Figure 1.--Here children perform St. George slaying the dragon in their father's enacuately manucured back garden. Thus was more of a staged patomine in front of adults rather than role playing that the children engaged in which was more commonly oursued just among the boys thenselves. Rarely were girls involved. This was because the boys had no interest in playing with the girls and the girls were uninterested in the boys' silly ganes.

Younger boys before they get into sports enjoyed role playing. In America that was cowboys abd Indians, cops and robbers, and war. I had some neat World War II artifacts to go along with this. We are not sure what ganes English boys played. There are many possibilities, King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable, Robin Hood, Romans and Celts, Wellingon and Napoleon, etc. These games were played unsupevised at a time when children were not constantly under adult supervision. Parents were not all that interested in constantly controlling what kids got uo to. We are guessing that with the advent of the movies and television that English boys began playing the same games as Americans boys, especially cowboys and Indians and war. Most boys preferred the the shoot-en up American movies than the usually more sedate, thoughful English films. What boy does not appreciate big bangs to thinking. We recall how English overseas evacuee boys in 1940 were hoping to see some Red Indians when they got on the train from Canada to America. . Hopefully our English readers will provide some details on the games they played. One reader writes, " I had a lot of fun with this game. It was a chasing game with lots of running about firing cap guns or making shooting noises with you mouth. If you were 'killed' you fell to the or usung a stickfloor awaiting being tigged and brought back to life where you rejoined the game. Don't recall being dressed in an outfit but some wore cowboy hats and had a holster. Some had a two shooter could do fancy displays of twirling the cap guns around your trigger finger. acting death was a heart and could take several minutes of gymnastic contortions before saying a dying declaration and kicking the bucket. If not a cap gun then a stick and failing that bending fingers to make the shape of a gun. Adults who wished their children not to have toy guns eventually gave up when the forbidden toy resulted in their children making an alternative with Lego, making a cardboard gun." We believe that this role playing has declined in recent years. Boys are today far more suprvised, mostky by mothers who, have conducted a rigorous disarmament program. Modern kids do not have toy guns like boys which are seen as essential in playing Cowboys and Induans and War. In addition mother's intrusive supervision discotaged such violent ganes. Fiec wahr eve reason, boys peederred these games to be conducted in private away fromn prying eyes. As a result they are today much less common. And there is also the difficult competition with video games.

Ages

Younger boys before they get into sports enjoyed role playing.

Chronology

We are niot sure what role playing famnes boys olayed over time. There are many possibilities, King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable, Robin Hood, Romans and Celts, Wellingon and Napoleon, etc. All of our information comes from the 20th century.

Themes

In America that was cowboys abd Indians, cops and robbers, and war. I had some neat World War II artifacts to go along with this. These games were played unsupevised at a time when children were not constantly under adult supervision. Parents were not all that interested in constantly controlling what kids got uo to. We are guessing that with the advent of the movies and television that English boys began playing the same games as Americans boys, especially cowboys and Indians and war. Most boys preferred the the shoot-en up American movies than the usually more sedate, thoughful English films. What boy does not appreciate big bangs to thinking. We recall how English overseas evacuee boys in 1940 were hoping to see some Red Indians when they got on the train from Canada to America. .

Cops and Robbers

This aopears to have beeb a dustinctly American theme.

Cowboys and Indians

One reader writes, " I had a lot of fun with this game. It was a chasing game with lots of running about firing cap guns or making shooting noises with you mouth. If you were 'killed' you fell to the or usung a stickfloor awaiting being tigged and brought back to life where you rejoined the game. Don't recall being dressed in an outfit but some wore cowboy hats and had a holster. Some had a two shooter could do fancy displays of twirling the cap guns around your trigger finger. acting death was a heart and could take several minutes of gymnastic contortions before saying a dying declaration and kicking the bucket. If not a cap gun then a stick and failing that bending fingers to make the shape of a gun. Adults who wished their children not to have toy guns eventually gave up when the forbidden toy resulted in their children making an alternative with Lego, making a cardboard gun."

War

A reader writes,,"My mates and I played War too. Similar to Cow boys and Indians except we threw dirt bombs which were supposed to be hand grenades. There was a disused stone quarry where we use to play. There was a lake we called a delph. We sailed wooded planks which we pretended to be were German pocket Battle ships. We dropped stones and clay bombs from the higher ground and had a good hour of warfare. Lots of the running about fighting stories were inspired by the films we saw at the cinema."

Modern Trends

We believe that this role playing has declined in recent years. Boys are today far more suprvised, mostky by mothers who, have conducted a rigorous disarmament program. Modern kids do not have toy guns like boys which are seen as essential in playing Cowboys and Induans and War. In addition mother's intrusive supervision discotaged such violent ganes. Fiec wahr eve reason, boys peederred these games to be conducted in private away fromn prying eyes. As a result they are today much less common. And there is also the difficult competition with video games.

Created: 9:58 PM 5/1/2020
Last updated: 4:32 PM 5/4/2020