THE GAMES OF MY GRANDPARENTS’

CHILDHOOD

THE GAMES OF MY GRANDPARENTS’

CHILDHOOD

PEYO YAVOROV

SECONDARY SCHOOLBULGARIA

HIDE-AND-SEEK HIDE-AND-SEEK

In Bulgaria indefinite number of children can play the game. One has to be

chosen for “seeker” and the others are “hiders”. The seeker closes his eyes and

counts slowly aloud to a certain number while the other players are hiding. Hiders

should make a dash for Home Base, which is previously marked. Touching the base

area makes a hider safe, and the aim of the game is to touch base without being

tagged. The seeker continues to search for hiders and if he/she finds none then he is

the seeker again in the next game. However, if he finds and tags someone before they

are able to touch base, he calls out in a loud ‘That’s Michael! But if the seeker

confuses the name of the player the game starts from the beginning.

TAGTAG

In our country tag can begin really spontaneously and that is

the most common way. Another way is to choose one of the players

saying a rhyme and then he/she starts chasing the others. If he

reaches someone he has to touch him saying the words “You

chase!”. And that is how the game goes on.

BROKEN PHONE BROKEN PHONE

Broken phone is a game that Bulgarian children play. Children are placed

side by side in a row and the first one whispers in his neighbour’s ear any

word, phrase or sentence. The action repeats until the last child hears the

word and says it aloud. Very often the last child says something that has

nothing to do with the original word and this is the fun of the game. If the

final word is not correct, the child goes last in the telephone row.

DODGEBALL DODGEBALL

Dodgeball is any of a variety of games in which players try to hit other players on the opposing team with balls while avoiding being hit. It is played by 4, 6, 10 and more participants who divide into two teams. Each team selects a "consul" and occupies a half of the playfield. Consuls stand behind the final line of the opponent team. A lot determines which team begins the game. The aim of each team is to hit with a ball and take out all the opponent players. The one that is hit and fails to catch the ball goes behind the final line of his "consul". The same rule applies if people try to catch the ball but drop it. Head shots will not be counted. It only eliminates the thrower immediately. If the ball remains in the playfield of his team, they have the right to continue the game.

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BLIND MAN'S BUFF BLIND MAN'S BUFF

Blind man's buff is played in a spacious area, such as outdoors or in a large room, in which one player, designated as "It", is blindfolded and gropes around attempting to touch the other players without being able to see them, while the other players scatter and try to avoid the person who is "it", hiding in plain sight and sometimes teasing them to make them change direction.

In one of the versions “the blind man” has to guess who is the player that he has caught.

JUMPING ROPEJUMPING ROPE

Jumping rope This may consist of one participant turning and jumping the rope, or a minimum of three participants taking turns, two of whom turn the rope while one or more jumps. This is called long rope. Sometimes the latter is played with two turning ropes; this form of the activity is called Double Dutch and is significantly more difficult.

Skipping rope (British English) or jump rope (American English) is the primary tool used in the game of skipping played by children and many young adults, where one or more participants jump over a rope swung so that it passes under their feet and over their heads.

WISHBONEWISHBONE

To start the game a branched chicken or turkey bone ("furcula", referred to as a jaw bone or the wishbone) need to be broken by two players. Their goal is to pass an object under some pretext that the other will take. The player who has got the smaller part is the only one that should not take anything.

When one opponent passes an object to the other, the recipient must say “I know!”, in this way you show the other that you do not forget about the game. If you do not say it, your friend says "One, two, three ... Wishbone " and that’s how he wins the game and you have to carry out his wish.

TELL ME, ORACLE!TELL ME, ORACLE!

At least three kids should take part in this game. If you are the oracle you

should sit in front of the kids and close your eyes with your head down.

Then another child starts asking you pointing at one of them “Tell me,

oracle! What should it be?” The oracle calls all the children by names of

things, plants, animals or anything he can think of. In the end the oracle

stands up, opens his eyes and chooses one of the names that he called the

players. The kid that received the same name becomes the new oracle.

WHITE BUTTERFLIESWHITE BUTTERFLIES

White butterflies is a game that is widespread all over Bulgaria. The participants are mainly girls. They arrange in a circle. Two girls hold their hands under the elbows and dance spinning around in the middle of the circle. Everybody sings:

White butterflies, Where did you fly? Near is your way, Select your pals ... The first is mine The second is yours…While singing the last words each of the dancing girls runs to the others and selects one that encircles them. The new couple enters the circle and begins dancing under the accompaniment of the song.

BURN, BURN HANDKERCHIEFBURN, BURN HANDKERCHIEF

Burn, burn handkerchief In this game the children squat in a circle.

Only one kid holds a handkerchief and runs around the circle singing

“Burn, burn handkerchief, the dog is pulling it!”. His task is to drop

the hanky behind one’s back. The one that gets the hanky stands up

and starts chasing the other one and tries to take his place in the

circle. This game is really funny and you should try to play it.

RUBBER BAND JUMPINGRUBBER BAND JUMPING

You only need some rubber bands. Two kids stand opposite each other and extend the rubber band. One player jumps and stands on one side of the rubber band, carrying the two sides together.Then she jumps again and made the two sides separate. Then she jumps again into the middle of the rubber-band and after that she jumps outside of it. There are certain grades of the height of the rubber band. The first grade is the level of the ankles of two players, the second - the hamstrings, the third - the level of the knee, the fourth - at the butt, the fifth - the waist, the sixth - at the arms, the seventh - the neck, eighth - behind the ears, ninth - elastic is held over the forehead, tenth - the rubber band is high with hands stretched up.

HOPSCOTCHHOPSCOTCH

To play hopscotch, a court is first laid out on the ground.

The first player tosses the marker (typically a stone, coin or bean bag) into the first square. The marker must land completely within the designated square and without touching a line or bouncing out. The player then hops through the course, skipping the square with the marker in it. Single squares must be hopped on one foot. For the first single square, either foot may be used. Side by side squares are straddled, with the left foot landing in the left square, and the right foot landing in the right square. The player must then turn around and return through the course. Then he must retrieve the marker and continue the course as stated without touching a line or stepping into a square with another player's marker. If while hopping through the court in either direction the player steps on a line, misses a square, or loses balance, the turn ends.

DRAUGHTSDRAUGHTS

Draughts is a form of draughts board game and it is played by two players with pools, each of them has got nine pieces of a colour. Players have to put them on the board of special places marked with a circle. For a game of Draughts also known as Koram a playing field and nine pieces (white and black) are used. The pieces are off the board at the beginning of the game. Players take turns placing a piece on the board until they put them. The goal of the game is to arrange three pieces vertically or horizontally which is called “Lady”. If you manage to do this you have the right to take away one of your opponent’s pieces. The player can move the pool on a free neighboring position and try to make “Lady”.The winner is the player who first manages to take seven of his opponent’s draughts.

GIANTS AND DWARVESGIANTS AND DWARVES

This game is open to all children. They arrange in a circle, for

example. A leader needs to be chosen. The leader stands

inside the circle and gives his commands.

When he says “Dwarves!” children have to squat and bent

their heads down. When he says “Giants!” children have to

stand up and raise their hands up

BALLSBALLS

The players draw a circle on the ground. In turns they throw

their balls trying to push the opponents’ balls out of the circle.

According one of the versions children excavate a small hole

inside the ring and try to bring their ball in it. Meanwhile they

should eliminate competitors’ balls pushing them outside the

ring. Having the desire to win players often use different

tactics like throwing the ball to a secure or remote area.

Thank You!Thank You!