Growing up in the ’70s and ’80s meant we had a wide array of games to keep us entertained. Some were classic board games, while others were more unique in their design. Here’s a list of five games that I remember playing.
Mousetrap – 1963, Hasbro
Mousetrap was one of the first mass-produced 3D board games. This 2 – 4 player game involved working together to construct a Rube Goldberg-esque mouse trap before turning into rivals. The goal? To be the first to trap your opponent’s mouse. Assembling the trap itself was half the fun. Though it has evolved over the years, the core of the game remains true to the one I remember playing.
Battleship – 1931, Starex, 1967, Milton Bradley, Hasbro
Battleship, a strategic two-player game, featured dual-sided boards. On the horizontal side, players placed their warships, while on the vertical side, they marked their shots against the enemy fleet. It was a game of tactics, with each player taking turns calling out coordinates. You marked hits with red pegs, while misses received white ones. The goal? To sink your opponent’s ships. It was a brainy diversion on rainy days, offering hours of fun.
Connect 4 – 1974, Milton Bradley, Hasbro
Connect 4 is a vertical game board for two players. Each, with their colored checker pieces, competed to connect four of their pieces in a row. The goal was simple but, against a good opponent, it could be a challenge. It reminds me of tic-tac-toe, but with more complexity. We played it a lot and, I have to admit, my brother was pretty good at it.
Operation – 1965, Hasbro
Operation is a game that I’m certain tested our parents’ patience. The game board resembled an operating table with a patient laid out, ready for surgery. Players took turns drawing cards and attempting to extract the corresponding pieces using a pair of tweezers. If you touched the sides of the openings, the patient’s red nose lit up, and a loud buzzing sound filled the room. The second player then had a chance to earn double the money if they succeeded. It was not only fun but also a great way for kids to improve their dexterity and eye-hand coordination. Our parents might have preferred us to play something quieter though!
Pick Up Sticks – ??
A game with a history spanning over 300 years, Pick Up Sticks was a great group activity. One person released a bundle of colored sticks (in our case, wooden ones) onto the playing surface in a random stack. Each player then took turns using a special black stick to remove sticks from the pile without disturbing the others. The person with the most sticks at the end of the game won. Alternately, each color of stick had a different point value, and the higher score was the winner. I don’t know the company that made our set, as there were many, but it was a great way to pass the time. I still have a set of old wooden sticks to this day.
These are only a handful of the various board games, toys, and activities that we got to enjoy as children. Whether intentional or not, my parents knew how to choose games and I’m grateful!
Let us all know in the comments, what games do you remember playing? What was your favorite, or your least favorite?
Until next time, bye for now!
Ms. Bella's World 