National Migration Week 2008
January 6-12, 2008
Mancala is considered by many to be the oldest game in the world. Stone Mancala boards have been found carved into the roofs of temples in Memphis, Thebes and Luxor - the game was definitely being played in Egypt before 1400BC. Mancala boards and pieces can be quite elaborate and valuable carved from fine wood or marbles and played with exquisite stones. It is also enjoyed quite simply, making a board by digging hollows in the sand and using pebbles of beans as playing pieces.
Objective: To capture the most stones or beans.
Equipment: Forty-eight seeds and the Mancala board which looks like this:
You can make your own Mancala board using
- An empty 12 cup egg carton, or 12 little containers, called 'cups' from now on.
- 2 bigger containers to keep your winnings, called 'bank' from now on.
- 48 beans, stones, marbles, or other round objects, called 'seeds' from now on.
Number of Players: Two players for each set of equipment. Large groups can participate in tournament play.
Rules:
- The game starts by placing 4 seeds in each of the 12 cups on the board, and each player sits with 6 of the cups on their side of the board.
- Choose a player to start.
- For each turn, a player chooses a cup, takes all the seeds in that cup (it will the 4 seeds for the first player, but it may be more or less as the game continues), and goes around the board in a counterclockwise direction, planting one seed in each cup as they go.
- If your last seed lands in your opponent's cup, you can capture all the seeds in that cup, and add it to your bank.
The game continues until one player can not move, at which point, the one with the most seeds wins.
Objective: For the "snake" to capture every child.
Equipment: None
Number of Players: Several players are required. The more players, the more fun.
Rules: In a large open space one child, the snake, tries to tag others. The tagged children join hands with the snake and try to tag others. The leader and the tail are the only ones who may tag free players. If the snake's body breaks, the snake must start again. The game ends when everyone has been tagged.
Objective: To have 'it' determine who 'baby' is.
Equipment: Sidewalk chalk
Number of Players: 5 - many
Rules: One player is chosen as 'it', and that person hides. The other players choose a player to be 'baby'. 'Baby' lies down, and the other players outline him/her with the materials. 'Baby' rejoins the other players.
'It' is called out from hiding, and tries to determine who 'baby' is based on the outline on the ground. If 'it' guesses right, he/she gets another turn. Otherwise, another player is chosen to be 'it'.
Objective: To "capture" the most nuts.
Equipment: a flat smooth surface and ten to fifteen palm nuts, peach or plum pits, almonds, or small smooth stones for each player
Number of Players: three or more
Rules: Players sit in a circle on the ground and place all their nuts or stones in a pile at the center. Each player keeps one nut to toss into the air.
He or she tosses the nut in the air. Before it comes down, the player scoops up as many nuts as he or she can from the pile, catching the falling nut with the same hand. A player who misses the falling nut must put the nuts he or she just took back in the pile.
Play continues around the circle until all nuts are gone. The player with the most nuts at the end of the game is the winner.