Easy Hawaii Games
Traditional Hawaiian games often involve skill-based individual competition to help prepare people for battle, notes the Hawaii History website. In addition, many traditional Hawaiian games focus on available native resources such as banana stalks used as sleds and taking advantage of the ocean for competitions. While many traditional sliding and water games are easy to replicate today, two other games of accuracy, Ulu Maika and O'o Ihe, are easily replicated as well.
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O'o Ihe
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O'o Ihe, a traditional game of spear throwing ability, helped Hawaiians practice their accuracy at throwing spears across a long distance in preparation for battle. This game requires little setup and a foam pool noodle is used in place of the spear. To play this simple game, clear a large open area and designate a throw line, which competitors can not cross. Each person throws his spear as far as he can. The person who throws the farthest is the winner.
Ulu Maika
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A bowling game, Ulu Maika gave Hawaiians the chance to practice their accuracy at rolling small items and their strength in sending a stone to the proper distance according to the Hawaii History website. This game involves placing two wooden stakes in the ground, eight to 10 inches apart and allowing each participant to roll four stones through the sticks, in an attempt to get the stones to pass through the sticks. The distance between participants and the sticks vary with ability level and should be decided before starting the game. Hockey pucks, bean bags or small balls of yarn may be used instead of stones.
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Sliding Games
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Taking advantage of Hawaii's hills and mountains, children and adults both took part in sliding and sledding games. While adult games often involved constructed courses and specific equipment, simple Hawaiian sliding games can be played today by sliding down a hill on a coconut fronds or banana plant stalks. Competition includes seeing who reaches the bottom of the hill fastest or who travels the furthest.
Water Games
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Being an island nation, many Hawaiian games focus on water skills. So long as you have access to water, these games are easily replicated today. The game of lele kawa involves jumping into water in an attempt to make the smallest splash, while lele pahu is the opposite, where competitors must make the largest splash. Aho loa has players compete to see who can hold their breath underwater for the longest amount of time, and kaupua tests competitors skills to see who can find and return with an object from the sea floor the quickest.
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References
- Photo Credit hawaii landscape image by Janina Sund from Fotolia.com
