Games of Wonder and Amusement

A Cultural History of Children's Games.

*Illustration by Kim Smith

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Nicky-Nicky Nine Doors

A game of daring and mischief played upon one’s neighbors.
Also known in different parts of the world as: ‘Ding Dong Ditch’, ‘Ring and Run,’ ‘Chappy’ and, ‘Knock Down Ginger.’
Taking place in the night hours, this game involves knocking on a door or pressing the doorbell, and then running away and hiding in the bushes or nearby shrubs before the people inside the house come out to answer. The doors of council estates in the United Kingdom were once stained with ginger, and thus the colorful name. In these parts, deterrents such as placing thumbtacks on doorbells or covering them over with clear adhesive tape were sometimes used to foil gangs of players.