It's Time for Recess

[BarTopDancer]

Embrace your inner child. (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080723/ap_on_re_us/adult_pe;_ylt=AliaNp8l48yUeMB9XTLyX8Ws0NUE)

[LSPoorEeyorick]

I'm only going if they offer the chance to play with a spread-out parachute again.

[CoasterMatt]

I must obtain one of those parachutes. Thank you for bringing back one of the few bright times from those dark days.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

Dude, when you do, you are so inviting me over.

[sleepyjeff]

From the article:



Karin Schmidt has seen that first hand in the Urban Recess fitness classes she runs in Portland. Activities like relay races, tag or even duck-duck-goose all are forms of efficient interval training that allow participants to stay within a target heart rate throughout their entire workout, she said.




All we need now is someone to open up an eatery where old style cafeteria food is served:D

[Alex]

Who the heck ever found Duck Duck Goose fun? There are plenty of childhood games I might like to play again (a favorite was a version of four-square we played with our feet that was very competitive on our playground) but DDG was the lamest of the lame so far as we were ever concerned. And even though I never won, I always loved dodgeball (I wasn't good at hitting other people but I was very good at not getting hit).

I wonder how much fun Red Rover is with full adult mass involved.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I wonder how much fun Red Rover is with full adult mass involved.Wheras I hated Red Rover and rather enjoyed DDG.

[libraryvixen]

I must obtain one of those parachutes. Thank you for bringing back one of the few bright times from those dark days.


You'll definitely need more people! Count me in!

[LSPoorEeyorick]

I'm serious about this - WE MUST MAKE IT A REALITY! I'll chip in for the parachute...

[MouseWife]

I didn't mind DDG but I hated Dodge Ball. Ouch! So mean!!

Hmm. I can't think of one that I miss...except jump rope games.

I liked Hide and Seek but that isn't really a school game. Red Light Green Light?

[Disneyphile]

Here's a link to parachutes: http://www.tinkertots.com/playparachutes.html

:D

[Alex]

Wheras I hated Red Rover and rather enjoyed DDG.

Oh, I didn't like Red Rover, I'm just trying to imagine how much it would suck with over-competitive 250-pound men throwing themselves at wrist-locked hands.

[BarTopDancer]

We need a parachute. And NM needs to go in the mushpot if we play DDG.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Ooh, can I sneak away and sit on a bench by myself, or perhaps go talk to the teachers?

The only thing that would get me excited about this idea is old school handball, using the red rubber 4 square ball. I'd be all over that. Once in high school on one of the last days of the year, we took a softer volleyball and played probably my last real game of handball. My hands were bruised afterwards.

Who the heck ever found Duck Duck Goose fun? Me me me me.

I'm surprised how cheap the parachutes are.

[Disneyphile]

We need a large ball for the parachute too. :D

[sleepyjeff]

. And even though I never won, I always loved dodgeball (I wasn't good at hitting other people but I was very good at not getting hit).



Sounds like you played near the back......the rewards(and risks) are far greater near the front line where virtually point blank shots can be inflicted(and suffered)

[Strangler Lewis]

Any game that lets you say the word "duck" repeatedly is a good one.

And if you want to dust off the super pinky, I'm good for a few rounds of punch ball, flies up or Chinese handball.

Though I would prefer not to play for asses up.

[Moonliner]

I've always thought it would be fun to create a playground sized to adults.

20' tall swings and that sort of thing...

[Ghoulish Delight]

Sounds like you played near the back......the rewards(and risks) are far greater near the front line where virtually point blank shots can be inflicted(and suffered)
Our school eliminated that tactic with a variation. Once you were out, you were sent to a box behind the other team's side where you could continue to pelt your opponents. You could still hide, but it would require running back and forth after every throw, no one could maintain that for very long.

[Lauragar]

I havn't played handball in years. Waiting in line for your turn to see if you can win the match and play the next person in line.

What about teather ball? Remember?????

[Ghoulish Delight]

Of course, this brand of double-trouble dodgeball (which we called "Socco") came with warnings and only 5th and 6th graders were permitted to play due to the...competitive nature. I'm betting it's long been banned.

[Alex]

Not really, I played all over. I was just very nimble with very fast reflexes (I wasn't always the lard butt I now am).

One of my fonder childhood moments of glory was in 9th grade P.E. where it got down to me vs. about six people on the other side and I lasted a very long time with them unable to hit me. Seriously, I was in a Matrix "bullet-time" groove.

Plus, I enjoy pain to a certain degree so taking an occasional ball to the face didn't bother me much (hello quote page).

[katiesue]

We had to do Square Dancing for PE in 7th or 8th grade. We turned it into a contact sport. I think the Rip N Snort (http://www.bubbaguitar.com/square/big7.html) call got banned. If you went fast enough the last couple in the chain couldn't hold on and usually someone would end up slamming into the milk bin.

We also played the very un pc named smear the queer which was kinda like dodgeball as I recall.

[sleepyjeff]

Our school eliminated that tactic with a variation. Once you were out, you were sent to a box behind the other team's side where you could continue to pelt your opponents. You could still hide, but it would require running back and forth after every throw, no one could maintain that for very long.

Cool, I would have loved to play that variation:)

Not really, I played all over. I was just very nimble with very fast reflexes (I wasn't always the lard butt I now am).

One of my fonder childhood moments of glory was in 9th grade P.E. where it got down to me vs. about six people on the other side and I lasted a very long time with them unable to hit me. Seriously, I was in a Matrix "bullet-time" groove.



Not me; I got hit a lot because I never tried to dodge the ball...I tried to catch them(even if I was already holding one) and if I could send it right back at the person who threw it(I always aimed for the feet with the goal of knocking the other kid over).

[Alex]

I generally didn't try to catch the ball because I threw like a girl and wasn't likely to have much success there. It was more fun to just try and be last standing on my team. Though if I could get a ball to hold and deflect other balls that might be done.

But in addition to that, I'd love to have a spot where pickup games of badminton and pickleball are possible.

[BarTopDancer]

I hated dodgeball.

Tether ball and handball rocked. Remember the home version of tether ball played with rackets? A little thing would pop out of the top of the poll when the ball made it all the way around.

One of my friends had an actual tether ball set up on their lawn, cemented in. That was awesome.

We used to play a game on the handball court where you had to jump over the ball. You had to call the jump before you threw the ball though. A variation on that was your partner threw the ball. If the ball touched you, or you missed, you were out.

[Kevy Baby]

(hello quote page)If you insist (http://www.loungeoftomorrow.com/LoT/quotes.php?do=view&quoteid=1119)

[Ghoulish Delight]

Tether ball sucked. There was never a consensus on rules (fist vs. open hand, multiple hits, pushes, etc.) and it, more than even basketball, favored the tall. Which I was not.

[Alex]

Out of curiosity, did anybody play a version of 4-square that was played entirely with the feet? My fifth grade teacher claimed to have invented it but it isn't like we'd know.

It was great at improving ball juggling skills for soccer.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Nope, the only time feet got involved in 4-square was when someone was pissed off and booted the ball across the yard.

[sleepyjeff]

But in addition to that, I'd love to have a spot where pickup games of badminton and pickleball are possible.

Pickleball! One of my all time favorite games.

[Alex]

Me and my college roommate spend two or three afternoons a week playing pickleball. Way under-regarded as a game.

[Kevy Baby]

It was great at improving ball juggling skills for soccer.Nope. Played it in elementary school (which I completed in 1976).

[partial non-sequitur] Reminds me of the guy I ran into at the LA County Fair a few years ago. He was manning one of the gazillions of vendor booths. He was selling rubber stamps and had a sign claiming that he had invented thermography (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermographic_printing) (for printing - not imaging). I took great joy in ripping him a new one: that thermographic printing has existed for longer than he had been alive. He was quite upset with me (as I did this in front of several potential customers). I noticed that when I passed by his booth later in the day, the sign was down [/partial non-sequitur]

[MouseWife]

We had a tether-ball in our yard, too. That was cool. There were a lot of us kids so my dad tried to create fun for us at home. We had the mandatory swingset {which my brother flipped over when I was on it}, the volleyball net, a basketball hoop, as well as tennis rackets and raquetball rackets. Of course, none official sized areas and of course, I never mastered a single one. Oh, I forget croquet.

All of this talk reminds me of a movie, is it 'The Twilight Zone', where the old people come out at night and play?

[katiesue]

My Mom still has a teatherball pole in her garden. We used it some but its on dirt so it doesn't work quite the same.

[Kevy Baby]

Oh, and even though I was taller than most, I too hated tetherball

[Betty]

I love badmitton. It was finally a sport that I was naturally good at and beat pretty much everyone else in girl's gym playing. That's saying something as I hated P.E. - probably because I was chubby and usually didn't play very well...

In College I even took a badmitton class - which about half way through I managed to somehow trip and break my ankle. That ended by badmitton days.

I recently bought a summer fun pack of lawn toys and badmitton was included. The f-ing net is so complicated to put up I read and re-read the directions a few times, tried it this way and that, went inside for a drink and never got any farther.

Someday I'll play again - makes me want to go give that damn net another try.

[cirquelover]

All of this talk reminds me of a movie, is it 'The Twilight Zone', where the old people come out at night and play?

I remember that too! Was it Cocoon, maybe?

[BarTopDancer]

Do we need a LoT picnic somewhere with racquetball courts (to play handball, of course)?

[MouseWife]

I remember that too! Was it Cocoon, maybe?


I thought 'Cocoon' as well but something is picking at me that it was perhaps from the Twilight Zone movie...but it's been so long since I've seen either!


LOL BtD, that would be fun to watch. ;0) {I was never good at any sport with eye hand coordination....}

[Alex]

Yes, there is an episode of Twilight Zone where all the old people go out and play kick the can.

In fact, the episode is titled "Kick the Can (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0734583/)"

[cirquelover]

Thank you Alex!

[Lauragar]

I generally didn't try to catch the ball because I threw like a girl and wasn't likely to have much success there. It was more fun to just try and be last standing on my team. Though if I could get a ball to hold and deflect other balls that might be done.

But in addition to that, I'd love to have a spot where pickup games of badminton and pickleball are possible.

Alex,

What is pickleball? I have never hear of it.

[Alex]

Imagine a ping pong table blown up to tennis court size so that you can play standing on the table. Now play your giant ping pong using slightly enlarged paddles and a wiffleball. Essentially it is what you'd end up with if you bred table tennis with regular tennis.

The nature of the ball allows for wicked spin but its lightness prevents it from moving super fast through the air.

Start here (http://www.usapa.org/whatis_pball/index.php) for more information. It was invented in Washington so may have been over-represented in Washington school PE programs. But it was one of my favorites.

[Moonliner]

Imagine a ping pong table blown up to tennis court size so that you can play standing on the table. Now play your giant ping pong using slightly enlarged paddles and a wiffleball. Essentially it is what you'd end up with if you bred table tennis with regular tennis.

The nature of the ball allows for wicked spin but its lightness prevents it from moving super fast through the air.

Start here (http://www.usapa.org/whatis_pball/index.php) for more information. It was invented in Washington so may have been over-represented in Washington school PE programs. But it was one of my favorites.

A pickleball court is much smaller than a tennis court.

[Alex]

Yes, by official rules. But in giving a sense of the game I wasn't worried about exact dimensions.

We usually played on tennis courts in high school because we usually played outdoors and those were the courts that existed. With my college roommate we usually played on proper courts since the University of Washington had permanent indoor pickleball courts set up in the Intramural Activities building.

When pressed though we'd also play on volleyball courts, which are also larger than pickelball with the net removed if it couldn't be lowered (and an honor system for calling when the ball would have hit the net).

[Alex]

Oh, when we did play on tennis courts it we played inside the singles width and within the service boxes, which made it approximately the same size as a pickleball court (a bit wider and a bit shorter). The no-volley zone was either honor system or marked with cones.

[Disneyphile]

I so need some recess time. Sign me up. :D

[BDBopper]

One of my favorite games from school was a game in which the clas was divided into two teams and a ball was placed in the middle of the field. E ach team had their own of the field. Each porton of the game involved one person from each team racing to the middle of the field to get the ball. Whoever got it would run to their end of the field while the other team's player would try to tag the player with the ball out. If the player with the ball reached his team's zone that player's team would get a point.

I think the game was called Catch the Bacon or something. I know the name involved bacon.

[Betty]

Steal the Bacon - and we did it with erasers.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Steal the Bacon - and we did it with erasers.
:eek: OMG, how could I forget steal the bacon-eraser?! That was my favorite!

[Alex]

I enjoyed "Smear the Queer" too, even though I also was generally not very good at it.

At the time we were told that "queer" in the name simply meant queer as in being the odd one (in other words, "it"). I have no idea if that is true or if it was homophobic (online resources don't seem to agree). But I suppose it would be best to change the name if it were played at adult recess.

[Kevy Baby]

But I suppose it would be best to change the name if it were played at adult recess.Actually, with this group, it would apt to be more accurate.

[Disneyphile]

Should I land some paying gigs soon, I'm so buying the parachute and throwing a beach party so we can all play. :)