We do not stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing.” George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)
Most of us cherish memories of playing in our younger years. Outdoors we whiled away the hours with hide and seek, kick the can, scrub baseball and more. Indoors we played card and board games, Charades and I Spy or, to be naughty, truth or dare and spin the bottle.
Differentiating among the nouns of game, sport and pastime can be confusing. Is bowling a game or a sport, for instance? Is a jigsaw or crossword puzzle a game or a pastime? And what constitutes playing, or does it encompass the three nouns? If reading is a pastime — “a pleasant means of amusement, recreation, or sport” — am I playing when rereading Black Like Me?
Regardless of definitions, playing proves its worth. It helps us manage stress, enhances our personal relationships (unless we’re sore losers or boastful winners!), teaches us useful skills, and contributes to our successful aging. Playing can also keep our brains active, possibly reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
To my good fortune, I come from an extended family that loves to play; my siblings and I were weaned on games of all varieties. As soon as our hands could hold a range of cards, for example, our grandparents played Hearts with us. This trick-taking game can serve as a precursor to Bridge, as happened with my brother Tim who played professionally. Hearts also led us to a game dubbed Oh Hell, which my generation plays with our children and perhaps in the future with our grandchildren.
ABOUT POPULAR GAMES
- Bridge enjoyed its golden years from the 1930s into the ’60s. At one point 44% of households in North America had at least one active player. Today’s devotees Bill Gates and Warren Buffett claim the game sharpens their creative minds and business acumen.
- UNESCO proposed International Chess Day in 1966, and it’s been observed on July 20 ever since. The day celebrates the long history of Chess, developed in India during the fifth century. Two people playing this mentally challenging game overcome any barriers of class, language and culture.
- Early explorers and whalers played Cribbage and introduced it to the Inuit through trade-related interactions. The Collection of the Hudson Bay Company — the oldest incorporated joint-stock merchandising company in the English-speaking world — at the Manitoba Museum has several Cribbage boards made from walrus tusks that the Inuit produced for trade or as souvenirs in the 19th century.
- Jigsaw and Crossword puzzles test a person’s ingenuity or knowledge. During the Depression, aficionados discovered that working on jigsaws reduced their stress. During the pandemic, demand for jigsaws outpaced supply. In A Personal History with Jigsaws (2009), renowned author Margaret Drabble offers a reason befitting these times: “puzzles give you an illusion of order and progress when all around is chaos.”
- Although difficult to pinpoint its inception, Mah Jong was being played in China in the mid 1800s and in the United States in the 1920s. Culturally it became a game played by Jewish women. In fact, Jewish women founded the National Mah Jong League in 1937 in the U.S. Although the game has greater recognition in Asia, its popularity continues to grow in North America.
- In 1903 a leftwing feminist called Lizzy Magie invented the board game we know as Monopoly — but she never gets the credit. Rather, Charles Darrow, a salesman from Philadelphia, patented the most successful board game of all time in 1935. The game’s success with Parker Brothers made Darrow the first ever millionaire game designer.
- The history of Sudoku dates back to an 18th century Swiss mathematician’s game called Latin Squares. In 1979 Howard Garns, a freelance puzzle inventor from Connersville, Indiana, introduced the modern game of Sudoku. The game got its name in Japan where puzzlers buy over 600,000 Sudoku magazines per month. In U.S. newspapers, Sudoku appeared first in The Conway Daily Sun (New Hampshire) in 2004. All leading newspapers of the world now feature the puzzle.
- Chris Haney, a picture editor at the Montreal Gazette, and Scott Abbott, a sports journalist for The Canadian Press, conceived Trivial Pursuit in 1979 when playing Scrabble and drinking beer. Time magazine called Trivial Pursuit “the biggest phenomenon in game history” after its commercial release in 1981.
Other board games that resonate with boomers? Backgammon, Checkers, Clue, Risk, Scrabble and more. I may discuss them on International Games Day, observed annually in November since 2008.
For many people games have been a salvation during the pandemic. We can play them individually, with those in our bubble, or challenge our friends online — all the while reaping the benefits of playing! •
P.S. What games preoccupy you? Please share stories of your favourite ones in the comments below.
Tracy Ware says
For those who enjoy “Jeopardy!”, I recommend Ken Jennings’ “Brainiac.” He is witty and eloquent writer who writes about the history of trivia and the appeal of such games. As he would say, some of this needs to be taken with a grain of the only mineral consumed by humans.
Pam McPhail says
Thanks for the recommendation, Tracy. I ordered a copy of the book as a gift for a trivia maniac (not me).
Linda W says
Wow Pam! You must spend a great deal of time looking up all this trivia. I agree wholeheartedly that games are important. My go to are jigsaw puzzles and the occasional trivia game.
Good luck with your giant crossword puzzle.
Pam McPhail says
Do you agree with Margaret Drabble’s explanation about avid puzzlers? She made other interesting observations, but this one sure suits the pandemic.
Glen Wickens says
Tennis has proved to be an excellent game for the pandemic. Our weekly doubles matches get us outdoors where we can take our minds off Covid-19 for a couple of hours. Does playing fetch with Flair — I throw, she retrieves — count as a game?
Ian says
As ever, Pam, an excellent post which gives us all something to think about. Many of these activities are completely unknown to me, although I am familiar with several, eg, bridge, chess, and sudoku. Perhaps I will have a go at cribbage and mah jong? To echo Glen, I find tennis very therapeutic; if you do not concentrate all the time you will miss the ball, and this allows you to forget all cares and worries, if only for a couple of hours. Looking forward to your next post!
Pam McPhail says
Ian, Anytime you are ready to renew your interest in bridge, call me! Sadly, I have not found replacements for my bridge-playing partners of Lennoxville. And I love the game.
Catherine says
I have always been a crossword puzzle and sudoku fan. I keep one on my deck and another in the bathroom. I sometimes forget where I am with the latter spot when I am engrossed with a particularly challenging puzzle until my husband timidly knocks on the door to inquire if I am alright!!. I know….too much information! I also spend hours with my grandkids playing board games. Love it!
Pam McPhail says
I know several sudoku fans and will add you to my list. Board games with grandkids? I can relate. On one visit we played so many rounds of “Sorry” I was almost sorry we owned the game. Just kiddin’. Like you, I love it.
Linda A says
Pam, I enjoyed the fruits of your detailed research into games we have all played in our lifetime. Can any of your readers come up with a way to play bridge live in a clean, sterile room according to Covid-19 guidelines?
Pam McPhail says
That’s a tall order, Linda. Have you tried the distant alternative of playing online bridge with three others? So far I play it against my iPad only, which is unsatisfying compared to the real thing but … better than no bridge games at all?
P.S. I remember playing rollicking rounds of Charades with you and others at the White Mountain Hotel in North Conway years ago. What fun we had!
Linda Richardson says
I remember a long, ongoing Trivia Game competition between my husband Rick and I and your parents, Pam while driving from Edmonton to Winnipeg and back for your cousin Grant’s wedding in ’82 or ’83. The competition finally ended in the parking lot of our apartment building where they dropped us off. I don’t remember who won but that didn’t really matter. The game kept us well-entertained during the long drive. Rick and I continue to play Trivia (without the game board) on road trips, including our 10 week tour of Canada and the U.S. We always wonder why we can’t remember all of the answers since we have probably played the game at least 75-100 times over the last 40 odd years. Could be age-related…. Rick, who is a die-hard crossword buff, has been able to entice me into working on New York Times crosswords with him, either at a coffee shop (pre-Covid-19) or while enjoying an adult beverage on our deck. I probably won’t do this activity on my own but admit that it is very satisfying to finish a particularly tough one.
Pam McPhail says
I wonder if that marathon game of Trivial Pursuit deserves a mention in the Guinness Book of Records for both duration and closeness in competition? I also remember playing TP with you and others around the fire pit at Clear Lake during the 1997 family reunion. Always a good and friendly, competitive pastime.
Patricia Young says
It was a pleasure, as always, Pam to read your column. I have enjoyed at some point or other most of the games mentioned and many others as well. Some that come to mind are crokinole, whist (!) and euchre. The latter has much in common with bridge as I recall. Whist I learned at the kitchen table of a high school friend of mine on a wintry night when visiting her family’s farm. And crokinole was a noisy favourite played with my brothers on the floor in my father’s study – when he was not at home, of course. If he was, well, he would just sit down and play with us. Ah, the memories that are now flowing in as I think about many, many happy times playing games. Thanks, Pat
Pam McPhail says
Sounds like your youth resembled mine, happily preoccupied with a variety of games. You and I should get together to play cards. I miss that activity in my life!
P.S. Thanks for complimenting my post.
Brandon says
I like that GBS quote. And I like your blog post even more!
Pam McPhail says
And you like games too! Scrabble anyone?