Play - here and elsewhere, child's play

Children all over the world like to play. But how it is played varies from continent to continent and from country to country. Find out how around the here world is played!

How do children play in poorer countries?

Not every child has a shelf filled with books and board games, a ball, cars or cuddly toys – not even here in Europe. But especially in Africa, Asia and South America there are many countries where people are very poor. The money is then only enough for food and clothing (if any), the children can only dream of toys. Therefore, the children are dependent on their ingenuity. They are often content with things they find on the street. she search for objects like car tires, empty cans, wire or stones – and make things out of them. This is how simple things arise the best Ideas. Many plastic bags tied together make a soccer ball. Stones are treated like valuable marbles. Dolls are sewn from old clothes.

Mancala – an African board game

Children often like to play games that they have learned from parents and grandparents. They are part of the culture and are passed on to the children. They are so-called traditional games that can only be found in certain countries or regions. In Africa, for example, dances and gossip games are very common. A traditional African board game is the Mancala game.
This game has different names, because there are other variants in different areas of Africa (for example Huus or Bao). If the children don’t have the board, they dig little hollows. The game is played with beans or small stones and is fun for young and old.

Europe and North America: lots of toys

A lot is played all over the world. In the so-called industrialized countries, i.e. richer countries such as the countries of Europe, the USA, Canada or Australia, children often have a lot of toys and also good opportunities to play. The children’s rooms are not that different. Dolls, building blocks, cars – the toys are colorful and appealing to children. Digital games are also becoming more common: consoles and computer games are often found in children’s rooms.

Games are often similar

There are thousands of games in the world because a lot is played in all countries. Whether in Asia, Africa or Europe – the games are often very similar. Football, for example, is played almost everywhere, as is catching and hiding. But there are also games that are only widespread in certain areas. The way you play also depends on the weather. African children, for example, almost only play outside because it is usually warm in African countries. However, children in Canada or Russia play a lot in the home.

Are you really in the mood for games now??

You can find a small collection of games from different countries here:

Which traditional German games can you think of??