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19th Century Swedish Children's Games

Swedish author Po Tildholm observes that Sweden has long focused on growth over tradition, casting aside old customs to make way for innovation. But more recently, festivals like National Day are bringing back time-honored traditions. Today, Swedes both young and old are rediscovering traditional Swedish children's games as a way to have fun and reconnect with their cultural past.

Tongue Twisters
- These snaking syllables that trip the tongue are a universal way for children to have fun while learning about language. Swedish tongue-twisters make use of common sounds in the Swedish language and aspects of Swedish culture, such as sailing and fishing for salmon. Traditional Swedish tongue twisters that reflect 19th-century Scandanavian life include:
  
  Sju sjösjuka sjömän sköts av sju sköna sjuksköterskor på ett sjunkande skepp.
  
  English translation: Seven seasick sailors are taken care of by seven beautiful nurses on a sinking ship.
  
  Sex laxar i en "lax-ask".
  
  English translation: Six salmons in a "salmon-box."
  
  Flyg fula fluga, flyg, och den fula flugan flög
  
  English translation: Fly ugly fly, fly and the ugly fly flew.
Blindbock
- Blindbock is the Swedish version of "Blind Man's Buff," a game played as early as 2,000 years ago in Greece. Though Blindbock was considered a game for adults in Sweden during the Middle Ages, by the 19th century, the game was played mainly by children.
  
  According to the standard rules, one player is blindfolded and spun around several times. The other players, who are not blindfolded, amuse themselves by calling out to the blindfolded player-- the "blind buck" in the Swedish version-- and dodging out of the player's reach. When the blindfolded player finally locates another player and tags him, he becomes the next blind buck.
Kubb
- Kubb is a Swedish outdoor game that has been popular since the 19th century. The game is a cross between skittles and tennis. It is played with wooden sticks or "kubbs" set up at either end of a field that must be knocked down with throwing sticks. There are ten smaller kubbs and one larger stick, called the "king," per team. The object of Kubb is to knock over the opposing team's smaller kubbs with throwing sticks, but without knocking down the king.
  
  Kubb is still popular in Sweden today. There are variations on the rules to accommodate the players' tastes, including those that shorten the game for children.

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