Historical Games and Songs of American Children
Games and Songs of American Children By William Wells Newell
This book, written in 1884 and available for free download here, is a gem of a find! Don’t we all remember little games we played with our friends as children? History buffs will especially love this book!
Sometimes the game is described in detail (with reference to other cultural games from various countries), other times just the lyrics and musical score is given for various little ditties that children sing.
With over 200 pages of FREE children’s games, lyrics, and music, you might end up having more fun than your children. 
Games and Songs of American Children By William Wells Newell
Games that are covered fall under:
- Sports
- Counting Rhymes
- Mythology
- Guessing Games
- Games of Chase
- Myrth & Jest
- Pleasure of Motion
- Human Life
- Bird & Beast
- Flowers
- Satire
- Playing at Work
- History
- Love Games
[...] Use to be, when you wanted to find a book on a certain subject, you had to wade through hundreds of pages of catalogs or spend hours at a library or bookstore. And that’s just ONE subject. What if you suddenly decide you wanted to learn about the Samarai instead of the Minoans? Or how to baste? Or what games children played a hundred years ago? [...]