Twenty-two traditional Jamaican games, from ring games for toddlers to dominoes for grandparents, nearly all playable with a yard, a few stones or a table. They were the entertainment of district life before television: played in schoolyards, at moonlight gatherings, at nine-nights and on verandahs.
Every game comes with a how-to-play diagram and step-by-step rules, and most have a video so you can see it played. Games are grouped by the ages that usually play them, but most cross generations easily.
Choose your games
Young Children’s Games (Ages 3–8): Ring games and playground favourites: Brown Girl in the Ring, Bull inna Pen, Moonshine Baby and more.
Schoolyard Games for Older Children & Teens (Ages 8–16): Dandy Shandy, marbles, gig, bamboo kites, Chinese Skip, hopscotch and yard cricket.
Table Games for Teens & Adults: Partner dominoes, Ludi, Kalooki and Strip Me: the verandah classics.
Family & Community Games (All Ages): Sally Water, Riddle Me This and the Anansi story circle, for every generation together.
Quick reference
| # | Game | Ages | Players | You need | Video |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brown Girl in the Ring | 3–8 | 6+ | Nothing | Yes |
| 2 | Bull inna Pen | 4–10 | 8+ | Nothing | — |
| 3 | There’s a Brown Girl / Jane and Louisa | 3–8 | 6+ | Nothing | — |
| 4 | Moonshine Baby | 4–10 | 4+ | Shells or stones | — |
| 5 | Hide and Seek | 4+ | 3+ | Nothing | — |
| 6 | Dandy Shandy | 7–16 | 3+ | Soft ball, bottle | Yes |
| 7 | Marbles | 7+ | 2–6 | Marbles | Yes |
| 8 | Gig | 8+ | 2+ | Wooden top, string | Yes |
| 9 | Kite Flying | 6+ | Any | Bamboo, paper, string | Yes |
| 10 | Skipping | 6+ | 3+ | Long rope | — |
| 11 | Chinese Skip | 7+ | 3+ | 3 m elastic loop | Yes |
| 12 | Jacks | 6+ | 2–4 | Jacks or stones, ball | Yes |
| 13 | Hopscotch | 5+ | 2+ | Chalk, flat stone | — |
| 14 | Stucky | 6–14 | 5+ | Nothing | — |
| 15 | Bat and Ball | 7+ | 4+ | Bat, tennis ball, crate | Yes |
| 16 | Dominoes | 10+ | 4 | Double-six set | Yes |
| 17 | Ludi | 6+ | 2–4 | Board, counters, die | Yes |
| 18 | Kalooki | 12+ | 3–6 | 2–3 decks, jokers | — |
| 19 | Strip Me | 6+ | 2–4 | 1 deck | — |
| 20 | Sally Water | 3+ | 6+ | Nothing | Yes |
| 21 | Riddle Me This | 5+ | 2+ | Nothing | — |
| 22 | Anansi Story Circle | 4+ | 3+ | Nothing | Yes |
Before you play
- Agree the rules first. Rules vary from parish to parish and yard to yard. Settle them before the first throw and you avoid most arguments.
- Keep it safe. Use a soft ball for Dandy Shandy, play chase games on grass, fly kites away from power lines, and use shells or caps (never broken glass) for Moonshine Baby.
- Mix the ages. Older children teaching younger ones is how these games survived. Let them lead.
- Teachers and youth leaders: every diagram works on a projector or printed out. Tap a diagram to open it full size.
Did you grow up with a game that isn’t here, or play one of these differently in your district? Tell us in the comments and we’ll add the best ones.