“Well [pause] well rock paper scissors is so when we go like theres a fire drill if were board we play rock paper scissors …and we do it like tournament …and when the last person is out we start all over again.”
This game has survived many generations. I can recall playing this as a child however slightly different in that the kids pound their fist three times saying “shoot” while their hands take the shape of one of the three items.
My third grade informant from McKinley Elementary described a game commonly played on the playground.
“Well double 007 well you have to um do your hands on your thighs like this, then you put your hands back like this to reload …you can cross your hands like this to block them…shoot. If you shoot while someone is reloading they lose.” How many people can play at a time? “only two….and…we take turns.”
007 is a game my informant recently learned from one of his female classmates. The game is very similar to rock paper scissors because it is a combination of hand movements and sayings. The game is played by repeating the phrase Double O seven. While saying the word double both hands hit the legs, while they say “o” both hands hit the leg again. Then when they say seven hands either shoot back representing a reload, cross arms with hands on shoulder representing a shield, or both ands shoot forward. I asked my informer if he what “007” was he said? “No”
My third grade informant from McKinley Elementary described what he and his schoolmates call the “shoemaker”. When asked what the shoe maker is my informer described?
“You have to call it…and the person that calls it [first] is the shoemaker [before playing a group game] everyone puts one foot in [a circle] and the shoe maker goes around saying something like ‘any minnie mini moo catch a tiger by its toe…’ Last person that’s in [the circle] is it.”
A shoemaker is the person with temporary authority to choose the tagger for the game tag. Anyone is allowed to become the shoemaker. The position is held right before a group activity.
My third grade informant from McKinley Elementary described a game commonly played during recess and lunch.
“You go 1, 2, 3, 4… you skip 5 and go to 6, 7, 8… And you skip whatever number with a five… And if you say it your out.”
My informer and I played the game. We each alternated calling out numbers skipping any number with a five, until reaching one-hundred. According to my informant this game can be played by any number of people. Sometimes the game is repeated until only one person is left. If more than one person is left standing it’s a tie. My informer revealed learning the game years ago and not knowing the name. However he enjoyed it as pastime.
My informant a twenty-two year old native of Massachusetts revealed that in her family, there is a known monster called the Cigar Man. He is quite similar to the Boogeyman and was created when the youngest grandchild of the family, who is now eight, refused to believe in the Boogeyman. This was much more believable because there are people who actual smoke cigars and the children were more willing to believe in the cigar man. He was concocted to in order to scare children into behaving.