List of children's games
This is a list of games that are played by children. Traditional children's games do not include commercial products such as board games but do include games which require props such as hopscotch or marbles (toys go in List of toys unless the toys are used in multiple games or the single game played is named after the toy; thus "jump rope" is a game, while "Jacob's ladder" is a toy). Despite being transmitted primarily through word of mouth due to not being considered suitable for academic study or adult attention, traditional games have "not only failed to disappear but have also evolved over time into new versions."[1]
Traditional children's games are defined "as those that are played informally with minimal equipment, that children learn by example from other children, and that can be played without reference to written rules. These games are usually played by children between the ages of 7 and 12, with some latitude on both ends of the age range."[2] "Children's traditional games (also called folk games) are those that are passed from child to child, generation to generation, informally by word of mouth," and most children's games include at least two of the following six features in different proportion: physical skill, strategy, chance, repetition of patterns, creativity, and vertigo.[3]
History
[edit]From the 18th century onwards, researchers have taken a greater interest in the value of traditional games in elucidating cultural values and identities. The modern Olympic Games were influenced by this thinking, and were founded by Pierre de Coubertin on the basis of "All games, all nations", though this aspect of the Olympics was never fully realised and quickly faded away after a few years, with mainly only Western sports being played. In some European countries, the revival of traditional games has served as a way for regional identities to be expressed in a political or educational way.[4]
Tag games
[edit]- Tag[5][6]
- Ball tag
- Chain tag
- Cops and robbers (Cowboys and Indians)
- Freeze tag[7]
- Ghost in the graveyard
- Kiss chase
- Stuck in the mud
- Atya-patya
- Blind man's buff[6]
- British Bulldog
- Capture the flag (Stealing Sticks)
- Duck, duck, goose
- Duck on a rock
- Kabaddi
- Kho-kho
- Kick the can
- Langdi
- Marco Polo
- Monkey on Woodchips (Grounders)
- Patintero
- Pie
- Poison
- Puss in the corner[7]
- Ringolevio
- Sharks and minnows
- Statues (red light, green light; Grandmother's Footsteps)
- Tumbang preso
- What's the time, Mr Wolf?
- Chor Police
Hiding games
[edit]Games with equipment
[edit]- Ball games[5][6]
- Ball in a Cup
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Beanbag toss
- Blow football
- Catch
- Conkers
- Continuous cricket
- Dandy shandy
- Dodgeball
- Football
- Four Square (Kingey)
- French cricket
- Gaga
- Handball
- Hoop rolling
- Horseshoes
- Hula hoop
- Kickball
- Kick-to-kick
- Lagori
- Marbles[5][6]
- Minkey
- Mumblety-peg[9][10][a]
- Musical Chairs
- Paddle ball
- Paper football
- Punchball
- Queenie[11]
- Silent ball
- Soccer hockey
- Spinning top
- Spud
- Stickball
- String games[6] (cat's cradle)
- Stoop ball
- Tennis
- Tetherball
- Tug of war
Jumping games
[edit]- Ampe, from Ghana
- Double Dutch (jump rope)
- Jumping Jacks
- Jumping rope[5][6] (Skipping rope)
- Jumpsies (also known as Chinese jump rope, elastics, or gummitwist)
- Leapfrog[5][12]
Hopping games
[edit]Memory games
[edit]- Chinese whispers (Telephone[5])
- Concentration
- Here Comes an Old Soldier from Botany Bay (Old Soldier)
- I packed my bag
- Kim's Game
Parlour games
[edit]- Hunt the Thimble[5] (Hot and Cold)
- Huckle buckle beanstalk[13] (Hot buttered beans[13])
- I spy
- Truth or Dare?
- Wink Murder
Hand games
[edit]- Bloody knuckles
- Chopsticks
- Clapping games[5][6]
- Concentration 64 (clapping, memory game)
- Double Double This This
- Down Down Baby
- Down by the Banks
- Hand games[5]
- Mary Mack
- Pat-a-cake
- Red hands
- Rock paper scissors
- Thumb war
Other traditional children's games
[edit]- Buck buck (High Cockalorum)
- Bulleribock (Sweden)
- Button, button, who's got the button?
- Counting out[5][6]
- Crack the whip
- Game of dares[14]
- Floor is Lava
- Follow the leader
- Four corners (game)
- House[15]
- Hurray
- Jinx
- Keep Away (Monkey in the middle)
- Knock, Knock, Ginger (Ding dong ditch)
- Knucklebones[6] (jackstones,[5] Jacks[6])
- Limbo
- London Bridge
- Mother May I?
- Oshikura Manju
- Paper fortune teller
- Pencil fighting
- Piljke
- Pitching pennies
- Poohsticks
- Push-pin
- Red Rover
- Ring a Ring o' Roses
- Seven Up
- Simon says[15]
- Singing games
- Skully
- Sleeping lions
- Stone skipping
- Tic-tac-toe
- Tip-cat
- Tsere tsere[16]
- Wrestling
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Lindon, Jennie (2001). Understanding Children's Play, p.83. Nelson Thornes. ISBN 9780748739707.
- ^ Sierra, Judy and Kaminski, Robert (1995). Children's Traditional Games, p.xii. Oryx. ISBN 0897749677.
- ^ Sierra and Kaminski (1995), p.3.
- ^ Hardman, Ken; Green, Ken (2011). Contemporary Issues in Physical Education: International Perspectives. Meyer & Meyer Verlag. ISBN 978-1-84126-312-0.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Gryski, Camilla (1998). Let's Play: Traditional Games of Childhood, p. 5. Kids Can. ISBN 1550744976.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Sierra and Kaminski (1995), pp. v-vi.
- ^ a b Gryski (1998), p.10-11.
- ^ Gryski (1998), p.15.
- ^ Newell, W. W. (2010). Games and Songs of American Children, p. 189. Nabu Press. ISBN 978-1-145-39322-6.
- ^ Foster, Edna Abigail; ed. (1916). Something to Do,—Boys!: A Book for Wide-Awake Boys, p. 222. W. A. Wilde. [ISBN unspecified].
- ^ Gryski (1998), p. 26.
- ^ "Leapfrog", Merriam-Webster.com. Accessed June 27, 2015.
- ^ a b Gryski (1998), p.16.
- ^ Jennifer Moore-Mallinos (15 December 2018). When Competition Goes Too Far. The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. pp. 30–. ISBN 978-1-5383-9033-7.
- ^ a b Schaefer, Charles E.; Reid, Steven E.; eds. (2004). Game Play: Therapeutic Use of Childhood Games, p.10. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9780471437338.
- ^ Sahana Charan. "Not just the written word". Bangalore Mirror, 7/24/2011.
