This document summarizes several traditional Maltese games and rhymes that were played by children. Some of the games described include a chasing game played in a circle where one child is "it", a numbers game where children throw stones at numbered boxes and hop between them, and a skipping rhyme game where boys and girls take turns. Other games involve marbles, a spinning top game for gambling, rope jumping, a tic-tac-toe style game using stones, and guessing games accompanied by rhymes.

1. Maltese Traditional Games and Rhymes

3. A chalk grid is drawn on the road, with boxes for the numbers 1 to 9. Each child picks a stone or pebble and then has to throw their stone onto each numbered square, starting at number one. Once the stone lands on the correct number, the player then has to hop onto the corresponding square. Once that has been achieved, then the player moves onto the next number. If the player fails to aim the stone into the correct box, then that player is “out” and the game moves onto the next player. The winner is the player who successfully gets to number 9 before anyone else. il-passju

4. In this game t here are two lines, one line of boys and one line of girls, facing each other. T hey have to skip and sing the rhyme going back and forth. I t goes on until all kids get a go at b ei ng 'tifel sabi ħ /tifla sabi ħ a‘.

6. Il-bo ċċi is played with marbles. Any number of players can take part. A number of marbles is placed in a row and a bigger marble (called il-mamma) is placed in front of them. Each player has to throw a marble and try to hit the marbles. If he / she hits 1 marble he /she takes it. If a player hits ‘il-mamma’ he takes all the marbles. The winner is the player with the largest amount of marbles.

7. One of the earliest games in Malta was Ic-Cippitatu. This game was popular with both young and old alike and was quite an attraction especially during feasts and other outdoor activities. It was a common sight during Resurrection Sunday when the winner could win a Maltese figolla. The Cippitatu was a Teetotum with four-sides, each side of which indicated how much the player loses or wins. Among the prizes were marbles and beads. The word Cippitatu is a Maltese rendering of the Latin Accipe Totum (take all) because one of the rules of the game was that the winner would have a clean sweep of the prize. The person organising the game would go round using a dish under his arm and the teetotum in hand. Usually gamers would pay one penny or a half-penny to play.

8. Many games used to be played with the rope. Children played either on their own or with other kids.

9. Trija is a game played by children in the streets. They draw a square with lines crossing vertical, horizontal and diagonal. The game is played between two children in the same way we now play Nots and Crosses. The first player put a stone in the centre were all the lines meet. Each player will have a turn to throw a stone and make tree in a line or block his opponent to do so. The first player who succeeds to make the stone land in any two boxes which are directly opposite each other will win the game.

10. Pizzi pizzi kanna Doluri ta' Sant Anna Sant' Anna tal-Morina Habba bicca Pellegrina Mgharef tal-fidda Bandieri tal-harir Noli Kannoli Nsara qaddisin

12. The End