The traditional games of New York City are one of the notable aspects of New York City's culture; many of them were brought over by the diverse mix of immigrants that settled in New York City, particularly from Europe. Many of these games used street furniture and other features of New York City's high urban density and were therefore also played in other cities of the United States. Most of these games have declined or disappeared in the modern era.
History
Traditional games historically played a significant role in street life in New York City. During the 1900s, efforts were made to push children away from the dangers of street traffic and towards playing on newly built playgrounds, with the objective of avoiding certain unwanted behaviors (such as spreading glass so that cars couldn't drive on the streets). Another hope was to improve immigrant assimilation, which was considered important during a large wave of immigration to the United States. There were also concerns of children being liable to become criminals or mingle too much with adults. However, racial integration was not pursued as thoroughly; in the 1930s, New York City built 255 playgrounds, only 2 of which were in black neighborhoods. "Play streets" were also implemented, closing off certain streets to allow children to safely play in them.
Traditional games
Double Dutch
Skully
Variations of baseball
Baseball has historically been one of the most popular sports in New York City, and so several street variations of it appeared over time. Playing street variations of baseball was a way for immigrants to assimilate and join American life without having to spend the money required to participate in regular baseball.
Stickball
Punchball
Stoop ball
Variations of tag
Ringolevio
See also
- New York Street Games
References
