Traditional games of Greece were an important part of childhood in ancient times. Children played group games and races to exercise, socialize, and develop their personalities according to rules. Plato and Aristotle emphasized the importance of play for children. The ancient Greeks even placed toys and games in tombs with the dead, believing they provided entertainment in the afterlife. Some traditional Greek games like folk counting rhymes and games involving statues, rings, and guessing have endured through Byzantine times and remain played today in similar forms.

5. Traditional games of Greece

6. “Through the pleasure of the game they learn”
(Plato, ancient Greek philosopher )

7. For thousands of years in the same ways, children have entertained themselves,
created their personality, socialized, exercised their body and spirit through
games. The ancient Greeks attached great importance to the game and its role.
They dedicated much of their free time to group games and races, in the streets,
courtyards and always intended to have rules and obey them.
Child and game

8. Plato emphasized the need to allow children toplay until their sixth birthday,
with whatever games they wanted, while Aristotle advised parents to give
children as many original games as possible, to devote themselves to, disturb
adults less and at the same time develop creative imagination.
In the tombs they placed favorite games of the dead. They believed that games
relaxed and entertained man even in the underworld.

9. In the tombs they placed favorite games of the dead. They believed that
games relaxed and entertained man even in the underworld.

10. In Byzantine times they continued with some of the same games.
As much as technology progresses and children's interests change, they will
never stop playing the same games in nature or in the street.

11. Folk counting out rhyme for the beginning of games
Α beba blomTo kithe blom
A beba blom
To kithe blom
Blim blom

13. Statuettes
All children are on the line except one. This child (the ‘’mana ‘’) is far from the
other children and with his back turned says:
“Statuettes motionless, silent, sullen, day or night?”
When that one talks, the other children, are moving around. When they ask
“day or night”, if they are not ready they shout "night" and "day" when they get
a specific pose. If they say "night" the game continues and if they say "day", the
child turns and all the other children stay motionless like a statue. The first
child who moves takes the child's position and the game starts again. Whoever
moves , speaks , or laughs, loses their turn and returns to the starting line. The
objective is to touch the ‘’mana’’ while the ‘’manas’’ back is facing them.
When that happens , the ‘’mana’’ begins chasing the children. Whoever gets
caught first , will act as the ‘’mana’’ in the next round.

15. The ringThe "mother" has a ring between her palms and passes through the hands of the children who
have their hands together. At some point they leave the ring in a child’s hands, trying not to be
noticed by the other children. Each of the children has to find out to whom the “mother” has left
the ring. The one who finds it, gets the ring and becomes the "mother". As the ‘’mother’’passes the
ring from hand to hand, they all sing a song :
“Where is it? Where is the ring?
Look for it, look for it, you will not find it
you will not find it, you will not find it,
the ring you are looking for”
As soon as the rhyme ends each child guesses who has the ring.
The one who guesses correctly becomes the mother and the game starts over.

17. We play folk games in the square during our school bazaar