Yard games

Eré of each tongue.

Not one generic game painted over every language. Ayọ̀, Okwe, Dara, Bao, Adji — and the counting, hop, find, and clap of the yard.

Playable

The seed board

Drop seeds house to house. Count in the home tongue as you go.

Playable

Counting

Hear the number. Tap the word. One to twenty.

Playable

Hide and seek

Count to ten. Then tap the face that hid.

Playable

Hopscotch

Tap the boxes in order. Say the number as you land.

Playable

Clap game

Hear the number. Clap that many times.

Yard later

Skipping rope

Ask an adult to turn a rope. Count as you jump.

Yard later

Marbles

Share. No grabbing.

Yard later

Spinning top

Spin it and count while it turns.

Yard later

Cat’s cradle

A loop of yarn and two pairs of hands.

Yard later

Moonlight play

Ask an elder the night game they knew. Play it in the yard.