This is a list ofgames that are played bychildren. Traditional children's games do not include commercial products such asboard games but do include games which require props such as hopscotch or marbles (toys go inList of toys unless the toys are used in multiple games or the single game played is named after the toy; thus "jump rope" is a game, while "Jacob's ladder" is a toy). Despite being transmitted primarily throughword of mouth due to not being considered suitable for academic study or adult attention, traditional games have "not only failed to disappear but have also evolved over time into new versions."[1]
Traditional children's games are defined "as those that are played informally with minimal equipment, that children learn by example from other children, and that can be played without reference to written rules. These games are usually played by children between the ages of 7 and 12, with some latitude on both ends of the age range."[2] "Children's traditional games (also called folk games) are those that are passed from child to child, generation to generation, informally by word of mouth," and most children's games include at least two of the following six features in different proportion: physical skill, strategy, chance, repetition of patterns, creativity, and vertigo.[3]
From the 18th century onwards, researchers have taken a greater interest in the value oftraditional games in elucidatingcultural values and identities. The modernOlympic Games were influenced by this thinking, and were founded byPierre de Coubertin on the basis of "All games, all nations", though this aspect of the Olympics was never fully realised and quickly faded away after a few years, with mainly onlyWestern sports being played. In some European countries, the revival of traditional games has served as a way for regional identities to be expressed in a political or educational way.[4]
