NIGHT GAMES

In my neighborhood, there was a large group of boys and girls within my age group . During the summer, we would come together after dinner and play nights games. There was usually discussion among a few before we went home for family dinner about which game we would play that night.  Once it was decided, we all headed home to re-group after dinner.  The meeting place was the man hole cover in the middle of street in front of my house. 

Sometimes, we'd play good old fashioned hide and seek.  We decided what the boundaries were for hiding places and take off when whoever was "It" started to count. We would play until it was too dark to see.

There was little traffic on our street in the evenings.  So sometimes, we'd string a badminton net between telephone poles down the hill.  Due to the street lights on the telephone poles, we could play badminton until way after dark.

But our favorite night game was "Kick the Can".  We could only play "Kick the Can" if someone could provide an empty can. That required a little advance planning to be sure that a proper empty can didn't get thrown in the trash after dinner.

The can was placed on the man hole cover.  Everyone playing gathered around and someone was chosen or volunteered to be "It".  Then one of us, usually a boy who could kick the can accurately and hard, kicked the can and sent it flying.  When the can was kicked, we would all scatter and hide.  The person who was "It" had to put the can back on the man hole cover before she/he could go looking for everyone.  However, at any time, someone could come back, without getting caught, and kick the can again.  The poor person who was "It" had to go back and replace the can.  Anyone who had been found prior to the can being kicked could go hide again.  It was a blast.

Even now, I can hear the sound of the can as it was kicked and went rattling across the pavement.