We all had some fun games that we loved to play at recess, but looking back at them as adults, it’s easy to see how some games may be view now as perhaps inappropriate or too aggressive. We’ve compiled six games that we played as kids that would likely land children in hot water if they were to play them today.

Duck, Duck, Goose

The anticipation of wondering whether someone was going to tap your head and shout “GOOSE!” was always fun, as it meant you had to chase after them as fast as you could. However, it was not so fun if you kept getting stuck as “it,” or if you got stepped on by people running just a bit too fast.

Dodgeball

Dodgeball was a brutal sport that involved two teams throwing balls at one another, trying to hit as many people as they could. However, the sport would have been a lot safer if softer balls were used. Those things really hurt!

Cowboys and Indians

Those of us who are of a certain age all played this as kids, but it would be considered culturally insensitive today.

Punch Buggy

This game involved yelling “punch buggy” and the color of the car whenever you saw a Volkswagen Beetle drive by. You would then punch your friend in the arm as hard as you could. Needless to say, this kind of physically aggressive game would be frowned upon today.

Red Rover

In this game, you would choose someone from the other team to run at top speed and try to smash through your and your teammates’ linked hands. An injury is likely and a whole lot of drama could ensue so best to leave this game in the past.

Tag

This is arguably the most classic playground game that there is, but there were always those children who took it a bit too seriously. Kids would often get knocked down or hurt by this game, so it’s understandable that it would not be seen as appropriate today.

What were your favorite playground games? Let us know in the comments section.