Long time ago, Chinese children didn't have mobile phones, iPads or computers, but they had a great time playing some interesting games. Different children, different games. Let's take a look.
● Stone (石头) balls
In the Qing Dynasty, boys got together and played a stone ball with feet around their neighbourhood in the northern part of China, and they played it in winter to keep warm. Children usually cut the stone into a smaller one, the same size as an egg. When it began, all of them would rush to kick the ball, and did their best to keep the ball around themselves and not to lose it to others.
●Hide-and-seek
Hide-and-seek was popular all over China in ancient times. Many people enjoyed playing it. There were two ways to play: keeping a child's eyes closed when others ran around to make fun of him or, more often, some children hiding and one child trying to find them.
● Watching shadow plays (皮影戏)
Shadow play is one of the oldest operas in China. It started over two thousand years ago and became more popular in the Tang and Song Dynasties. At that time, it brought fun to the people like the modern films and TV. It usually told the stories about the heroes and other famous people in history, even about the wars. The players usually used the puppets(木偶) behind a piece of cloth through the light, telling stories to the music. In the Qing Dynasty, shadow play art came to its top.
● Playing diabolo (空竹)
Diabolo (also called "the Chinese yo-yo") is always made of wood or bamboo and has nothing inside. Playing diabolo was a very interesting game among young children in North China in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The players could do different tricks to play the diabolo, up and down, left to right with two sticks and a string(绳子)in their hands. It often made a loud sound after its high-speed rotating(高速运转). They used their whole body to exercise when playing, so everyone liked it very much at that time.
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Children's games in the old times |
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Four of games |
Stone balls |
Children ran towards the stone ball and tried to keep it around themselves with their feet. |
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Hide-and-seek |
There were two ways to play: ★One of them his/her eyes when others ran around; ★ Some children and one child had to find them. |
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Watching shadow plays |
★It has a of more than 2000 years. ★The players used puppets to tell with the music around. |
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Playing diabolo |
★ People made diabolo of wood or bamboo. ★ They took this exercise with their whole body and played different tricks with the sound, and that's children liked it very much at that time. |
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Conclusion |
Children had their way to enjoy themselves in some interesting games years ago. |
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