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no_hypocrisy

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80. I actually found recess to be a waste of my time.

Mon Mar 9, 2026, 04:50 AM

Monday

In elementary school, I despised the little girls who had nothing better to do during recess than to walk around the playground, holding the hand of the Principal or the hands of those who were holding the hand of the Principal.

I eschewed the swings, the sliding pond, hop-scotch, the jungle gym, tag, etc. I looked forward to winter where we had indoor recess where I could read.

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debm55

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What was your favorite activity during outdoor recess? Mine was jumping rope. What was yours? [View all] debm55 Mar 6 OP

Red Rover... MiHale Mar 6 #1

Thank you, MiHale. I played it a couple of times. My school banned it too. It was rough. debm55 Mar 6 #2

Swinging Emile Mar 6 #3

Thank you very much for sharing, Emile. I loved to swing. We didn't have a swing set on our playgroung. You were lucky debm55 Mar 6 #6

The Jungle Gym justaprogressive Mar 6 #4

I loved that, Thank you very much for sharing with us. justaprogressive. Notice the ground--cement. My school had no debm55 Mar 6 #7

Wonder Rebl2 Mar 6 #14

I agree, Rebl2. I don't think anyone thought of it at the time. It was fun and at the time that is what matter. Things debm55 Mar 6 #16

And if/when they did, it never occurred to their parents to sue the school. It was... 3catwoman3 Sunday #74

Agree, 3catwoman3 debm55 Sunday #75

So true Rebl2 Monday #84

That spinning thing EYESORE 9001 Mar 6 #5

HAHAHAHAHHAHA. Thank you EYESORE 9001, you were the kid that that would spin it and had all the kids get sick. We didn't debm55 Mar 6 #8

Four Square Thunderbeast Mar 6 #9

I liked 4 Square. Thank you for sharing with us. Thunderbeast. debm55 Mar 6 #10

I had three Grim Chieftain Mar 6 #11

Thank you very much for sharing with us. Grim Chieftain. I like all three , also. I liked Freeze and Defrost. It was a debm55 Mar 6 #12

Hop scotch Rebl2 Mar 6 #13

Thank you very much for sharing with us. Rebl2. I remember that game fondly. debm55 Mar 6 #17

My first favorite activity I don't want to talk about Eko Mar 6 #15

Thank you very much for sharing with us. Eko. debm55 Mar 6 #18

Swinging on the swings with my two best friends Mad_Dem_X Mar 6 #19

Love it. Thank you very much for sharing with us, Mad_Dem_X. Love swinging on swings.. But had none at our school. debm55 Mar 6 #20

Playing in the Creek Behind the Playground NEOH Mar 6 #21

Oh boy. You were in trouble. Did they call your parents? debm55 Mar 6 #22

Broomball (may have been during gym). applegrove Mar 6 #23

HAHAHAHHAHA. That sounds like fun. Thank you for sharing with us, applegrove. debm55 Mar 6 #25

We also played red rover. boonecreek Mar 6 #24

Thank you boonecreek for sharing. I think all schools banned it. It was sort of rough. I played it once and only once. debm55 Mar 6 #26

My elementary school had a decorative adding to the brick wall Alpeduez21 Mar 6 #27

HAHAHHAHHAHAHA, You lived dangerously, Alpeduez21. I would be afraid to the walk around. I think the second game is debm55 Mar 6 #29

We had an old-time playground equipment called the giant strides. CrispyQ Mar 6 #28

Honestly , that looks like fun. I sure would have liked to try it. Thanks for sharing, CrispyQ. debm55 Mar 6 #30

Deb, I'm just stunned that your playground didn't have any playground equipment! CrispyQ Mar 6 #31

It was a Catholic school. No swings, slides, merry go rounds. On Sundays it was the church parking lot. I did have a debm55 Mar 6 #33

Yep. Same here for grades 1-6. The parking lot was the playground. tonekat Sunday #72

OMG , That is funny. Thank you tonekat. Someday I am going to post a OP about going to a Catholic School.---Our Lady of debm55 Sunday #73

Mine was... Alansworld Mar 6 #32

Thank you very much for sharing with us, Alansworld. That sounds like fun. debm55 Mar 6 #34

Me too! oberle Mar 6 #41

Kickball Wiz Imp Mar 6 #35

Thank you for sharing Wiz Imp.. I enjoyed playing that also. debm55 Mar 6 #37

Also jump rope Laurelin Mar 6 #36

Laurelin, thank you for your selections. I vaguely remember a recess game called 7 UP. Maybe someone will give us more debm55 Mar 6 #38

Could you do double-dutchies? viva la Mar 6 #39

HAHAHHAHAHAHA. Yes, I did do Double Dutch and Chinese jump rope. Thank you , viva la, for bringing back those memories.. debm55 Mar 6 #40

"John Paul George Ringo.... viva la Mar 6 #42

We sang that too. I would also "stop" on George. HAHAHAHHAHA. Thank you viva la debm55 Mar 6 #45

Oh, you were an intellectual! viva la Sunday #70

Thank you very much, viva la. I always liked George. He got more handsome as grew older. RIP George. debm55 Sunday #71

recess. tetherball AllaN01Bear Mar 6 #43

Thank you very much for sharing, Bear. debm55 Mar 6 #46

The Big Toy. Aristus Mar 6 #44

That's great, Aristus. Thank you for sharing.HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA debm55 Mar 6 #47

Hop scotch Figarosmom Saturday #48

Thank you very much for your recess activities, Figarosmom. I played some of them too. debm55 Saturday #50

Kickball LogDog75 Saturday #49

That's wonderful. Thank you very much for sharing, LogDog75. debm55 Saturday #52

Fist fights. NoMoreRepugs Saturday #51

Oh you, Thank you for sharing , NoMoreRepugs. debm55 Saturday #53

Another vote for swings. The swingset was very tall. It was over gravel. Diamond_Dog Saturday #54

Thank you very much ,Diamond_Dog for sharing with us. My school didn't have a playground-just a parking lot for the debm55 Saturday #60

OMG I just remembered recess at pre-school!!! Nittersing Saturday #55

Oh wow. Thank you for sharing, Nittersing. I bet that was fun, but it sounds like it could be dangerous too. debm55 Saturday #61

"Touch" football or the swings Delarage Saturday #56

Oh wow. Thank you for sharing with us, Delarage. I remember the boys playing rougher games. debm55 Saturday #62

Horse or dodgeball. paleotn Saturday #57

Thank you very much, paleotn, We played dodgeball until it was banned. What is horse? debm55 Saturday #63

I spent a lot of time.... DemMedic Saturday #58

Oh, I am so sorry. DemMedic. I was a small girl too. And got beat up by some of the bigger girls. I always wonder if debm55 Saturday #64

Dodge ball and kick ball for sports requiring equipment lark Saturday #59

Thank you very much, lark. I played until they were banned. Most of the time, students just ran around the school and debm55 Saturday #65

Chinese jumprope surrealAmerican Saturday #66

Thank you very much, surrealAmerican . I did it also. Enjoyed it. debm55 Saturday #68

Tetherball - didn't have to chase runaway balls, and jacks. Dorothy V Saturday #67

Thank you very much for sharing, Dorothy V. That is true about the balls being taken by the other kids. debm55 Saturday #69

The parachute. Groundhawg Sunday #76

Thank you very much, Groundhawg. We had a parachute at our local playground. I loved it. When I taught school. The gym debm55 Sunday #78

3rd grade, cowboys and Indians. FuzzyRabbit Sunday #77

Yes they were FuzzyRabbit. Not that way now debm55 Sunday #79

I actually found recess to be a waste of my time. no_hypocrisy Monday #80

Thank you, for sharing with us, no_hyposcrisy. I would sometimes take a book outside to read. debm55 Monday #81

Being the tallest kid with long arms....... KS Toronado Monday #82

Thank you for sharing, KS Toronado. that's great. debm55 Monday #83

KS for short works OK for me KS Toronado Monday #87

Will do. Thank you. debm55 Monday #88

That metal spinning wheel of centrifugal death. kairos12 Monday #85

Yep . I slid off of it once at the local playground and into the gravel. Older kid was spinning it. Never went on again. debm55 Monday #86

The public elementary school I attended didn't have recess. La Coliniere Monday #89

That is a neat idea--to go home for your and having an hour to eat, watch TV . read, etc. Congratulations on answering a debm55 Monday #90