Out To Play

Red Rover – It would have been where we got into 2 teams and we had to hold hands and then we would have chanted you know, red rover, red rover. We call and then we would call somebody from the other team over and they would have to try and break through our arms... One time my friend fell into the wall and had to get stitches in her chin and that sort of put a stop to that game. Gemma Vaughan In the playground there were bikes, hula hoops, tricycles and even bowls that you spin around in. These were all fun to play with. We had an adventure playground built when we were in P3 and we got the honour of being the fi rst class to ever go on it. At break and lunch time the older children who act as “buddies” came up to our playground to help look after us and help us.

Rebecca Casement, Downpatrick Primary School P7

I play with my best friend in the playground. I like to play skipping in the playground. It‛s quite fun skipping when it‛s fast.

Julia Patterson, P5 Millisle Primary School

We kicked the football about, at diff erent times of the year. For example, you probably played marbles and then maybe round Halloween time you played with the conkers. Maybe Grand National time you would have had piggy backs like riding a horse… In the school it was football probably and maybe tig or rounders or that type of ball game.

George Ca rey

Th ere was a time when everybody brought their marbles to school for a few weeks and we played these marble games. And you know some people had many marbles that their parents had bought them. Th en there were others, me included, we didn’t have very many, we just saved them from year to year because we knew the marble time would come. I remember the privilege of being the older girl and going down to help the little ones, and loved that – the responsibility of being able to show them how to play these games. We had loved them ourselves and we loved to go and show them to the little ones who were very impressed that we could throw these two tennis balls.

Gill Kimpton

When I was in P1 we played skipping and we also played with the hula hoops and cars. Sometimes we got to climb on the jungle gym with its climbing frame, tyres and the wobble bench which was my favourite. All the boys and girls play together which is great most of the time. During the summer, we can go down the grassy bank and make daisy chains. Jordyn Wilson, P7 Downpatrick Primary School

1979 School Yard Convent of Mercy Primary school

14 OUT TO PLAY

Th e school had a big green to the left hand side and you used to play “Churchy one over”, where you got say maybe 6 or 7 fellas on each side. One stood against the wall and he made like a wee horse. One up against each other, like a rugby scrum and then in a straight line and everybody else had to get on top. You had to jump up and if they kept you up, that was good, but if you fell they had to split you out again. It was just simple but it was good fun.

Mervyn O’Neill

Having great fun in the playground, Downpatrick Primary School

I like to play penalty shots in the playground.

Kyle McClean, P5 Millisle Primary School

We have a fabulous play park in our playground. I like it in the play park. It‛s fun. I especially like the climbing wall. Ben Lally,P5 Millisle Primary School

German jumps: we had elastic bands all strung together and 2 people would have had the elastic bands around their ankles and then you jumped over and pulled the elastic bands and made diff erent shapes with the elastic bands. Th en you went home and put 2 dining room chairs out to practice before you came back another day so that you got better at it.

Gillian Mc Gimpsey

In P1 I played with the buddies and my big cousin, James Dean. We played catch the buddies and skipping. Now I am a buddy and I look after the P1s, P2s and P3s. When I was in P1 we had a different adventure playground which was very old. Our new adventure playground has a climbing frame, slide and even a wobbly bridge.

Ellie McCreesh, Downpatrick Primary School P7

I remember playtime being fun. Another thing I loved to play with was the parachute. The parachute has lots of colours and is in the shape of a circle. The game was to keep the ball on the parachute but it was too hard. It was a marvellous game.

Claudia Fitzpatrick, P7 Downpatrick Primary School

Having great fun on sports day, Millisle

OUT TO PLAY 15

I miss the bubble game – which is “chasies” but there is two dens. Tiernan O‛Neill, Our Lady and St Patrick Primary School

At the top end, they would have been playing cricket. On the wall they would have just drawn the stumps on the wall. We would have a ball and bat and there was half the wall where a lot of the boys sat along the top of the wall waiting to come in to bat. One of the greatest cricketers Downpatrick ever had was Noel Ferguson, and Noel went to the school with me. And Noel was the man who you wanted to bat. He was very good. As I say if you were picked, you liked to be picked for Noel’s team because you knew you were going to be on a winner. ... He went on to play for Ireland.

Joe Mc Comb, Southwell School

I remember in P1 Andreanna and I used to play tag and mini moto cars and sometimes we still play these games until this very day ... if you don‛t you will lose your imagination skills.

Chelsea McCabe, P7 Downpatrick Primary School

I don’t remember there being equipment for us to play with as such. I do just remember playing tag and spies. I remember the girls would be in groups and we would spy round the corners at each other and try to catch each other and things like that. I see children doing it in the playground now and it just reminds me of that you know.

Hazel Mc Crea, Millisle Primary School

On a wet day break we play with puppets. We play cool math games on the computer and I love it, so it‛s not too bad to have a wet break-time!

James Reid, P5 Millisle Primary School

I play chasies or dodge ball in the playground. Jake Donaldson, P5 Millisle Primary School

16 OUT TO PLAY Marbles: I remember just always standing watching them and then when I was asking could I have marbles I was told they were just for boys.

Rita Gamble

P1 enjoying outside play, Downpatrick Primary