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Korean Games for Girls

Many traditional Korean games and contests were created specifically for girls and women. Though some of these traditional games now welcome the participation of players of all ages and genders, they remain rooted in the culture as games once set aside strictly for the enjoyment of women and girls. Among the traditional games for girls within the Korean culture, variations on the see-saw and the swing are not only very popular among Korean players, but among westerners.

Nol-Ttwigi
- Korean participants stand on either side of the board.
  
  Practice balancing your weight and strengthening your leg muscles, while also delighting your friends, with a round of Korea's traditional see-saw game, Nol-Ttwigi. Play by positioning at least one girl on either side of the see-saw. Decide which girl will jump first to force the girl on the other end of the board to climb into the air. Introduce this game around festival times and holidays among girls for traditional Korean fun.
Nottaribalkki
- In Nottaribalkki, young women bend forward to form a human bridge.
  
  Celebrate the 15th day following a full moon by playing Nottaribalkki with a group of young women. Explain the meaning behind the name of the game by pointing out that "nottari" denotes a bridge formed out of human bodies, and "palkki" means to step. Put the words together to describe the goal of the game as to step over a human bridge. Arrange the young women in a line and begin to sing as a group. Bend forward, with each girl placing her hands on the waist of the young girl in front of her. Select one girl to step up onto the last girl's bent and flattened back and to walk across the human bridge.
Swinging Contest
- Swinging is a popular yet traditional Korean game for girls and women.
  
  Hang a swing from two long ropes off the sturdy boughs of tall pine or willow trees. Take turns, among women, standing on the swing's wooden board and soaring back and forth, building up speed and momentum. Create a contest out of the game by dangling a bell from another tree branch and challenging the girls to ding the bell with their foot as they swing out toward it. Measure the distance, alternatively, of each girl's longest swing to determine who can swing the farthest with falling or faltering.

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