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. 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 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.

Tarnambai is basically the game of fetch. A player from one team throws the ball as far as they can, and a player from the other team tries to retrieve it as quickly as possible. The first person to get their ball and return to the group wins the race. The team with the most individual wins would win the overall game. This game can become very strategic. How teams line themselves up against their opponent could dramatically change the outcome of a whole game. Sometimes teams try to match their fastest with the other team's fastest. Other times, one team may match their best thrower against the other team's fastest. One team may even race someone not fast against another team's fastest and concede one race if they feel it puts them in a better position overall.

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. That helps us realize that even though people can live thousands of miles apart, we are more similar than we are different.

Materials: 

·      A large play space

·      Two tennis balls

Minimum Amount of Students Needed: You could play this game with as few as four players, but an entire class of 20+ would be more fun.

Age: All Ages