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Fabulous Fun UK Games Of The 1920s

Snakes and Ladders, Charades and Parlour games were all part of  family fun in a 1920’s Christmas.  We take a look at what exciting games families played on the run up to Christmas.

Every year  without exception, we delve into our attic, rummage through our old tattered boxes and pull out some of the best games we love to play during the whole of the festive season.

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Everything from Monopoly and puzzles to a hilarious game of charades can get everyone of us as rosy cheeked as Santa himself, and it looks as though families in the twenties did exactly the same...just on a more non-technical way.

As Word War 1 ended many major changes had happened so families thought it was important to try and get back to normal especially at Christmas.    One of the ways in which they achieved this was by bringing out new and exciting games to play with the children.

Marbles was the “in thing” and due to new technology kids and adults were now able to play with glass versions.  As you can imagine this was very popular in schoolyards with children but also when the men and boys gathered together at Christmas – this kept both occupied when mum was making dinner.

Children loved to dress up and play house back in the 20’s, and just like today when you have a house filled with family and friends, keeping the kids entertained by getting your little ones to create a Christmas story/play is the perfect way to keep them from under your feet.

Gathering on the floor to play board games or putting together a puzzle sounds very nostalgic but just like in the twenties, families up and down the country do exactly this, instead of it being a 3D jigsaw or an electronic Monopoly set families in the roaring twenties played Snakes and Ladders and parlour games – we bet they got just as excited when someone cheated too!

Children (no matter what decade) can hardly contain their excitement as the countdown to Santa begins, but unlike today where kids can play on ipads, build up lego sets or even interact with their furby to keep their mind occupied…for several minutes, children back then played with new inventions such as: The Teddy Bear, Raggedy Ann Doll, Crayola Creations and even the Yo Yo which were all introduced around the late twenties.

Charades another hugely fashionable source of after turkey entertainment was and still is one of the most fun games to play at Christmas with the family – it doesn’t matter what or who you are supposed to be, someone will end up talking and giggling all the way through!

In the summer of the 1920’s the UK and Ireland competed as Great Britain in the Olympics and won a host of medals, including fifteen golds, this increased the popularity of sporting games in which the whole family could take part.

As winter approaches  more and more would go Ice Skating especially those who lived in the country on the farm.  If there had been a hard frost the night before, children would strap on their ice skates and head to the nearest frozen river – something we do not do now because of the dangers involved,  but in the twenties this would be one of the ways to entertain themselves.

If the weather was good or at least dry, mum, dad and the children would go outside and play a fun game called Panic Post, this involved running around the house or garden to find the post box to post your card – you lose points if you post your card for Aberdeen in the Aberdare box – Panic post would be a fantastic game to play at children’s christmas parties today.

As technology moved throughout the era, more and more electronic toys were invented to help entertain the little ones and even adults too.  This included train sets such as Hornby who produced the first electric set in 1925 – this meant both parents and kids could take the whole day setting it up and watching it go around the tree – just as we do now.

Christmas is all about fun party games with family and friends.  For those who lived during these vintage years even though big changes had happened, keeping traditions over the festive period was priority.

We’re heading to play Panic Post it looks like the “Bee’s Knees”! but let’s see who is the “wet blanket” not taking part?

What games do you rout out to play?  Are you going to give some of these vintage 1920 traditional games a go?  Why not get involved in UnderTheChristmasTree Bygone Christmas below.

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