What Is Your Favorite Game To Play?

by Brenda Dedmon

Igrew up in a big and fun family! I have five sisters, and our house was the one all our friends wanted to come to. We had fun playing outside and would create our own games and our own rules! One of our favorite games was “Red Rover.”

Red Rover was a game consisting of two teams. In playing, the two teams would join hands and stand in a straight line facing each other about 10 feet apart. We

would want to make sure we had our strongest friends holding hands with the weaker friends to make sure the line would hold. Then one team would call over a player who would then run and try to break the chain. If they were successful, they could take one of the people that they broke through back to their team. If they did not break through, they had to join that team. Then the other team would call over someone. The game would end when one team had only one person left. When calling over team members, we would use the chant, “Red Rover, Red Rover, send (name) right over!” Sometimes we would change the game up where the runner would return back to their team without taking anyone, or they could take anyone on the team back.

As we played, we would run, laugh, and sometimes even get into arguments! However, one thing my parents had taught me and my sisters was that you could disagree without becoming disagreeable. What my parents meant is we could talk out our disagreements, but we could not be unkind or have any name-calling. Sometimes that was hard to do, but it also helped us learn how to get along with each other and our friends. I learned the Bible verse, “Be kind to one another,” when I was a child. My parents used this verse to help us learn that not everyone can have their own way, to share, and to use kind words to express our feelings. Perhaps you can think of a game you can play with your friends. You might even want to play Red Rover or a favorite game you like. As you play, remember that if you and your friends do not always agree, you can talk about how you can reach a decision that will help everyone. Playing with your friends will be fun and a great time for you to teach them a new game! Who knows? It may become their favorite game too!

About The Author Rev. Brenda Dedmon is the director of the Children’s Learning Center, First Baptist of Dalton. She is also an avid Alabama “Roll Tide” fan!