Sports & Games in the Colonial Era
by Amanda Peterson

Just like today, settlers of the pre-American colonies enjoyed sports and games. Cards were quite popular, as was hunting, fishing, and animal fights, which are now illegal. Sports, however, were mostly confined to males, while women stood at the sidelines as spectators.

Some popular games included Blind Man’s Bluff, where players spin around a blindfolded person and stand in a circle, waiting for him to catch one of them; Hunt the Slipper, in which players sit in a circle and secretly pass around a slipper (or other object) for the hunter to find; and Ring Taw, a marble game in which the object is to throw your marble and hit another.

Americans enjoyed marbles, billards (for the wealthy), gambling, and card games, such as cribbage, poker (called “put”), king of queens, and ace of hearts. Ninepins, an early version of bowling, and bowls, similar to boccie ball, were invented, too.

Newspapers advertised a variety of children’s toys. Puzzles, toy watches, baby dolls, and tea sets were among them. Though most children’s playthings were homemade, they were occasionally treated to a store-bought item. Historian Jane Caron said that “the favorite toy of little girls” was a tea set, second only to dolls.

Modern baseball may have its roots within colonial culture. Ball games were very popular. An early version of the Little League had boys with sticks hitting and catching balls; George Washington, later the first President of the newly formed United States, was reported to have “relaxed by playing catch with his staff.” Continental soldiers, too, passed time by tossing about a ball, often “walking miles to find a level playing field.”

Despite hunting being reserved for the gentry back in England, colonists embraced it. The woods were full of animals and, in most cases, supper on the table was dependent on the day’s catch. Bloody fights, such as between dogs, roosters, and rats, were spectator activities. This was eventually outlawed and still remains illegal today. Wrestling, target practice, and war games were also common. This allowed citizens to show off their skills and to train for future battles.

As you can see, much of the games and sports we know today were, in essence, appreciated even back then. With just a little bit of a peek into the past, you can see how those early days shaped the culture that encompasses America today.