Games Around the World

Do you like to run and jump. Do you like to laugh with your friends. That happy, wiggly feeling is me. I am there when you pretend you are a superhero flying high in the sky. I am there when you build a big, tall tower with your blocks just to see it tumble down. I am even in the silly faces you make when you play peek-a-boo. I help you learn new things and share with your friends. Hello. I am Games.

I am very, very old. I am older than the biggest, tallest buildings you have ever seen. A long, long time ago, around 3100 BCE, families in a sunny place called Ancient Egypt played with me. They loved a special board game called Senet. They moved little pieces to a finish line, just like you might do. In another old land called Mesopotamia, around 2600 BCE, people played the Royal Game of Ur. They used pretty shells and special dice to play. Even before that, I was in the simplest things. I was in tossing stones into a pond, running races, and playing hide-and-seek in the tall, green grass. I have always been here to help people have fun.

Today, I am everywhere you look. I am in the game of tag you play at the park with your friends. I am in the colorful board game you open on a rainy day inside your warm house. I am even in the fun stories you make up with your favorite toys. I am a great teacher. I help you learn how to take turns and how to be a good friend. I show you how to cheer when your friends do something great. No matter where you are in the big world, I am always here to help you laugh, learn, and play. So, what game should we play today.