Pastimes

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Growing up in Guyana there were many activities that kept us occupied, as children. A few of these are below but there are many others such as Bruk Neck, Bun House, Cricket in the Road, Hop Scotch, Gam and Saul Pass

1, 2, 3 red light

One person stands a few yards in front of a group and shouts out 1, 2 ,3 red light then quickly looks behind to see if anyone moves.  The object is for I of the group to get to the person and touch him/her without being seen.  The lucky person is then given the opportunity to be the ‘caller’.

Chinee Skipping

This is a different type of skipping which involves 3 people – 2 to hold the ‘rope’ around their ankles and 1 to perform the actions. (The ‘rope’ was made out of strips of rubber – bicycle tubing – and knotted together.) 2 people would stand apart with the rubber ‘rope’ around their ankles while a 3rd would perform a series of actions with the rubber at different levels. E.g. the actions would be performed when the rubber is around the ankles of the 2 persons and if done without errors then they would progress to knees, waist and so on.

Catcha/Tag

One person is " it," and his/her job is to touch someone else (usually a group is chased). When you are touched by the person who is " it," you immediately become " it." Now, it's your job to tag someone else. The game usually continues until everyone decides to stop, or until a predetermined number of people have become "it."

Dog & the Bone

Split a group in two with one group on each side of the playing area along a line. Place a ball/beanbag (the bone) in the middle of the playing area. Each team must be numbered 1 to 12 (change this depending on group size). A neutral person calls out a no. and 2 people from opposing sides with the same no. run up to the ‘bone’ to try and snatch it. Whoever runs ‘home’ with the bone without being touched/caught scores a point for their team.  The game goes on until everyone has had a turn.

War Break

Again, this needs 2 opposing sides.  A person is nominated to shout “War Break” and the 2 sides armed with toy guns set about trying to annihilate each other.

 

There’s a Coloured Girl in the Ring/ Brown Girl in the Ring

 

A group of girls forms a ring by holding hands and sings these words below while dancing.  During the singing 1 person goes in the middle of the ring and dances in her own unique style.  At the last verse the person in the middle chooses 1 person, part of the ring, to hug and kiss and then it’s that person’s turn to dance in the middle.  This continues until everyone has a turn.

 

“There’s a coloured girl in the ring, tralalalala

There’s a coloured girl in the ring, tralalalala

There’s a coloured girl in the ring, tralalalala

For she loves sugar and I love plum.”

 

“Show me your motion, tralalalala

Show me your motion, tralalalala

Show me your motion, tralalalala

For she loves sugar and I love plum.”

 

“Then hug and kiss your partner, tralalalala

Then hug and kiss your partner, tralalalala

Then hug and kiss your partner, tralalalala

For she loves sugar and I love plum.”