Hoop Rolling, 1885

Simple Games. Lasting Memories.

Long before televisions, computers, and video games, children discovered that the greatest adventures didn’t come from a store—they came from imagination, friendship, and the world around them. Join the Whitaker children on their Northumberland farm in 1885 and discover how simple games became lasting memories.

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“Race you to the old ash tree!” James called as he picked up an old iron barrel hoop.

“Only if you can keep it out of the wagon ruts,” Rance answered with a smile.

The Whitaker children hurried into the barnyard, each choosing a hoop that had once helped hold a wooden barrel together. On a busy Northumberland farm, very little was thrown away. When an old barrel could no longer be repaired, its iron hoops often found a new purpose. For the Whitaker children, they became one of their favorite toys.

Each child carried a hoop stick, usually made from a straight hazel branch with a small hook carved into one end. Instead of hitting the hoop, they guided it with light, steady taps to keep it rolling.

Will raised his hand.

“Ready?”

“Go!”

Eight iron hoops rattled across the packed farm lane.

The object of the game was simple: keep your hoop rolling without letting it fall over. That wasn’t always easy on a country lane where wagon wheels had worn deep ruts into the ground. The best players learned to guide their hoops along the smoother strips of earth or the grassy edges without losing control.

James hurried ahead.

His hoop struck a rut.

Over it went.

“Oh, come on,” he groaned.

Rance rolled his own hoop to a stop and walked back.

“You’re trying to beat the hoop,” he said as he stood it upright again.

James looked puzzled.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t chase it,” Rance replied. “Guide it. You have to become friends with it.”

James smiled and nodded.

This time he gave the hoop gentle taps instead of hard whacks. It rolled along the smooth ground between the wagon ruts, wobbling only once before straightening itself again.

Stacy kept pace beside him.

“It likes that better,” she said with a grin.

Soon all eight hoops were dancing down the lane. Some followed the grassy edge, while others rolled along the firm strip between the ruts. Every stone, bump, and puddle made the game a little harder, but that was part of the challenge.

James reached the old ash tree without dropping his hoop.

“I did it!”

Rance grinned.

“Looks like you and that hoop finally became friends.”

The children gathered beneath the old ash tree, laughing as they leaned their hoops against its broad trunk. The race was over, but no one seemed ready to go home just yet.

Did You Know?

Hoop rolling was enjoyed by children across Britain for hundreds of years. Some children raced their hoops, while others tried to keep them rolling the longest without falling. All it took was one hoop, one stick, and a good place to roll.

How to Play Hoop Rolling

Each player needs:

• One hoop (wooden or iron)
• A stick or hoop hook

The Goal

Roll your hoop as far or as fast as you can without letting it fall over.

Basic Rules

1. Place the hoop upright.
2. Give it a gentle push.
3. Keep it rolling by tapping or guiding it with your stick.
4. If your hoop falls, stand it back up where it stopped and continue.
5. The first player to reach the finish line wins.

Other Ways to Play

Victorian children often made up their own games, such as:

• Straight Race – First to the finish wins.
• Long Journey – See who can roll the farthest without the hoop falling.
• Obstacle Course – Roll around trees, stones, gates, or barrels.
• Relay Race – Teams take turns rolling the hoop to the next player.
• Follow the Lane – Stay on the path without leaving its edges.

Play Safely

• Stay on paths or open ground.
• Watch for horses, wagons, and livestock.
• Keep a safe distance from stone walls and streams.
• Avoid steep hills where the hoop could get away.
• Be courteous to others using the lane.

A Whitaker Family Memory

A hoop was little more than a wooden or iron ring, yet in the hands of a child it could become the fastest horse on the lane or the grandest coach in Northumberland. Many autumn afternoons were spent laughing together as hoops rattled down the farm tracks and village roads.