Have you heard of tin block, booler or stoolball? A new exhibition recalls the children’s street games that have disappeared, along with others that have endured down generations.
Playgrounds to Pixels: A Journey Through Play, gathers historical photographs and literature, as well as the memories of people who grew up in Beverley in the 1950s and 60s, to explore how childhood play has evolved in the town and around the world.
It will open at Beverley Guildhall on 7 October and runs until February 2027.
Curator Fiona Jenkinson says there has been a general shift over time from playing outside to playing inside.
“There were a lot of memories of spending the whole day [outside], whereas now, even in the more structured play, it’s indoors,” she adds.
This has affected the popularity of street games such as relievio, or ringolevio, a game combining tag and hide-and-seek, which relies on large groups of children being readily available.
The players form two teams who take turns hiding and seeking until everyone is found.