What did slaves do in their free time?

Click on the pictures to learn about them.

Free Time ?

Slaves did not have much time to themselves but when they did they spent their time doing almost nothing because for slaves their wasn't many things they had to entertain themselves so they came up with simple ways to do it like making pots and pans, repairing their cabins, and going to church. Some just took the time to sleep and relax. Kids made up their own games with simple things such as sticks, stones , and pretty much anything else that was available to them.

Slave Kids Games slave children used to play many games such as bob the needle

were they use whatever needle case is handy and one person stands in the middle and closes there eyes the rest of the children are in a circle and they pass the needle around behind there backs and sing a song when the songs over the person in the middle has to guess who has the needle case, rock, stick etc. Miss Mary Mac is another game slave children played it was a song with hand motions and gestures. It was actually made up to make fun of the masters daughter’s . Here we go loopty loo is actually a lot like the hokey pokey they put there right hand in they put their right hand out they put their right hand in and they shake it all about then they move to there right arm and so on it wads actually used to get the slave children to bathe.

Slave children used to have to improvise toys because they generally didn’t have any toys available to them. Girls would make dolls out of corn husks, and all slave children would make up fun games using just sticks and pebbles.

Music

Slaves would play music to communicate and to fight boredom. They generally sang and played their drums. They used to come up with songs like the one on this sheet called swing low sweet chariot that talked about freedom and hope and escape from being a slave. Here are the lyrics and also a link if you would like to listen to this song

Swing low, sweet chariot,Comin' for to carry me home;Swing low, sweet chariot,Comin' for to carry me home.I looked over Jordan,And WHAT did I see,Comin' for to carry me home,A band of angels comin' after me,Comin' for to carry me home.

Swing low sweet chariot

Inside the cabin

Slaves would spend time in their cramped cabins on free days sewing, fixing their cabins , watching their babies and making clay pots to hold water and food.

Supplies

Slaves needed these pots to store there food and water they would paint it traditionally and sculpt them out of clay that they found.

They Hung food from their ceiling so that it would dry and last longer

Slaves had to sleep on these small mats they often spent their free time resting and enjoying the day off

Church

On some plantations the slaves were allowed to pray and go to church on Sundays in the church that was often built roughly by the slaves them selves and all the scrap wood that they could find in the fields.