The Miscellaneous Amusements of the Ancient Greeks
Greek children played games with striking similarities to what kids nowadays play. This included ring-toss, rattles, and jacks. Kids also enjoyed sports similar to modern basketball and hockey. Although most children these days toy for fun, the ancients did not. A competitive aura pervaded children’s play, thus letting games tend to delineate winners and losers. As a competitive society, trickery and deception were values that showed cleverness and strength.
Ephedrismos
A popular game whose name means “sit upon.” Two players place a stone upright on the ground and throw other stones at it from a distance. The player who fails to knock over the upright stone then carries the other player on his back while the winner’s hands cover his eyes. The pair runs around in this fashion until the losing player touches the stone.
Morra
Still played in Europe, Morra is a simple game. Two players form a fist behind their backs and at a signal extend their hands, displaying a certain number of fingers. The first player to call out the correct total number of fingers shown wins.
Knucklebones
The first player throws all of his knucklebones on the ground. He picks one up, which becomes known as the jack. He tosses the jack into the air, picks up another bone from the ground, and catches the jack as it falls. He transfers the picked-up bone to his free hand and throws the jack again. This procedure is repeated until the player has picked up all of the knucklebones. If a player drops a bone, misses the jack, or moves a bone inadvertently, he is out and the next player takes his turn. When a player succeeds at picking up and holding all the bones during one turn of play, he goes on to try to pick up all the bones at one time. When the player has picked up all the bones in this way, he then tries to pick up bones in groups of first three and then four.
Ostrakinda
A stone is painted black and white, each side representing "night" and "day". The children then drew a line, divided into the two coloured teams. One player tosses the shell, and the side whose color came up is chased the other team. Anyone caught was forced to carry his pursuer on his back.
Ball Games
Episkyros/Ephebike
A football type of game. The players divided into two teams. Each team stood on one side of a line drawn on the ground. A goal line was drawn behind each team; the two sides then fought to reach the other side’s goal line.
Ourania
A game in which one player tosses a ball into the air and others try to catch it.
Aporrhaxis
Players try to keep a ball bouncing.
Phaininda
Players elaborately attempt to prevent the opposing team from intercepting a ball by deceiving them through a series of fake passes. Derives from the Greek word meaning "to pretend".
Cooper's Opinion:When I was a kid I really enjoyed playing these kinds of games but from what I can remember my favorite was Phaininda. This game really toughened me up for my adult life because in this game you were able to do any unarmed combat. I also liked this game because I was speedy and small so I was able to actually decent at this game.
~Dave's Article
A popular game whose name means “sit upon.” Two players place a stone upright on the ground and throw other stones at it from a distance. The player who fails to knock over the upright stone then carries the other player on his back while the winner’s hands cover his eyes. The pair runs around in this fashion until the losing player touches the stone.
Morra
Still played in Europe, Morra is a simple game. Two players form a fist behind their backs and at a signal extend their hands, displaying a certain number of fingers. The first player to call out the correct total number of fingers shown wins.
Knucklebones
The first player throws all of his knucklebones on the ground. He picks one up, which becomes known as the jack. He tosses the jack into the air, picks up another bone from the ground, and catches the jack as it falls. He transfers the picked-up bone to his free hand and throws the jack again. This procedure is repeated until the player has picked up all of the knucklebones. If a player drops a bone, misses the jack, or moves a bone inadvertently, he is out and the next player takes his turn. When a player succeeds at picking up and holding all the bones during one turn of play, he goes on to try to pick up all the bones at one time. When the player has picked up all the bones in this way, he then tries to pick up bones in groups of first three and then four.
Ostrakinda
A stone is painted black and white, each side representing "night" and "day". The children then drew a line, divided into the two coloured teams. One player tosses the shell, and the side whose color came up is chased the other team. Anyone caught was forced to carry his pursuer on his back.
Ball Games
Episkyros/Ephebike
A football type of game. The players divided into two teams. Each team stood on one side of a line drawn on the ground. A goal line was drawn behind each team; the two sides then fought to reach the other side’s goal line.
Ourania
A game in which one player tosses a ball into the air and others try to catch it.
Aporrhaxis
Players try to keep a ball bouncing.
Phaininda
Players elaborately attempt to prevent the opposing team from intercepting a ball by deceiving them through a series of fake passes. Derives from the Greek word meaning "to pretend".
Cooper's Opinion:When I was a kid I really enjoyed playing these kinds of games but from what I can remember my favorite was Phaininda. This game really toughened me up for my adult life because in this game you were able to do any unarmed combat. I also liked this game because I was speedy and small so I was able to actually decent at this game.
~Dave's Article