Games of Colonial New Jersey: Childhood Pastimes and Adult Diversions

Colonial New Jersey—spanning Dutch and Swedish beginnings, English proprietorship, and revolutionary ferment—offered a mix of Old World traditions and frontier adaptations in its recreational life.

Children's Games

Played in dooryards, commons, and dirt lanes—often with homemade equipment:

• Blindman's Bluff: Blindfolded seeker catches others; colonial version of "tag with a twist"
• Tag (various): Freeze Tag, Shadow Tag, Cross Tag – endless energy-burning variants
• Hopscotch: Chalked or scratched grid; stone/beanbag marker; develops balance, counting
• Jacks (Knucklebones): Originally played with sheep ankle bones (astragali); later metal jacks + rubber ball
• Ball and Cup (Bilboquet): Wooden cup on handle, tethered ball; hand-eye coordination test
• Marbles: Clay, glass, or stone; "ringer," "keepsies" (gambling for keeps) variants
• Hoop Rolling: Wooden/metal hoop guided by stick; races, obstacle courses
• Graces: Two sticks, ribboned hoop tossed/caught – "ladylike" game for girls
• Ninepins / Skittles: Miniature bowling; pins knocked by rolled ball

Adult Games

Taverns, parlors, and militia musters hosted more structured—and often wagered—pursuits:

• Nine Men's Morris: Strategy board game (mill); carved boards, stones/pegs as pieces
• Backgammon: Dice + pieces on pointed board; gambling staple; "tables" generic term
• Cards: Whist (bridge ancestor), Brag (poker ancestor), Loo, Quadrille, Piquet – decks imported, later locally printed
• Dice Games: Hazard (craps ancestor), Craps itself, Shut the Box – tavern favorites
• Faro: Banking card game; fast, high-stakes; "faro banks" in cities
• Billiards: Carom (no pockets) on large tables; cue sports precursor to pool
• Quoits: Iron rings thrown at stake; horseshoes' ancestor; militia camp staple
• Wrestling / Cudgeling: Physical contests at fairs, musters; betting common
• Lotteries: Public/private; funded churches, bridges, colleges (Princeton, Rutgers)

Social Context

• Class lines: Gentry played whist/backgammon; laborers played dice/quoits/wrestling
• Gender lines: Cards/billiards male-dominated; graces, needlework games for women
• Religious influence: Quakers, Presbyterians frowned on gambling/games of chance; Anglicans, Dutch Reformed more tolerant
• Seasonal: Winter = indoor games; summer = outdoor/active

These games weren't mere diversion—they transmitted skills, reinforced social bonds, negotiated status, and provided rare leisure in labor-intensive lives. Many survive in modern descendants.