Back in Time Today
Remember when recess was the wild west of childhood? Back in the 1960s, playground time wasn’t just fun – it was downright dangerous!
Before helicopter parenting and safety regulations, kids faced playground perils that would make today’s parents faint.
These popular games combined thrilling risk with the perfect recipe for disaster, eventually leading schools across America to ban them one by one.
1. Dodgeball
Rubber balls flying at breakneck speeds became the ultimate playground weapon. Kids would target the weakest players, turning what should’ve been innocent fun into a calculated assault.
The real excitement came from the psychological warfare – knowing you were the last target standing while five opponents loaded up their throws. Many schools finally pulled the plug after too many bloody noses and crying children were sent to the nurse’s office.
The ’60s version had no soft foam balls – just hard rubber that left welts and bruises as badges of playground courage or humiliation.
2. Red Rover
“Red Rover, Red Rover, send Jimmy right over!” The battle cry that launched countless emergency room visits echoed across playgrounds nationwide. Two lines of children, arms linked in death grips, formed human chains while runners charged full-speed hoping to break through.
Kids would strategically call the largest players to crash into the weakest links. The resulting collisions sent children flying, arms twisting unnaturally, and occasionally bones snapping.
Schools eventually realized inviting children to become human battering rams wasn’t the brightest idea, especially when parents started questioning why their kids came home with dislocated shoulders.
3. Jungle Gyms (The Steel Kind)
Gleaming steel death traps disguised as playground equipment towered over concrete or packed dirt. No safety padding, no rounded edges – just cold metal bars rising 10-15 feet high, practically begging for gravity-related accidents.
Children dangled upside-down by their knees, performed daredevil stunts, and played tag atop these skeletal structures. The crowning achievement was reaching the very top, where kings and queens of the playground held court until inevitably losing their grip.
Falls were common and spectacular, with kids bouncing off multiple bars on their way down. The resulting concussions, broken collarbones, and fractured wrists finally convinced schools to dismantle these monuments to danger.
4. Tetherball
A heavy ball attached to a rope became a weapon of mass destruction in small hands. Players whacked it with all their might, sending it whirling around the pole at face-level speeds.
Bloody noses were common when the ball made unexpected contact with unsuspecting faces. The rope itself caused nasty burns when children grabbed it mid-swing to stop opponents’ shots.
The real danger came from competitive play – kids would swing wildly, occasionally hitting each other instead of the ball. Schools eventually removed tetherball poles after too many black eyes, rope burns, and finger injuries convinced administrators this seemingly innocent game was actually a playground hazard in disguise.
5. Swing Jumping
The humble swing set transformed into a launching pad for amateur daredevils. Kids would pump their legs frantically, reaching maximum height before hurling themselves through the air like tiny human projectiles.
Distance was everything – champions earned playground fame by clearing impressive lengths. Landing zones featured no cushioning whatsoever – just hard-packed dirt, gravel, or concrete awaiting impact.
Schools banned this activity after witnessing one too many spectacular crashes resulting in broken ankles, dislocated knees, and occasional head injuries. Parents wondered why their children returned home with mysteriously torn clothes and unexplained limps after what should have been innocent playground time.
6. King of the Hill
Survival of the fittest played out atop slides, dirt mounds, or any elevated surface where one child claimed dominance while others attempted to dethrone them. The game quickly devolved into shoving matches with kids tumbling down in spectacular fashion.
Victory meant holding your position through brute force while challengers climbed up only to be forcefully rejected. Playground hierarchies were established through this primitive display of childhood dominance.
Scraped knees were just the beginning – concussions and broken wrists eventually led to bans. Schools realized encouraging children to physically dominate each other might not align with educational values, especially when crying children regularly lined up outside the principal’s office.
7. Monkey Bars
Metal bars arranged in ladder-like formations created the perfect setting for childhood injuries. Suspended over concrete or gravel surfaces with no safety padding, these gleaming deathtraps invited children to swing, climb, and inevitably fall.
Advanced players performed tricks like skipping bars or hanging upside down by their knees. The unmistakable crack of a wrist hitting the ground below became a familiar playground sound.
Parents grew tired of casting their children’s broken arms throughout summer vacation. Schools eventually replaced these metal menaces with safer equipment after liability concerns mounted and medical professionals began questioning why so many identical injuries kept appearing during recess time.
8. Merry-Go-Rounds
Massive metal discs became centrifugal nightmares when powered by determined children. The strongest kids would grip the bars and run alongside until reaching maximum speed before jumping aboard the spinning platform.
Riders clung desperately to metal bars while their bodies were pulled outward by physics. Those who lost their grip became human projectiles, launching across playgrounds with impressive distance but terrible landing outcomes.
The real danger came when children stuck limbs underneath while the platform was moving, resulting in crushed fingers and broken bones. Schools eventually removed these dizzying dangers after realizing spinning children at unsafe speeds over hard surfaces was a lawsuit waiting to happen.
9. Slap Boxing / Mercy
Organized combat disguised as games flourished in unsupervised playground corners. Slap boxing featured children taking turns striking each other’s faces with open palms while spectators formed rings around the combatants.
Mercy involved two participants interlocking fingers and twisting until someone surrendered from pain. These primitive tests of endurance often ended with sprained fingers, red-marked faces, and bruised egos.
Teachers eventually caught wind of these underground fight clubs when winners strutted too proudly and losers couldn’t hide their injuries. Schools banned these activities after realizing they were essentially sanctioning violence among students, especially when parents questioned why their children returned home with unexplained facial marks.
10. Hopscotch on Asphalt
Chalk squares on blistering hot asphalt created the perfect recipe for skinned knees and chipped teeth. Children hopped across numbered patterns, inevitably tripping and face-planting onto unforgiving surfaces.
Summer heat turned blacktop into scorching griddles that burned exposed skin on contact. Falls weren’t just painful – they were potentially scarring as rough pavement scraped away layers of skin.
While the game itself survived, many schools eventually moved hopscotch to grassy areas or installed rubber surfaces after too many bloodied children visited the nurse’s office. Parents questioned why their kids returned home with gravel embedded in their palms and holes worn through the knees of new pants.
11. Jump Rope Fights (Double Dutch Gone Rogue)
Innocent jump ropes transformed into weapons when boredom struck. What started as traditional jumping games evolved into mock duels with children whipping each other with the plastic or rope ends.
The stinging pain from a well-aimed jump rope strike left welts on exposed skin. Some particularly devious kids would wet the rope ends to increase the impact and resulting pain.
Playground supervisors eventually caught on when jump rope sessions produced more tears than jumps. Schools confiscated ropes or implemented strict supervision after discovering these improvised weapons were being used for underground playground combat leagues rather than their intended skipping purpose.
12. Snowball Fights
Winter wonderlands became battlegrounds when snow fell on school grounds. Innocent-looking white projectiles often concealed rocks, ice chunks, or other dangerous surprises packed inside by mischievous hands.
Some dedicated warriors prepared ammunition the night before, storing snowballs in freezers to create ice missiles for the next day’s combat. Face shots were celebrated with particular enthusiasm, despite the resulting tears and occasional blood.
Schools finally banned these frozen skirmishes after too many children returned from recess with blackened eyes and cut faces. Parents grew tired of hearing “but it was just snow” explanations while treating their children’s winter battle wounds.
13. Sliding Headfirst
Metal slides baking under summer sun didn’t deter daredevils from racing down headfirst. Children would climb to the top, flip onto their stomachs, and launch themselves down the scorching chute with arms extended like Superman.
The resulting face-first landings in gravel or dirt produced spectacular injuries. Burns from hot metal surfaces added another layer of danger as bare skin stuck to slides that had been cooking in 90-degree heat.
Schools eventually installed plastic slides and added safety rules after one too many children needed stitches from dramatic crash landings. The ultimate playground status symbol wasn’t just going down headfirst – it was doing so on the tallest slide without crying upon impact.