During ancient times, children didn't have much to enjoy themselves. What did they do for fun in their childhood? Let's have a look!
| ★ Playing diabolo Diabolo passed down to ordinary people during the Ming Dynasty. It was always made of bamboo and wood, and was hollow (空心的) in the center. By throwing and catching diabolo on ropes, the high-speed rotating (旋转) diabolo would make a sound. |
| ★ Playing stone balls During the Qing Dynasty, kicking a stone ball around was a popular sport in the northern part of China, and it was often played in winter to keep warm. Stones were carved (刻) into small balls and kicked. |
| ★ Kicking shuttlecocks Shuttlecock kicking appeared in the Han Dynasty. People used chicken feathers (羽毛), coins and cotton cloth to make a shuttlecock. It was kicked in groups of three or four during walking or running. |
| ★ Watching shadow plays Watching shadow plays was very popular during the Tang and Song dynasties. Shadow puppets (木偶) were made from the leather of donkeys (驴皮). There was light behind a large white screen on the table, the player controlled puppets and told stories. The movement could be seen from the other side of the screen. |
Four ways to have fun during | |
Playing diabolo | ▪ It was made of bamboo and wood, and it was hollow in the center. ▪ The high-speed rotating diabolo would make a sound on ropes. |
Playing stone balls | ▪ People carved stones into small balls. ▪ In the northern part of China during the Qing Dynasty, people played stone balls in winter they could keep warm. |
▪ A shuttlecock was made of feathers, coins and cotton cloth. ▪ It was kicked in groups of three or four. | |
Watching shadow plays | ▪ Shadow puppets were made from the leather of donkeys. ▪ The puppets the player behind the white screen with the light on. ▪ People could watch shadow plays from the other side of the screen. |
