# List of children's games > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/List_of_children's_games > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/List_of_children's_games.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_children's_games > Source revision: 1348391475 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) "Children's games" redirects here. For the painting, see [*Children's Games* (Bruegel)](/source/Children's_Games_(Bruegel)). A child playing [tag](/source/Tag_(game)). This is a list of [games](/source/Game) that are played by [children](/source/Children). Traditional children's games do not include commercial products such as [board games](/source/Board_games) but do include games which require props such as [hopscotch](/source/Hopscotch) or [marbles](/source/Marbles) (toys go in [List of toys](/source/List_of_toys) unless the toys are used in multiple games or the single game played is named after the toy; thus "[jump rope](/source/Jump_rope)" is a game, while "[Jacob's ladder](/source/Jacob's_ladder_(toy))" is a toy). Despite being transmitted primarily through [word of mouth](/source/Word_of_mouth) due to not being considered suitable for academic study or adult attention, traditional games have "not only failed to disappear but have also evolved over time into new versions."[1] Traditional children's games are defined "as those that are played informally with minimal equipment, that children learn by example from other children, and that can be played without reference to written rules. These games are usually played by children between the ages of 7 and 12, with some latitude on both ends of the age range."[2] "Children's traditional games (also called folk games) are those that are passed from child to child, generation to generation, informally by word of mouth," and most children's games include at least two of the following six features in different proportion: physical skill, strategy, chance, repetition of patterns, creativity, and vertigo.[3] ## History See also: [Traditional Sports and Games](/source/Traditional_Sports_and_Games) [Ancient Egyptian](/source/Ancient_Egypt) sports game [*Children's Games*](/source/Children's_Games_(Bruegel)) (1560) From the 18th century onwards, researchers have taken a greater interest in the value of [traditional games](/source/Traditional_games) in elucidating [cultural values](/source/Cultural_values) and identities. The modern [Olympic Games](/source/Olympic_Games) were influenced by this thinking, and were founded by [Pierre de Coubertin](/source/Pierre_de_Coubertin) on the basis of "All games, all nations", though this aspect of the Olympics was never fully realised and quickly faded away after a few years, with mainly only [Western sports](/source/Western_sports) being played. In some European countries, the revival of traditional games has served as a way for regional identities to be expressed in a political or educational way.[4] ## Tag games - [Tag](/source/Tag_(game))[5][6] - [Ball tag](/source/Ball_tag) - [Chain tag](/source/Chain_tag) - [Cops and robbers](/source/Cops_and_robbers_(tag_game)) (Cowboys and Indians) - [Freeze tag](/source/Freeze_tag)[7] - [Ghost in the graveyard](/source/Ghost_in_the_graveyard) - [Kiss chase](/source/Kiss_chase) - [Stuck in the mud](/source/Stuck_in_the_mud) - [Atya-patya](/source/Atya-patya) - [Blind man's buff](/source/Blind_man's_buff)[6] - [British Bulldog](/source/British_Bulldog_(game)) - [Capture the flag](/source/Capture_the_flag) (Stealing Sticks) - [Duck, duck, goose](/source/Duck%2C_duck%2C_goose) - [Duck on a rock](/source/Duck_on_a_rock) - [Kabaddi](/source/Kabaddi) - [Kho-kho](/source/Kho-kho) - [Kick the can](/source/Kick_the_can) - [Langdi](/source/Langdi_(sport)) - [Marco Polo](/source/Marco_Polo_(game)) - Monkey on Woodchips (Grounders) - [Patintero](/source/Patintero) - Pie - [Poison](/source/Poison_(game)) - [Puss in the corner](/source/Puss_in_the_corner_(children's_game))[7] - [Ringolevio](/source/Ringolevio) - [Sharks and minnows](/source/Sharks_and_minnows) - [Statues](/source/Statues_(game)) (red light, green light; Grandmother's Footsteps) - [Tumbang preso](/source/Tumbang_preso) - [What's the time, Mr Wolf?](/source/What's_the_time%2C_Mr_Wolf%3F) - [Chor Police](/source/Chor_Police_(game)) ## Hiding games - [Hide-and-seek](/source/Hide-and-seek)[5][6] - [Peekaboo](/source/Peekaboo) - [Sardines](/source/Sardines_(game))[8] ## Games with equipment - [Ball games](/source/Ball_game)[5][6] - [Ball in a Cup](/source/Ball_in_a_Cup) - [Baseball](/source/Baseball) - [Basketball](/source/Basketball) - [Beanbag toss](/source/Beanbag_toss) - [Blow football](/source/Blow_football) - [Catch](/source/Catch_(game)) - [Chinese handball](/source/Chinese_handball) - [Conkers](/source/Conkers) - [Downball](/source/Downball) - [Continuous cricket](/source/Forms_of_cricket#Non-stop_(continuous)_cricket) - [Dandy shandy](/source/Dandy_shandy) - [Dodgeball](/source/Dodgeball) - [Football](/source/Football) - [Four Square](/source/Four_Square) ([Kingey](/source/Kingey)) - [French cricket](/source/French_cricket) - [Gaga](/source/Gaga_(sport)) - [Handball](/source/Handball) - [Handball_(schoolyard_game)](/source/Handball_(schoolyard_game)) - [Hoop rolling](/source/Hoop_rolling) - [Horseshoes](/source/Horseshoes_(game)) - [Hula hoop](/source/Hula_hoop) - [Kickball](/source/Kickball) - [Kick-to-kick](/source/Kick-to-kick) - [Lagori](/source/Lagori) - [Marbles](/source/Marbles)[5][6] - [Minkey](/source/Minkey) - [Mumblety-peg](/source/Mumblety-peg)[9][10][a] - [Musical Chairs](/source/Musical_Chairs) - [Paddle ball](/source/Paddle_ball) - [Paper football](/source/Paper_football) - [Patball](/source/Patball) - [Punchball](/source/Punchball) - [Queenie](/source/Queenie%2C_Queenie%2C_who's_got_the_ball%3F)[11] - [Silent ball](/source/Silent_ball) - [Soccer hockey](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Soccer_hockey&action=edit&redlink=1) - [Spinning top](/source/Spinning_top) - [Spud](/source/Spud_(game)) - [Stickball](/source/Stickball) - [String games](/source/String_games)[6] ([cat's cradle](/source/Cat's_cradle)) - [Stoop ball](/source/Stoop_ball) - [Tennis](/source/Tennis) - [Tetherball](/source/Tetherball) - [Tug of war](/source/Tug_of_war) - [Wallball (children's game)](/source/Wallball_(children's_game)) ## Jumping games Main category: [Jumping sports](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Jumping_sports) - [Ampe](/source/Ampe_(game)), from [Ghana](/source/Ghana) - [Double Dutch](/source/Double_Dutch_(jump_rope)) (jump rope) - [Jumping Jacks](/source/Jumping_Jack) - [Jumping rope](/source/Jumping_rope)[5][6] (Skipping rope) - [Jumpsies](/source/Jumpsies) (also known as Chinese jump rope, elastics, or gummitwist) - [Leapfrog](/source/Leapfrog)[5][12] ### Hopping games Main category: [Hopping games](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Hopping_games) - [Hopscotch](/source/Hopscotch)[5][6] - [Langa (game)](/source/Langa_(game)) - [Squid (game)](/source/Squid_(game)) ## Memory games Main category: [Memory games](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Memory_games) - [Chinese whispers](/source/Chinese_whispers) (Telephone[5]) - [Concentration](/source/Concentration_(card_game)) - [Here Comes an Old Soldier from Botany Bay](/source/Here_Comes_an_Old_Soldier_from_Botany_Bay) (Old Soldier) - [I packed my bag](/source/I_packed_my_bag) - [Kim's Game](/source/Kim's_Game) ## Parlour games Main article: [Parlour game](/source/Parlour_game) - [Hunt the Thimble](/source/Hunt_the_Thimble)[5] (Hot and Cold) - [Huckle buckle beanstalk](/source/Huckle_buckle_beanstalk)[13] (Hot buttered beans[13]) - [I spy](/source/I_spy) - [Truth or Dare?](/source/Truth_or_Dare%3F) - [Wink Murder](/source/Wink_Murder) ## Hand games Main article: [Hand game](/source/Hand_game) - [Bloody knuckles](/source/Bloody_knuckles) - [Chopsticks](/source/Chopsticks_(hand_game)) - [Clapping games](/source/Clapping_game)[5][6] - Concentration 64 (clapping, memory game) - Double Double This This - [Down Down Baby](/source/Down_Down_Baby) - [Down by the Banks](/source/Down_by_the_Banks) - [Mary Mack](/source/Mary_Mack) - [Pat-a-cake](/source/Pat-a-cake) - [Pass the ring](/source/Pass_the_ring) - [Red hands](/source/Red_hands) - [Rock paper scissors](/source/Rock_paper_scissors) - [Thumb war](/source/Thumb_war) ## Other traditional children's games - [Buck buck](/source/Buck_buck) (High Cockalorum) - [Bulleribock](/source/Bulleribock) (Sweden) - [Button, button, who's got the button?](/source/Button%2C_button%2C_who's_got_the_button%3F) - [Counting out](/source/Counting_out)[5][6] - [Crack the whip](/source/Crack_the_whip) - [Game of dares](/source/Game_of_dares)[14] - [Floor is Lava](/source/The_floor_is_lava) - [Mingle](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Grouping_game&action=edit&redlink=1) - [Follow the leader](/source/Follow_the_leader_(game)) - [Four corners (game)](/source/Four_corners_(game)) - [House](/source/House_(game))[15] - [Hurray](/source/Hurray_(game)) - [Jinx](/source/Jinx_(children's_game)) - [Keep Away](/source/Keep_Away) (Monkey in the middle) - [Knock, Knock, Ginger](/source/Knock%2C_Knock%2C_Ginger) (Ding dong ditch) - [Knucklebones](/source/Knucklebones)[6] (jackstones,[5] [Jacks](/source/Jacks_(game))[6]) - [Limbo](/source/Limbo_(dance)) - [London Bridge](/source/London_Bridge_Is_Falling_Down) - [Mother May I?](/source/Mother_May_I%3F) - [Oshikura Manju](/source/Oshikura_Manju) - [Paper fortune teller](/source/Paper_fortune_teller) - [Pencil fighting](/source/Pencil_fighting) - [Piljke](/source/Piljke) - [Pitching pennies](/source/Pitching_pennies) - [Poohsticks](/source/Poohsticks) - [Push-pin](/source/Push-pin_(game)) - [Red Rover](/source/Red_Rover) - [Ring a Ring o' Roses](/source/Ring_a_Ring_o'_Roses) - [Seven Up](/source/Seven_Up_(game)) - [Simon says](/source/Simon_says)[15] - [Singing games](/source/Singing_game) - [Skully](/source/Skully_(game)) - [Skyscope](/source/Skyscope) (Poland) - [Sleeping lions](/source/Sleeping_lions) - [Stone skipping](/source/Stone_skipping) - [Tic-tac-toe](/source/Tic-tac-toe) - [Tip-cat](/source/Tip-cat) - [Tsere tsere](/source/Tsere_tsere)[16] - [Wrestling](/source/Wrestling) ## See also - [Game](/source/Game) - [List of open-source video games](/source/List_of_open-source_video_games) - [Outline of games](/source/Outline_of_games) - [Papers-and-Pencils games](/source/Paper-and-pencil_game) - [Street games](/source/Street_game) - [Children's toys and games](/source/Children's_toys_and_games_(disambiguation)) - [List of skill toys](/source/List_of_skill_toys) ## Notes 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Warning_11-0)** This game may be considered inappropriate by some[*[who?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Words_to_watch#Unsupported_attributions)*] ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Lindon, Jennie (2001). *Understanding Children's Play*, p.83. Nelson Thornes. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780748739707](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780748739707). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Sierra, Judy and Kaminski, Robert (1995). *Children's Traditional Games*, p.xii. Oryx. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0897749677](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0897749677). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Sierra and Kaminski (1995), p.3. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Hardman, Ken; Green, Ken (2011). [*Contemporary Issues in Physical Education: International Perspectives*](https://books.google.com/books?id=sVK7BN7q-bsC&pg=PA162). Meyer & Meyer Verlag. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-84126-312-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-84126-312-0). 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Gryski_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Gryski_5-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Gryski_5-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Gryski_5-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-Gryski_5-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-Gryski_5-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-Gryski_5-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-Gryski_5-7) [***i***](#cite_ref-Gryski_5-8) [***j***](#cite_ref-Gryski_5-9) [***k***](#cite_ref-Gryski_5-10) [***l***](#cite_ref-Gryski_5-11) Gryski, Camilla (1998). *Let's Play: Traditional Games of Childhood*, p. 5. Kids Can. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1550744976](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1550744976). 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Oryx_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Oryx_6-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Oryx_6-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Oryx_6-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-Oryx_6-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-Oryx_6-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-Oryx_6-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-Oryx_6-7) [***i***](#cite_ref-Oryx_6-8) [***j***](#cite_ref-Oryx_6-9) [***k***](#cite_ref-Oryx_6-10) [***l***](#cite_ref-Oryx_6-11) Sierra and Kaminski (1995), pp. v-vi. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-GryskiTag_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-GryskiTag_7-1) Gryski (1998), p.10-11. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Gryski (1998), p.15. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** [Newell, W. W.](/source/William_Wells_Newell) (2010). *Games and Songs of American Children*, p. 189. Nabu Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-145-39322-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-145-39322-6). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Foster, Edna Abigail; ed. (1916). *[Something to Do,—Boys!: A Book for Wide-Awake Boys](https://books.google.com/books?id=q69iAAAAMAAJ&dq=knife+game+fingers+-chess&pg=PA222)*, p. 222. W. A. Wilde. [ISBN unspecified]. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-GryskiBall_12-0)** Gryski (1998), p. 26. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** "[Leapfrog](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leapfrog)", *Merriam-Webster.com*. Accessed June 27, 2015. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-GryskiThimble_14-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-GryskiThimble_14-1) Gryski (1998), p.16. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Moore-Mallinos2018_15-0)** Jennifer Moore-Mallinos (15 December 2018). [*When Competition Goes Too Far*](https://books.google.com/books?id=HPGCDwAAQBAJ&q=%22game+of+dares%22&pg=PA30). The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. pp. 30–. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-5383-9033-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-5383-9033-7). 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Therapeutic_16-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Therapeutic_16-1) Schaefer, Charles E.; Reid, Steven E.; eds. (2004). *Game Play: Therapeutic Use of Childhood Games*, p.10. John Wiley & Sons. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780471437338](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780471437338). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** Sahana Charan. "Not just the written word". *[Bangalore Mirror](/source/Bangalore_Mirror)*, 7/24/2011. v t e Game genres Children Chance Gambling Guessing Outdoor Party Redemption Role-playing Skill Sport Strategy Street Tabletop Traditional Video List of game genres v t e Traditional games Afghanistan Bangladesh Bhutan Brazil China Cuba Dominican Republic Fiji India Indonesia Iran Italy Japan Malaysia Mexico Mongolia Myanmar Nepal Nigeria North Korea Oman Pakistan Philippines Qatar Singapore South Africa South Korea Sri Lanka Thailand United Arab Emirates Venezuela Vietnam --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [List of children's games](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_children's_games) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_children's_games?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.