What are Kids in Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin Playing at Recess?

Not having any brothers or sisters, and only knowing a few friends with children, I myself plead routinely plead ignorance whenever the topic of children are being discussed. I have very little idea what kinds of activities kids play these days, and what they do for fun.

Thankfully, websites like ABCmouse give me something of a clue. The popular early learning website recently conducted a story that looked at what kids are playing at recess across all 50 states. In order to do this, they mined Google Trends data from the past 20 years. Reading the results of the study got me nostalgic for the games of my childhood.

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Illinois' and Wisconsin's Favorite Recess Game is One of the Most Popular in the US:

Tug-of-war wound up being the overwhelming favorite recess game for kids across 10 states. It's particularly popular in the Midwest, with it retaining heavy popularity in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota:

Tug-of-war, with roots dating back to ancient civilizations and the first Olympic games, is a game of strength and teamwork. It’s the most popular kids game in 10 states and is a favorite in the Midwest, specifically, making it the most popular in our study overall. This could stem from the region's community-focused values, where working together is key. - per ABCmouse's website

I confess that I only recall playing tug-of-war at some school-sanctioned events, like "Field Day," an end-of-the-year event which was basically a full-day of recess and fun activities. I don't recall me and my friends ever deciding to play it on the playgrounds during our 30-minute recess.

What is Iowa's Favorite Recess Game?:

Iowa's favorite recess game is so hyper-specific, I love it. It's freeze-tag, a variation of tag that results in the person being tagged being "frozen" until someone who has yet to be tagged touches them to "unfreeze" them:

Of all the tag variants, Freeze Tag comes in as the most popular overall, being the top-searched in a whopping 17 states. In this version, one player is "It" and must tag the other players to freeze them in place. Frozen players can be freed by being tagged by another unfrozen player. The game ends when all players are frozen. - per ABCmouse's website

Also worth noting is that in various states, "Dragon Tag" is popular. I've never heard of it, but ABCmouse describes it like this:

In Dragon Tag, players are put into groups of four and will lock arms with the child at the end of the line tucking a bandana in their pocket, acting as the dragon’s tail. Each dragon will spread out and when the game begins, the head of each dragon is trying to pull the bandana from the pocket of the other dragons’ tails. This imaginative version appeals to kids' love of fantasy and adventure. - per ABCmouse's website

Seeing the wide variety of games from my childhood (and probably yours!) still played at recess warmed my heart. View the full study on ABCmouse's website.