The African continent has traditional, yet exciting games. They are played with simple things present in front of you including stones and ground. A typical African child should have played one of these games while growing up. However, with the erosion of westernization, some of these games are becoming extinct. Kids from different families hardly spend time together anymore.
games played in africa
In the deepest despair often lies the greatest hope. COVID-19 made it hard for friends and loved ones to connect. However, it brought families closer due to lockdowns. Perhaps, this dire situation can help to revive some of the dying African games. Are there any traditional African games that deserve to be on this list? Feel free to share it with us in the comment box below.
Achi is a three-in-a-row game. It is played on a grid of three rows of three points. Players each have four pieces which are entered onto the board, in turn, one at a time. Once all the pieces are placed, they move from one point to an adjacent point. All the while players are trying to form rows of three along a marked line, for doing so wins them the game. History of Achi Achi appeared in one of ... (read more...)
From west Africa, Choko is a game of strategy played in the sand with sticks for pieces. It is a bit like draughts, but with the unusual twist that when you jump over an opponent's piece you can select a second piece to capture from anywhere on the board. It is also a game of placement: the board starts empty, and you can choose in your turn whether to place a piece or to move one already on the ... (read more...)
Dara is a row-building game from North Africa. Players enter their pieces one at a time, attempting to form a strategic arrangement. Once all pieces are placed, they move around the board, trying to form rows of three, which allows capture of an enemy piece. The first player reduced to two pieces loses the game. History of Dara There is an interesting family of games sometimes known as shiva, which are played across the Sahara and neighbouring parts of ... (read more...)
Gabata is a three-rank mancala game from Ethiopia, first recorded in the nineteenth century. Players try to capture one another's pieces by lifting and sowing, as in other mancala games. It is characterised by a race at the beginning, players moving simultaneously until one player sows a piece into an empty hole. Pieces are captured when a piece is sown into an empty hole, all enemy pieces in that hole's column becoming captives. History of Gabata Mancala is a ... (read more...)
This family of board games is played throughout most of Africa, some parts of the middle east, and further into south-east Asia. Boards consist of a grid of holes, usually in a grid of two, three or four rows. Pieces are seeds, beans or stones which are piled into the holes in varying quantities. Players do not have their own set of pieces, but instead each player takes control of a particular half of the board and all the ... (read more...)
Mefuvha is a mancala game played in the Transvaal. It is one of the most impressive looking mancala games, or in fact one of the most impressive looking board games altogether. It has four rows of twenty-eight playing spaces, 112 in all, and the game starts with 218 pieces on the board! The object of mefuvha is to capture all of your opponent's pieces. Movement, as in all mancala games, is by lifting all the pieces from one playing ... (read more...)
Mehen is a mysterious early game of the ancient Egyptians. It first appeared in about 3000 BC and continued until 2300 BC. While the extant boards could be taken for something other than board games, a number of wall paintings show the board in its proper context and make its purpose beyond doubt. No set of rules has survived for mehen. It appears to be a race to (or from) the centre of the board, which is in the ... (read more...)
Seega is a small battle game played in Egypt in the 19th and 20th centuries. Two players drop pieces onto a board, leaving only the central square empty, after which pieces are moved around the board from one square to the next. Pieces are captured by surrounding them on opposite sides, and the player who captures all of the opponent's pieces wins the game. History of Seega Egypt was a source of many interesting games in ancient times, but ... (read more...)
Tâb is a war game from the middle east. Historically it was played a across the Islamic world, from West Africa to Iran in the east, and from Turkey in the north to Anjouan in the south. The game is played by two on a board of four rows of (typically) nine squares. Each player has nine pieces which move around the board as if it were a track, according to the throws of four casting sticks. Pieces do ... (read more...)
After running previous 11 editions as the All-Africa Games, the games has been renamed the African Games. The decision for the name change was arrived at, during the Executive Council meeting of the African Union held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in January 2012.[4] 54 countries were participating in the most recent edition in Morocco 2019.
Attempts were made to host the games in Algiers, Algeria in 1925 and Alexandria, Egypt in 1928, but despite considerable preparations taken by coordinators, the efforts failed. The International Olympic Committee's (IOC) first African member, Greek-born Egyptian sprinter Angelo Bolanaki, donated funds to erect a stadium, but still the Games were set back for another three decades.
In the early 1960s, French-speaking countries of Africa including France organized the Friendship Games. The Games were organized by Madagascar (1960) and then Ivory Coast (1961). The third games were set for Senegal in 1963. Before they were completed, African Ministers of Youth and Sport met in Paris in 1962; as a few English-speaking countries were already participating, they rechristened the Games as the Pan African Games. The Games were granted official recognition by the IOC as being on par with other continental Games such as the Asian Games and the Pan American Games.
South Africa was banned since the beginning of the games in the 1965 All-Africa Games till the 1995 All-Africa Games because Apartheid officially ended when it was invited for the first time to compete the games.
Morocco was banned from the games from the 1987 All-Africa Games to the 2015 African Games because of a political dispute over Western Sahara. Morocco claims the territory as its "Southern Provinces" and controls 80% of it while the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, which claims to be a sovereign state, controls the remaining 20% as the "Free Zone". In 2018, after the Moroccan government signed its treaty of return to the African Union, the country also pledged to return to the African Games. Rabat, Morocco hosted the 2019 African Games.[5][6][7]
The 2018 NBA Africa Game was an exhibition basketball game played on August 4, 2018 in the Sun Arena at Time Square in Pretoria, South Africa. It was the third NBA game to take place on the continent of Africa, and continued with the format of Team Africa versus Team World.[1][2]
Did you know that there are many African games that can be used to teach kids from different African countries about each other's cultures? These games can help to break down the barriers between different cultures and promote peace and understanding. In this blog post, we will discuss some of the most popular African games and how they can be used to teach kids about other cultures. They can also help kids learn teamwork and cooperation. In this blog post, we will discuss some of the best African games for kids!
Interestingly, Diketo can also be played alone as a way to test your skill and agility. However, we recommend playing with family or friends for the best experience. Watch the video below for a tutorial on how to play the game.
Abula is a popular game in Nigeria, and it is also becoming increasingly popular in schools as part of their extra-curricular activities. The basic rules of the game are similar to those of volleyball, involving teams of four players facing off on a court equipped with a ball and an Abula bat. To begin play, each team takes turns tossing the ball into the air and hitting it with their bats, similar to the serve in tennis or badminton. If you're still not sure how Abula is played, check out the video below for a visual demonstration.
As one of the best African games, Suwe was communal and brought kids from different backgrounds together. It quickly spread across the globe for its inclusive nature - anyone could play! The game is also unique in that it requires no special equipment or materials, only a pebble and an open space. To win, players must navigate their way through the boxes on one leg, avoiding the box with the pebble. The first player to complete the journey and acquire a home is declared the winner! The game can be played with any number of players, and continues until all homes have been claimed. Whether you are a child or an adult, Suwe is a fun and engaging way to spend your time. So lace up those sneakers and get ready to play!
Morabaraba is a traditional African game that is popular in many countries on the continent. The game is played with two sets of 12 pieces, called cows. Each player has six cows of their own color. The board is divided into nine squares, and each square can only hold one cow at a time. The object of the game is to capture all of the opponent's cows, or to block them so that they cannot make any more moves.
African games are a great way to teach kids about different cultures and countries. These games can be played with either real seeds or small pieces of paper, and they are a fun way to learn about African culture and history. Games like Morabaraba and Ayo are popular in many African countries, and they are a great way to spend time with friends and family. So next time you're looking for something fun to do, why not try an African game? You might just have a blast! 2ff7e9595c
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