Play
Again.

1. Choose one chaser.
2. Run within agreed boundaries.
3. A gentle tag makes the tagged player the new chaser.

Bring: Nothing

Play it your way: Walk, wheel or use a soft scarf for tagging. Nobody is eliminated.

Play safely: Agree on no-go areas and use a clear, obstacle-free space.

A familiar Indian name for the worldwide family of tag and chase games.

1. One seeker counts at base.
2. Everyone else hides inside the boundary.
3. The seeker finds players while hiders try to return safely.

Bring: A safe base

Play it your way: Try reverse hide-and-seek: one person hides and everyone quietly joins them.

Play safely: Choose visible, safe hiding zones and never hide near roads or water.

1. Make a central lane with seated chasers facing alternate ways.
2. One active chaser pursues the runners.
3. Pass the chase by touching a teammate and calling “Kho”.

Bring: Cones or chalk

Play it your way: Shorten the lane, slow the pace, or pass a scarf instead of tagging.

Play safely: Warm up first and keep the turning posts padded or clearly marked.

One of India’s best-known traditional team tag games.

Source: Khelo India

1. One person begins as chaser.
2. Tagged players join hands with the chaser.
3. The growing chain works together to tag everyone.

Bring: Nothing

Play it your way: Use pairs instead of one long chain, or play at walking pace.

Play safely: Let go immediately if the chain pulls or twists.

1. Split into chasers and runners.
2. Mark a home base and a friendly “jail”.
3. Tagged runners return when freed by a teammate.

Bring: Team markers

Play it your way: Use a short timed round and swap roles so everyone gets a turn.

Play safely: Keep the story playful; no grabbing, tackling or rough restraint.

1. One caller faces away.
2. Move on green and freeze on red.
3. Reach the caller without being seen moving.

Bring: Nothing

Play it your way: Every kind of movement counts—steps, wheels, gestures or claps.

1. Draw a small circle and place marbles inside.
2. Take turns flicking a shooter marble from behind a line.
3. Score each marble knocked outside the circle.

Bring: Marbles and chalk

Play it your way: Use beanbags or larger soft balls and a short rolling ramp.

Play safely: Marbles are a choking hazard; supervise young children.

Marble games have ancient parallels across many civilizations.

1. Stack seven flat stones.
2. One team knocks the stack down with a ball.
3. Rebuild it before the other team tags players with the ball.

Bring: 7 flat stones, soft ball

Play it your way: Use foam blocks, underarm rolls and a buddy builder.

Play safely: Use only a soft ball and aim below the waist.

Known by many regional names across South Asia.

1. Place the short tapered gilli on the ground.
2. Tap it upward with the long danda.
3. Strike it for distance while fielders try to catch it.

Bring: Danda and gilli

Play it your way: Use a foam gilli and paddle, with close scoring zones.

Play safely: Create a wide no-entry striking zone; adults supervise children.

An old bat-and-stick game of the Indian subcontinent.

1. Agree on local boundaries and one simple wicket.
2. Each player bats for a set number of balls.
3. Rotate batting, bowling and fielding often.

Bring: Bat, soft ball, improvised wicket

Play it your way: Use underarm bowling, a wide bat, runners or seated batting.

Play safely: Use a tennis or foam ball away from traffic and windows.

1. Wind the string around the top.
2. Throw and pull the string to set it spinning.
3. Try longest spin, a marked circle or simple tricks.

Bring: Top and string

Play it your way: Use a pump-action top or help one another wind the string.

Play safely: Give each spinner a clear circle.

1. Place a target at a comfortable distance.
2. Take turns tossing three rings.
3. Move the line until the challenge feels just right.

Bring: Soft rings, target

Play it your way: Use larger rings, floor targets or a partner-assisted toss.

1. Arrange light targets in a cluster.
2. Roll or toss from a marked line.
3. Reset together after every round.

Bring: Soft ball, bottles

Play it your way: Play seated, change target sizes and remove scoring entirely.

1. Draw a numbered court.
2. Toss a marker into the next square.
3. Travel through the court without touching that square or the lines.

Bring: Chalk, flat marker

Play it your way: Step, wheel, tap or point through enlarged squares instead of hopping.

Play safely: Keep the surface dry and the court away from vehicles.

1. Turn the rope at an easy rhythm.
2. Step or jump in when ready.
3. Add a rhyme or count together.

Bring: Soft rope

Play it your way: Wave the rope low, step over it, or turn for others without jumping.

Play safely: Leave generous space around the turning rope.

1. Draw four connected squares.
2. Bounce the ball into another player’s square.
3. Keep the rally moving with one bounce per square.

Bring: Chalk, soft ball

Play it your way: Allow catches, extra bounces or a balloon.

1. Create a short course with a clear turn point.
2. Each teammate completes one leg.
3. Pass the baton until everyone has moved.

Bring: Markers, baton

Play it your way: Mix walking, wheeling, carrying and memory tasks instead of racing.

1. Make two balanced teams.
2. Hold the rope with feet behind each line.
3. Pull steadily until the centre marker crosses a line.

Bring: Thick soft rope

Play it your way: Try seated teams or a cooperative challenge to hold the marker centred.

Play safely: Never wrap rope around hands; stop immediately if someone falls.

1. Stand inside a roomy sack.
2. Move to a nearby marker and back.
3. Cheer every finisher or play as a relay.

Bring: Large cloth sacks

Play it your way: Carry the sack, step between floor markers or use a seated beanbag relay.

Play safely: Use soft ground and very short distances.

1. One person makes a short clap pattern.
2. The group copies it together.
3. Add one beat each round and share the lead.

Bring: Nothing

Play it your way: Use taps, nods, signs, sounds or blinking instead of claps.

1. Sit or stand in a circle.
2. Send a smile and gesture to one neighbor.
3. Each person changes the gesture as it travels.

Bring: Nothing

Play it your way: Use a sound, touch cue or picture card.

1. Say your name with a movement or beat.
2. The whole circle repeats it.
3. Continue until every person has led.

Bring: Optional drum

Play it your way: Any sound, sign or movement can be a turn.

1. Pass a soft object while music or clapping continues.
2. Pause the rhythm at random.
3. The holder chooses the next movement for everyone.

Bring: Soft object, music

Play it your way: Use two objects, slower passing or partner support.

1. Scatter five smooth pieces.
2. Toss one, gather another, then catch the tossed piece.
3. Add more pieces as confidence grows.

Bring: 5 smooth stones

Play it your way: Use soft cubes, larger pieces or slide rather than toss.

Play safely: Use pieces too large to swallow around young children.

1. Fill the board’s small cups with equal counters.
2. Scoop one cup and drop one counter into each following cup.
3. Collect counters according to the agreed local rules.

Bring: Board, seeds or counters

Play it your way: Use large high-contrast counters and play in teams.

A South Indian member of the wider mancala family; rules vary by place.

1. Choose pieces and a shared set of movement rules.
2. Cast shells or dice to move around the cross-shaped path.
3. Bring every piece safely home.

Bring: Cloth board, pieces, dice or shells

Play it your way: Use large tactile pieces and team partners.

A historic Indian cross-and-circle board game with many related forms.

1. Gather safe objects of different shapes.
2. One player builds a short pattern.
3. Others copy it, continue it or make a shared picture.

Bring: Stones, seeds or caps

Play it your way: Use tactile objects and describe the pattern aloud.

1. Start with low, stable footrests and a helper.
2. Practise standing before taking small steps.
3. Make balance—not speed—the shared challenge.

Bring: Properly made low stilts

Play it your way: Use balance beams at ground level or supported stepping blocks.

Play safely: Experienced adult supervision and soft ground are essential.

Bamboo stilt play is documented among communities in central India; names and practices differ locally.

Source: Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum

1. Ask a knowledgeable community member to teach the local court and sequence.
2. Draw the pattern together.
3. Take turns while respecting the version being shared.

Bring: Chalk or earth lines

Play it your way: Widen the court and step, wheel or point through the pattern.

Documented by the Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum; local rules should be learned from community knowledge holders.

Source: Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum

1. Learn this game from a community practitioner or trusted cultural guide.
2. Agree on the local rules before beginning.
3. Credit the community and teacher when sharing it.

Bring: Varies by community

Play it your way: Adapt only with the knowledge holder’s guidance.

Recorded among the games displayed by the Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum; accessible rule documentation is limited.

Source: Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum

1. Stand facing one another or form a circle.
2. Strike the shuttle upward with an open hand.
3. Keep it aloft together for as many touches as possible.

Bring: Peteca or soft shuttle

Play it your way: Play seated, allow catches or use a balloon.

A Brazilian hand-play tradition with Indigenous roots; modern versions are played recreationally and competitively.

1. Roll a small target ball.
2. Take turns rolling larger balls toward it.
3. Closest ball completes the round.

Bring: Balls and small target

Play it your way: Use soft balls, a ramp, partners and any comfortable distance.

Target-ball traditions appear in many regions; this cooperative version welcomes mixed ages.

1. One person hides while everyone counts.
2. Seekers spread out to look.
3. When a seeker finds the hider, they quietly join until one seeker remains.

Bring: Nothing

Play it your way: Use sound clues and an easy-to-reach hiding zone.

A widely shared reverse form of hide-and-seek.