While too many schools today are nixing recess for more hours in the classroom, most of us grownups have oh-so fond memories of those 20 minutes each day on the playground. It was a time to let loose and have some fun, fun, fun. I remember anxiously watching the minute hand crawl until that magic moment when the bell would ring, the doors would open and we ran free.

We did what kids always do -- we played lots and lots of games. And according to a recent survey conducted by TheBabyWebsite, our favorite game was hopscotch.

Actually, that wasn't our favorite game. I went to school with a bunch crazy daredevils and our games -- like human chicken (use your imagination) -- had the potential for serious injury or even loss of life. But hey, hopscotch was good, too.

Interesting fact: Hopscotch dates back to Roman times, where it was used to train armored soldiers for speed and coordination. Same way football players now use tire running drills.

In the survey, 3,000 over-18s rated hide and seek (or tag) and jumping rope as second and third best, respectively. Other picks were cat's cradle (9), blind man's bluff (12) and to wrap up the top 20, duck-duck-goose. A sentimental pick, I'm sure.

So what's so great about these games versus, say, human chicken? "We have a genuine fondness for games such as hopscotch...as they sealed friendships and defined who we hung out with when not in lessons," said a spokesman for the web site.

Did you have a favorite playground game? What about your kids?