Play & Leisure Time

Like children today, Laura and Prescott probably played fantasy games, told scary stories, hiked, swam, skated, sledded, played marbles or dolls and jumped rope. Some once-popular pastimes like rolling hoops or playing "The Graces" are no longer popular. Others have been reshaped over time; the New England game called "townball" or "rounders" is the ancestor of the present game of baseball.

Toys were few, usually simple and homemade; shop-made ones bought in stores were rare. In 1863 roller skates with four wheels were patented, even though skating surfaces were uncommon. Sixteen years later an indoor skating rink was built in nearby Cottage City and skating became a popular pastime.

next page >

image of toy_horse

Martha's Vineyard Museum