Multicultural Games

Fifth Grade: Standard 5.8 Appreciate physical games and activities reflecting diverse heritages.

Spearing the Disc (Ethiopia)

Equipment: Hula Hoops (one per group), yarn balls (one per person)
Divide into groups of four, one person is the leader & holds the hula hoop.
The other three students hold their own yarn ball.
The leader will roll the hoop while the players use an underhand throw
through the hoop
Traditional Version: Players who are unable to throw the ball through the hoop are
eliminated. Modifications: Players receive one point for each time they throw the ball
through the hoop. The first person to reach five/ten/twenty points becomes the new
leader.
Third Grade: Standards 1.7 & 1.10
Pebble Toss (Guinea)
Equipment: Small playground balls, small hula hoops and a cone
Divide into groups of four, students will stand about 10 away from the hula
hoop.
Players take turns tossing their yarn ball into the hula hoop (one at a time).
The first person to get their yarn ball to land in the hula hoop will go and
stand behind the hula hoop.
The rest of the group will continue to take turns tossing their yarn ball at the
hula hoop. The person behind the hula hoop will use their yarn ball to hit the
ball from the approaching player.
When a goal is scored, the tosser and defender change places.
First Grade: Standard 1.10, Third Grade: Standard 1.8
Catch Your Tail (Nigeria)
Equipment: Handkerchiefs or Scarves
Divide the class into groups of two. Have one person place a scarf into the
back of their waistband or into a back pocket.
The person with the scarf will place their hands on the back of the opposite
persons shoulders.
On the GO signal, the person in front will attempt to pull the scarf out of
the opposing teams. The person in the back will try to avoid having their
scarf pulled from the other teams.
If a team becomes disconnected, they must stop and reconnect before starting
again.
Traditional Version: Teams that lose their scarves are eliminated from the game.
Modified Game: Teams who lose their scarves go to a location outside of the playing
area and must perform a fitness activity before picking up a new scarf and continuing
with the activity.
MVPA Standards (with modifications): 2.3.2, 3.3.3, 4.3.3, 5.3.3, 6.3.4
Four Chiefs (Nigeria)
Equipment: Four different colored scarves (one for each person in class), four hula
hoops (different colors)
The teacher chooses four people to be the chiefs. The chiefs will stand inside
of the four colored hula hoops.
The chiefs will each assign two soldiers for their tribe. Each solider grabs a
stack of scarves (color coded) for their tribe.
The rest of the class stands in the middle of the playing area.

The team with the most members wins. The game continues until after all
players have been tagged.
If a soldier tags one of the other players they hand them a scarf. The player
then goes to stand behind the chief (of the same color).
Modified Version:
Only four soldiers are picked, one for each team (add more if needed)
When tagged, the player takes the scarf to the tribe. The player then performs
a fitness task (from the tribe) and then re-enters the game.
Tasks for Tribes: Push Ups, Curl Ups, Cardiovascular Endurance, and
Flexibility (components of health related physical fitness).
Fitness Standards (with modifications): 2.3.3, 3.3.4, 4.3.4, 5.3.4, 5.3.5
MVPA Standards (with modifications): 2.3.2, 3.3.3, 4.3.3, 5.3.3, 6.3.4
Schlagball (Germany)
Equipment: Small rubber playground ball or a whiffle ball, cone, baseball bat
* Divide the class into two teams. One team is hitting and the other fielding.
* A cone is set up about 30-40 feet from the plate.
* Each team should set a batting order. The batter tosses the ball to themselves and
hits the ball into the field.
Traditional Version: The fielding team stops the ball and throws the ball at the runner.
If the runner is off of the base (cone) when the ball hits them, they are out. If they are
on the base (cone) before the ball hits them, the team receives one run. Modified
Version: Instead of hitting the runner, the fielding team must hit the cone (base) to get
a player out.
Another modification: Have each student hit on a team before switching sides OR
have the students record a specific number of outs.
Standards: 2.1.13, 4.1.15, 5.1.12, 6.1.10
Skyros (Greece)
Equipment: Playground ball/volleyball, cones (to mark the field), pennies (team
identification)
Divide the class into two teams. Each team lines up at opposite ends of the
field. A ball is placed on the center line.
Mark off the field with two sets of cones about 75 feet apart and mark off a
middle line. On the Go signal, the teams will run to the middle. The first
team who grabs the ball will gain possession.
The only way to move the ball is by passing the ball. A successful pass is
when the ball moves between two players without touching the ground.
A point is scored when a team is able to successfully pass a ball across the
end lines.
No personal contact, no running, and no dribbling allowed.
Modified Version:
Each team is awarded one point per successful pass. Teams that score receive five
points. Other Modifications: Teams can only make bounce passes.
Standards: 5.1.16, 6.1.10, 7.1.3, 8.1.3

Battledore & Shuttlecock (North American Indian)

Equipment: Shuttlecocks, paddles/rackets (one for each student)
Divide the class into groups of six to eight. Players start by forming a circle
with 3-4 feet in between each person.
The first player will hit the shuttlecock to the player to the right using and
underhand hit.
Traditional Version: Players who do not hit the shuttlecock leave the circle. Play
continues with the remaining players. Also, those who make a bad pass leave the
circle. Modified Version: Players who are out move to a new location and work on
their individual paddle skills. Another modification: Players who are out join other
players who are out and start a new game.
Standards: 1.1.19, 2.1.12, 3.1.13, 4.1.13
Kitchen Ball (Botswana)
Equipment: One playground ball for each group
Divide the class into groups of six to eight people. Have each team line up in
a single file line standing behind the starting line. Each team must have their
feet about shoulder width apart.
The first player holds the playground ball at their waist. On the Go signal,
the first player will roll the ball on the ground between their legs.
Each person will guide/move the ball backwards. The last person in the team
will pick up the ball and run around to the front.
The play continues with a new person at the front. The team who is able to
move across the finish line first is the winner.
Standards: 2.5.1, 3.5.6, 4.5.3, 4.5.4, 4.5.5, 5.5.4, 5.5.6, 6.5.1
Step on My Shadow (Botswana)
Equipment: Marked off playing area
Have a defined area for this activity (use cones or the basketball court)
Each student is IT
Students will score one point for stepping on a shadow. Players cannot step
on the same shadow two times in a row.
Players cannot hide their shadows or make their shadows hide outside of the
playing area.
Traditional Version: When the game is stopped, the person with the highest number
of shadows wins. Modified Version: Challenge the class to have at least X number
of shadows when you stop the class.
Circle Bounce (Israel)
Equipment: Ball for each group, hoop for each group
Divide the class into groups of six to eight. Have each group form a circle
with about 6-8 feet between players. Place a hula hoop in the center of the
circle.
The first player holds the ball, turns to the right, and bounces the ball to the
player to the right. Each player keeps bouncing the ball until it reaches back
to the first player.
The first player then bounces the ball in the center of the hula hoop to one of
the players in the group.
Players keep passing the ball through the hula hoop.
A player is assessed a point if
o The player makes a bad pass, a player drops the ball, a player fails to
bounce the ball inside of the hula hoop (touching does not count)

The person with the fewest mistakes at the end wins.

Standards: 5.1.16, 6.1.10

Blind Snake (Austria)
Equipment: Blindfolds (one per student), obstacles (over, under, left, right)
The class is divided into teams of six to eight people. Each person on the
team is given a blindfold
Teams chose one player to be the leader; everyone stands in a single file line
behind the leader wearing their blindfolds. Everyone places their hands on
the shoulders of the person in front of them.
The leader will make a gesture (that needs to be felt by the second person) to
tell the team what to do. Each person on the team will repeat the gesture so
that everyone on the team does the same thing. Example: A left turn; the
leader will raise their left shoulder, a right turn; the leader will raise their
right shoulder.
Goal: The leader will successfully navigate their team through an obstacle course
(left, right, over, and under different obstacles)
Each player should get a chance to lead the group (might need to change the signals
as well)
Standards: 6.5.3, 6.5.4, 7.5.5, 8.5.2
Trick the Guard (New Zealand)
Equipment: Ball (basketball), goal (cone, basketball hoop, etc.)
Draw some lines on the ground for each group (dividing the area into two
sections)
Divide the class into groups of two. One player is the attacker and holds the
ball. The other player is the defender and stands close to the attacker.
The attacker dribbles the ball around their half of the playing area. The
attacker will find a way to create a diversion (fake of some kind) that will
cause the defender to become fooled. The attacker will then throw the ball up
into the air across the dividing line into the opposite section of the court.
The defender cannot cross the center line but tries to block or intercept the
ball from the attacker.
If the attacker is able to catch the ball before it hits the ground, the attacker is
given a free throw/shot at the goal.
After five tries, the attacker and defender switch roles.
The winner is the person with the highest number of points at the end of the
game.
Standards: 4.1.17, 5.1.14, 6.1.5, 6.1.10, 7.1.1, 8.1.3
Bola (Peru)
Equipment: Small playground ball per group, three pins per group
The bowling pins are placed about 20-25 feet from the bowling line. The pins
are placed in a triangle with the head pin closest to the bowling line. The
head pin is worth 12 points and the other two pins are worth 6 points.
The players will ROLL a ball toward the pins attempting to knock the pins
down.
Players will decide the number of points they are playing to before the game
starts. (play to 50, 100, 150, 200 points)
Modification: Make it into a team activity. Teams will have to play both offense and
defense. (You might want to add in extra pins)
Standards: 3.1.8, 6.1.10, 7.1.3, 8.1.3