TRADITIONAL GAMES FROM CANTABRIA

CEIP PORTUS BLENDIUM DE SUANCES

Organization: The leader divides the field in two parts. He stands in the field exactly between the

two teams, holding the scarf between two fingers, away from her/his body. Each member of both teams will choose a number, a letter of the alphabet, or a day of the week.

Equipment : a scarf. Description:The leader calls out two names, one from each team, and then calls "now" or

whistles. As soon as the "now"/whistle has sounded, the two children run to capture the scarf. When they arrive near the scarf they have two options to win:

Catch the scarf and run “home” without being touch by the opponent, or Wait until the opponent catches the scarf and try to touch him before he arrives

“home”.Players can be eliminated if they cross the “border-line” before the opponent

touches the scarf. When a team loses one of its components, another player of this team has to take the name of the missing player. The game continues untill there are no more players on one of the teams.

CATCH THE SCARF

It´s also known as the “cantiret” or the “pot”. Organization: It is needed a flat ground without obstacles. This game hasn´t a maximun number of participants. However, the more participants It has, the more interesting It could result.Description:We have to “draw straws” to choose the person who captures the rest. Each person who has been touched becomes a member of the human chain and has to capture the others. When the chain has more than three players, only the extremes can catch the others, and the chain has to be linked. The free players can be saved passing through the “links” of the human chain. The game finishes when all the players are part of the human chain.

THE HUMAN CHAIN

Organization:We can use couples, groups of three players, or a big team. Equipment:Card paper.Felt-tip pens to draw the circuit. Bottle tops to create racing cars.Description:We have to draw a circuit on the floor or on the card paper. Each player has to move his “racing car” through the way to the finish. Turns are distributed alternatively. If a bottle top leaves the route, the player has to continue starting at that point.

BOTTLE TOPS OR “PITCH-AND-TOSS”

Organization:From 4 to 12 players. Equipment : We will use as chairs as players taking away one.Music or a singer who acts as the leader. Description: Put the chairs in a circle. When the music is on, players are walking orderly around the chairs. When the music stops, players have to find a chair and sit down. The player without a chair is eliminated. Each turn, we will take away a chair, until we only have one chair and two players. The player who takes the last chair wins the game.

CHAIRS

Organization: We will divide the field in two parts. The two teams will have their numbers.Equipment : a ball.Description:The leader is in the centre of the field. S/He calls out a number and the two players (one from each team) have to run to catch the ball. Who catches the ball has to throw it to touch the opponent. The opponent has to run home. If the ball touches the opponent, he is eliminated. Otherwise, they say a different number. When everybody has been called out, they have to change their numbers and start again.

MARRO GAME

Organization:We will draw a big circle on the floor. Players will be distribuited along the perimeter of the circle. In the centre of the circle there is a person who has a ball. We will play the game outdoors, using enough free space to run. Equipment: A ball.Description:The player who is inside the circle will throw the ball up in the air, calling out a player. That player has to catch the ball before it bounces on the floor. The other players have to escape as far as possible. When the “called player” has the ball, he has to say: “Stop your feet”, and everybody has stop running. The player with the ball will try to touch an opponent using three steps to get closer. If S/He doesn´t miss, the “touched player” is eliminated. The game continues until there are only two players.

STOP YOUR FEET