playful world

by Julie McNamara and Marianne Casey

Researched, compiled and produced by Kildare County Childcare Committee with the

help of Nadia Demolder while on work placement. Nadia is currently studying Early

Childhood Studies, a four year honours degree programme in the Institute of Technology

Carlow.

The Kildare County Childcare Committee (KCCC) was formed in 2001 to promote cross

agency co-operation and co-ordination in the delivery of Childcare services at a local

level. The committee comprises of local representatives from the statutory, community

and voluntary sectors, social partners, childcare providers and parents in County Kildare.

Kildare County Childcare Committee

The Woods

Clane

Co. Kildare

Tel: 045 861307

Fax: 045 982411

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: www.kildarechildcare.ie

DISCLAIMER

This material is meant for educational and information purposes only. Kildare County

Childcare Committee combined individual contributions and commentary with content

freely available on the internet to compile this booklet. Therefore, it has been impossible to

identify and properly attribute sources. KCCC apologises if material has been reprinted in

the DVD/booklet without correct source acknowledgement. KCCC assume no responsibility

for errors, omissions or inaccuracies in the material.

Playful World BOOK.qxd 11/7/08 15:19

1

FOREWORD

KCCC recognises that the population of Kildare has become increasingly diverse

and multi-cultural and we are delighted to have been able to produce Playful

World: A Selection of Games from Around the World with funding obtained from

the FAS County Childcare Committee Grant Scheme.

The County Childcare Committee Grant Scheme provides an opportunity for

new ideas to enhance and explore ways in which the gap in childcare

developmental activities might be productively and creatively closed.

Playful World is the result of an innovative project facilitated by KCCC with Athy

Travellers Group and Kildare Youth Services, Star Girls Youth Group, in Athy Co.

Kildare. It aims to raise awareness of the role that games can play in promoting

inclusiveness amongst children in our increasingly diverse society.

Playful World is made up of a booklet and accompanying dvd which explain how

to play a selection of games from around the world. They are intended to be

used together as a tool to promote inclusiveness and diversity.

It is our wish that Playful World will enable many more children to experience

these games and as part of the process raise their awareness of their own and

other cultures in a way that is fun and meaningful to them.

We hope you enjoy Playful World as much as we enjoyed producing it.

Co-ordinator

Kildare County Childcare Committee


2

ATHY TRAVELLERS SUPPORTGROUP LTD. Johnny McInerney

Terry McInerney

Patrick McInerney

William Donoghue

Terry Donoghue

James Connors

Edward Connors

Anne Connors

Margo Doyle

Roseleen Doyle

Marylou Doyle

Victoria Doyle

Rico Doyle

Sr. Rosarii

Mary Behan

Moire Maher

Marie Barrette

Breda Keogh

Sr. Jo Hendrick

KILDARE YOUTH SERVICES,ATHY, STARGIRLS

Emma Afolayan

Aisha Ali

Siobhan Mc Clean

Rosie Quinn

Gracia Adido

Tosin Odubiyi

Bridget George

Esperanca Massala

Sandra George

Miranda Dube

Barbara George

Melissa Nolan

Crishannah Adeniyi

Leanne Morrin

Gladys Akhogba

Deirdre Errity

Fola Daniel

Patience Namme

Jennifer Moore

Bess van Sleeuwen

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Kevin Smith: Kildare Youth Channel

Margaret Byrne: Senior Development Officer FAS

FACILITATORS:Marianne Casey

Julie Mc Namara

Nadia Demolder


3

A Selection of Games from Around the World

CONTENTS

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Zing Zang Zoo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Musical Statues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Dól Charlie Uisce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Simon Says. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Red Letter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Ring a Ring a Roses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

London Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Wink Murder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Chinese Whispers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

The Name Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Who am I? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

The Minister’s Cat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

The Fame Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Tug O War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Red Rover. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

1,2,3 Dragon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

British Bulldog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Blindfold horse race . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Traffic Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Duck, Duck, Goose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Stuck in the Mud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Badminton (Chinese variation) . . . . . . . . . 36

No Laughing, No Talking,

No Showing Your Teeth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Kameshi Ne Mpuka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Cup and Ball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Klassy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Blind Man’s Buff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Zoska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Skipping Rope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Handball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Hurling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Jeu de Boules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Recommended Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Music and

Movement Games

Quiet Games

Co-Operative

/Team Games

Active Games

Skill Games

5

16

24

31

40


Introduction

4

Playful World: A Selection of Games from Around theWorld is the result of an innovative project facilitated

by Kildare County Childcare Committee.

Children learn through play and games. Games when

used constructively and with purpose and effect can

provide the framework to break down artificial barriers

between different groups within our society and

generate interest and develop awareness of others in a

way which is natural, meaningful and fun for children.

It is through playing games that children learn about

themselves, their community and other people in their

communities and thus playing games seems the natural way to raise awareness of

other cultures amongst children.

Once children are provided with the space to play, they will do so openly and

naturally without regard to culture, background, ability, religion or family

circumstances.

The children who participated in the production of Playful World were introduced

to a selection of games from around the world, the history of those games and

where they came from. They were encouraged to contribute games which they

and/or their friends and families played thereby re-energising many traditional

games. This enabled the children to play and experience familiar and new games

and also to see that similar games are played by children the world over. We

recommend that the same process is followed by those intending to use Playful

World as a tool to raise awareness of different cultures amongst children.

Although the aim of Playful World is to promote inclusion there are many other

benefits to children of playing the games such as problem-solving, co-operation,

trust, self-awareness and acceptance.

For the purpose of explanation Playful World has been divided into five sections:

Music and Movement, Quiet Games, Cooperative Games, Active Games and Skill

Games. This allows for the specific benefits and developmental possibilities that

can occur with each particular game to be understood. Each section has been

colour coded to coincide with the accompanying dvd and cross-referenced where

appropriate.

Welcome to Playful World: A Selection of Games from Around the World.


5

For over 100 years, scientists and researchers have been

promoting the benefits of music to children. According to

Don Campbell, author of ‘The Mozart Effect’ music can be

used to improve memory and learning. Music stimulates

language skills and listening ability.

Music and movement games help children to feel and

express a ‘beat’. Moving in sequence to a steady ‘beat’

can greatly improve a child’s musical ability as well as

improving balance and co-ordination.

Educators are now becoming more aware of the benefits

of music and movement activities and research has found

that these activities have a more positive impact on child

development than previously realised. Creative

movement can assist, in the development of self esteem

and body awareness.

Many concepts including a child’s concentration and

memory can also be improved.

Furthermore children can explore language, learn the

days of the week, to count in sequence, nursery rhymes

and lots more through song and rhyme in a fun way.

Exposing children to music and movement can also be

very beneficial to children’s sensory awareness, social

development and health and fitness. Encouraging

children to engage in a variety of locomotor and non-

locomotor movement encourages them to become more

aware of spatial relations which help to improve math,

science and spatial skills.


Zing Zang Zoo� As demonstrated on accompanying DVD

� Materials:None

� Aims:Improve balance, Steady Beat and Language

development

�Procedure:This is a rhyme from Cameroon. A group of children form a circle and hold

hands. The group sings the song below while swinging their held hands

backwards and forwards to a steady beat. There are two beats in each line.

A leader will decide on a category for example: names of countries, fruit,

boy’s names etc as well as providing an example

The items must fit into the beat meaning some words will have to be said

very fast and other words slowly. The same category is held until all children

in the circle have had a turn. Then the rhyme can be sung again choosing

another category.

Zing Zang Zoo

And the little hands go

Cats or berries? (Clap, Clap)

If you please (Clap, Clap)

Name some (Clap, Clap)

Names of Fruits (Clap, Clap)

For example (Clap, Clap)

Or-ange (Clap, Clap)

Be Quick (Clap, Clap)

Be Quick! (Clap, Clap)

6

Stargirls playing Zing Zang Zoo


7

Musical Statues� As demonstrated on accompanying DVD

� Materials:Music

� Aims:Fun, coordination, steady beat, Locomotor and nonlocomotor movement,

mathematical skills

�Procedure:A leader is selected and he/she controls the music. Music is played and

everybody dances. When the leader stops the music everybody freeze’s

immediately. The leader observes the players and if he/she sees anybody

moving they are out. The leader can also try to make children laugh or move

by making funny faces in front of them however no physical contact is

allowed. The game continues until only one child is

left.

� Variations:Musical chairs; this game begins with any number of

players and a number of chairs one fewer than the

number of players. The chairs are arranged in a circle.

One, leader, is in control of the music, the players walk

or dance in a circle around the chairs until the leader

stops the music and everyone playing must race to sit on

a chair. The player who is left without a chair is out. A

chair is removed and the game begins again until only

one player remains.

Another variation is the game “Musical Bumps” where the

players sit on the ground when the music stops, the last

to sit is out.

There is also a non competitive version of the game

where one chair is removed but all of the players must sit

on the same chair not touching the ground with their feet.

This game was formally known as “Going to Jerusalem”.



D’ól Charlie Uisce� As demonstrated on accompanying DVD

� Materials:Blindfold

� Aims:Fun, exploring the singing voice, sensory awareness, trust, locomotor

movement

�Procedure:This is an Irish rhyme accompanied by actions. The players

stand in a circle holding hands. One player is selected to

go into the middle of the circle and close their eyes or

places a blindfold over their eyes. The group then walk

around in a circle holding hands and singing the rhyme. At

the end of the rhyme the player in the middle must try and

catch another player while keeping their eyes closed.

D’ól Charlie uisce

D’ól Charlie tae

D’ith Charlie úll

Ach ní íosfaidh sé mé.

This game encourages children to work as part of a team.

Children experience how their other four senses are

heightened when the sense of sight is taken away.

The use of Gaeilge in the rhyme assists children with the

development of the language in a fun way.

� Variations:This game is similar to Blind Mans Bluff, which is a very old game

played in the Court of Henry VIII. It became popular in the Victorian era

when it was played as a parlour game in homes throughout England.

8


9

Simon Says� Materials:

None

� Aims:Follow instruction, listening skills, concentration, control, self awareness

�Procedure:Simon Says is a game for three or more players. A player

is selected as ‘Simon’ and the other players must do what

Simon tells them to do when directed but only when the

direction is prefixed by ‘Simon Says’. If Simon says ‘Simon

says jump’ the players must jump. If a player does not

follow Simon’s commands they are out. However if Simon

says simply ‘jump’, without first saying ‘Simon says’, players

should not jump, if they do they are out. The aim of the

game is to distinguish between valid and invalid commands.

The winner is the last person ‘out’. The winner then goes on

to be ‘Simon’ in the next round.

It is believed that this game inspired many electronic and

computer games in the 1980’s.

� Variations:“Mother May I” instructions are given by “Mother” replacing “Simon” who

asks the players to take steps of differing size and number towards her/him

(“Mother”) for example one player may be asked to take four baby steps. The

player must then ask “Mother may I?” before they take the steps. If they do

not say “Mother may I” they must return to the start. The winner is the first

person to the top. The winner then goes on to be “Mother” in the next

round.



Red Letter� As demonstrated on accompanying DVD

� Materials:None

� Aims:Learn the alphabet, counting, develop

concentration gross motor movement

�Procedure:The players all stand in a straight line shoulder to shoulder. A

leader is selected who stands with their back to the group approximately

ten metres away, depending on the size of the area available. The leader

picks a red letter, for example, “E” and tells the group.

The leader starts calling out different letters from the alphabet. If the letter

called out is in an individual’s name they may take one step forward,

unless it is the red letter. When the red letter is called out nobody can

move. If an individual moves when the red letter is called out they must go

back to the start. If a persons name has two or more of the letter called in

their name they take the corresponding number of steps. The person who

reaches the leader first is the winner and goes on to become the leader

for the next game.

10


Stargirls

AthyTravellers

Get involved and

have some

fUn11


� As demonstrated on accompanying DVD

� Materials:None

� Aims:Teamwork, exploring the singing voice,

locomotor movement

�Procedure:The children all hold hands and sing the rhyme

while moving around in a circle. At ‘We all fall

down’ every body goes down on their hunkers

and ‘With a 1,2,3’ jump back up again

Ring a ring a roses

A pocketful of posies

Ah tishoo Ah tishoo

We all fall down

Ashes in the water

Ashes in the sea

We all jump up with a 1,2,3.

It has been suggested that this well known English rhyme is connected withthe Great Plague of London 1665. The first line represents the rash

associated with the plague. Children are role-playing being dead when they

‘fall down’. ‘A pocket full of posies’ is said to represent something fragrant

placed in the victim’s pocket to cover the unpleasant odours of disease and

purify the air around them thus warding off the disease, or that they would

invoke sneezing as it was commonly believed that sneezing would help to

prevent contracting the disease. ‘Ashes’ may be associated with the burning

of bodies which was believed to stop the disease spreading.

12

Ring a Ring a Roses

Stargirls playing

Ring a Ring a Roses


13



London Bridge

� Materials:None

� Aims:Teamwork, turn taking, fun, exploring the

singing voice, locomotor movement

�Procedure:Two children are selected to represent the bridge

and sing the rhyme, they stand facing each other

with their hands held together above their heads.

The other participants form a circle and go one by one under the bridge.

Although there are many variations to the rhyme generally a child is caught

if they are under the bridge when the rhyme comes to an end.

This game improves a child’s rhythm, movement and co-ordination. The

tug of war variation encourages children to work in a team.

? This nursery rhyme is based on the famous bridge in London over the

River Thames. It covers the different materials used to rebuild the bridge

after various attacks from Vikings and other disasters such as fires.

It has also been suggested that the game may also symbolise the childrens

wish to grow up and become good strong adults.

� Variations:

Greek game known as ‘The Bee’ involves children choosing their preferred

player of the two children selected to form the bridge. When they are

caught going under the bridge they then stand behind the player they

picked. This continues on until everybody has been caught. The two sides

of the bridge then start a tug of war. The side who pulls over the opposing

team is the winner.

14


15

London Bridge

London Bridge is falling down,

Falling down, falling down,

London Bridge is falling down,

My fair Lady.

Build it up with wood and clay,

Wood and clay, wood and clay,

Build it up with wood and clay,

My fair Lady.

Wood and clay will wash away,

Wash away, wash away,

Wood and clay will wash away,

My fair Lady.

Build it up with bricks and mortar,

Bricks and mortar, bricks and mortar,

Build it up with bricks and mortar,

My fair Lady.

Bricks and mortar will not stay,

Will not stay, will not stay,

Bricks and mortar will not stay,

My fair Lady.

Build it up with iron and steel,

Iron and steel, iron and steel,

Build it up with iron and steel,

My fair Lady.

Iron and steel will bend and bow,

Bend and bow, bend and bow,

Iron and steel will bend and bow,

My fair Lady.

Build it up with silver and gold,

Silver and gold, silver and gold,

Build it up with silver and gold,

My fair Lady.

Silver and gold will be stolen away,

Stolen away, stolen away,

Silver and gold will be stolen away,

My fair Lady.

Set a man to watch all night,

Watch all night, watch all night,

Set a man to watch all night,

My fair Lady.

Suppose the man should fall asleep,

Fall asleep, fall asleep,

Suppose the man should fall asleep?

My fair Lady.

Give him a pipe to smoke all night,

Smoke all night, smoke all night,

Give him a pipe to smoke all night,

My fair Lady



16

Quiet games are ideal for transition between one activity and another. They can be used as an opportunity to

bring a group together after lots of physical activity. The games can help to bring focus and a calm atmosphere

to a group and to help children to wind-down.

Quiet games help children to develop concentration through focusing on specifics, for example, observation

and listening. They also assist in turn-taking.

The use of Quiet Games at the beginning of a session allows for the easy transition from School/Home or

another place into the group situation. Theses games can also be used to build confidence and trust within the

group. If carefully chosen these games can give each participant an opportunity to participate and include those

who are generally quieter and not inclined to volunteer him/her self.

Quiet Games help children to relax in groups and they promote effective communication between complete

strangers.

Children should be encouraged to sit in circles when playing Quiet Games as this gives each child the same

status and exposes each ones face to everyone else allowing eye contact. This circle may also be used to allow

each person to express their feelings and opinions in a safe place where they will not be judged or laughed at.

However this trust needs to be well established before the group members feel completely comfortable about

this.

Using Quiet Games at the end of each session brings the group together in a natural way to allow for reflection

and evaluation of the session and to plan for the next.


17

Wink Murder� As demonstrated on accompanying DVD

� Materials:Cards with letters 1xM, 1xD and the remaining no. of

cards marked X

� Aims:Encourages careful observation; promoting eye contact

with other individuals, an important factor in social

development.

�Procedure:The children sit in a circle and each child is handed a card.

One card has an ‘M’ for Murderer, one card has a ‘D’ for

detective and all the other cards are marked with an ‘X’. The

cards are dealt out ensuring that nobody sees each other’s cards. Only the

detective will let him/herself be known. The detective can stand up and walk

around the circle trying to identify the murderer. The murderer can ‘kill’

people by winking at them; the victim must then dramatically “die”, for

example, collapsing on the ground. The detective has three guesses to

identify the murderer. The game ends when the murderer has been

identified or the detective runs out of guesses.

� Variations:Murder handshake is a variation where the players are expected to shake

hands, and the murderer kills by using a special handshake, usually

scratching the victim's palm. Many prefer this version of the winking version

because "killing" someone is not as easily noticeable by third parties, and

there's less chance for error (if you blink while looking at someone from the

side, it could be interpreted as a wink even if you are not the actual killer).

Vampire is a variation in which the role of "murderer" is replaced with

"vampire." The vampire kills by subtly baring his/her teeth at a victim, who

takes a few more steps and then dies, perhaps with a theatrical shriek.



Chinese Whispers� As demonstrated on accompanying DVD

� Materials:None

� Aims:Develop listening skills; language skills,

develop trust, group participation,

demonstrate how information can

become disrupted or completely

changed through passing on from one

person to another.

�Procedure:Children sit closely together in a circle. A leader is selected who begins a

‘Chinese whisper’, for example, “the grass is very green on the hills.” The

longer the sentence the better! The leader whispers their ‘Chinese whisper’

to their neighbour and then each child ‘Chinese Whispers’ to the next.

The child who is whispering can only do so once and is not allowed to

repeat. If the recipient does not understand them, the recipient must then

continue with what he/she thinks they have heard. When the whisper

reaches the last child in the circle the sentence is said out loud.

The leader then says what the original ‘Chinese whisper’ was. It is fun to

compare what was actually said with what it has ended up as. This is an

excellent game for quieting children down and helping them to relax.

Children get to play with language and they must work as part of a team.

The game has no winner: the entertainment comes from comparing the

original and final messages. Intermediate messages may also be compared;

some messages will be unrecognizable after only a few steps

The name "Chinese whispers" reflects the former stereotype in Europe of the

Chinese language as being incomprehensible. It is little-used in the United

States and may be considered offensive. However, it remains the common

name in Ireland and the United Kingdom and many British-influenced

countries, where it is not generally considered politically incorrect. In

practice the game is also referred to by describing how to play, without

giving it a specific name.

18

Athy Travellers & Stargirls playing

Chinese Whispers


19


� Variations:Eat Poop You Cat, a variation involving drawing and writing

Translation relay, a version involving translations into different languages

One variation known as "Operator" allows each listener one chance to

ask his or her neighbour for a repetition, as if assistance from the line

operator were available by calling that magic word.

Chinese Whispers continued


20

The Name Game

� Materials:None

� Aims:Develop language, memory and a child’s self-

esteem, group interaction, creativity self

validation. Good opening exercise

This is a good ice breaker game to help children

learn each others names, as well as improving

memory and concentration.

�Procedure:The children sit down in a circle. Each child must think of a positive adjective

that starts with the first letter of their name, for example, Jolly Julie, Kind

Katie, Nice Nathalie and so on. Somebody in the group can then be

challenged to remember all the positive adjectives and names of children in

the group.


21

Who am I?

� Materials:Names of famous people written onto cards, safety pins/

sticky tape

� Aims:Introduction game, ice breaker, memory, creative thinking,

conversational and language development. In this game a

child will develop their ability to think creatively and

quickly! Children can learn about famous people. The child

will also have to think ahead and consider what the best

kinds of questions to ask are. A child’s memory is also tested

as they must remember previous questions and answers in

order to formulate a more accurate guess.

�Procedure:This game is a variation of 20 questions. A famous person’s name is pinned

onto the back of each player.

Each player then take turns asking the group questions, for example, Am I

female? Am I a singer?

The questions must be closed questions i.e. they must only have a “yes” or

“no” answer. A maximum of twenty questions may be asked. If they do

not guess the famous person within the twenty questions they are out.

When a player correctly identifies the famous person they can place the

name on their front.

� Variations:The game may also be played non-verbally using only actions do determine

the name of the famous person.

Add other rules for e.g. not allowed to say certain words, use only

positive attributes, introduce specific questions like, is it a man? Is it a

woman? Are they alive?



The Ministers Cat

� Materials:None

� Aims:Helps improve memory, concentration,

fun, language and vocabulary

development through the use of adjectives.

This game helps a child improve their concentration and attention span

without even realizing it! Through recalling information a child’s ability to

memorize is increased. Children are encouraged to be creative with their

language and the games helps them to increase their vocabulary as they try

to come up with the most unusual adjective to describe the Minister’s Cat.

�Procedure:The game follows the letter of the alphabet and adjectives are used to

describe the Minister’s cat.

For example, the minister’s cat is an Acrobatic cat, the minister’s cat is a

Bright cat. The game continues systematically through the alphabet.

� Variations:For older children a time limit can be placed, for example ten seconds to

think of an adjective, or they must recite all the previous adjectives said

before adding their own.

22


23


The Fame Game

� Materials:None

� Aims:A good game for transition times and for the beginning or the end of a

group session to bring calm to the group, the game encourages children to

think as quickly as possible, improve concentration.

�Procedure:The Fame game is played sitting in a circle and a leader starts by naming a

famous person, for example Brad Pitt. The first letter of the last name must

then be used to begin the next name; in this case ‘P’ is the first letter of the

last name so Penelope Cruz could be used for the next individual.

The game travels around the circle continuing in the

same direction unless an individual uses a name where

the Christian name and Surname begin with the same

letter, for example, Marilyn Monroe. In this case the

game changes direction.

� Variations:Depending on the age of the group time limits can be

added. People are ‘out’ if they cannot think of a name

within the time limit.

Varieties of this game can be played depending on

age ranges and interests. Children’s names in the

class could be used or characters from a well

known television programme. Children must keep focused

and alert in order to be successful in the game.


Co-operative games help children to develop their interpersonal skills and help them to work as

part of a team.

Co-operative play is one of the five different kinds of play identified by Mildred Parton in the 1930’s.

Mildred Parton was one of the early researchers in early childhood play. Vygotsky and his student

Daniel Elkonin studied how play stimulates self-regulation skills in children.

Not all children learn in the same way- it is therefore important for childcare workers, youth workers

and teachers to include children in activities in order to extend on their learning and introduce new

concepts. The most enjoyable way for children to learn is through involving them in games,

particularly team games, where they have an opportunity to learn from and teach each other skills

in a pleasant way.

Through co-operative play children learn how to share, make decisions as part of a group, negotiate

and exchange ideas. Cooperative team games encourage children to become physically fit and

develop social skills through turn taking, understanding fair play and accepting differences in skills,

ability and attitudes. The structure and rules associated with team games can help children to settle

into new groups more easily as they are not the specific focus and are seen as part of a team. In

co-operative play children organize themselves into roles with a specific goal in mind. Co-operative

play is one of the most social forms of group play.

24


25

Tug-of-War� As demonstrated on accompanying DVD

� Materials:Strong rope four to six metres long

� Aims:Develop team work and cooperative skills, strengthen

muscles, strategic thinking, fun.

�Procedure:Two equal sized teams are picked and each team takes a separate end of the

rope. A central marker is made and the team that pulls their rivals over the

central marker is the winner.

The team that wins does so not only out of strength but also through their

ability to cooperate and organise.

The best strategy for sides strength is to organise the team in sequence

with the strongest at the end of the rope creating an anchor moving to

less strong at the front.

? Origins:

The tug of war originated in China and was known as Bahe. In the past, it

was usually held during the Lantern Festival (celebrated on the 15th of the

first month of the Chinese calendar) and between two neighbouring

villages.

Today, the Tug-of-War is popular at sporting and community events


Athy Travellers

playing Tog of War


26

Red Rover� As demonstrated on accompanying DVD

� Materials:None

� Aims:Encourages team spirit, strategic thinking,

teamwork,

�Procedure:Two teams made up of a number of players who stand shoulder to shoulder

holding hands to form parallel lines or chains facing each other.

There should be a space of approximately 9-10 metres between the teams.

One team goes first. This team then calls out ‘Red Rover, Red Rover, We

call (name of player on the opposite team) over.’

The player who is called must then try to break through the opposite

team’s chain. If the player fails to break through the chain he must join the

opposite team.

If the runner breaks through the chain he/she can return back to their own

team.

The game continues until one team has no players left.

This game is also known as Bullrush. It is of British origin and was

particularly popular in the 1970’s. It is a variable of British Bulldog and

played in several Commonwealth countries.


27

1,2,3 Dragon� As demonstrated on accompanying DVD

� Materials:Costume (optional)

� Aims:Teamwork, cooperation, awareness of other team

members, special relations awareness.

�Procedure:Generally six or more players form a line with each player

holding the shoulders of the person in front of them. The

person in the front of the line is the "Head” and the person

at the back of the line is the "Tail."

The tail shouts "1, 2, 3 dragon”.

The ‘head’ then begins to lead the line with the aim of catching the tail.

The players must stay connected to each other and if the dragon breaks,

the dragon dies.

If the head catches the tail play stops and the head goes to the end of the

line. The second person in line now becomes the head. In order for the

head to catch the tail he/she must co-operate with the rest of the team to

ensure that the chain does not break.

This game involves the ‘head’ carefully observing the rest of the dragon to

ensure that the links are not broken. A balance must be created to ensure

that the ‘head’ goes fast enough to catch the ‘tail’ but not so fast as to

break the links.

? Origins: 1, 2, 3 Dragon is a tag game similar to ‘Follow the Leader’. 1, 2, 3 Dragon

originated in China and is played by children usually to celebrate the New

Year.

Dragons are important in China as they represent good luck.

�Variations:Follow the leader; in this game the participants follow the actions of the

leader



British Bulldog

� Materials:None

� Aims:

�Procedure:British bulldog is best played in a large area. There is no limit to the number

of players.

Depending on the amount of players one or two ‘bulldogs’ are selected

who stand in the middle of the play area.

All remaining players stand at one end of the play area (known as home

or den).

The aim of the game is for players to run from one end of the play area to

the other without being tagged by a ’bulldog’. If a player is tagged they

then become a ‘bulldog’.

The game is usually begun by the ‘bulldogs’ calling out ‘British Bulldog

1,2,3.’

The ‘bulldog’ can call a particular player to run.

Once a player reaches the other end of the playing area they cannot be

caught.

Once a player leaves the den they cannot return but must either be

caught or make it safely to the opposite den. The winner is the last player

to become a bulldog.

? Origins: British bulldog is a variant of tag that is associated with Commonwealth

countries such as England and Australia. The game has been compared to

a rugby scrum as the ‘bulldogs’ try to tag and tackle other players which

may be the reason why it is popular in countries where rugby is common.

28


29


British Bulldog� Variations:

Finding the way: “Menya Kwan Mansen”

Can be played indoor or outdoors,

A number of children join their hands together to form a circle. One player

will be inside the circle. The idea is for him/her to try to break through and

escape. He/she goes round and asks “Which way is this”? The others

respond… mentioning the names of the towns and villages around. This

player then leads in a song.

“Menya Kwan Masen” and the others respond “oowa”. “Mennya Kwan

Mensen” “oowa” Meaning “I want a way out, but I cannot find the way".

As he/she moves round inside the circle still leading in the song, he/she

will be finding the line of least resistance by taping the joined hands.

Having determined this, when he/she reaches this point he sings aloud and

taps hard and breaks loose and runs away. One of the two children who

let him escape goes inside the ring and another game starts.


Blindfold Horse Race

� Materials:Blindfold, obstacle course, jump ropes.

� Aims:Building trust and focus between team members, verbal skills receiving

instructions, sensory awareness.

�Procedure:Children are broken up into pairs. One of the pair has to wear a blindfold

covering their eyes. The blindfolded person gets down on the ground like a

horse.

The non-blind folded child becomes the ‘rider’ and sits on the "horse."

The "rider" has to direct the "horse" around the obstacle course without

talking. The rider does this by gently tapping on the "horse's" ears. If the

horse runs into something it has to stop and whinny before starting again.

The object is to finish the obstacle course in the shortest time possible.

Simple obstacle courses can be made by sticking masking tape on the

ground for the ‘horse’ to follow.

This game can be varied so that the

‘horse’ is given verbal instructions from a

team-mate standing at one end of the

course.

? Origins: This game comes from Nigeria.

� Variations:

Obstacle course racing where the

participants have to race over a course of

obstacles.

30


Active games promote gross motor development through

running and walking and other fast movements. Most

active games involve following instructions which

improves a child’s listening skills and helps children to

follow rules.

Active games often require turn taking which promotes

a child’s understanding of equality and fairness as well as

improving their ability to wait and improving patience,

thus creating a calmer atmosphere.

Active games help to improve children’s gross motor skills

which include locomotor skills, whole body movement,

including walking, running and jumping and non-

locomotor skills and anchored movement such as

bending, twisting and upper body movement.

Active physical games can help children to control their

impulses through following rules, taking turns and

working together as part of a team, this is very necessary

for success in school, sport and social relationships.

It has been recently suggested that playing outdoors in

the sunshine stimulates the pineal gland, the part of the

brain that regulates the “biological clock”, is vital to the

immune system and makes us feel happier. Playing active

physical games outdoors is a great opportunity to involve

children in a healthy pastime. Involving children and

young people in games and sports and making it an

enjoyable experience, makes it less likely for them to join

in anti social activities.

Helping children and young people to become involved

in physical activity may help them to avoid health

problems later in life as skills learned and enjoyed in

childhood build on foundations for enjoyment in sport

throughout life. Playing active and physical games is a

way of making exercise an enjoyable and social event.

Physical play does not tend to be as well documented

as other forms of play by psychologists; however it is

vitally important for developing gross motor skills to

increase strength and growth. (Moyles, 2002)

31


Traffic Lights� As demonstrated on accompanying DVD

� Materials:Chart with traffic lights indicating the action for the

colour of the lights.

� Aims:Physical activity, improving the mood of a group,

develop listening skills and the ability to link

commands to actions

�Procedure:This is a good icebreaker game as it is easy to learn and suitable for groups

of five or more.

A leader is selected who will call out instructions to the rest of the group.

‘Red’ means all players freeze and cannot move.

‘Amber’ means all players walk and

‘Green’ means all players run.

To make the game more challenging ‘stop’ and ‘go’ can also be added.

‘Stop’ means stop what you are doing and freeze.

‘Go’ means continue what you are doing. For example, if everybody is

walking and the leader calls out ‘go’ everybody continues walking.

The game can be made competitive by eliminating whoever makes a

mistake.

� Variations:

Fruit Bowl where the participants are all seated in a circle, each person is

assigned the name of one of three fruits, apple banana or pear. One person

standing in the centre of the circle, without a seat, calls a particular name of

fruit for example “apples”. Everyone assigned that fruit has to change chairs

as quickly as possible; the person in the centre tries to get one of the seats

vacated by the “apples” leaving someone without a seat who then calls the

name of another of the three fruits or they may shout "fruit bowl" and

everyone must change seats.

Chose a different code for the actions for example names of animals.

This game is physically active and is an excellent warm up. It helps in the

formation of groups as everyone is running around and making mistakes in

a relaxed atmosphere.

32


33


Duck, Duck, Goose� As demonstrated on accompanying DVD

� Materials:Bean bag.

� Aims:Improve listening skills; assist in the ability to

follow instructions.

�Procedure:Children sit in a circle. A player is chosen to be ‘it’. The

player who is ‘it’ steps outside the circle and walks

around tapping the heads of the other players sitting

down in the circle.

As he/she taps each head they say ‘duck, duck, duck’. When ‘it’ choose to

tap a player’s head and say ‘goose’, the ‘goose’ must then try and catch ‘it’.

If ‘the person who is ‘it’ successfully reaches the ‘gooses’ place before

he/she is caught the ‘goose’ then becomes ‘it’ and the game begins again.

If the ‘goose’ catches ‘it’ before he reaches the ‘gooses’ place then ‘it’ is on

again.

� Variations:A variation of this game is played in Ghana in Africa. Again children sit in a

circle but instead of saying ‘duck, duck, goose,’ the group is silent and the

player who is ‘it’ carries an object such as a beanbag with them. The player

quietly places the beanbag behind one of the children in the circle. Once

the child realises that the beanbag is behind them they must pick it up and

run after ‘it and try and catch him/her before they reach the empty place.

The children must remain focused and concentrate so that they can listen

very carefully for the beanbag being dropped and for the movement of

the child who is ‘it’.

The game is called Antoakyire which roughly translates to ‘It is not behind

you’.

Apart from the physical benefit the youth derive from these games, the

youth develop their body coordination and intuitive faculties for adult life.

"Antoakyire” on the other hand teaches the child to have endurance, be

watchful and a bit skeptical in life as all that glitters is not gold.

Athy Travellers & Sta`rgirls

playing Duck, Duck, Goose


Stuck in the Mud� As demonstrated on accompanying DVD

� Materials:None

� Aims:Physically active game, good for releasing frustration and tension in a group,

developing motor skills and building up muscle tone due to its active nature.

�Procedure:This game is a variation of tag. For best results a minimum of five people

should play, the larger the group the more enjoyable the game can be.

One or more players, depending on the size of the group, are selected to

be ‘on’. He/she must try and catch the other children by tapping them.

When a child is caught they must stand still with their arms out like an

airplane and their feet apart, thus creating the impression that they are

stuck in the mud. A ‘caught’ child can be freed by another player if they

crawl through their legs.

When those who are ‘on’ catch all the other players the game is finished.

To begin again usually the first person who is caught is then ‘on’ for the

next game.

34


35

Stuck in the Mud

� Variations:A game from Argentina called Stop there!

� Materials:Football, preferably soft.

� Aims:Physically active game, good for releasing frustration and tension in a

group, developing motor skills and building up muscle tone due to its

active nature.

�Procedure:Needs a minimum of 3 players. Initially, one player takes a ball. In that

moment the rest start running away from the one who has the ball.

When the one who has the ball says: "Stop there, John" (he has to name

one of the participants). The one named has to look for the ball, and

once he has the ball he says “stop there " and everybody has to stop.

The one who has the ball can give three steps to get nearer, to his

closest partner, and throw him/ her the ball.

1. If he touches the person with the ball, that person has a spot, and he

is now the one who has to say “stop there" and name one person.

2. If he doesn't touch the person with the ball, that person is "clean"

(doesn’t have a spot), and the one who threw the ball is called "spot".

He has to throw the ball again and say "Stop there" naming someone.

3. That who gets 3 spots has to do something required by the group

which called "prenda" (kind of punishment), it consists of doing

something funny or embarrassing, it's not a physical punishment!

4. If he doesn't want to do it, he is punished with 2 more "prendas", if he

still doesn’t the game starts again and all players are "clean".

5. If he does what the group requires, the game goes on.

6. The game does not have a time limit, it finishes when most of the

players decide it.



� Materials:“Shuttlecock”, Net

� Aims:Assists in the building of fine motor skills,

working in a team as well as building fitness

and muscle tone.

�Procedure:A net must be set up between two teams. Teams usually consist of three

people on each side. The play area is usually approximately 12 meters in

length and 6 meters in width, however this can be varied to suit the area

available.

A team who wins two out of three games wins the set. Traditionally the

first team to win 15 sets wins the match, however this may be too long for

younger children.

� Variations:

This game is played in Ireland and other countries with a racket.

? Origins: Hand shuttlecock originated in China where it is called Shoujian or Jianqiu.

This game developed from people working in the paddy fields planting

rice. The shuttlecock was traditionally made of corn peel in a square shape

with three chicken feathers to give it flight and direction.

36

Badmintonwithout Racket(Shoujian and Jianqiu)


37

No laughing, No Talking, No Showing Your Teeth.

� As demonstrated on accompanying DVD

� Materials:None

� Aims:Helps improve balance and co-ordination, observation skills as the players

must watch ‘it’ carefully before they can move.

�Procedure:A player is selected to be ‘it’. They go to the far end of the play area and

stand facing the other players.

The other players stand at the opposite end of the play area in a straight line

shoulder to shoulder facing the player that is ‘it’.

When the player that is ‘it’ turns his/her back towards the other players. While

she/he is saying “No laughing no talking no showing your teeth” they try

to run up and catch the person who is ‘it’. When the person who is ‘it’ turns

around to face the group all players must freeze immediately.

If the player who is ‘it’ sees another player; moving, laughing, talking,

showing their teeth, they must go back to the start.

‘It’ can try and make people laugh or move by pulling funny faces and many

other creative tactics. However ‘it’ cannot touch the other players.

The first player to reach ‘it’ is the winner.

�Variations:This game is a variation of Musical Statues



Kameshi Ne Mpuka

� Materials:None

� Aims:Encourages active movement assists in improving balance and gross motor

skills.

�Procedure:Four rows of players all stand parallel to each other. The four rows are

standing shoulder to shoulder and holding hands. Each row should face

towards the centre.

Players are chosen to be ‘rat’ and ‘cat’. The cat's job is to chase the rat and

catch it by tagging it. The rat must run and dodge up and down the rows

trying to avoid the cat.

The ‘cat’ will call out ‘mpuke ekali!’ which roughly translated means ‘let the

rat stop’. At this call the children holding hands will turn and join hands

with the row which was beside them, switching the rows directions from

vertical to horizontal. At this turn in the rows, the rat must still be able to

adjust quickly and escape the cat. If the ‘cat’ catches the ‘rat’ the game is

finished and a new ‘cat’ and ‘rat’ can be chosen.

All players must listen for the instruction of ‘mpuke ekali’ and be ready to

change simultaneously. Organisation is needed to begin the game and

divide children into groups as well as deciding who will be the cat and

mouse.

38


39

Kameshi Ne Mpuka

� Variations:Lithuanian game, Untitled cat and mouse game

� Materials:Scarf

“Once the cat was sitting on the stove,

and he had taken a mouse in his mouth.

Beat the cat to the hunch

and don't look at which.”

�Procedure:The first two lines of the above rhyme are sung slowly and the others

faster and repeated.

All children, except one, make a circle. This one is walking around them

and he must have a scarf on in a knot. He gives the scarf to the child he

wants (remember that the walking child can not stop, he must walk

further).

Then all sing

"Beat cat to the hunch and don't look at which".

The child who has the scarf must win against the child who is standing

on the right. The child who is winning is running around and he is safe

when he finds place to stand. It can be repeated many times.



Skill games are ideal for developing concentration as well as co-ordination of the entire body. Both

gross and fine motor skills are improved as well as providing opportunities for children to become

more intrinsically motivated in trying to achieve the skill for themselves as they work more as an

individual than in team or co-operative games

Intrinsic motivation contains the following factors; enjoyment, control, interest, a probability of

success and a feeling of competence and self confidence when skills are achieved. Most skill games

focus on balance, hand to eye co-ordination and whole body co-ordination.

Skill games can take longer than other games to improve upon but due to a child’s persistence they

can observe their skills grow as they play. This improves a child’s ability to dedicate time to

something in order to see results.

Through skill games children learn to understand information from their senses and their body

movements which assist in learning to use their body for writing, drawing, using scissors etc. these

skills in turn contribute towards children’s overall learning in maths, reading, language and most

manual skills. The building of fine motor skills in children will enable them to perform a variety of

important functional tasks.

As these skill games assist in the development of fine motor skills they are the most enjoyable way

for children to ensure proper development and practice of their fine motor movements and

promote the most functional use of a child’s hands

The individual aspect of skill games can assist children who may otherwise be isolated from team

games to become involved.

40


41

Cup and Ball� As demonstrated on accompanying DVD

� Materials:Disposable plastic cups, scissors, string and tin foil

� Aims:Helps to improve hand eye coordination. Number

skills are learnt as children keep count of their

successes. Children observe each other which builds

up social relationships. Fine motor skills are improved

during the building of the cup and ball such as

threading, piercing holes (best done under adult supervision),

tying knots and scrunching tinfoil.

�Procedure:This is a skill game where a ball is attached to the bottom of a cup using a

string. The objective is to catch the ball in the cup.

To make your own cup and ball all you need is a disposable plastic cup,

some string, scissors and tin-foil. Using the scissors make a small hole in

the bottom of the cup. Thread the string through the hole and tie a knot

on the inside of the cup. Place the other end of the string in the centre of

a square of tinfoil and scrunch the tin-foil into a ball on the string. This will

ensure that the ball and string stay connected. The aim is to swing the ball

successfully into the cup.

? Origins:The game is thought to have originated in Greece but was also widespread

in Mexico. The cup and ball were created in a very ornate way using

hollowed out pieces of wood which can be carefully decorated. These highly

ornate pieces were often sold to tourists to make money.



Klassy� As demonstrated on accompanying DVD

� Materials:Chalk

� Aims:This game is beneficial in many ways to the

child. It teaches number sequence, full body

coordination, fine motor coordination and

balance. When drawing out the table children

are practicing writing letters and numbers as

well as creating spatial awareness as if the

sections are too large or too small the game

becomes much more difficult to play.

�Procedure:The grid can be drawn using chalk on a suitable surface such as concrete or

tarmacadam.

42

1

2

3 4

5

6

niebo

piekto


43


�Procedure:The participant starts by throwing a pebble into section 1. Then he/she must

hop on one foot over the section the pebble is in, pick up the pebble and

continue through the sections without touching any lines and always

hopping on one foot.

If the players touches a line with their foot, fails to throw the pebble into the

correct section or is unable to pick up the pebble they are out and the next

person has a turn. However if they complete the round successfully they are

free to move onto the next section. The first player to successfully complete

all sections is the winner.

If a player throws the pebble into niebo (heaven) they receive an extra turn.

However if a player throws the pebble into pieklo (hell) they miss their turn.

? Origins: Klasy is a version of hopscotch which originated in Poland. Klasy roughly

translated means ‘sections’ or ‘classes’.

� Variations:CHLOPEK

The shape of the figure resembles a body, so the name is

chlopek - in literal translation it means farmer boy.

The participant jumps on one leg through the blocks "1",

"2", "3", then she/he may rest by putting her/his both legs

on the pavement - the left on number "4" and the right on

"5" , then jumps on "6" and "7" + "8" with both legs, then

she/he flips the legs turning 180 degrees and repeats it

again.

There are some variations of these two games - the

participant can jump in more difficult versions with only left

leg or with the crossed legs.

1

2

4 5

3

8

6

7

Klassy


Blind Man’s Buff

� Materials:Blind fold

� Aims:Encourages sensory awareness,

listening intently to try and determine

the whereabouts of the other players,

increased awareness of body

movements.

�Procedure:Blind man’s buff should be played in a large area. One player is selected to

be ‘it’ and is then blindfolded. The blindfolded player is often spun around

and must count to ten before he/she can go searching for the other players.

Players may hide or try to trick the blindfolded player to change direction.

A player is caught if ‘it’ tags them. The tagged player then becomes ‘it’. In

some variations ‘it’ must identify the person he/she has caught, only if the

person is correctly identified do they become the next ‘it’.

This game encourages children to be aware of their senses as sight has

been taken away, they must listen intently to try and determine the

whereabouts of the other players. The children who are not ‘it’ must

remain as silent as possible thus improving a child’s ability to focus as well

as increased awareness of body movements.

? Origins: Blind man’s buff originated in England and was played as far back as

Henry VIII’s time.

� Variations:

Similar to “Charlie”

44


45

Zoska� Materials:

None

� Aims:Develops fine and gross motor skills, balance, muscle tone, hand eye

coordination and spatial reasoning. Eye contact with other players helps

develop and improve social relationships

�Procedure:This game can be played with a beanbag, piece of cloth or a ball.

Each player draws a circle around themselves or you could use a hula-hoop.

The players pass the ‘Zoska’ to each other using any part of their body except

their hands.

A player is out if the ‘Zoska’ falls inside your circle, if a player steps outside

of their circle or if a player passes the ‘Zoska’ and it does not reach the other

player.

? Origins: Zoska is a game of Polish origin. It is an abbreviation of the name Sophie in

Polish which is Zofia.

Traditionally a small sack full of barley or sand

was used. This object is called the ‘Zoska’.

� Variations:Dodge ball

� Materials:A number of soft balls

�Procedure:

It is often played by schoolchildren on a

playground or in a gym. There are many variations of the game, but each

involves players trying to avoid being hit by a ball that players on the other

team are throwing at them.

? Origins: Originated in America in 1901



Skipping Ropes

� Materials:Long Rope

� Aims:Develops gross motor skills, Body coordination,

locomotor movement in time with the steady

regular beat of the rope hitting the ground, if a

song or rhyme is used helps develop verbal and

singing skills.

�Procedure:It is a fun sport for both children and adults. With simply a rope, people have

invented many ways to play and to compete.

The most common way is to skip once in a round. The speed can be

widely varied. The average speed in China is said to be 120 - 130 jumps/

minute.

A skilled skipper can turn the rope many times in quick succession while

keeping his or her feet off the ground in a single jump. If you use a very

long rope then two people can turn it and a whole group of people can

jump in.

Skipping rope is a very healthy past time. It is a skill that can be worked

on individually and also in a group making it quite versatile. There are

many different rhymes which can be incorporated into skipping which

helps improve a child’s language and explore the singing voice.

? Origins: Skipping ropes known as Tiaosheng has a long history in China.

46

(Tiaosheng)


47

Some Skipping Rhymes

1. A my name is ALICE, my husband's name is AL, we live in ALABAMA

and we bring back APPLES.

B my name is BETTY, my husband's name is BEN, we live in

BERMUDA and we bring back BUGS.

C my name is CAROL, my husband's name is CARL, we live in

COLORADO and we bring back CRABS.

It just goes on like that through the alphabet.

2. I had a little puppy

His name was Tiny Tim

I put him in the bathtub, to see if he could swim

He drank all the water, he ate a bar of soap

The next thing you know he had a bubble in his throat.

In came the doctor, (person jumps in)

In came the nurse, (person jumps in)

In came the lady with the alligator purse (person jumps in)

Out went the doctor (person jumps out)

Out went the nurse (person jumps out)

Out went the lady with the alligator purse (person jumps out)



48

Stargirls& Athy

Travellers

Get involved

fUn

and have some


49

Handball

� Materials:None

� Aims:This game helps to improve hand eye coordination,

fitness, flexibility and balance. Players must constantly

observe each other in order to work well with team

mates and help to succeed against opponents.

�Procedure:A hard or soft ball can be used depending on whether the game will be

played indoors or outdoors.

Handball can be played with either two or four players (singles or

doubles). The ball varies in size but is approximately 2 inches in diameter.

The game is played like squash but without a racket, players use their hand

or fist to hit the ball against a wall in the hope that their opponent will not

be able to keep the ball in play.

Points can only go to the person that served the ball.

The object of the game is to win each rally (exchange of shots). A player

receives a point each time their opponent fails to keep the ball in play. The

player who reaches twenty one points is the winner of the game, and the

first player to win two games is the winner of the match.

? Origins: Handball is unique to Irish Gaelic games, although it is popular in the United

States, Canada, Australia, Mexico, Spain and other parts of Europe.

� Variations:Squash is an indoor racquet sport that was formerly called "Squash

racquets," formally known as “Racquets” The game is played by two players

(or four players for doubles) with 'standard' rackets in a four-walled court

with a small, hollow rubber ball.



Hurling� Materials:

A small ball (sliotar) and a curved wooden stick

made of Ash (hurl).

� Aims:Develops hand eye coordination, gross motor skills,

fine motor skills, cooperation between team members,

�Procedure:To play you will need a hurl, a sliotar and a large playing area.

Each team consists of fifteen players, lining out as follows: 1

goalkeeper, three full-backs, three half-backs, two midfielders, three

half-forwards and three full forwards.

You may strike the ball on the ground or in the air. You may pick up the

ball with your hurl and carry it for not more than four steps in the hand.

After those steps you may bounce the ball on the hurl and back to the

hand, but you are forbidden to catch the ball more than twice. To get

around this, one of the skills is running with the ball balanced on the hurl.

To score, you hit the ball over the crossbar with the hurl for a point or

under the crossbar and into the net for a goal, the latter being the

equivalent of three points.

? Origins: Hurling is Europe’s oldest field game. It was introduced to Ireland by the

Celts and has been played since 1272BC. The game of hurling was originally

played to prepare Irish Warriors for battle. Hurling is now considered the

fastest field game in the world.

The story of Setanta who became known as Cuchulainn, the famous Irish

warrior, tells of him, at aged 5 years, using his, hurl of bronze and sliotar

of silver to shorten the long journey to his uncles house by hitting the

sliotar as far as he could and throwing the hurl after it and running to

catch them before they landed. It is also told that he used his sliotar and

hurl to kill Cullain’s dog which earned him the name Cuchulainn (The

hound of Cullain).

� Variations:A very similar game is played by girls called Camogie. A very similar game

is played in Scotland called Shinty.

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Jeu de Boules

� Materials:Set of boules balls

� Aims:Improves spatial development through aiming before throwing the boule,

fine motor skills and hand eye coordination. As it can be a team game

players must work together and think ahead to try and be successful. This

game will also help improve a player’s concentration and focus.

�Procedure:Ideally boules should be played on a gravel or tarmac surface, however grass

is also acceptable. Usually eight metal balls (boules) are used as well as a

small rubber ball cochenret (Jack).

Two players or teams of up to four players each can play at one time.

The object is to throw boules (balls) as close as you can to the cochenret

(jack) which is thrown at the very beginning of the game. The players have

three chances to get as close to the jack as possible.

When the boules are thrown your feet must stay behind a marked line.

? Origins: The game Jeu de Boules was derived

from the popular French game Jeu

ProvenÇal which originated in France in

1907.

� Variations:Similar games are played throughout the

world and called lawn bowling in England

and bocce in Italy.



References

Don Campbell, 2001, The Mozart Effect: Tapping the Power of Music to

Heal the Body, Strengthen the Mind and Unlock the Creative Spirit,

2nd edition.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simonsays - Simon Says

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/focus/sport-land.htm - Tug of War

http:www.ga.k12.pa.us/academics/MS/6th/MCGAMES/Games/Dragon.htm -

1,2,3 Dragon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British Bulldogs %28game%29 - British Bulldog

http://www.ga.k12.pa.us/academics/MS/6th/MCGAMES/Games/blindfold.htm

- Blind fold horse race

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/focus/sport-land.htm - Badminton

without racket & Skipping rope

http://www.ga.k12.pa.us/academics/MS/6th/MCGAMES/Games/kameshi.htm -

Kameshi Ne Mpuka

http://www.culture.polishsite.us/articles/art267fr.htm - Klasy & Zoska

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_Man%27s_Bluff_%28game%29 - Blind man’s

buff

http://www.gaa.ie/page/all_about_handball.html - Handball

http://www.gaa.ie//page/hurling.html - Hurling

http://www.ga.k12.pa.us/academics/MS/6th/MCGAMES/Games/Jeuboul.htm -

Jeu de Boules

IPPA, The Early childhood Organisation, Child’s Play? An Exploration

into the quality of Childcare Processes

IPPA, the Early Childhood Organisation, Power of Play, A Play Curriculum in

Action.

Moyles, J.R., 2002, Just Playing, The Role and Status on Play in Early

Childhood Education, Open University Press.

Moyles, J.R., 2003, The Excellence of Play Open University Press.

Ready, Steady Play! A National Play Policy, March 2004

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Recommended Reading


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playful world

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