Lesson aim:

To learn and enjoy traditional Scottish games.

Contents:Traditional games:

Chasing and Catching Games,

Ball games,

Hopscotch games.

Duration :

60 minutes.

Material:

Soft ball, aeroplane bed, peever.

Warm up

Levoy

Choose someone to be a catcher; or choose two catchers if more than six people are playing. The catcher/catchers start from the den, a circle chalked on the ground, or a certain agreed area into which all of those captured will be escorted and held in custody. Everyone scatters out, and the catchers leave the den to try to catch them. As each runner is caught, usually by physically holding them for a count of three, or sometimes by the “head and tail” method (tag on both the head and the bottom), they are put into the den. However, the sport is that an “outie” (that is someone who is still free!), “Ha la Levoy !”, or something similar, so that all of those held prisoner in the den are released and allowed to run free again. The game finishes when all of the outies have been captured.

Main Part

Dodge Ball (See teachers' guide for some variations of Dodge Ball)

The game may be started either by forming a circle and having the ball run out through someone's legs, or having everyone gather in a wide circle with their fists towards the centre ready for catching. The ball is thrown to one of the players who has to catch it between their clenched fists, and having caught it, they throw it on to someone fist, and having caught it, they throw it on to someone else, all the time keeping their fist closed. The ball is fisted around the group until someone drops it and that person becomes IT. To save any disputes it is normal to call out the person's name as you throw the ball to them.

The ball must then be bounced ten times to allow the rest time to scatter out, then he/she hurls the ball towards someone in an attempt to hit them, either between the shoulders and the knees, or only below the knees. Those who are still free are allowed to “fist” the ball away rather than allow it to hit them, or even pick it up.

With their fists and roll it out of the striker's way. If someone still has the ball held between their fists, and has not managed to roll it away in time, and a striker manages to tag them, they can be caught this way as well. When a player is struck he/she becomes a striker and joins IT in trying to strike the others with the ball. The strikers are allowed to pass the ball to each other in order to get a better shot at someone, but they are emphatically not allowed to run with the ball. This is a particularly fast moving and exciting game which has the ball “skiting aboot” all over the place, and is often played within some clearly defined boundary, so that any player running out of bounds is caught and becomes striker.

Finally the last person remaining free is the winner, or “King”.

The children now can be divided into two different activities and spent 15 minutes in each. However, if there are very few pupils they can do an activity after the other.

ACTIVITY 1: advanced peevers

Some players reach a level at which the basic games described (Pickie or Kickie) become relatively easy, so more difficult task are added like hopping up and down the Aeroplane (see flashcards 9)or Square bed s and (flashcard 13) with the peever on top of your raised foot, or balanced on your back. So, in this activity children can choose if they want to play Pickie or Kickie, but now the peever has to be on top of their raised foot.

Variation:

A game called Ball Beddies uses the Aeroplane or Square beds, but involves rolling and stotting an old tennis ball instead of using a peever.

ACTIVITY 2: All in together

(See flashcard 20)

Rhyme

On the mountain stands a lady,

Who she is I do not know,

She has lots of gold and silver,

All she wants is a fine, young beau.

•  So call in my (friend's name) dear…

•  So call in my (Ellen) dear…

•  So call in my (Catherine) dear…

•  So call in my (Maureen) dear…

On the sea shore.

The two people chosen to caw set the rope turning and chant the rhyme to call in each person in turn. At the end of the first verse you have two people jumping in, and the second time around another friend is called in to join the jumpers. The rhyme is repeated with another person called in, and an extra line added with each new verse, until as many people as possible are jumping together. As usual, anyone caught by the rope takes an end and caws.

Calm Down

Red Letter

Someone is chosen to be IT, They face a wall while the rest of the group form a line about the width of a road from the wall. IT shouts out a letter of the alphabet and if this letter is in your name you ca move forward a step. IT continues to shout letters until the first person to reach the wall wins and becomes IT for the next game.