This document summarizes several traditional games from Spain and English-speaking countries in 3 sentences or less per game. It describes the basic rules and objectives of hopscotch, hide and seek, relay races, musical chairs, pin the tail on the donkey, Simon says, and British bulldog. The games involve throwing objects, tagging, racing to seats or across a field, and following instructions with or without blindfolds. Playing requires few materials and provides fun physical activity for groups of children.

1. TRADITIONAL
GAMES

2. Common games
(Spain and English speaking countries)

3. Hopscotch (Cascayu)
• There can be any number of players, and a stone is the only object you need
to play it. You draw a figure with eight squares on the floor with a piece of
chalk. You throw the stone inside square 1 and hop into it. After that, you
have to hop into each square ending in square 8. If there are two squares
together, you jump landing with one foot in each square; but if there is only
one square, you must hop on one foot. When you reach squares 7 and 8,
you have to turn back jumping again until square 1. Then you continue
playing the next level. This time you begin by throwing the stone into square
number 2. In the next level, you throw it into square number 3. You
continue until level 8. The first player who does all the levels is the winner.

4. Hide and seek
(El escondite)

5. Relay Games
(Juegos de relevos)
• You need two equal teams. Each child needs a toothpick. (You can also use
a spoon with an egg or ping pong ball) The toothpick is held in the mouth.
Each team needs one "lifesaver" candy with a hole in the middle. Each child
must pass the lifesaver candy from her toothpick to the toothpick in the
mouth of the next child on her team. No hands allowed! The toothpicks
wiggle. The lifesaver slips. The children make REALLY funny faces! It is
funniest when children line up girl-boy-girl-boy.

6. Musical Chairs.
• The game starts with any number of players and a number of chairs one
fewer than the number of players; the chairs are arranged in a circle facing
outward, with the people standing in a circle just outside of that. A non-
playing individual plays recorded music or a musical instrument. While the
music is playing, the players in the circle walk in unison around the chairs.
When the music controller suddenly shuts off the music, everyone must race
to sit down in one of the chairs. The player who is left without a chair is
eliminated from the game, and one.

7. Pin the tail on the donkey
• It is played at birthday parties. There is a poster of a donkey that has no
tail. There is a numbered tail for each children. The children line up. Each
child gets a turn. For his turn, he puts on a blindfold. All the children make
sure he cannot see! He is turned around one time. Then he tries to find the
poster and pin his tail in the right place. Everyone laughs! It is funny to
see a donkey with tails on its nose, back, and ears. Some tails are not
even on the poster! The tail closest to the right spot wins!

8. Simon Says
• Simon says is a game for three or more players. One of the people is Simon.
The others must do what Simon tells them to do. The magic phrase is "Simon
says". If Simon says "Simon says jump.", you jump (if you don't jump, you're
out). However, if Simon says simply "jump", without first saying "Simon says",
you don't jump (if you do jump, you're out). It is Simon's task to try to get
everyone out as quickly as possible, and it is every one else's job to stay "in"
for as long as possible. The last of Simon's followers to stay in wins (although
the game is not always played all the way through).

9. British Bulldog
• The play area is usually a large hall or large area of a playing field. There are no
limits to the size of the pitch nor the number of players. One or two players are
selected as the Bulldogs, and they stand in the middle of the play area. All
remaining players stand at one end of the area. The purpose is to get from one
end of the pitch to the other (home) whilst avoiding the bulldogs in the middle.
The game is initiated by the bulldogs calling "British Bulldogs 1, 2, 3". As the
non-bulldog players run from one end of the pitch to the other, the bulldogs
must catch as many of them as possible. Once caught the runner then becomes
a bulldog and attempts to catch the runners. Once at the home end of the pitch
a player is safe. The game then starts another round, home shifts to the
opposite end of the pitch and on the call of "British Bulldogs 1, 2, 3" the round
begins. The first two caught or last two caught in each game become the
Bulldogs for the next one.
The method by which a runner is caught varies according to local custom, but
can involve physically tackling the runner to the ground, or lifting the runner off
the ground