be kids. We are working to change this situation. "Through our global programmes, we are reaching more than 4.7 million vulnerable children each year in some of the most difficult places on earth. "Using the power of play we are helping children to stay in school, resist exploitation, overcome prejudice and heal from the trauma of war and displacement." TOP 30 PLAYGROUND GAMES OF ALL TIME: Hide and Seek Tag/You're It Skipping ropes (solo and group games) Marbles Hopscotch Conkers British Bulldog What's the Time, Mr Wolf? Football stickers Football cards Hand clapping games (e.g. A Sailor Went to Sea, Miss Mary Mack) Cat's Cradle Yo-Yos Simon Says Sticker albums Stuck in the Mud Duck, Duck, Goose Top Trumps Swingball Ring-a-Ring o' Roses Elastics Paper fortune tellers (chatterboxes) 'The Floor is Lava' Pokemon cards Tamagotchis Pogs Grandma's Footsteps Sleeping Lions Double Dutch Loom bands
The Guardian
19-03-2025
- The Guardian
Country diary: An adder, back from the ‘dead' in a burial cairn
Two days of sunshine at Fairy Hill croft and it has triggered some early spring action here. Young badgers are gradually emerging from the safety of their setts, while the volume has been turned up in the woods, with rooks, woodpeckers, red kites, buzzards, an early chiffchaff and 60 pink-footed geese cutting through the vapour trails above me. A mile 'doun the brae', on a hillside of recently felled forest that looks like Desperate Dan's chin, I was stopped in my tracks by a sitting woodcock. I spotted a glint in his left eye, which was lucky because the birds' cryptic colouration in the undergrowth makes them virtually invisible. The eyes of a woodcock are set further back on the head, enabling 360-degree vision. I played 'What's the time, Mr Wolf?' and crept up within arm's reach before the bird took flight. On my return to the croft, however, an even more thrilling sight awaited me. I passed the neolithic burial cairn that is over the wall from my vegetable plot, and while I was communing with the long-dead incumbents who lived here 6,000 years ago, I was delighted to see another resident of the stones – an adder, fresh from hibernation. It was easy to spot, away from any undergrowth, basking in the sun. It's not unusual to see adders in early to mid-March in southern Scotland, and this one was no doubt lured out by the brief sunny spell. The silver-grey colour and the timing identified this one as a male (the females' colouration ranges between bright copper and dark brown, and they tend to emerge a few weeks later). I moved closer, hoping to get a closeup photograph of its beguiling red eyes, but decided against disturbing it and observed from a safe distance. He hardly moved, but his forked tongue flicked in every direction, collecting scent molecules from the air to detect both prey and potential mates. I was reminded of the song Tam Lin by Robert Burns, my erstwhile neighbour at Ellisland Farm. He wrote of Tam's dalliance with the beautiful Janet, and his fears of his captors, the fairies, if he was not an honest man: 'They'll turn me in your arms, lady / Into an ask [newt] and adder.' Under the Changing Skies: The Best of the Guardian's Country Diary, 2018-2024 is published by Guardian Faber; order at and get a 15% discount
