Leisure
Section 9
Bees and frolics
When possible, colonists combined work and play by organizing “bees” and “frolics.” New settlers might hold a “chopping bee” in which all the neighbors helped clear the trees off their land. Other frolics included corn-husking bees for men and quilting bees for women. Sharing the work made it faster and more fun.
Dolls
Colonial children had a few simple toys, such as dolls, marbles, and tops.
Playing games
They played tag, blindman’s bluff, and stoolball, which was related to the English game of cricket (a game like baseball).
Sledding
Children in New England also enjoyed coasting down snowy hills on sleds. Adults must have thought coasting was dangerous, because several communities forbade it.
Games
In the Southern Colonies, fox hunting with horses and hounds was a popular sport. Card playing was another favorite pastime, one that New England Puritans disapproved of strongly.Horse racing, cockfighting, and bull baiting were also popular in the South.