Fun and Games

What kinds of indoor activities did you (or your parents) use to keep busy during those hot days of summer?

As we make our way through the hot days of summer, I’m reminded of similar hot summer days growing up on the farm. My brother and I spent many a summer day playing games in front of the window air conditioner or down in the basement where it was a good 20 degrees cooler than the rest of the house. We had a closet full of board games, card games and puzzles to keep us entertained. One game I remember playing as a young child is “Cootie.” You would roll dice, and depending on your roll, you got to add different parts to your cootie. The first person to complete their cootie would win the game. This is an example of the game, ca. 1950, from our museum collections.

Cootie game owned by John and Lydia Peters of Seward (NSHS 11681-9)

Other play time diversions in our museum collections include these 8mm films (also owned by John and Lydia Peters).

Abbott and Costello 8mm film (NSHS 11681-27)

Mary’s Little Lamb 8mm film (NSHS 11681-29)

What kinds of indoor activities did you (or your parents) use to keep busy during those hot days of summer?
-Tom Mooney, Curator of Manuscripts