While looking up traditional games from Australia, I stumbled upon this fantastic online resource called Yulunga Traditional Indigenous Games from the Australian Sports Commission. It provides an online card set that features games played by Australian Aborigines from all over the continent. Unfortunately, I was supposed to study all of Oceania with my students this past few months. Still, there were so many awesome games I couldn't help myself, and we spent the whole time studying Australia. Next time I will ensure to get in plenty of Indigenous sports from New Zealand, Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, Papa New Guinea, and the many Polynesian Islands in the area.

One of the things that Aborigines prided themselves in was their ability to tell stories. In fact, all of their art was just considered a medium for storytelling. They were masters at using stories to become walking encyclopedias and atlases, memorizing the terrain of Australia and knowing so much about the flora and fauna of their territories. I wanted to honor this tradition by choosing games that I could clearly make a story and connection to a hunting and gathering skill. I wanted the students to imagine themselves doing the activity the game represented while they played it. Australian Aborigines had an inherent understanding that we learn the best when having fun and playing. I don't think it is by chance that so many of their games practiced necessary skills for hunting and gathering. I think the Aborigines knew that teaching through games efficiently got children to practice and perfect their skills.

This lesson has two games they will play back-to-back. One is called Diyari Koolche, and the other is called Battendi. In Diyari Koolche, the students throw a ball against a wall so that the ricochet hits a target. This simple game may have been a preparatory game for the skill of boomerang throwing so the child could begin anticipating how a returning boomerang may travel. On the other hand, there is a chance it was just a fun game that also promoted hand-eye coordination. Whether they realized it or not, the game practiced basic geometry and angles in the physical world. Battendi is a game where children try to hit a target with a spear while using an implement like atlatl. For our version, the students will use hand scoops and tennis balls to strike bowling pins.

These games, invented thousands of years ago by their ancestors, are essential to Indigenous peoples because it reconnects them with their culture. By playing these traditional Aboriginal games, you will help your students expand their knowledge of Aboriginal culture. They will also get a healthy dose of empathy as they realize these games are vital for teaching skills required to live in some of the harshest climates on Earth. Many of these Aboriginal games are similar to many sports worldwide. This helps us realize that even though people can live thousands of miles apart, we are more similar than we are different.

Materials: 

·      Diyari Koolche

·      You will need a rigid wall and floor to allow a ball to bounce. But, again, your typical gym setting works very well.

o   Lots of cones

o   Lots of rubber disc dots

o   A tennis ball for each student

·      Battendi

o   A hand scoop for each student

o   A tennis ball for each student

o   Around ten lawn bowling pins

Minimum Amount of Students Needed: You theoretically could play this with just one student. However, this game is perfect for an entire class of 20+.

Age: All Ages