Portuguese Games

Erasmus StudentsEliana, Joana Pereira, Mafalda Santa-Marta and Maria Biscaia

Frog’s game:The objective of this game is to toss a disc into

one or more holes. There is also a high point hole, this is represented by a toad's open mouth. If inserted this gives the highest points (usually 100 points).  Once all discs are thrown, the playing the score is totaled based on hole point values and the person who scores the most points wins.

Ring’s game

At a specified distance, 4 rings are tossed onto a target stick.  Each stick is numbered either (1,2,3,4 or 5).  The center stick carries the highest points.  The person who scores the most points wins.

Cheese game

The object of this game is to roll the wooden wheels up the ramp and knock down the pins that contain points.  Again totaling the points determines the winner.

Andas’ game

Races over a predetermined distance take place on stilts. Trying to keep your balance is a tough task.

Scarf’s game

• More than six children place themselves in wheel, with the hands behind their back. Another child, chosen previously, runs around the outside of the wheel past the other players with scarf in hand.

• Nobody in the wheel can look backwards, being able hardly will spy for between his legs when the player with the scarf passes. When the child who has the scarf ('the Placer') understands, he/she drops it discreetly behind one of the companions of the wheel and keeps on running.

In the meantime, the colleague of the wheel who discovers that the scarf has been placed behind them, ('the Chaser') they then try to seize the Placer. If the Chaser cannot catch the Placer, before he/she gets back to the hole/void left in the circle by the Chaser leaving, then the roles in the game change and the Chaser now becomes the placer and the process repeats itself.

If a child of the wheel does not see the scarf behind themselves, then once the Placer has run around the circle, he/she must pick it up again and place it at the feet of another participant. The process repeats itself.

It is common that the child who runs sings, repeatedly, one of next verse:

"O lencinho está na mão,Ele cai aqui ou não,quem olhar para trás

leva um grande bofetão.”or

“ O lencinho vai na mão,vai cair ao chão,

quem olhar para trásleva um grande bofetão”

or“ Lencinho cai cai,

ele está para cair,Quem olhar p'ra trás

leva um bofetão”

Malhas’ game

Material:

• 4 wood dishes (wood, metal or rock) – 2 for each team• 2 bolts

Players:

• 2 teams (2 players each)

How to play:

Put the bolts on a flat playground facing in the same direction (with about 15/18 meters’ distance between each one). Each team puts itself behind the bolt. Teams play by turns. The main goal is to drop or to place the dish the nearest to the bolt throwing it only with one hand.Scoring: 6 points each drop; 3 points for the nearest dish.Wins the team that achieves 30 points. Game is composed of 3 rounds; to win one team must win 2 of the 3 rounds.

Traction in line game

Material:

• 1 rope• 1 handkerchief (tie it on the middle of the rope)

Players:

• 2 teams with the same number of players.

How to play:

On a flat playground 2 equal teams (number and strength) hold the rope at the same distance from the handkerchief. Mark one line on the soil between both teams. The game consists in pulling the rope, each team pulls to their side, the winning team is the one which drags the 1st player of the opposing team to cross the line on the floor. If one team falls down or releases the rope the other team wins. Players can’t wrap the rope around their bodies or dig their feet into the soil.

Running with bags

Material:Large bags (one per player)

Players: Flexible

How to play:

Mark a line on the soil with a line of departure and goal. All the players stand behind the departure line. At the departure signal each player enters into the bag, holding it with both hands and runs straight to the goal line. The one to cross first the line wins.

Ring’s game

It is a game that involves music, song and dance. The participants stand in a circle each holding the same length of string where a ring is introduced. One of the players enters the center of the circle and looks for the ring that is beginning to circulate as the other participants sing and dance moving in a clockwise and anti-clockwise direction which can alternate at random. When the ring is found, the person who has it will be lightly touched on the hand, and then he or she will take their turn in the center.

Song:

Passou passou passouAgora agora agoraPassou a bocadinho ainda não há meia hora (x2)

Paspalhão que estás no meio Não te facas foleirãoO anel já aqui passou e não lhe deitastes a mão (x2)Passou passou passouAgora agora agoraPassou a bocadinho ainda não há meia hora (x2)

Paspalhão que estas no meioNão te ponhas a pensarVai à caça do anel antes dele aqui passar (x2)

Refrain

Paspalhão que estás no meioVem apanhar o anelAinda agora aqui passou na pontinha do cordel (x2)

Refrain

Paspalhão que estas no meioPodes ganhar um tostãoSe apanhares o anel ao passar na minha mão (x2)

Paspalhão que estás no meioNão te deixes humilharVê se apanhas o anel antes do jogo acabar (x2)

Ball to the wall game

Material: 1 ball of rags or a ball. Players: One against one or two against two.

How to play: Each player successively hits the ball with their hand

against a wall. If a player misses or does not hit the ball before it touches the ground, his or his teams turn is over. The next player or team then play and the player or team who hit the ball the most times against the wall wins.

Rope’s game

Material:Length of rope (skipping rope, one or two, long or short)

Players:Depending on the length of rope. Short rope: one or more players, Long rope: minimum

of three participants.

Objective:To jump the rope for a stipulated time.

How to play:With the short rope and a single player is all that is required. The player

must jump the rope for a stipulated amount of time. If there is more then one player the participants must take it in turns to skip with the rope for a stipulated amount of time. The stakes can be raised by skipping the rope twice with one jump.

With a long rope a minimum of three players is required. One player jumps in the middle while the other two players hold separate ends of the rope and swing it in a circular motion. If there are more than three players the other participants will line up and wait for their turn to enter the rope and jump for a stipulated amount of time. The player who just finished their turn will back around and join the line.

Berlinde’s game

Material: Marbles (three dimensional spheres made from glass or metal)

Players: Unfixed

Objective: To put the marbles in the pits

How to play:The game must take place on a flat area. 3 pits are dug.

Each player takes their turn to launch their marble at the closest pit. If the first player misses the pit it is the next players turn. If the first player makes the first pit he scores an extra turn and will launch his marble at the second pit and then finally the third and then back again. If a player is skilful enough the other participant may not even get a chance to launch their marble.

Button's game

Material:Buttons

Players: minimum of two

How to play:A button is placed on the ground near to a wall.

Players must take it in turn to bounce their button off the wall with the objective of making it land closest to the button on the floor. The player who lands closest to the button on the floor wins one of the other players buttons. The winner is the player with the most buttons or all the buttons.

Top’s game

This game has been played, especially by boys, since the first half of the 20th century in the playgrounds of Portuguese schools.

Initial arrangement: A circle is drawn on a flat, hard surface,

conducive for spinning tops. The participants stand around the circle. The players who's top stays in the circle and spins the longest is the winner.

Development:The movement results from a string rolled

up around the top. The string is held with the hand and pulled through making the top revolve.

Players: It can be played by one or more persons. Material: Top and string.

Snail’s gameMaterial: small rocks and chalk. Land: The land must be flat and clean without

holes.

Players: Unfixed.

Objective: To reach the centre of the drawn Snail

without losing. How to play:

A big snail is drawn on the ground. The player while skipping on one foot must try to push the stone to the centre of the snail without letting the stone pass over the lines of the snail. If the player's other foot touches the ground or the stone leaves the snail it is the next players turn.

Sailor’s game

Land:Big space. Players: Unfixed

Objective: To obtain the biggest number of individuals.

How to play: Two players hand in hand choose a name of an animal, country, fruit or any subject that

they may want. The other players without hearing the subject others make a line and sing the song:

- (oh sailor man let me pass, I have little children and I cannot support them ..., it will pass, pass, but someone will leave, it will not go away to mother of the front he is the son there from behind)

When they pass under the arch that two boys are making with their arms, the last player in the line when underneath the arch is asked. To chooses one of the names of the subject that the boys have proposed. Depending on which name of the subject he chooses he will join that respective players line. When all the players have chosen a line, they have formed two groups, according to the chosen names.

A line is drawn on the ground, between the groups, by holding and pulling the groups must attempt to make the other group cross the line.

The group that passes over the line loses the game.

Barra game

Two teams are made. Each player in a group is given a corresponding number. A scarf is held by someone not assigned to a group between the two groups. A number is announced and the player who has been assigned the number from each group has to run for the scarf before his adversary from the other group with the same number.

Corner’s game

Material: Five nooks drawn in the ground

Players: Six players

Objective:To exchange places without losing a

place.

How to play: Five players hide and five nooks are

drawn in the ground. They must ask questions before swapping nooks and the player left without a nook loses. The players who are left hide and now one nook less then the number of players is drawn. The game should be repeated until only one player is left with the last nook.

Monkey’s game

Material: A smooth rock, chalks to draw the squares that make the house.

Land: A place of land or cement where the squares can be drawn.

Players: Unfixed.

Objective: To stand inside the squares of each house; To jump the square where the rock is without stepping in it; To jump the houses without falling and not stepping on the lines. 

Nail’s game

Play of the nail: An area was outlined, normally a great circle, in relatively soft land. Then, each player, in his time, provided with his nail (tops, of beam) began because of conquering a "territory". It could be advancing launching the nail and creating an imaginary line. The distance between each launch could never be superior to the size of the foot of a player. Whenever the nail was not sticking in the land, the player was losing his time and was giving it to one of the adversaries. There was winning the one who was conquering the totality of the circle previously definitely.

Bottle-gourd’s game

Land: The land must be flat and clean, without holes, sticks or

rocks.

Players: Two

Objective: While holding one another the players must spin as fast as

possible while keeping their hands joined. As they spin around they sing:““Roda, roda, Cabacinha, roda roda cabação”Roda, roda, Cabacinha, roda roda cabação”Until they spin so fast they fall over or let go.

Paulada ao cantaro’s game

Players: Boys or girls. This play is played in series normally of 5 or 6 participants of

every time.

How to play: Lifted by a rope, 3 water pitchers are put: 1 with a prize and 2 with mistakes. Each participant has their eyes blindfolded, At the count of five, each player

with a stick in hand tries to break the water pitcher containing the prize. The stick to break the water pitcher is the same for all the participants. The

participants play all at the same time and with the blindfolded eyes. Occasionally they will hit each other.

There is a declared winner who will manage to break the water pitcher with the prize.

Material: Stick, water pitchers from clay, first aid kits and prizes (rabbits, hens, pigeons,

black puddings) and for the pitcher that contain mistakes. (water, flour, dirt, crumbs).

Mouse and cat’s game

The children form a wheel. One of them, the Mouse, is inside the wheel. Other one, the Cat is out of the wheel.

The Cat asks: " The Small rat is? " The children of the wheel answer: "No" The Cat asks: " To which hours he arrives? " The children answer a time-table of their choice. The children begin to go round and the Cat is asking: "

Which hours are? " and the children answer: " An hour " - " Which hours are? " - " Two Hours " and so up to arriving to the time-table that they answered previously of when the Mouse would be near. The children stop going round and the Cat starts to pursue the Mouse.

The joke finishes when the Cat catches the Mouse and it is possible to recommence with other children like the principal characters of the joke.

Killing game

Material: A ball or a ring.

Players: Two teams of four players or more.

Objective: Players try hit the opposing players with the ball. The

players adversaries dodge out of the way or catch the ball.

How to play: If a player is hit he is out of the game. If a player throws the

ball and it is caught by an opposing player he is out. If a player is hit but his teams mate catch the ball he is saved.

Jumping line

Land: Land without obstacles

Players: Between 6 and 8 players

Objective: Form a line and jump over each other without falling and

reach the end in time not to lose.

How to play: There's a player folded and others are jumping over him

with their legs spread. When somebody loses, that one is the next to be folded.

Cock’s game

Rules:The tray is made of three lines for three columns. Two players choose a marking each, generally a circle (O)

or a cross (X). The players take turns to mark their symbol in a gap that is

empty.

Objective: To get three circles or three crosses in a line, horizontally,

vertically or diagonally (to see figure), and at the same time, when possible, preventing the adversary from winning.