Childhood games

My name‿ is Grace,│ and‿ I grew up‿ in‿ a village without‿ a computer^compu-der. We spent‿ every afternoon‿ outside,│ playing games such‿ as hide-and-seek‿ an(d) football‿ in the street. Somebody always made‿ up‿ a new rule,│ an(d) we argued‿ about‿ it for ten minutes│ an(d) then continued.

My favourite game was‿ a ball game│ that we played‿ agains(t) the wall‿ of the school. You had to^hadda skip‿ an(d) catch‿ at the same time,│ and‿ if you missed,│ you were‿ out. My sister was much better^be-der than me. When‿ it rained,│ we stayed‿ indoors‿ an(d) played‿ a boar(d) game with‿ our grandmother. She always won,│ and‿ I am still not sure she played‿ honestly.

Nowadays,│ children‿ in my town have phones‿ an(d) tablets,│ an(d) the playground‿ is‿ often‿ empty. I am not one‿ of those people│ who say it was better^be-der‿ in the past,│ but I^{bud I} do think something has been lost. Kids need to run,│ to get dirty,│ an(d) to fall‿ over. If‿ I had‿ a child,│ I would make one simple rule:│ an‿ hour‿ outside│ before the screen. Games‿ are for playing,│ not for watching.