10 games kids play in the 90s that don’t involve Apple or Android

Last Updated on 2016-09-27 , 3:02 pm

Back in the 90s, it was understood that “Apple” referred to a fruit and the word “Android” was not invented until over a decade later.

Today, especially for the Generation Z, we can’t imagine our lives without our iPhones or Android devices. Even without such digital devices, kids of the 90s were not at all bored and grew up with some of the best games ever. Here are 10 of them.

Block Catching
It wasn’t PE that kept most of the kids lean and fit, but rather the catching games that they played. To play this, you and your group of friends had to divide yourselves into two teams–one being the police and the other the thieves. You’ll know who played catching during recess as they’ll usually return extremely sweaty and stink up the whole room.

Tamagotchi
The Japanese pet game that took the world by storm. Almost every kid wanted one. Kids would bring their Tamagotchi to class because they had to feed their pets when they were hungry or clean their digital poop. Many devices were confiscated by teachers during class.

Five Stones
Consisting of five small triangular cloth bags, you throw these into the air while sweeping up the remaining ones below. This was a game of skill and could be played anywhere at any time. Some of the kids even made their own five stones that were either filled with beans or rice.

Hopscotch
This was one of the most popular games that was played during recess time. You had to run from class to “chope” it before others beat you to it. Basically, your throw a small item (the popular choice was wallets) into the boxes and then you hop on either one or both legs to retrieve it.

Chopsticks
No, not the ones that you used to eat noodles with. Your fingers were the “chopsticks” and you had to try to defeat your opponent by adding more “chopsticks” to their hands until it exceeded the maximum number.

Old Maid, Happy Family, Snap, Donkey
What happy memories these card games brought back. Each set of card game had its own rules and were pretty straightforward. They helped to pass time and are usually played after exams or during class gatherings.

Snakes and Ladders
This game never gets old and the beautiful illustrations told a simple story of what happens when the children met a snake or ladder.

Pickup Sticks
This was a fun but frustrating game, especially when your friends would take forever to pick up the stick during their turn. However, when it’s your turn, you ultimately take just as long as them because one slight wrong movement could cause you your turn.

String Game
No one had a name for this. If you wanted to play, all you had to do was to go up to your friend and dangle the string in front of them. It was fun seeing all the complicated patterns that different techniques brought about.

Pepsi Cola 123
This game was the culprit behind many dirty shoes. You had to eliminate your friends by stepping on their shoes. Definitely not a mother-approved game since spanking white school shoes would become grey from all the stepping.