Hacivat and Karagöz:

Traditional Turkish Game

What is it?

Hacivat and Karagöz are traditional Turkish shadow puppets. 

They are funny characters who talk, argue, and tell stories. This show is a part of Turkish culture for hundreds of years.

Characters:

Karagöz: Funny, simple, and direct.

Hacivat: Smart, polite, and uses big words.

They are best friends but often argue in a funny way.

How to Play:

1. Make simple puppets with paper or cardboard.

2. Use a white screen and light.

3. Create your own short dialogues.

4. Speak in English or your native language.

5. Have fun and laugh!

Sample Dialogue:

-Hacivat: "Hello Karagöz, what are you doing?"

-Karagöz: "I am looking for my shadow!"

-Hacivat: "It's behind you!"

-Karagöz: "Ah! It is faster than me!"

Written by: Tayfun KAHRAMAN

Mangala:

Turkish Intelligence Game

History:

Mangala is a traditional Turkish strategy game. It dates back to the Ottoman Empire and was played by both children and adults. It belongs to the family of mancala games, which are known worldwide.

Rules:

Mangala is played by two players. Each player has 6 pits and a store. At the beginning, 4 stones are placed in each pit. Players take turns picking up all stones from one of their pits and distributing them one by one into the next pits counterclockwise. If the last stone lands in an empty pit on the player’s side, and the opposite pit has stones, the player captures both. The game ends when one player has no stones left. The player with the most stones in their store wins.

How to Play:

1. Sit opposite your opponent.

2. Choose a pit and pick up all stones in it.

3. Drop one stone in each following pit, moving counterclockwise.

4. Follow the rules for capturing.

5. Count your stones at the end.

Written by: Tayfun KAHRAMAN

Yağ Satarım Bal Satarım

-A leader is chosen from among the children.

--The others form a circle and kneel on the ground.

- The leader with a handkerchief in his hand,

"  Yağ satıyorum, bal satıyorum,     efendim gitti, satacağım"

Efendinin kürkü sarı      satarsam onbeş lira olur

zambak zambak arkanı dön ve sağlıklı arkana bak”

Etraflarında dolaşıp şöyle diyor.

- En sonunda kişilerin kişisel bilgilerini saklamaya başlar.

- The person who left the handkerchief gets up and starts chasing the midwife.

- If the leader can take his place without being caught, the other player becomes the midwife.

- If he is caught, he becomes the midwife again.

Yakan Top

Two leaders are chosen.

They enter the others' domain.

There is one ball in the game.

The leaders try to hit their areas with this ball.

The one who is hit is eliminated.

The last player standing wins.

     Yasemin Gür

YAZAN: YASEMİN GÜR

BİRDİRBİR

It is a boys' game played in an open area. It is played in stages without using any equipment. After the players are determined; in the first stage, one player bends from the waist parallel to the ground on the playing field, holds his knees with his hands and tries to stand strong. The players run one by one in order and start jumping over it. While running to jump, they shout "Leapfrog" to inform the players they will jump over. Each jumping player stops 1.5-2 meters away from the leaning player, also bending in the same way.

Blind Man's Blind Man is a children's game played widely around the world.

The player chosen as the midwife is blindfolded with a material such as a handkerchief or scarf, and the midwife is prevented from seeing the surroundings. The other players walk around the midwife and touch her. The midwife tries to catch them.

YAZAN : YASEMİN GÜR

KÖREBE

İstop (Freeze Ball Game)

What is it?

İstop is a fast and fun outdoor game played with a ball. It’s popular in Turkish schoolyards and neighborhoods. Children need speed, focus, and a quick voice!

How to Play:

1. Children stand in a circle or open space.

2. One player throws the ball into the air and shouts the name of another player.

3. Everyone runs away — except the named player.

4. The named player catches the ball and quickly shouts: “İSTOP!” (It means Freeze! in Turkish.

5. All players must stop and freeze in place.

6. The player with the ball takes 3 steps and tries to hit another player with the ball.

7. If they hit, the hit player gets one letter: İ-S-T-O-P (like points).

8. The game continues. The first to collect all 5 letters (İSTOP) is out.

Fun Tip:

Players love shouting and running. In villages, the game is sometimes played in the dusty streets – and laughter echoes all around!

Written by: Emel Kahraman

Kutu Kutu Pense 

What is it?

"Kutu Kutu Pense" is a sweet and simple hand game played by Turkish children, especially in kindergartens and villages. It’s all about rhythm, guessing, and smiles.

How to Play:

Children hold hands and form a circle. They start to turn right or left while singing the following words with their song. The child whose name is said in the song turns around and continues the game by turning in the circle and singing the song. When all the children turn around, the lyrics of the song are sung as "if all the children turn around" and the children turn around. If desired, the game can be repeated once more.

Game Rhyme

Box of pliers

If he would eat the apple

My friend Ayşe (the name of the child who is asked to turn is said.)

If he would turn around

TİLKİ SAAT KAÇ?   

One of the children is chosen to be the fox, and the other children line up at the farthest corner from the fox. During this time, they are moving forward with plush toys or other items to protect themselves from the fox. Then the children ask, "Fox, fox, what time is it?" The fox replies with a number, and the children take that many steps toward the fox. Those who get close enough to be touched by the fox will quickly run back.

The child caught by the fox becomes the new fox, and the game continues in this way. Finally, the activities are summarized, and the event is concluded.

Yazan:Tuba ÖLMEZ

  EBE BANA VURMA DONDURMA!

1. A player is chosen.

2. The player's turn begins.

3. The player shouts: "Don't hit me, don't do it!" and quickly turns around.

4. The player must freeze everyone. If you are in motion, you are out of the game.

5. The player turns back and repeats the phrase.

6. During the demonstration, they move towards the others.

7. The player who first touches wins and is tagged as the new player.

Yazan:Tuba ÖLMEZ

KÖŞE KAPMACA:

Explanation: It is played by five people in a square area. The game starts with the midwife taking her place in the middle and the four people taking their places in the corners. The players run to change the corner and the midwife tries to avoid being the midwife by taking one of the corners before the players. The person who loses their corner becomes the midwife.

SAKLAMBAÇ:

In front of me, behind me, to my right, to my left, the midwife is in the middle! One of the players becomes the midwife, hides face down and starts counting. At that time, the other players hide and when the midwife leaves the castle, they try to get to the castle before her and make a sobe. If the midwife arrives before the spread, the person who reveals themselves will have tagged that person.

RUBA BANDIERA

(CATCH THE FLAG)

                                                                               BY STEFANIA PIERI

RULES

ÇATLAK PATLAK

There is a player group forms a circle and stands in it. There are 12 positions of hands: Players open their hands and place them on each other's hands, right hands on top and left hands on the bottom. Then, they say "Cracky, poppy, round, Creamy pastry, milk bun, Pull, pull, pull your car from here!"  While saying this, players take turns lightly tapping each other's hands. At the end of the rhyme, player on the right hand moves to hit player on the left. Everyone follows the game. If the player on the left hand is hit, that player is out of the game. If the player who is trying to hit can prevent his hand from hitting, the player who is trying to hit is eliminated from the game. The game continues untill the last player is left.

Written by Fidan Renda

BEŞ TAŞ

   It is a Turkish game and played with five stones, It can be played with two player or two groups. The stones are thrown into the air and the player who can hold the most stones on his/her palm starts the game first. The player chooses one of the stones, throws it into the air and collects the stones on the ground one by one. The stones on the ground are tried to be collected in pairs. One of the stones is taken as a single piece, the other three are tried to be taken at once.

 Four stones on the ground are tried to be taken at once. The player puts his index finger on his middle finger to make a goal and tries to pass the other stones one by one by picking up a stone from the ground. All the stones are thrown slightly upwards in the palm of his hand and tried to be caught with the back of the palm. The player who holds the most stones wins the game.

Written by Fidan Renda