Traditional Games These are the games that have continued to last for a long time, passing from generation to generation, being transmitted from grandparents to parents and from these to their children, and so on, perhaps undergoing some changes, but maintaining their essence.
Summary
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- 1 Traditional games
- 2 Characteristics of traditional games
- 3 Description of some traditional games
- 4 The traditional Games in Cuba
- 1 Cultural Study
- 2 Training games for youth and adults
- 3 Work of Art Instructors
- 4 Importance and Preservation
- 5 See also
- 6 External Links
- 7 Sources
Traditional games
Traditional games are not written in special books, nor do they have a recognized author, but if they appear at different times or times of the year, they disappear for a period and reappear later.
Traditional games are defined as those typical of a region or nationality that are repeated from generation to generation with extreme spontaneity.
In all parts of the world where human societies have appeared, games have been present as a way to imitate work, war, social activities, etc. In the same way, traditional games have certain historical-socio-cultural aspects that help us not only understand their nature with respect to their content, structure and functioning, but also allow us to understand the history and culture of our peoples. .
Although these games are traditionally repeated we can find differences in terms of their form of participation, design, use or in some other aspect that characterizes the culture of each region, time or moment in which it was played, the culture of the people who play it. They played, even in the most remote places.
Within the traditional games we find a wide range of recreational modalities: children’s games: the spinning top; girls games the pussy; lullabies sleep my girl, guessing games: see-see, never-ending games: the story of the good pipe, rhyming games: comadrita la rana, draw games or riddles: the garment, the message, toys: quimbumbia, etc. Sometimes it seems that some of these games tend to disappear, however, at certain times we observe their practice again.
Traditional games are a source of transmission of knowledge, traditions and cultures of other times or socioeconomic systems. The fact of reactivating these games is not a cry of melancholy for a past that does not return, but rather implies delving into the roots and thus understanding the present better.
Their systematic practice in schools, in the community, in recreational activities and when selected in the framework of free games are considered as one of the manifestations of children’s independence while contributing to the development of motor skills and abilities. by promoting active, participatory and relational play among boys and girls in the face of a culture of advanced technology that increasingly encourages physical inactivity which increases obesity rates and awkwardness of movement.
Features of traditional games
- They arise for a season, disappear, and then reappear.
- Some games are played more in winter times since they involve greater physical and body movement, while others arise in times of greater heat (summer).
- There are traditional games with preferences regarding: sex, for example: girls play blind hen, cheer, cushion, doll, etc., while boys play for example: balls, spinning top, kites, etc.
- Some games are more linked to certain ages, for example: nursery rhymes, rattles are suitable for younger children as sensory-motor stimuli and others with more complex rules for older children so that they can understand, respect and comply with them. There are also games that are fundamentally practiced by adults.
- They are played by boys and girls for the mere pleasure of playing who decide when, where and how to play.
- They respond to the basic needs of boys and girls.
- The rules are easy to understand, memorize and comply with but are also negotiable as they can be varied.
- They do not require many materials and the necessary ones are not very expensive.
- They are simple and easy to share with other players.
- They can be practiced anytime, anywhere.
Description of some traditional games
- Game no. one
Name: Cheer Up
Organization: The girls will be placed in rows, one behind the other. Two girls will stand in front of the first ones, at a distance. You are secretly changing impressions, names of a flower, color or gemstone will be given.
Development: The students who form the row begin the game singing the following in chorus:
To the spirit, to the spirit
The fountain broke.
The two students answer the following
To the spirit, to the spirit
Send it to compose
The ones in the row:
To the spirit, to the spirit
With which money is made.
The two students:
To the spirit, to the spirit
With eggshell
The ones in the row
To the spirit, to the spirit
We don’t have
The two students
To the spirit, to the spirit
We will give you
At this point in the singing, the girls in the row walk to the front to pass under the arch formed by the two girls opposite them. They will advance singing the following:
Hurí, hurí, huriá
The queen is going to pass
The one ahead runs a lot
The one behind will stay
Verbena, Verbena
Jasmine from Cartagena
Hurí, hurí, huriá
The queen is going to pass
The one ahead runs a lot
The back one will stay.
When the last girl in the row is going to pass, the students who form the arch will lower their arms, preventing her from crossing, asking them the following: Who do you want to go with, with the rose or with the carnation; with blue or orange; or the diamond or the turquoise? According to the flower, color, or gemstone that they have selected among themselves.
When the girl with whom she wishes to answer responds, she will go to the student who chose the name she mentioned, won the game, the one with the most girls at the end of the game.
- Game no. 2
Name: La cojita
Organization: The girls will form a wheel with the arms taken, in the center of it, one of them will play the role of cushion.
Outside the wheel there will be a girl who will play the role of guard.
Development: The girl with a limp starts to walk inside the circle limping, the others on the wheel sing:
All: Where the fuck goes?
Who watches a fli, who watches a fla
Cojita: I go to the field to look for violets
Who watches a fli, who watches a fla
All: Who are the violets for?
Who watches a fli, who watches a fla
Cojita: for Carmen’s aunt
Who watches a fli, who watches a fla
All: If you meet the king?
Who watches a fli, who watches a fla
Cojita: I will bow (Acting)
Who watches a fli, who watches a fla
All: If you meet the prince?
Who watches a fli, who watches a fla
Cojita: I will bow (Acting)
Who watches a fli, who watches a fla
All: if you meet the guardian?
Who watches a fli, who watches a fla
Cojita: I mock the guard (making a mocking gesture)
Who watches a fli, who watches a fla
Saying this, the girls who make up the wheel will raise their arms. The cushion runs in and out from under the arches, which form arms raised, chased by the guard.
- Game no. 3
Name: Miss
Organization: The girls are placed in two parallel rows facing each other two meters apart. Development: one girl dances in the free space between the parallels, while the others sing and clap their hands in time with the singing.
Miss: __________ (Here the girl’s name is said)
Has entered the balie that the dance that the dance
And if you don’t dance it
I’ll do it for you
Let her out, take her out
At this moment the girl takes out a little companion and says:
Come out I love you
see dance, jump, jump
Walk through the air
And they all sing:
Very well that
She dances it alone
Leave her alone, alone, alone
The girl leaves her partner and goes to stand in line, starting the same song, with the girl’s name.
- Game no. 4
Name: Matandile
Organization: Girls are arranged in equal numbers in two rows or front lines separated by approximately fifteen feet.
Development: The game is played by advancing and receding each row alternately, at the same time they sing what follows, alternately as well.
A mambrosia do matan tell him, tell him, tell him
A mambrosia do matan tell him, tell him, tell him what did you want?
kill tell, tell, tell
What did you want
kill tell, tell, do
I wanted a page
kill tell, tell, tell
I wanted a page
kill tell, tell, do
What page did you want?
kill tell, tell, tell
What page did you want?
kill tell, tell, do
I wanted Luisita (example)
kill tell, tell, tell
I wanted Luisita (example)
kill tell, tell, do
What job will you put on it?
They kill tell, tell, tell
What job will you put on it?
Kill tell him, tell him, do
We will put_____
They kill tell, tell, tell
We will put_____
Kill tell him, tell him, do
You don’t like this trade
They kill tell, tell, tell
You don’t like this trade
Kill tell him, tell him, do
Here they begin to list trades until they find one to the liking of the chosen player singing what follows, and leaving her in the other row, as they advance again.
This trade if you like it
They kill tell, tell, tell
This trade if you like it
Kill tell him, tell him, do
The others, upon receiving it, sing the following:
We will turn around
They kill tell, tell, tell
We will go around
Kill tell him, tell him, do
- Game no. 5
Name: Little frog
Organization: They are placed in a circle holding hands, minus one that is placed in the center in a squatting position simulating a frog.
Development: Those in the circle turn talking to the player in the center, who represents being, like everyone else, a frog comadrita and have the following dialogue with her: Comadrita la frog
Sir sir
Has your hubby already come from the field?
Yes sir
And what brought you?
A blanket
What color?
Lime green
Shall we go to mass?
I don’t have a shirt
Shall we go to the sermon?
I have no clothes
Can you lend me your little booty?
It has no cap
Can I borrow your booty?
It has no stopper.
At this point in the dialogue, the frog comadrita must imitate the leap of the frogs, stopping turning they will say Well blow and put
It has no stopper
Well blow and put
It does not have a cap and has a cap
And they repeat the last two verses until the frog gets closer to any one of the wheel and touching it designates it to take its place starting the game again.
- Game No. 6
Name: The Doll’s Song
Organization: Simple circle holding hands
Development: I have a doll
Dressed in blue
In her little shirt
And her yoke
I took her for a walk
And caught a cold
I have her in bed
With a lot of pain
This morning
The doctor told me
Give him the syrup
With the fork.
When they get here, they release their hands in order to set the rhythm by clapping their hands and continue singing as follows:
Two plus two is four
Four and two are six
Six and two are eight
And eight sixteen
And eight twenty four
And eight thirty two
You will see doll
If I heal you
It is an own game for girls of six and seven years and according to the grade, the teacher will be able to globalize it with arithmetic.
- Game no. 7
Name: At the wheel, wheel (With song)
At the wheel, wheel,
bread and cinnamon, give me a kiss
and go to school
if you don’t want to go
lie down to sleep
Game no. 8
Name: The chickens in my casserole (with singing)
The chickens in my casserole,
they are not for me to eat,
which are for the widow,
who knows how to compose it,
Chili and onion are added
a bay leaf,
is taken out of the pot,
when you go to eat.
Make up, make up, girl
That here comes your sailor
With that nice outfit
That looks like a butcher.
Last night i saw you
in the tulip park
wagging at the waist (put your hands on the waist)
parampanpin put out.
- Game no. 9
Name: The patio of my house (With song)
In a circle, during the singing, it is turning in a clockwise direction.
The yard of my house,
It is particular
It rains and gets wet, like the others
duck girl and duck back
that if you don’t bend down,
You do not know how to play.
- Game no. 10
Name: Comadrita La Rana
Organization: They are placed in a circle holding hands, minus one that is placed in the center in a squatting position simulating a frog.
Development: Those in the circle turn talking at the same time with the player in the center, who represents being, like everyone else, a frog comadrita and they have the following dialogue with her
Little frog
sir sir
Has your hubby already come from the field?
Yes sir
And what brought you?
A blanket
What color?
Lime green
Shall we go to mass?
I don’t have a shirt
Shall we go to the sermon?
I have no clothes
Can you lend me your little booty?
It has no cap
Can I borrow your booty?
No cap
At this point in the dialogue, the frog comadrita must imitate the leap of the frogs and those of the wheel, stopping turning will say:
Well, blow and put
It has no stopper
Well blow and put
It does not have a cap and has a cap
And they repeat the last two verses until the little frog gets close to any one of the wheel and touching it designates it so that it will take its place starting the game again
Traditional Games in Cuba
The expressions and manifestations of traditional popular culture constitute cultural processes, phenomena generated with a creative and dynamic character, exposed to changes they have undergone in the course of history. At the same time, the study of each of them has focused, not only as an expression in itself, but in all its meaning as a mediating element in the social relations established by men. Of importance is their relationship with the natural, sociocultural, and economic environment in which they express themselves and their close dependence on ethnic traditions. All of these are factors that contribute, from that perspective, to the understanding of the historical and ethnodemographic processes that led to the formation of the Cuban people.
The playful aspect since time immemorial occupies an important space in the life of the human being in each of its stages of life, hence they can be separated into two groups that include, on the one hand, those carried out by the most infant, while on the other, those made by youth and adults; although sometimes we can appreciate them in each region with their own characteristics; It can be said that each of these games is practiced in a general way throughout the territory of Cuba .
They constitute a collective type creation, which generally preserves rules, transmitted from generation to generation. They have phrases, songs, claps and other elements of playful joy.
Numerous games have survived through the generational transmission processes, both orally and by imitation, from parents to children; with a great sense of durability, hence they are part of the range of traditional manifestations in Cuba. Many are carried out in the context of the neighborhood, the family, the school and also those that we find in popular-religious celebrations, wakes, as well as in Verbenas, Patronal Festivals, Carnivals and other socialization activities.
Cultural Study
Many students of Contemporary Cultural Anthropology have devoted themselves to the study and classification of traditional games, results that are assumed in this study to propose the following typology of Cuban traditional games: Traditional Children’s Games:
- Lullabies and games: They are the first games where adults exchange with the smallest newborns. Example: “Arrurú mi niño”, “Señora Santana”, “Los pollitos”, “La manito I have it broken”, “La carnicería”.
- Initiation Games: Those that define in a group of participants who initiates the action; “Face or Seal”, “Even or Not”, “Rock, Paper or Scissors” and “the Bat”, “Tín Marín”, “The spoon wanders from the living room to the dining room”.
- Games of Strength or Dexterity: like running and jumping, “the Cat and the Mouse”, “the Tealight”, “Serin-Mermaid”, “the Hidden One”, “the Plane,” the Week “,” the Tread “. “El burrito 21”, “La viola”, “El agarrado”, “El Pegado”, Los Oculidos “,” El Pañuelo “,” Cuba and Spain “.
- Socialization Games: essentially carried out in groups, where the children alternate their role during the game, superimposing this function on that of winning or losing; among them we find: “the Little Red Hen”, “the Onions”, “Pass it”.
- Spanking games: although it is generally played between two boys it can be performed with three or even four players, they are played by girls.
- Games of Penance: as the name indicates, it deals with charging a penance to the losing child or children according to the routine of the game, it is based on the use of an object to fulfill its purpose; “The garment”, “the little bottle”.
- Clothing games: In the neighborhoods it is very common in evenings for children to play clothes, nice and entertaining juices in which offenses and bad luck bring witty and fun punishments. Example: “The ring”, “The little chain”.
- Round Games: They are the most widespread, always accompanied by rounds, wheels, songs, where from the smallest to the oldest participate. They are characterized by the organization of the participants in the form of a circle or in one or more rows that rotate or move singing songs while developing the action and physical movements that are related to the topic. Among those who make circles, we find: “La Señorita”, “los Pollo de mi cazuela”, “A la Rueda, Rueda”, “Arroz con Leche”, “Doñana”, “El patio de mi casa”, “Sweet Orange ”,“ The chickens in my pot ”,“ Let it rain ”,“ The rabbit ”,“ La Pájara Pinta ”. In rows are: “Alánimo”, “Matarilerilerón”.
- Graphic games: they are developed with a much more passive character, appropriate for the school context. They are made with pencil and paper. They have memory as a faithful ally; Among them are: “the Hangman”, “the Old”, “Cruz y Cero”.
- Literary Games: completely verbal practice such as: “Tongue twisters”, “The telephone”, “Las Retahílas”.
- Traditional games of toys: Made with implements that are made by hand and become toys for the smallest and teenagers: “the kite”, “the top”, “the balls”.
- Varied games: Includes those with claps, polyrhythms, songs and determined physical activity. Example: “Tieso, tieso”, “stone, scissors and paper”, “Las syllables”, “La suiza”, “El Columpio”, “El pon” (both days of the week and numbers).
Training games for youth and adults
- Games in traditional celebrations: they are carried out within the framework of the most recognized festivities, where people of all ages participate in numerous groups: “Races with Sacks”, “Races with the Egg and the Teaspoon”, “Races with the Lit Candle” , “The Hanging Paper”, “the Stick Enceba’o”, “the Frying Pan of the Devil”.
- Games of amusements: they are of great popularity, generally carried out in rural areas, both in plain and mountainous regions: “horse racing”, “horse riding”, “the ring”.
The culture system within its social order takes advantage of the potential offered by traditional games; the “lullabies songs” or “lullabies” have been study material by cultural specialists in the preparation of pregnant mothers and the Cuban family to lay the foundations of the intersectoral and non-institutional Program of the educational system “Educate your Child ”
Work of the Art Instructors
Work of the art instructors
The art instructors escrudiñan in traditional games their playful wealth, in order to achieve motivation in the development of different forms of systematic attention to complete its work of teaching and extracurricular type; We refer essentially to interdisciplinary workshops, of creation and appreciation, and even in the formation of artistic units. Each one of them creates a cognitive horizon that is intertwined in the potentialities offered by the repertoire of actions that are related to these teaching processes, and that frame the cultural and community dimensions.
Importance and Preservation
Traditional games develop fantasy, creativity and imagination, especially those celebrated by children, you also learn to collaborate, distribute, keep a rule, work in a group, win and lose. For psychologists, sociologists and pedagogues, they influence psychomotor, intellectual, personality and language development, in addition to sharpening the senses, they release energy, generate rules and organization, stimulate powers of coordination, concentration, spontaneity, curiosity, solidarity, cooperation. and they strengthen confidence both in yourself and in others.
We must insist on the preservation of traditional games, on the rescue of cultural breaks, where in the past they were held in a deeply rooted and popular way in every school in Cuba, they constitute elements or local identity stamps of each neighborhood, community, town or city . They also distinguish us culturally, it constitutes a felt need of a social, spiritual and community type, where the recreational component stars and consolidates various conceptions, meanings, points of view and claims in collective work, an essential premise in the consolidation of our Identity, and in promoting the sense of belonging of the local, regional and national of the new generations.
