Four square

The other day, a friend asked me if I knew the game four square and I figured it must be an upstate thing or something because I had never heard of it. Today, while visiting with my dad, I asked him. "You're old," I said, "maybe you've heard of this game." Not four square, said the old man, it's box ball. Oooohhhh, now I get it. Box ball. So he and my sister started arguing about the physics of the game and the proper strategies and how to get your opponent out and, well, who cares? My oldest told them that's not how you play the game at all! You have a square with four numbered squares inside it and people stand on the numbers and take turns bouncing the ball to each other. Huh? That sounds super boring and nothing like the kinds of game the kids I know play at recess! My dad did know what Wall Ball is, even though I had just heard of it recently. Apparently, it's like handball. I don't know why they don't just call it handball. One kid was explaining it to me and I thought it sounded like Butts Up - the game where if you miss the ball, you have to run to the wall before someone pegs you with the ball. Ouch, right? The kid didn't think that sounded like a very fun game. It's a lot more fun when you're the one throwing the ball and a lot less fun when you're getting pegged! How about Flys Up, dad asked, when you throw the ball against the curb and.... um, dad, there are no curbs around here. And, come to think of it, I don't think I've seen a stickball game in at least a decade. What's going on? Since when did wall ball become the game of choice? I've got to get myself over to school at recess one day and see what the deal is. All these kids with soccer balls and skateboards and lacrosse sticks. This is not what I am used to. When I was a kid, we didn't even have grass at our school - we played on the blacktop. I guess it made us more creative. Back then, kids played basketball or dodge ball. We've got to get dodge ball back. Kids need that in their lives, don't they? I just bought my girls a Chinese jump rope. And I'm going to go outside and teach them to clap to Rockin' Robin. My oldest can jump double dutch and the little one digs hopscotch. I'm getting the urban into them little by little.