Italian Children's Games
Children's games from around the world are often very similar. Different variations of cops and robbers or red rover, red rover are played by children in many countries. If you are teaching children about Italy or want to share your Italian heritage with them, try playing one of these traditional Italian children's games.
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Strega Ghiaccio
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The "Ice Witch" game needs at least three people to play and no more than seven. One child is the witch, who must chase after the other players trying to freeze (tag) them. When a child is frozen three times, he or she is now the witch. However, the witch is not allowed to stand near frozen players to freeze them multiple times so that they become the witch. Children can decide beforehand how long they should remain frozen before they are allowed to move.
Guardie e Lardi
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"Cops and Robbers" requires at least two players, but as many as 14 can play. There must be two teams with an equal number of players on each. The cops protect the treasure, while the robbers try to steal it. The robbers will pretend to have the treasure and the cops chase after them. When the cops catch, or tag, a robber, they take that robber back to the base, which can be a tree, fence or some designated area. The robbers will also have a base where they are safe from the cops. If one of the free robbers can sneak into the cops' area, that robber can free the other captured robbers. When all of the robbers are caught, the cops win. However, if the robbers free each other and make it back to base without getting caught, they win.
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Lupo Mangia Frutta
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This game translated means fruit-eating wolf. At least five children are needed to play. One child is the wolf and the other players are the fruit. The children who are the fruit only disclose what kind of fruit they are to the other fruit members. There should only be one kind of each fruit. The fruit players then line up side by side. The wolf stands across from the line of fruit with about 15 or 20 steps between the two lines. The wolf calls to the fruit: "Knock, knock." The fruits answers: "Who is it?" The wolf responds: "It's the fruit-eater wolf." The fruit asks: "What fruit are you looking for?" The wolf names a fruit. If that fruit exists, then that person must run away from the wolf and try not to get caught. If the person is caught, he or she is now the wolf. However, if the wolf is unable to catch the fruit, the wolf continues on as the wolf.
Piovra
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There must be at least five players for this game. One child is chosen as the octopus. The octopus stands in one spot with the other children standing across about 20 feet away. All at once, the other children run toward the octopus and try not to be caught by it. The octopus can only move on a horizontal line to tag people. When a child is tagged, that person is now a baby octopus and is frozen. Baby octopi can only swing their arms to catch people. Once all of the children have been caught, the first child that was caught becomes the new octopus.
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