Indian Children Games

Pachisi

• Pachisi originated in ancient India and is played with a cross-shaped playing board with two teams of two people each. Each player has four beehive-shaped pieces of a certain color, which are placed in the middle of the board. The object is to be the first team to get all of the pieces across the board, moving counterclockwise. Players alternate turns by throwing cowrie shells, which determine how far a player can move her pieces. If a piece from one team lands on top of another, the piece that was there first must go back to the center and start over.

Doggy Doggy Where's the Bone?

• Doggy Doggy Where's the Bone? is commonly played in classrooms with multiple players. One player assumes the role of "dog" and sits in a chair away from everyone else and with his back to them. A chalkboard eraser is often used as the "bone" and is put beneath the dog's chair. One player takes the bone without the dog noticing and goes back to where the other children are sitting. Everyone then sings, "Doggy, Doggy, where's your bone? Somebody's stole it from your home!" The dog then turns around and tries to guess who stole the bone in three guesses or fewer. If the dog succeeds, a new game starts with the same dog. If not, a new player gets to be the dog.

Doors and Windows

• In Doors and Windows, children form a circle by holding hands with the person beside them with their arms extended. One child is selected to run around the circle, going under the children's arms. He weaves in and out of the circle. The children holding each other's arms can randomly drop them, creating "windows," or hold hands again, creating "doors." If the running child is touched by any of the windows or doors, he is out and must rejoin the circle. A new child is then selected as the weaver. Play resumes until the running child is tagged.

Wolf's Dinner Time

• In Wolf's Dinner Time, one child plays the "wolf," standing approximately 15 feet away with his back to the other children. The other children call out, "What's the time Mr. Wolf?" to which the wolf must respond with anything from 1 o'clock to 12 o'clock. The wolf turns around and each child must take the number of steps that correlate to what the wolf said. For example, if the wolf said "10 o'clock," the children must take 10 steps toward him. The wolf then turns his back and the children ask again. When the children are close enough, the wolf may respond by saying "Dinner time!" then running after the children. The first child the wolf tags becomes the wolf, and a new game begins.