Hobbies And Interests
Australia: Stuck in the Mud
This game is one of the many variations of "tag." When the play who is "it" tags another player, the second player must freeze and stand with his legs apart. The person can become unfrozen if any other player crawls between his legs. The game continues until everyone but "it" is frozen, then the last person who was frozen becomes the new "it."
El Salvador: El Reloj
El Reloj, or the clock, begins with any number of children forming a circle (the game was originally played with 12 children---thus the name). One child remains in the middle of the circle with a long jump rope. The girl in the middle swings the rope around in a circle close to the ground, and the other players shout out numbers in order as they jump over the rope. If a child misses the rope and is hit by it, he is out. This is a good game for learning numbers in a new language.
Ghana: Pilolo
Pilolo means "time to search for." Before the game starts, a leader needs to hide a few items such as toothpicks or rocks in various spots within the game area, either indoors or outdoors. A designated "end point" is pointed out as well, which could be a spot where the leader remains. Then the leader calls out, "Pilolo," and everyone quickly tries to find one of the hidden items. If a child finds an item, he runs back to the end point. The game could be played again if there are still items left to be found, or the winner could re-hide the items while the other children turn their backs.
Great Britain: Kim's Game
This game was invented by Rudyard Kipling, who shared it with his friend, Boy Scouts founder Robert Baden-Powell. Kim's Game has been a favorite of both Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts ever since.
Anywhere from five to 15 small articles are placed on a table or on the floor. Any items at hand can be used, such as a pencil, a paper clip, a glass, a deck of cards, a stapler, an orange, rocks, soap, a spoon, etc. The items should be covered with a cloth before the game begins. The teacher gathers all the children around the covered table and uncovers the items for one minute, while the children try to memorize what they see.
The children then try to list each of the items, either individually on separate pieces of paper, or by coming to the teacher one-by-one to whisper the list. The teacher can have a pre-printed scoring chart listing all the items with columns for each child playing so she can check off the items.
Spain: Moon and Morning Stars
Sunny Spain is a natural spot for this game, which is played outdoors anywhere there is a clear shadow next to a large sunny space. If played indoors, one area needs to be designated to be the "shadow." One player is the moon, who must remain with one foot always in the shadow, but can run around freely anywhere within the shadow. The other players are morning stars who can run anywhere. The morning stars run in and out of the shadow to tease the moon. Once the moon tags one of the morning stars, that player becomes the next moon.