Turkish games for kids

The names of kites change according to their shape, make, and the various localities. Some of them are made by splitting one end of a stick and inserting two feathers. Slings and catapults made of leather, knitted cloth, or elastic are very popular. On certain holidays there are real fights which can take a nasty turn between groups with slings, and contestants may be seriously injured.

Traps and birdlime are also abundant for catching birds or other small animals. Among musical and noisemaking instruments the most common are whistles made of wood, straw, bone, or other material, and some thirty different names of these have been recorded.

A string is passed through these holes, and when the strings are pulled at both ends the wood piece revolves making a buzzing sound. When shaken to and fro, then suddenly shaken strongly back, it makes a sound like a gunshot. Large playthings like swings, revolving wheels, seesaws, and roundabouts, though primitive, work effectively and efficiently. It works both as seesaw and roundabout. One vertical pole four and one-half meters high has attached to its axis another horizontal pole four meters long.

It moves so speedily that some contests are even organized. This device is so widespread that nearly thirty different names have been recorded. Swings are most popular, and it is a springtime practice, especially for girls, to sing appropriate songs while swinging. Once this toy was a worldwide craze under the name of Yo-Yo.

The first is more an outdoor game, yet it can also be played indoors; the latter is more an indoor and table game. Knucklebones may have six sides, but four sides are more commonly used since they fall in four ways with the flat, concave, convex, or sinuous sides up; hence they are used for gambling instruments serving the purpose of dice. Not only does each of these six sides have dozens of different names according to region, but also different names indicate the way the bones are thrown, the game rules, or the animal from which it is taken.

Sometimes a larger knucklebone is added to hit the smaller ones, either to dislodge it or transfer its place according to a borderline. This knucklebone is not only bigger in size but heavier. To make it heavier they pierce it to the hollow inside, which is then filled with molten lead. There are also guessing games played with knucklebones. Then all ask "Who has the knucklebone?

On a tray there are usually eleven coffee cups, one of which covers a ring or sometimes a seal. There are two teams. The first team hides the ring under one of the inverted cups. Their opponents try to guess the cup under which the ring is hidden. If the opposite team is right with their first guess, it is their game, and the functions are reversed.

This is the most important moment of the game, and victories are celebrated with cheers. If they find the ring with the second guess, the hiding side gets eleven points, and the ring is hidden again. If it is not found the first or the second time for each cup upturned, the hiding side adds to its score by adding the number of cups upturned to the eleven points from the lifting of the second cup.

This is done until three unopened cups are left. If it is found in the first or the second of these cups, the hiding reverts to the guessing team. If it is not found in these two of the remaining three cups, the hiding team continues the game.

Whichever teams gets fifty points first is the winning side. More than a game, the Ring Game is an institution, where very many beliefs, rhymes, and penalties are involved, and sometimes there is even serious tormenting of the winning team. If the guessing side finds the ring under the first cup, they may give a chance to the other team by hiding the ring under only four cups.

If they find it by lifting two cups, the hiding ones lose eleven points; if they find the ring in the other, then the hiding ones lose twenty-one points. If they cannot find it in the third cup, they lose twentyone points. The number of cups, scores, and rules vary according to regions.

Ring games are not always played with cups. Sometimes the ring is hidden in the hand, or under hats, towels, or handkerchiefs. When it is hidden in hands, the ring is threaded on a long circle of string and the players sit in a circle, holding the string with both hands. In the middle of the circle is the "it. Holding their hands thus, they transfer the ring secretly from hand to hand quickly, and "it" in the middle, by studying the hands and faces, tries to spot who actually holds the ring.

If the ring is thus discovered, then the one who had it changes place with the one who was in the middle. Sometimes instead of a ring a reel is used. The general name for this ring game is Cicoz. Anatolian ball games are also very rich in number and kind. One is the favorite game of girls. The ball is tossed up, and before it falls down a certain action is done; or the ball is thrown and is accompanied by a count or rhyme which must finish before the ball touches the ground.

Another kind is a combination of a ball game with a racing game. Instead of touching by hand, a ball is thrown to the next runner. Or, the players of one team mount the players of the other team piggyback and they throw the ball to each other.

If the ball falls to the ground or if it is caught by "it," then the teams reverse their roles. Another kind of ball game is throwing balls into holes dug in the ground. The ball is thrown from a distance of four or five meters. If the ball enters the hole of another player, then the thrower mounts on his back.

If the ball enters the extra hole called the hole of the Jinn cin emeni the others run, and the "it" throws the ball at the runners. If the thrower hits one, he becomes "it.

In some ball games, instead of a hole the target is a goal. Sometimes it is a large piece of stone called Say. One team stands next to this stone; the other team throws the ball to them. If the ball is caught by the other team before it touches the ground, then the thrower is out; if the team catches it after it touches the ground, they hit the stone with it and the thrower is out again.

In this game "it" tries to guard the hat with his feet and the others try to move it to a place further away. If "it" can get the ball which he has lost and hit one of the players with it, then the one who is hit becomes "it. There are ball games with sticks, clubs, or bats, mallets as used in pallmall, croquet, golf, and polo.

For instance, in Malatya Southeast Anatolia in a game called Egir, there is a well one-half meter wide called Tandur: a ball about the size of an orange is hit with a stick eighty to ninety centimeters long, one end of which is bent by heating so that this club looks like a polo stick.

The aim of the game is to drive the ball into the hole with one stroke. Instead of balls, in some places bones, knucklebones, cows' hoofs, stones, cypress cones, and other things are used. The most widespread of stick games is Jirid. In some games with sticks the purpose is to throw the stick like a javelin as far as possible, or to make it penetrate the ground.

In other games penetrating the ground is not sufficient; it must also hit a previously placed stick. A long narrow hole approximately two feet long, six inches wide, and three inches deep is dug in the ground.

If he succeeds in doing so, he gets possession of the hole and starts playing the game. The game has some resemblance to cricket, in which one side bats and the other bowls. According to region he requires so many units of this stick in all to win the game.

Sometimes sticks are thrown like a javelin to hit a target-usually a heap of stone or bricks; sometimes the players try to hit a target while they are running. Or a target may be a melon or pumpkin on a pole. Some games are played by sliding javelins along the ground. There is a large variety of games with stones and pebbles in Anatolia. Some are a kind of warfare, with two teams throwing stones at each other, either with slings or hands. On occasion this results in very dangerous consequences, but some beliefs encourage this dangerous game.

Look at statistics such as population. Find some fun facts about the climate, holidays and customs. Talk about them with your child and follow their lead on which parts they are interested in.

You can also get all this information and more here. Libraries are an excellent resource. Also check out the noticeboard and see if there are any kids groups speaking Turkish in the area. You might make some new friends too. Language DVDs come handy , especially fro busy parents, as they repeat useful words and phrases in a fun and interesting way Check them out, Look for something that is specifically for kids, that uses games and songs and has well-structured levels.

Always play CDs in Turkish when you are in the car. Do it consistently so your child comes to expect the Turkish in the car. Nowadays, there are a lot of resources that help you play streaming radio through personal electronic devices and laptops, etc. All you need is tuning into one of the local radio stations and have the radio or the song list play in the background all day long. There are a great many websites offering worksheets for beginners. Many are free and some you can pay monthly or a yearly fee.

Kids love worksheets. Some may be simple coloring sheets kids LOVE coloring , or sheets that help fine motor skills through pencil manipulation.

Buy some stickers and put one on each sheet your child completes. There is no end to the fun to be had from playing games with flashcards even if you child is still too young to play a game that has structure and rules. You can also put the flashcards up around the room. Look at them and say them often with your child. Put them on your fridge with magnets or let your child do this. You call out the words and have them put them on.

Introduce your child to the shapes of letters with a simple alphabet book. This is especially useful if the Turkish alphabet is different to that of the 1st language. Anything that gets kids moving their bodies or their hands helps them to learn. Coloring in pictures is a very relaxing activity you should do it too! Kids tend to be very relaxed when they are coloring, a good time to make some general chitchat in Turkish.

The very latest translation tool. The translated text appears on a small screen on the pen and can also provide audio pronunciation of words or full sentences. There are so many talking toys on the market these days. Read them together, ask questions and encourage your child to ask lots of questions too.

After reading one, you could make a simple one together using pictures from magazines, or encourage your child to draw pictures too. Gather information together at the library or from the internet. Point things out and ask questions, swap roles and have your child ask the questions too, this also helps model the pronunciation.

Use the simple syllabus prepared in your language learning system or make one yourself. Children tend to do better when they know what is coming and what is expected of them. Kids love stickers! Use them liberally. Take praising your child as an opportunity to use the Turkish. If you can find stickers with words of praise in the Turkish use those and repeat the words a lot. Use a couple of words at first and add more as your child knows them. If you have the opportunity to visit the Turkish country buy goods with the language on.

T-shirts, mugs and pens are useful as well as educational. Look for postcards, posters or bumper stickers with popular expressions on. Post these around your house. Try to find other parents encouraging their children to learn Turkish, arrange to play together, go on picnics to the park or take a trip to a zoo or aquarium, great places to practice the language. Making new friends is of great benefit to you too! Encourage video chat with other children you know, that speak Turkish.

Be nearby to help the conversation along. Spending time with grandparents is valuable to all parties anyway but spending time with grandparents who speak Turkish is great for strengthening bonds and hearing natural language. Your child will come to associate Turkish with feelings of love and security. Even a few hours per week would make a difference and give you a little free time!

Cook some simple dishes from Turkey together. Us the Turkish for instructions, wash, cut, wipe, mix…. Name the ingredients in a natural way as you cook. Here are some Turkish recipes. Look out for anything from Turkey. Community centers are a great place to meet people, look at notice boards for anything from people interested or connected in some way to, Turkish. You could even offer to do something yourself, give a talk about the country or a traditional dance etc.

Go around a Turkish supermarket and point out the foods from Turkey. If your child is unfamiliar with them, ask questions. Talk about the food, how it is prepared, where it comes from. If the word is a noun, look for it around the house and when you go outside. Talk about where it might be found.

If it is a verb, find ways to do the action either really or mime it, see if you can spot other people doing it? There are plenty of free online interactive language games for children. Find one that appeals to your child and encourage them to do a little every day. You can check out 3 different kinds of free Turkish online language learning games here. Many teachers are offering language lessons via Skype.

Ask around and see if anyone can recommend a teacher to you. Sit in on the lesson too so you know what language to reinforce between lessons. Books, books, books. Kids love books and stories. Read stories in Turkish before bed. Often when kids have heard a favorite story many times they know the words. Encourage your child to help tell the story. Paper, rock, scissors has many variations; play it in the Turkish.

Hopscotch, skipping games, clapping games etc. They also have quizzes and puzzles that are lots of fun to do. You could try to find where there is a large community of people from the target culture. They will no doubt have special events to celebrate the holidays of their country of origin.