Brought to Brazil by the Portuguese, hopscotch (or gym, tide, shoe, plane and monkey, depending on the region of Brazil) is one of the most popular and practical games. Just a little free space, chalk (or a stick, if it's on the ground), a pebble and that's it – you already have all the materials to play it!
On the ground, first a sequence of 10 squares is drawn, alternating between one and two blocks. Each of them takes a number.
Once this is done, the child must throw a stone to the hopscotch. The square it lands on cannot be stepped on. Jumping with one or two feet, the player must cross until reaching the number 10. Whoever steps off the court loses.
Originally from the Midwest, Corre Cotia is a game that combines tag with ciranda. Sitting in a circle, the children sing the game's theme song while one walks in a circle, with a handkerchief or other object in hand.
Run cotia, at aunt's house
Run vine, at grandma's house
Handkerchief in hand fell to the floor
beautiful girl of my heart
I can play? No!
Will no one look? No!
I played!
When the song is over, whoever is in the circle closes their eyes, while the player who is standing, surreptitiously places the handkerchief behind someone.
When the child notices the handkerchief behind him, he must get up and run after whoever placed it behind him, who must try to occupy the empty place. If he is caught, he must continue with the task of hiding the handkerchief.
To play, just gather fewer chairs than the number of participants in the game. As music plays, children swirl around the seats. When the song stops, everyone must sit down. Whoever doesn't get a chair is eliminated and the dance continues, but now without another chair, to make up for those who left. The game continues until there is only one chair left and thus, the winner.
With different variations, tag is certainly one of the most popular games among children – perhaps, not so much, for parents and teachers. The game is simple: one child is the catcher and must run after the other children. Whoever she manages to catch, with one touch, becomes the new catcher.
This one is also classic: one child, with eyes closed, counts to 10, while the others hide. After counting, she must go out looking for her friends. The last one to be found must run to the pike (the place where the catcher made the count) and say "Save the world!". If he succeeds, everyone who was caught is saved and the same person who made the count must perform it again.
This prank also has several versions. With one or two ropes, two children swing or rotate them, while the others jump, either one or several at a time. Whoever steps on the rope is out of the game. Songs and other popular songs can also be part of the activity.
In tug of war, a rope is also used, but in a different way. In this game, two groups are formed, each on the side of a rope. Together, each pulls to its side. Whoever passes the marked line wins.
A child is blindfolded and needs to find the other players. When she meets someone, she needs to try to guess the person's name. If it hits, the person found becomes the new “blind goat”.
In the same style as Cabra Cega, in Gato Mia, a child is also blindfolded and has to go looking for the others. The difference between the game, which can be played both in a light and dark environment, is that when the catcher finds another player, he must meow – hence the name of the game! If she can guess who it is from the meow, the person touched is the new catcher.
Organized in a line, the children join their hands in a shell shape, in order to leave them ajar. In turn, another player, with a ring inside his hand positioned in the same way, passes it inside the hands of the other participants until discreetly leaving the object in someone's palm.
The child who had a ring then chooses another to try to guess who in the row has a ring. If she doesn't get it right, the game starts over, this time with the one with the ring.
Hand play is played in a circle, in which children tap each other's palms while singing the song:
A-do-le-ta
Le petithello fool
Le café coh chocolate
A-do-le-ta
Pull the armadillo's tail
It was you who left!
Slash tantrum tantrum dregs stupid!
Made of wood or other materials, in the most different colors, spinning tops are still a hit. By means of a string, wrapped around the toy and pulled hard, the spinning top is released on a smooth surface.
Whether alone or in a group, the fun of the game is always trying to overcome yourself (or your opponents), with longer twirls or even juggling, as when catching the top with the palm of the hand while it still runs.
In pairs or in larger groups, gallows is a versatile game, with no secrets. One or more players need to guess what the word is and their only clues are the number of letters and the theme attached to the word. For each wrong letter, a part of the body to be hanged is drawn. The game is only completed when the word is guessed or when a complete body is formed on the gallows.
Classically, kite flying is one of the best options for playing outdoors. The kites (or rays, pandorgas and parrots) are made of tissue paper placed on sticks. To cram them, it is necessary to make the rabiola, with its own line and pieces of plastic tied to it.
The ideal is to play on a windy day, so that the kite flies more easily. The best places to fly are those with few or no electrical cables, such as in the countryside and on the beach, so there is no risk of the kite getting tangled up in the wires and causing serious and serious accidents. Adult supervision is also always recommended.
Each player places their colored marbles inside a circle on the floor. The object of the game is to hit the opposing ball with one of your own so that it leaves the area.
Usually, players bet the marbles. Each one wins those who get it right and make them leave the circle.
