Washers

You know the game of Quoits (as described herein last month)? Well, it turns out that there's a quite Quoit-like game called "Washers," played, not with Quoits, or even horseshoes, but with, can you guess? "Standard round metallic washers, 2.5" in diameter with a 1" center hole." As for the, excuse the expression, "pits:" "The game of Washers is played on two pits, each with one circular recessed cup as a target. The easiest, although not necessarily the best, option for cups is a standard 32 ounce tin can (4" diameter x 4.5" depth). Remove both ends and recess the can flush with the earth in each pit. A better choice is thick-walled PVC of the same dimensions. Repeated hits of the tin can will distort its shape and necessitate regular restructuring while the PVC remains almost impervious to damage. White or light-colored PVC is recommended as an aid to aiming, and will allow competitive matches well into dusk."

The Washers game reflects exactly the kind of spirit we need to keep games games. The informality and humor of the concept model playfulness at its best. As the author readily reflects "The history of the game is cloaked in mystery but lends itself to colorful conjecture. 'Betcha I can toss this here washer into that oil can over yonder,' someone might have wagered years ago. Most certainly humble roots fathered the game as participants used readily-available parts, a hallmark of the game that survives even today."

Sadly, the Washers website doesn't appear to be very active. The links to the Forum and Guestbook are no longer active. But someone put some real love and very good information into this site, and, happily, it's still there for us to celebrate.