Traditional games help the children to learn the world that surrounds them by getting to know new things, new words, and new people. During studies games also were a helper in remembering any complicated information or simply gaining attention. Becoming older, games still continue to help people. Competitive and sport, social and active, interesting and instructive games promote high – minded feelings, formation of aspirations, gaining of united goals, and concentration of strength. Moreover games help to strike up an acquaintance or friendship with others.
Estonian traditional games are tightly connected with traditional calendar. For exemple: 10 november and 25 november. Day of Mardi: A group of boys dressed in a fur (inside out), their faces stained with the shoot, ask to enter houses, being guests. Those the guests, and boys – MARDID wish to the master of the house to have a rich harvest in a coming season. Day of Kardi: the same, only with a group of girls. The most interesting games characterizing these days are:
“SLIMATEGEMINE” WINK.12-14 players.Preparation: girls make a ring, sitting in the chairs. Behing every girl stands a boy. One boy stands behind a free chair. He tries to attract any girl, by giving winks to her. The boy who stands behind the girl must be ready to hold her back, if she tries to run away. The leader can change the roles.Rules 1. The person to whom anyone gives a wink, should try to escape from his place, as fast as he can.
Between the family and Kadri girls or Mardi boys were held different competitions – games:
“Jooks kartuliga (munaga)” – A race with the potato.2 – 3 players or a team.Preparation. Each players gets a spoon with potato or egg. The leader appoints the distance (star, finish). Players compete on appointed distance keeping potato (egg) from falling down.Rules:
- To run attentively, keeping balance.
- If potato fall down, you can’t go on with the race, until you set it once again onto the spoon.
“Running on piece of paper”.2 – 3 players or a team.Preparation: each player must have a piece of paper in both hands.Game. There is only one rule in this game – running as fast as possible to the finish point, but you must do it on a piece of paper. Foot must not touch the ground, only the paper.
New Year traditional in
Estonia.On the New Year evening boys come from one house to another wishing happy New Year in the costumes of goats. Goats sing songs, play games with the children; those games are mostly showing your strength and adroitness. Most popular of edge of the chair. Two players, standing back-to-back, legs apart having a pole between them. The two players have two different goals, one (who has the man of straw behind his back) tries to kill the boot –maker with the help of a pole, another tries to avoids this.A lot of traditional games have to do with the holiday called “vastlapaev” (pancake week). During the pancake week people played competitive and sociable games. Most popular of them are “Jooks munaga”, “kotisjooks”.
“Kotisjooks” – A race in the bags.2 – 5 players or a team.Preparation: the leader appoints the distance of the race (star, finish). Prepares bags. Players get into the bal and start competing. The one who crosses the finish line first is the winner.Rules: players can get out of the bag, only after crossing the finish line.In summer time Estonian customs are more fully revealed on the equinoctial day – called Jaanipaev. Such the traditional things as jumping over the fire and dancing, singing around the fire is typical for this holiday.Entertaining games were competitive and active games or singing games, like “kes aias”, this game played old Estonians as early as 100 years ago (Who is in the garden?), “kukevoistlus” (games cocks), “Kotisjooks” (a race in the bags).