22 Nov Try at Home: Native American Games

November is National Native American Heritage Month. There are three main tribes originally located in our area: The Kiikaapoi (also known as Kickapoo), Kaskaskia, and the Myaamia, or Miami. 

The Indigenous people have several games of skill that are still popular today. One of these games is called Ring and Pin, in which a ring is attached to a stick with a piece of hide or sinew, and the goal is to catch the ring on the stick. Another popular game, called Hoop and Pole, was used to teach hunting skills. The hoop was rolled on the ground as the players threw the sticks through the moving hoop.

Try to make your own version of these games at home!

Make Your Own

For Ring and Pin, use an unsharpened pencil, a stick, or any tubular object you have around home. Find a hair tie, a plastic bracelet, or any type of ring that will fit over the end of your stick. Tie one end of a string to the stick and the other to the ring. Try to toss the ring over the stick.

To play Hoop and Pole, use a hula hoop, a large cross stitch frame or any other big hoop you can find. Use sticks, dowel rods or even toy lawn darts for the poles. One person rolls the hoop while another person tries to throw the sticks through the hoop. The person who gets the most sticks through the hoop wins! 

Get creative with what you already have around home, and see if you can make one or both of these games!

Written by Adrian C., Youth Services Library Assistant