21 TRADITIONAL GAMES OF ECUADOR FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The traditional games of Ecuador survive despite the introduction of technology in the form of mobile phones or video games, more typical of other countries. Although less and less, hopscotch, jumping rope or burnt bread is still part of the Ecuadorian streets.

Traditional games are those that do not require the use of specialized instruments but rather elements that can be found in nature or that can be made by hand.

This is why traditional games show the creativity of the communities, since pastimes can be invented from common elements, such as wooden wands, stones, ropes, among others.

In Ecuador, a country in Latin America, there is a series of these games. Some are unique to this nation, while others are common in South America.

List of traditional games of Ecuador

“Los ensacados”, also known as “sack races”, is a game played outdoors.

This consists of the participants getting into canvas bags and jumping to the finish line; if they drop the bag, they will be disqualified. The participant who reaches the finish line first wins.

7- Ali cockatoo

To play “Alí cacatúa”, the children sing a song of the same name, which goes like this:

Ali cockatoo, say you name of

Each of the participants will say a name belonging to the selected category. The player who fails to say a word, or who repeats one that has already been said, will be disqualified. Play continues until only one participant remains.

8- burnt bread

In this game, a leader hides an object somewhere in the place where it is being played; the other participants begin to search for the object while the leader gives them clues about its location: he will say “cold” if they are far from the object; "Lukewarm", if they are getting closer; and "hot", if they are very close.

The participant who manages to find the object will become the leader in the next round and the game continues.

9- The stick taught

In this traditional game, a 10 or 15 meter pole is placed in the center of a square.

The stick is covered in tallow, fat or lard. Subsequently, the participants must try to climb to the top of the pole, where there is a flag that they will have to take.

However, the fat on the stick makes the climb difficult. To ascend, the participants can only use their legs and arms, without using any additional objects.

This game arose in Naples, Italy, during the 16th century and from there it spread to other European countries, including Spain.

With the arrival of the Spanish to the territory of America during the sixteenth century, the game of the stick was introduced in the colonies.

In Ecuador, it is also known as cucaña (the name given to it in Spain), castle and soapy stick.

10- The rope

This is a game in which the participants are divided into two groups. Each of the groups stands at the end of a rope and, on the count of three, they begin to pull to their side, so that the opposing team loses its balance and falls.

The team that manages to stay standing wins. This game promotes teamwork.

11- The onion

In this game, the first participant sits on the floor and holds on tightly to a pole. The next participant sits behind the first and holds onto his back; the other participants must do the same. It can also be played standing up.

One of the players will be free and he must try to separate the others, peeling the layers of humans as if it were an onion.

12- The donkey of San Andrés

In this game, one of the participants stands with his back to a wall. The next player places the head between the legs of the first player and five other players do the same, in order to form the body of the donkey.

The other participants must get on the "burrito" avoiding falling. The game ends when all the participants are mounted on the donkey. However, if any of the children falls, the “riders” will become the “donkey”.

13- The hula hoop

Hula hula game. Alan J Truhan / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)

The hula hoop, also called “ula ula”, is a plastic ring that is placed on the waist in order to make it rotate around the player's body. The participant who lasts the longest without dropping the hula hoop will be the winner.

The most dexterous person can pass the hula hoop from the waist to the neck, from the neck to the arms, and so on. In some competitions, this ability is evaluated to determine the winner.

This game is not exclusive to Ecuador, since some sources affirm that it has existed since 3000 BC; Likewise, in Ancient Greece, the hula hoop was used as a method to exercise and improve the health conditions of individuals.

The name "hula hula" comes from Hawaii. The name arose in the 18th century, when some explorers visited the island of Hawaii and saw the similarity between the movements of the "hula" dance and the movement that was made when the "hoop" was turned.

In the 50s, the hula hoops were reinvented and began to be made in plastic, and not in wood, so that the design was lighter.

14- The hidden

In a large group, a participant in charge of counting is chosen. This will cover his eyes and will count from 1 to 20; meanwhile, the other participants will look for a hiding place.

When the count reaches 20, he must say "ready or not, here I come" and thus begins to search for the hidden players.

The first to be found will be in charge of counting in the next round. The game ends when all the participants have been found.

In some modalities, it is enough to find the hidden person (without touching them) so that this is the one who counts in the next round.

However, in other forms of the game, a "safe place" is established, so that, if a participant is found, he can run to that place and "save" himself from being the one who counts; If you play with these rules, it is necessary for the player who counts to touch the participant they find.

15- Lemon water

In this game, a large group of children hold hands and begin to spin while a leader sings:

Lemon water

Let's play.

The one who stays alone

it will only stay.

Hey, in groups of

At the end of the song, the leader says a number and the children have to run to form groups of that number. Children who cannot be included in any group are disqualified.

16- The round

It is one of the most popular, especially in younger ages. Participants hold hands and stand in a circle. At that moment they sing a song and begin to move and dance to one side or the other without ever separating their hands.

17- The getaway

Similar to the round, only this time one of the participants gets inside the circle and tries to escape. The others must stop him.

18- The dance of the chair

Artaxerxes / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

In this game you need one chair less than the number of participants. If, for example, eight children are going to play, you must gather seven chairs, plus a music player.

The chairs are put in a circle and the children around them. At that moment, the monitor plays a song and the children circle around the chairs. The moment the music stops, the children should rush to sit on the chairs. Whoever remains standing without a chair loses.

In each round, one child and one chair are eliminated until two participants and one chair remain.

19- Bowling

It consists of introducing some marbles within a circle drawn on the ground. The first one to get all their marbles into the circle is the winner.

20- The kitchens

Source: pixabay.com

It is a way of bringing the activities of adults to the little ones. A kitchen is simulated with a series of pots suitable for children. They will put their imagination into the recipes.

21- Blind little train

A line of children is created holding each other's shoulders. Everyone closes their eyes except the first, who will be the guide during a route. The goal is for no one to get lost, get off the shoulders, or fall. It is very similar to the conga.

Themes of interest

Traditional games of Guatemala.

Traditional games of Mexico.

Traditional games of Colombia.

References

1. Ecuador Culture: Top. Retrieved on June 6, 2017, from proecuador.com.
2. Traditional Games Enjoyed in South America. Retrieved on June 6, 2017, from soundsandcolours.com.
3. Children's Songs and Games from Ecuador. Retrieved on June 6, 2017, from folkways.si.edu.
4. Culture of Ecuador. Retrieved on June 6, 2017, from en.wikipedia.org.
5. Traditional Children's Games from Around the World. Retrieved on June 6, 2017, from topics-mag.com.