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Before PlayStations and TikTok took over, childhood in rural Jamaica was filled with laughter, scraped knees and endless imagination. Our playground was the yard, the lane or the schoolyard, and our toys were whatever we could find: coconut branches turned into cricket bats, bottle caps as racing cars and colourful marbles glistening under the guinep tree. Those simple games bonded neighbours and built lifelong friendships.
Some of the most memorable yard games were passed down from older siblings. We played dandy shandy with makeshift balls, dodging and ducking like seasoned athletes. We dug holes in the dirt for marbles and celebrated each perfect shot like it was a World Cup goal. Girls jumped rope to ring games, chanting rhymes in rhythm, while boys raced homemade cart wheels down hills or balanced barefoot on stilts fashioned from bamboo. And who could forget hide and seek at dusk? The thrill of hiding behind a mango tree while listening for the seeker’s footsteps still makes us smile.
These games weren’t just fun — they taught teamwork, strategy, agility and quick thinking. They encouraged us to solve problems and work together, all without a screen in sight. Today’s children might not climb trees or play dandy shandy, but the spirit of those old‑time yard games lives on. How many of these games do you remember? Share your favourite yard game stories and let’s remind the next generation that fun doesn’t always come with a power cord.
Ring Games: Circles of Song and Laughter
If you grew up in Jamaica, you probably remember the circles forming after lunch as the chants began: “Bull inna pen! Yuh cah come out!” or “There’s a brown girl in the ring! Sha la la la la!” Ring games are a long‑standing tradition among kids and adults. One classic is Ring‑a‑Roses — the Jamaican version of the British game “Ring Around the Roses,” where children link arms in a circle and skip around singing the rhyme. At the last line they all tumble to the ground giggling. It may be odd to see children doing this today, but in decades past it was commonplace.
Another favourite is Brown Girl in the Ring, immortalised in the song by Boney M. Children gather in a circle and chant while one person dances in the middle and then chooses someone else to take their place. These games taught rhythm, coordination and a healthy dose of confidence. Even though you might see more TikTok dances than ring games these days, the communal spirit lives on whenever friends huddle around a phone to watch the latest meme.
Marbles, Cricket and Dandy Shandy: Our Own Olympics
For many boys (and competitive girls), yard games were our first taste of sport. A good game of marbles could chase the boredom away from many summer days. You drew a circle in the dirt, scattered marbles inside and took turns flicking your shooter to knock them out. The person with the most marbles at the end claimed bragging rights until the next round. It was serious business — arguments over whether a marble was “inside” or “out” could rage for hours!
Cricket was another favourite, given a creative makeover by resourceful children. The wicket might be two rocks, the bat a coconut husk and the ball a tennis ball or “poomsy.” Kids pretended to be their cricket heroes, from Vivian Richards to Courtney Walsh. On any given afternoon you’d hear cheers echoing across the valley as someone hit an imaginary six over the neighbour’s fence.
Dandy Shandy (also called “Sight”) blended dodgeball with target practice. Two people stood facing each other and threw a stuffed juice box at players sprinting between them. The aim was to dodge the “ball” — and watch out for those with fast arms! Dandy Shandy was often a girls’ game, but boys often joined, making for chaotic fun. The game taught agility, timing and the art of laughing at yourself after a spectacular misstep.
Hide and Seek, Tag and Other Speed Challenges
When the sun dipped behind the hills, it was time for hide and seek. There was always that one child who could vanish for what felt like hours, only to pop out of an impossibly tiny space just as you were about to give up. You often wondered how they found a new hiding spot each time when the game always took place in the same yard. Hide and seek taught patience, observation and, occasionally, the value of calling a truce so everyone could go home for dinner.
For kids with energy to burn, Stuck and Freeze (also known as Tag) offered the perfect outlet. One person was “it” and chased everyone else around the yard. If they tagged you, you became “it.” Playing tag on uneven ground, dodging around trees and barrels, was our version of parkour long before that became an internet sensation.
Box Trucks and Creative Toys
Jamaican kids didn’t need expensive toys to have fun. A simple box truck — made from box drink boxes, coconut stalks and plastic bottle caps — could provide hours of entertainment. Once the truck was built, a string was tied to the front so it could be pulled along. Boys would compete to make the longest trailers and most creative cabs. This DIY spirit lives on today when kids build elaborate worlds in Minecraft or craft viral TikTok videos with nothing but imagination and household items.
Even our toy cars had style. We would race bottle caps down the driveway, each cap customised with a crayon number. Winners claimed bragging rights; losers might have to fetch snacks from the kitchen — a fair trade in our eyes.
Chiney Skip, Chinese Skip and Bull Inna Pen
Elastic bands aren’t just for sewing! Chiney (Chinese) Skip uses a long chain of elastic bands tied together. Two players stand facing each other with the band around their ankles while a third jumps in, out and on the lines. After mastering the ankle level, the band is raised to the knees and higher until only the most agile remain. Chinese Skip requires patience, balance and a good sense of humour when you inevitably tangle yourself up.
Bull Inna Pen was a strength test for larger groups. Everyone linked hands to form a circle (“the pen”) while one person (“the bull”) tried to break free. If they escaped, they had to chase down the person who let them out. The new bull then took centre stage. The game built teamwork and toughness — you needed both if you were on the receiving end of a determined bull!
Another thrilling challenge was One, Two, Three Red Light. One player turned their back and called out “one, two, three red light!” While their back was turned, everyone else crept forward. When the caller spun around, anyone caught moving had to start over. The first person to tap the caller on the back took over. It was a lesson in stealth and self‑control; if you moved too soon, your friends would laugh as you trudged back to the start.
Yard Games Hall of Fame
To recap, here’s a list of yard games that defined our childhood (and will outlast any trending meme):
- Ring‑a‑Roses — link arms, sing and tumble.
- Brown Girl in the Ring — dance in the circle and pick the next dancer.
- Marbles — pitch your shooter to collect as many marbles as possible.
- Cricket — coconut husk bats and tennis balls; channel your inner Vivian Richards.
- Dandy Shandy (Sight) — dodge a thrown juice box like a pro.
- Hide and Seek — vanish behind a mango tree and test your friends’ patience.
- Tag/Stuckie — chase until you’re out of breath.
- Box Trucks — build toy trucks from recycled materials.
- Chinese Skip — jump elastic bands higher and higher.
- Bull Inna Pen — link arms and try to break free.
- One, Two, Three Red Light — sneak up and freeze at “red light.”
Keeping the Spirit Alive
The laughter, camaraderie and creativity of these yard games shaped us into the people we are today. They taught us to cooperate, to persevere and to find joy in simple things. In a world where memes go viral and trends change overnight, there’s something timeless about a game of marbles under the guinep tree. And let’s be honest — a dramatic slow‑motion dodge in Dandy Shandy deserves its own TikTok soundtrack.
If you’re looking to reconnect with our heritage or introduce younger family members to authentic Jamaican fun, why not organise a yard games day? Share this post, gather some friends and pass on these traditions. And if you want more folklore and laughter, check out our article on Anansi Live On: Why Our Trickster Spider Still Matters — the legendary spider who always finds a way to outsmart his foes. Just like Anansi, our childhood games teach that creativity and wit will always trump fancy gadgets.
You can also explore detailed descriptions of these games at My Island Jamaica or read about them on Our Today. But nothing beats hearing the stories from those who lived them. So call your grandparents, your aunties and uncles, and ask them about their favourite yard game. Then log off, head outside and relive the magic yourself.
