10 games for kids from Ancient Times

We live in times where we write, discuss, talk and think a lot about games kids play. Many games we play today have roots in ancient times, but we might not know it. Here’s a list of ancient games and where they originated from:

1. Hoops – Rolling a hoop was a skill most kids picked up in Ancient Greece.

2. Rattles – Ancient Greece, India, China and other parts. In fact seed pods were some of the earliest natural rattles.

3. Knucklebones or Jacks from ancient Greece

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This was played with the ankle bones of sheep in ancient times. These were thrown up and caught in a variety of ways. Modern knucklebones are made of metal or plastic and have 6 knobs growing out of a base.

4. Ephidrismos – A piggyback game from Ancient Greece, this has been found in terracotta figurines and on vases. It requires skill in throwing stones at a pebble which must be overturned. The winner gets a piggyback ride.

5. Morra – This is a game again from Greece, still played in parts of Italy. Fist from behind the back are brought out with fingers extended. The game is about calling out the correct number of fingers.

6. Chaupar – These are from ancient India and need elongated dice for play. The board needed to play has been carved out on many palace floors and can still be found there. Generally the board would be made of cloth.

7. Ullamaliztli – An Aztec ball game, a ball had to be passed through a hole in a stone disc. Most players wore deerskin gear to protect themselves.

8. Mancala – This could have originated either in Africa or India. A type of play, there can be a variety of boards and games in mancala. In many places in India and Africa, the board is permanently made in the ground.

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It is a game played with seeds, beads, cowrie shells or pebbles, which have to be moved. A two player game, the winner is the one who ends up with more seeds.

9. Snakes and Ladders – This was a game played in Ancient India. Snakes and Ladders was played on a board with a grid. It was a game based on karma, but it made its way to England in a more mundane avatar. The game requires dice. Regular dice have been found in Sumer, China, India and other African countries. Many were marked because it predated the number system.

10. Go – An ancient 2-people game of strategy and philosophy, it was very popular in China, and even today commands a large number of players. Go was also played in Korea.

Spinning tops, ball games and rattles originated in many civilizations.