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© Beverley Paine, October 2007

As a child I loved playing energetic games with my siblings and neighbours after school - especially on those long summer nights. I remember playing chase games, 'what's the time Mr Wolf', 'all over red rover', four square and more. We had some great rhymes to help pick whoever was 'it' or went first, such as: 'Eany, meany, maca, raca, Red rose, doma naca, Ali Baba, suva naca, Rum, tum, toosh.'

When my children had a stint at primary school (over a decade ago now), such games were noticeably absent from the playground. A few children doggedly played basketball, or footy on the oval, but no one seemed to know the games I remembered fondly from my childhood. 

It's through playing games children learn to share and take turns, work and play together in constructive and sociable ways. To the children, of course, it's all about having fun! The health benefits of playing energetic games together are obvious.

A couple of years ago I brought together a collection of some of my favourite games from childhood, plus the ones my children had played when young and published them as a booklet for homeschoolers. I'm sure there are lots of new games created by children since my childhood.

What kind of games do your children like to play outside with each other and their friends, or at homeschool gatherings? Are those skipping songs and rhymes still popular, or have new ones been created? Do children still play the types of games we played as children?

As the evenings get longer why not gather a few children together, plan a picnic meal in the park or on the beach and play a few boisterous games - old fashioned or new fashioned! As I've outlined in my booklet, such games bring a wealth of learning to our children's lives.

wishing you good health, peace and prosperity,
Beverley Paine
http://www.homeschoolaustralia.com
http://www.alwayslearningbooks.com.au
http://www.australianhomeschoolcurriculum.com

"Natural learning builds on curiosity, stimulating children to actively explore their world. Parents become managers and mentors helping their children learn from everyday experiences and finding people and resources in the community that will provide answers and take them that further step..." John Peacock

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