11 Games We All Used To Play As Kids In Irish Primary Schools

1. Red Rover

“Red Rover, Red Rover, we call Paul over!” Many an arm was sprained and friendships broken over this schoolyard stampede.

2. Tip The Can

The adrenaline rush of being the hero who says “I free all”. Tip the can was the true test of bravery as a kid – would you make the dash to free your friends?

3. IRA

This violent game of beating people until they gave up their letters is surely banned in schools now, right? Although let’s be honest, this was everyone’s favourite game to to play.

4. Rounders

Such skill, such co-ordination. A lunchtime friendly game for everyone. Everyone who actually got picked for the team, that is…

5. Stuck In The Mud

God forbid you fall over when someone is squeezing through your widespread legs in an attempt to ‘unstick’ you. The levels of betrayal felt when someone unstuck your friend before you were DEEP.

6. Kiss Chase

This game lead us to believe that kissing the opposite sex was a simple matter of effort and determination. How wrong we were – this did not prepare us up for future dating rejection.

7. Conkers

Many a kid’s knuckles have never quite been the same since that glorious giant chestnut summer of 2003. RIP skin, you made a valiant sacrifice.

8. Elastics

“England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales… inside, outside, inside, scales.” Oh how we envied those girls who didn’t get tangled up in elastic ropes.

9. Bulldog

The older and more life-threatening version of Red Rover, Bulldog (or British Bulldog, depending on how far your school was from the border), was the reason behind at least one child’s tears in the yard on a daily basis.

10. Kerbs

There was always one show-off who could slam the ball into the kerb with their back turned or through their legs. And yes, we are still jealous.

11. Pogs

Those plastic circles of destruction taught us how to barter and gamble. Of course, metal ones were banned nationwide after that probably false rumour that a kid in Galway lost an eye. 

Header image: Pinterest 

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