INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this e-book is to
Children's games provide a creative
encourage european understanding
and fun way to view other cultures.
and trust. Through these activities,
Quite often, traditions and traits
our pupils have the opportunity to
of peoples are reflected through the games their children play. It is quite amazing how many worldwide games are common to children everywhere. If there is one
achieve a deeper understanding and appreciation of other cultures. We hope you enjoy this selection of european children's traditional games!
thing that is widespread throughout the entire world it's that children
The teachers and pupils of
love to play games.
E.U.R.O.P.E. Comenius project
AUSTRIA
Ente,Ente,-Fuchs - Duck, Duck, Fox
Description: The children form a circle and sit down on the floor. One child walks around the circle and touches the head of every child with his hand and says: duck, duck, duck, duck, duck ...... but when the child says fox, the chosen child has to stand up and try to catch the other child. If the first child reaches the free place without being caught from the other child, it has to sit down. So the new child has to walk around the circle and the game starts again. If the first child is not able to reach the free place it needs to do it again and the chosen child can sit down on his place. Variation: Instead duck, you can say your favorite pet, for example: My favorite pet is a cat, so you have to say cat, cat, cat ... fox.
BULGARIA
Cat and mouse Children catch hands and form a circle. One of them is a cat - it is outside the circle, and another mouse is inside the circle. The song starts and children are turning circle:
"There is a mouse at home. It nibble cheese. (2) A cat outside, throw a mouse. Run, run mouse will get the cat. (3)
The last sentence "mouse" comes from the cycle, a cat starts to chase. Other children do not run "mouse" to enter the circle. The game ends when the "cat" catch "the mouse" or when "mouse" able to enter the circle. Winner selects which of the two rounds of changes to overcome.
1. A person starts out as the "Curator" and stands
GREECE
at the end of a field. Everyone else playing stands Agalmatakia (statues)
at the far end (distance depends upon playing area selected). The object of the game is for a "Statue" to tag the Curator, thereby becoming the Curator and resetting the game. 2. The Curator turns their back to the field, and the "Statues" attempt to race across and tag the Curator. 3. Whenever the Curator turns around, the Statues must freeze in position and hold that for as long as the Curator looks at them. The Curator can even walk around the Statues, examining them. However, the Curator needs to be careful – whenever his back is turned, Statues are free to
Players: Four or more; ages 4 and up
move. 4. If a Statue is caught moving, they are sent back to the starting line to begin again (or thrown out of that round, whichever way is preferred.) Usually, the honesty of the Curator isn't enforced, since being a Statue is more desirable.
HUNGARY “Paca”
Time: as long as the children are enjoying Age: 5+ Number of players: 8-30 Location: inside or outside The players choose a child how is going to be the ‘Paca’ (meaning a kind of patch or smudge). The Paca has to stand in the middle and the child standing the closest to him throws up the ball while all the players have to run away (to different directions). When the Paca cathes the ball, he tries to target a child with the ball. If he succeeds, the child who was hit by the ball becomes a ‘Paca’ too. Now again a child throws up the ball and of the ‘Pacas’ tries to catch it. The other Paca can run with the other children. The children who are the ‘Pacas’ can throw the ball to each other so that they get close enough to the children to target and hit them with the ball. The game goes on until all the children become a ‘Paca’.
ITALY
“ONE, TWO, THREE... STAR!”
See who is going to be the fairy that turns to the wall and counts. Place the player along a start line parallel the wall. The fairy counts “One, two, three...Star!” and quickly turns. While the fairy is counting the players quickly move towards the wall. The players care not to be seen moving by the fairy. Whoever is seen must go back to the start line. The winner is whoever gets to touch the wall saying “Big Star!”. The winner will became the fairy.
LATVIA
"Hut is burning"
Lets stand in a circle. There is a rag in my hand. I'am gonna go around the circle, then stop near someone and raise my hand between 2 players and say "Hut is burning"! Than both run around the circle, each to different direction. Who gets the rag first, goes inside the circle, who doesn't, is the next one who leads the game.
POLAND FATHER WIRGILIUSZ Children form a circle, holding hands. One child - Father
Wirgiliusz - stands in the middle. The
wheel rotates in the rhythm of the song. After the words „one hundred twenty three” all stop, turn to face the center of the circle and clap their hands. After the words: „Do everything that I do, that I do” Father Wirgiliusz shows some simple gestures, exercise (eg. squats, bows), and all of them are repeated until the Father Wirgiliusz was teaching his children, He had them all one hundred twenty three. Come on, children, come on here, come on here, come on here! Do everything that I do, that I do.
end of the song. Then a new Father Wirgiliusz is selected and the play begins again.
The song is similar to the English version „London Bridge is
ROMANIA
falling down”, though the music is different and the
Stone Bridge
Romanian song has only one stanza. During the song, two children standing face to face have their hands raised together forming a bridge. The other children pass under the "bridge" (the hands of 2 children) singing. When the last word of the song is pronounced the two children put their hands down, catching in their arms the child passing under the bridge at that exact moment. Each of the two children forming the bridge choose secretly, before the game begins, a word (usually something nice like „chocolate”, „icecream”, „teddy-bear”). When the child is caught between the arms of the children forming the bridge, he is asked to choose between the two words already selected. „What do you choose „chocolate” or „icecream”? According
The song of the game:
to his choice he stands behind the respective child and waits,
Stone Bridge was broken down
singing, until all the other kids will be caught and will form
The water came and took it away
the pillars of the bridge. Then, the two rows of children pull
We will build another one down the river Another one more lasting and beautiful __________________________________________________
at each other in different directions, trying to push the others down. The winners are the children who manage to stand a longer period of time.
other (for example, 20 meters) after reaching a
SPAIN
line.Each player from each team is assigned a different number in sequential order starting with the one. In the THE SCARF GAME
center of the pitch and a separator line is painted and a person who kept a scarf hanging from his hand just above the separator line is placed. The person with the scarf will call out a number, and then the member of each team with that number must run to take the scarf and take it back to where it was. The first to get it wins the round, leaving the participant no point opposing team. Also no point is one that: Εxceed the separator line that is the scarf before the opponent has picked it. Be touched by the opponent after having taken the scarf. The trick of the game is to cause as opposed to rebase line pretending to have caught the scarf, and outrun the opponent once seized the scarf. When you
The scarf is a children's game, and it develops in the
have eliminated several players on a team, you can
following way:
reorganize assigning multiple numbers to a single player.
Two teams are formed, with the same number of
The winner team is the one which eliminate all
players and are placed at a certain distance from each
opponents.
TURKEY RULES:
DODGE BALL ( YAKAR TOP) 1. Play will be 4 on 4. A minimum of 3 is required to start the game. 2. Play will be held inside certain lines. 3. Teams separate in two groups. 4. They try to hit other team members with the ball. 5. Ten (10) minute time limit. Team with the most wins in the 10 minutes will be deemed the winner. If teams are tied, there will be a sudden death game to determine match winner. 6. A player is out if: • They throw a ball that is caught by the other team. • They get hit by a ball thrown by the other team. (If the ball does bounce off an opposing player and is then caught the thrower will then be out. This is true even if a different player catches the ball. However if the ball bounces off Dodgeball is a famous and common outdoor game in kindergarten and elementary school in Turkey. There are two teams and players on two teams try to throw balls at each other while avoiding being hit themselves. The main objective of each team is to eliminate all members of the opposing team by hitting them with thrown balls, catching a ball thrown by a member of the opposing team, or forcing them to move outside the court boundaries when a ball is thrown at them.
another ball, the ball is dead. ). Players may use the ball to block; however, if the ball is knocked out of their hand while blocking, they will be out. • They hit another player above the shoulders. • They cross the center line. 7. A player is not out if: • Their ball is caught off the wall or ceiling. • They get hit above the shoulders.