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.
Yoruba Igbo Hausa Ogu (Egun) Swahili Spanish French Arabic Portuguese
Playable
Awalé
The seed board
Drop seeds house to house. Count in the home tongue as you go.
Playable
Contar
Counting
Hear the number. Tap the word. One to twenty.
Playable
El escondite
Hide and seek
Count to ten. Then tap the face that hid.
Playable
Rayuela
Hopscotch
Tap the boxes in order. Say the number as you land.
Playable
Palmas
Clap game
Hear the number. Clap that many times.
Yard later
La comba
Skipping rope
Ask an adult to turn a rope. Count as you jump.
Yard later
Canicas
Marbles
Share. No grabbing.
Yard later
Peonza
Spinning top
Spin it and count while it turns.
Yard later
Cuna de gato
Cat’s cradle
A loop of yarn and two pairs of hands.
Yard later
Juegos de luna
Moonlight play
Ask an elder the night game they knew. Play it in the yard.