Trundling
a hoop has been a favorite outdoor activity for children for
centuries. Hoops were shown in an engraving for Jacob Cats's
poem Kinderspel as early as 1628 and were frequently
included in illustrations of children's activities and games
in the late 18th and 19th centuries. Early hoops were of
metal; in the 1800s, handmade wood hoops were all the rage
as a favorite plaything. The child's hoop was
propelled by stroking a one foot dowel or stick along the
top.
"Rolling",
"bowling" and "trundling" a hoop really
came into its own in Victorian times. Hoops were raced and
used for skipping. The Youth's BestFriend, an
early book of instruction, illustrates trundling a hoop with
the comment that, "This is indeed a very good sport for
little boys, but only in cool weather; some little boys make
themselves very hot... by which they often become very
ill." Many 19th century portraits and photographs
include a hoop along side the posed child. The 20th century
hula-hoop is a modern day version of this treasured
plaything.
Trundling
a hoop has been a favorite outdoor activity for children for
centuries. Hoops were shown in an engraving for Jacob Cats's
poem Kinderspel as early as 1628 and were frequently
included in illustrations of children's activities and games
in the late 18th and 19th centuries. Early hoops were of
metal; in the 1800s, handmade wood hoops were all the rage
as a favorite plaything. The child's hoop was
propelled by stroking a one foot dowel or stick along the
top.
"This is indeed a very good sport for
little boys, but only in cool weather; some little boys make
themselves very hot... by which they often become very
ill." Many 19th century portraits and photographs
include a hoop along side the posed child. The 20th century
hula-hoop is a modern day version of this treasured
plaything.
