Same for me. We went out for a 15 minute recess after about two hours in school sitting at a desk. We went out again after lunch. We only had the church parking lot. There was no playground equipment. We played games like Red Rover red Rover we dare so and so over. Games like that would not be allowed today.
After blowing off so much energy, kids could sit still for another hour or two. All this was after walking to school. If the family even had a single car, it had gone to work with Dad. No one had two cars.
We played softball/work-up most of the fall and spring. Hard-balls (baseballs) were banned.
Work-up is where 3 players are ‘up’ As one gets put out the catcher becomes ‘up’ and the player who got out moves to right field. As the outs go on he moves to center, then left, then 3rd, then Short, the 2nd, then 1st, then pitcher, then catcher then he’s up again.
You needed to remember what position you had for the next recess for play to resume.
Either that or we played pop up. One or two kids would have the bats and hit flies to the other players. Catching a pop fly you took the batter’s spot. Otherwise a grounder was worth 25 cents and a one bouncer was worth 50 cents. When you got $1.00 you took over as a batter for the guy who hit you the winning play.