Did you ever play "spin the bottle" and other "pre-sexual" games when you were 12 or 13?
By The Horse
@TheHorse (205696)
Walnut Creek, California
February 25, 2017 1:02pm CST
I just read a post and was touched my someone giving a necklace to his 12-year-old niece. That got me to thinking of how things were for me when I was 12, good at sports, afraid of girls (I hadn't been when I was younger), and without much support from my family. Family support must make those transitional years much more comfortable.
That got me to thinking of the parties I'd go to when I was in Middle School and maybe early High School. I was "almost" a "cool kid," but the parents of the "cool kids" all knew each other, and had for years. That gave their kids extra "power." We (my family) had recently moved to Chicago from California, and my parents were all involved in work, so they didn't pay much attention to my sports or social antics. We never hosted any tween/teen parties.
One of the games we played at these tween/teen parties was "spin the bottle." Boys and girls would sit in a circle and someone (perhaps the host kid) would spin the Coke bottle (remember those?). He or she got to kiss the girl/boy that the open end of the bottle pointed to. It was only a peck, but it was our introduction to kissing boys and girls. The "kissee" would then get to spin the bottle, and the game went on until the wee hours of the night, perhaps 10 PM on a Saturday.
I got to peck several of my favorite girls, but was never one of those who wound up in a corner, sloppily "necking." I think I was 13 when I found out (through the gossip internet--we had no computers in those days) that my favorite girl "liked me too." Two weeks later, she moved to Cincinnati Ohio. I was crushed.
Did you play any of those games when you were in your transitional years? Were you as "afraid of girls" (or boys) as I was? Did you family's "connectedness" in the community affect your social status? I assume that "spin the bottle" fulfilled a purpose that dancing would have fulfilled for a previous generation.
23 people like this
24 responses
@shaggin (71664)
• United States
25 Feb 17
I was sheltered so I never got around boys until I was at least 15. Good thing I was sheltered as I know I would have been wild lol. I was never invited to any parties where spin the bottle was played and I was thankful for that as I would have been to shy to do it. I always have truth or dare as well and took truth as I hated the risk of what am would be dared to do. I remember reading a book around the spin the bottle age where there was another game called 7 minutes in heaven where you and the boy were shoved in a closet to make out.
4 people like this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
25 Feb 17
We never played 'spin the bottle', the nearest we got to that was 'the farmer wants a wife', but we would be much younger than 12.
I wasn't afraid of boys, but wasn't interested in them till I was about 16.
I'm always amused when you Americans refer to 'social status' - you regard us Brits as being 'class-ridden', but you are often more class conscious than us 
3 people like this
@Blondie2222 (28611)
• United States
25 Feb 17
Yes we played spin the bottle alot, truth or date, hide and seek i miss the good ole days.
2 people like this
@Blondie2222 (28611)
• United States
25 Feb 17
@TheHorse Yeah. We did alot of things growing up and played some interesting games. I miss those days at times but it's always nice to go back and reflect on those times..
@JudyEv (325693)
• Rockingham, Australia
26 Feb 17
Because we lived out of town I missed out on lots of parties and social occasions. We weren't well off and never drove to town unless it was really necessary. Things changed later. I remember playing spin the bottle once or twice - very exciting! 
3 people like this
@andriaperry (116860)
• Anniston, Alabama
26 Feb 17
Yes we did those games. NO every boy was scared of my bible toting dad.
2 people like this
@rina110383 (24495)
•
26 Feb 17
Yes, I played truth or dare (spin the bottle) when I was young.
2 people like this
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
25 Feb 17
i played them and danced and had a lovely necking time with the boys my family knew and all our families knew each other. mine was different. they trusted us not to go too far, etc. no problem
2 people like this
@vandana7 (98822)
• India
26 Feb 17
I was in girl's hostel, so no...not like that...and I too did not have parent's support...but I got really lucky with good friends...one of them loved to make me sing and used to record my voice...ha ha. She was a couple of classes senior to me, she used to sing female part, and when I had cold, I ended up singing male singer part..lol. My friends were nice, their mothers sent something for me..(being motherless), and my friends were honest enough to hand it over to me. We used to go on terrace and eat snacks. We also smuggled flat bread and curry ...took it to terrace...ate it. Biscuits and cool drinks...biscuits dirty thing...pieces fell on terrace...and ants were all over the place...guess who got the caning. But I was also indulged rotten by nuns. I was one of the few who used to scrape through exams, without extra help, and so they screened "Where Eagles Dare" only for me...imagine sitting alone in the community hall, and the nun using that projector..those days they used reels..and in the kitchen Sister Andrea would always give me salads if I did not like any vegetables...others were not so privileged..this was only for me and another girl Aarti ..because we used to clear exams..lol. I love nuns...they were also crazy...once I plucked a mango and got caught..so Sister gave me cello tape, and asked me go and fix it up on the tree...insane, I didn't get to eat, and it was of no use to the tree as well...caning would have been better.
1 person likes this
@vandana7 (98822)
• India
26 Feb 17
@TheHorse .. It is something like this
CART0HELPPaymentsSaved CardsShippingCancellation & ReturnsFAQReport InfringementFLIPKARTContact UsAbout UsCareersFlipkart StoriesPressSell on FlipkartMISCOnline ShoppingAffiliate ProgramGift CardFlipkart First SubscriptionTrack your orderFree & easy return
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
26 Feb 17
Who didn't play spin the bottle??? Boys didn't scare me!
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
26 Feb 17
@TheHorse I had strict parents, liking boys was me not listening to them LOL!
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (205696)
• Walnut Creek, California
26 Feb 17
@AbbyGreenhill "You will not like boys!" "Oh, OK." Uh huh.
@Tampa_girl7 (48927)
• United States
27 Feb 17
I never played spin the bottle, but did go to a lot of dances
1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (48927)
• United States
28 Feb 17
@TheHorse I actually enjoyed the fast dances more the Bump and the Hustle were big and I also enjoyed Square Dancing in school they taught it to us.
the Bump and the Hustle were big and I also enjoyed Square Dancing in school they taught it to us.1 person likes this
@TheHorse (205696)
• Walnut Creek, California
28 Feb 17
@Tampa_girl7 Oh, I enjoyed the square dances they taught us in school as well!
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (137145)
• United States
28 Feb 17
Let's see, how do I answer this one? Soooo many thoughts running through my mind right now... LOL! Not ONE of them fit to write on your discussion or on this site....
Maybe that's what I should say... at least in public... you might get a pm about this and you might not. IDK yet.
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (137145)
• United States
22 Oct 17
@TheHorse I sat in one game until it was my turn. I walked out of the room. (Does that tell you anything interesting about me, pony?)
@sallypup (57841)
• Centralia, Washington
25 Feb 17
@TheHorse It was a weird youth church group. We'd get '50s talks about liquor being the enemy then somebody would come up with the idea that we kids needed social times and probably an encouragement to marry within that faith so they'd host parties.
2 people like this
@librarygeek1980 (3137)
• United States
25 Feb 17
@sallypup ugh, sounds kinds like the LDS faith, at least used to..
3 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
26 Feb 17
I too had little, really no support from my family and went to five elementary schools in two states. There was no "connectedness" for my family in those communities. I was always the "new kid" in schools. The upside is that I never felt awkward meeting new people. I wasn't invited to many parties. When Spin the Bottle was played in San Antonio, the winning boy and girl went into a closet.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (205696)
• Walnut Creek, California
26 Feb 17
@JamesHxstatic Ah, so it wasn't just a peck. The bottle pointing at you meant going into the closet.
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
26 Feb 17
@TheHorse I don't recall a tally.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (158996)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Feb 17
I remember participating in spin the bottle. I was pitifully shy and so such things didn't happen often.
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
27 Feb 17
didnt play, was never at a coed party until High school, and by that point heard too many horror stories of pranks played during such games, so I would have never participated (and dont remember them being played to be honest)
1 person likes this
@Jeanniemaries (8237)
• United States
26 Feb 17
I do vaguely remember a game of spin the bottle but was relieved it was over and the bottle had not pointed at me so no kissing. I would not spin it. I was not into parties at 12 and 13 other than slumber parties that was just for girls. We had Friday night school dances. I loved the dances though and slow dancing with a boy was very cool.
1 person likes this
@Jeanniemaries (8237)
• United States
27 Feb 17
@TheHorse Hugs were better for this age group than kisses.
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
27 Feb 17
I remember playing it just once. Nothing exciting happened.
1 person likes this
@librarygeek1980 (3137)
• United States
25 Feb 17
I never really went to parties as a teenager, when I was 12,13, I was too busy riding bikes and hanging out. Sure, most of my friends was/are guys, but again, we were just mostly riding bikes, jumping hills, and exploring all the canals that ran behind all the businesses behind us. I am too much of a tomboy. I didn't make out with any guy till I was close to 15. My oldest son who is 13 he's in that awkward stage where girls are just weird to him. Granted he likes girls, but just too awkward to really do anything.
1 person likes this
@librarygeek1980 (3137)
• United States
25 Feb 17
@TheHorse oh yes he's a gamer, lol. Awe, I was just never comfortable being a girly girl. I just posted on what I did in high school. Fun times.
