This year, MEND (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition, Do it!) running ‘Move it week’ to empower children to get outdoors and get fit whilst enjoying themselves for National Childhood Obesity Week.

The theme of Move it Week 2012, which runs from the 2nd of July until the 8th, is Globetrotting. To encourage children to learn about new cultures whilst getting fit, MEND have put together different passports for for each continent including native games, traditional recipes, and interesting facts.

Here are some of the great playground style games from around the world that are guaranteed to get your little one moving!

• Africa
• Asia
• Australasia
• Europe
• North America
• South America

Africa

Ampe
Get competitive with this fun foot-stomping game from Ghana.

Players: Groups of children aged 5 and up
What you’ll need: An open space indoors or outdoors
How to play: Choose one player to be the leader, then the other players stand in a line as the leader faces the player at one end of the line. The leader and the player at the end both clap hands. After that, both jump in place at the same time. Lastly, both jump and thrust one foot forward. If they both put the same foot forward, the leader is out and the player takes the leader’s place while the leader goes to the back of the line. If they each put a different foot forward, the leader moves to the next player and they do the same routine again. Leaders get a point every time they defeat a player, and every player takes a turn as a leader. The player with the most points wins.

Asia

Ounch Neech
Pakistani children love to play this game of tag in the colourful, bustling streets of their cities.
Players: 4 or more; ages 5 and up
What you’ll need: An outdoor space with lots of obstacles like tree stumps, a slide, a swing, rocks, or sturdy benches.
How to play: The game begins with one child as ‘it’. He or she says either ‘ounch’ (up) or ‘neech’ (down). If he says neech, then the ground is not safe – runners can be tagged unless they are up on something like a stump or a rock. The opposite is true as well – if ‘it’ chooses ounch, then the ground is safe but places off the ground aren’t. The first person tagged becomes ‘it’ for the next round of the game.

Australasia

The Kangaroo hop
Pretend you’re a kangaroo in this aboriginal activity that’s a twist on the traditional running race.
Players: Teams of 4-8 players
What you’ll need: An indoor or outdoor space with lines about 10-15 metres apart, and some large balls (optional)
How to play: Set a distance for this jumping race depending on the age of the players. Players line up next to each other and all jump like kangaroos to the finish line – either with or without holding a ball between their legs. The course could also include an obstacle to jump over, or it could be winding instead of straight. Or why not make it a relay race?

Europe

Katz und maus (cat and mouse)
Wear yourself out by pretending you’re a cat or mouse in this German twist on tag.
Players: 4 players up
What you’ll need: An open space indoors or outdoors
How to play: Choose one player to be the cat. The other players become the mice. The cat waits while the mice count to ten and head away from him or her. Once they reach ten, the cat races to the mice to try and tag them. The first mouse caught becomes the new cat. This continues for as long as you like, or until everyone’s had a go at being the cat.

North America

Dodgeball
This crazy game is so fun they’ve even made a film out of it!
Players: 10 players or more, ages 4 and up
What you’ll need: A large outdoor space and one big beach ball
How to play: Divide the players into two teams. One team makes a big circle and the other team stands inside the circle. The players in the circle throw the ball at the players inside the circle who are running around trying not to get hit. Only players in the circle may throw and catch the ball. Players who get hit join the circle and help them try to hit the players remaining inside.

South America

Corre, corre la guaraca (Run, Run, la guaraca)
La guaraca is actually a made-up word that doesn’t mean anything – but that doesn’t stop this game being popular with Chilean children who play it outside on the streets.
Players: 5 or more, ages 5 and up
What you’ll need: A handkerchief
How to play: Players sit in a circle while a runner (la guaraca) jogs around the outside of it with a handkerchief. The other players are not allowed to watch. The runner has to drop the handkerchief on one player’s back very carefully, trying not to be felt. They then have to run away – and if they make it around the circle before the seated player realises that the handkerchief is on their back, the seated player is out. If the seated player realises then they must run and tag the runner. If they succeed, the runner is out.

Source: MEND

Photography: Andy Carter @Flickr