“Adventure Begins at Your Library!” To celebrate the joy of reading and bestow the spirit of adventure on your summer, the Yonkers Public Library has eight weekly themes to help you get the most out of your summer reading journey.
This week, July 1 to July 7, is “Exploring Games from Around the World.”
Read on to learn more about some popular games played by people of all ages around the world!
Mancala
Mancala is likely one of the oldest games in the world, with early versions of the game being dated as far back as 6000 B.C.E in Jordan. Versions of the game were played across Africa with the design of the board representing agriculture. The game takes two players who want to end up with the most beads in their store to win.
Check out how to make your own version of mancala to play at home here.
Ounch Neech
In Northern India and Pakistan, children play a modified game of tag called Ounch Neech. Ounch means “up” and neech means “down”. If the player who is “it” says “neech”, that means the ground is an unsafe area where all players can be tagged. They are only immune from being tagged if they are “ounch”, or up on objects like benches, walls, or even tree stumps. The same is true in reverse. If the tagger says “ounch”, then all elevated areas are unsafe and the ground is the only place where you’re safe from being tagged.
Corre, Corre la Guaraca
Not unlike “Duck, Duck, Goose”, “Corre, Corre la Guaraca” (Run, Run, la Guaraca) is played in Chile. Players sit in a circle while a runner moves around the circle with a handkerchief in their hand. The seated players cannot watch the runner, and they sing “Corre, Corre, la Guaraca who looks back will be bopped on his head!". The runner then drops the handkerchief on an unsuspecting player's back and runs around the circle. If they can make it around the circle without the seated player noticing the handkerchief is on their back, that player is out. However, if the seated player does notice, they must chase after and tag the runner.
Gonggi
Gonggi, which is similar to Jacks and also called “Seven Stones”, is a popular Korean children’s game. The game used to be played with regular stones, but it is now often played with small, colorful plastic stones. Similar games are also played in India, Nepal, and Turkey.
The game is played by picking up one stone and tossing it in the air and catching it on the back of the hand. The game continues by picking up more stones each turn. On the fifth turn when throwing five stones in the air, the number of stones the player is able to catch on the back of their hand amounts to their score.
There are so many games played around the world it would be impossible to list all of them, but you can check out a few more kids games on Parents.com, or do some research and see what games you might be able to find!
Looking to beat the heat or find a fun way to spend an afternoon? Check out the board game collection at your local library branch. Riverfront, Will, and Crestwood have different games to offer for patrons of all ages, from chess to Candyland to Apples to Apples! You can also check out programs like Games Around the World Grab ‘n Go at Crestwood, Teen Gaming Tuesdays at Riverfront, Teen Gaming @ Will, or D&D Gaming at Crestwood. Looking to take your gaming fun outdoors? Borrow lawn games from the Will Branch and bring the game to your own backyard.
There’s even more fun to be had reading thi summer! There’s still plenty of time to sign up for Summer Reading on Beanstack. Download the Beanstack app or go to the Beanstack website on your desktop or laptop to create an account for you and your family. Check out this video to help you get started.
Participants can log books on Beanstack from June 1 to August 15 on Beanstack. For every book that you log, your name will be entered into a drawing for different prizes (i.e. Amazon gift card, prize baskets, and more). Each library branch will host its own drawing.
Check out the recommended reading lists Yonkers Public Schools Grades K-12 on the YPL website.
You can check out all of our Summer Reading themed events on the Yonkers Public Library Event Calendar.
Alison Robles is a Part-Time Junior Clerk at the Crestwood Library. She is an avid reader with a passion for YA lit, historical fiction and fantasy. A Yonkers native, she is currently pursuing an MS in Information and Library Science from the University at Buffalo.