Danish Games for Junior High Kids

Many Danish games are perfect for junior high students

Traditional Danish games focus more on group and outdoor games than some cultures. Most of these games are still played today but the increase of technology and the decrease of playground size at schools have caused some of the games to be played much less often. Any group of junior high kids will have fun playing these Danish games.

Tarok

Tarok is a traditional Danish card game. The rules are somewhat complicated. The game is played with a deck of 78 Tarot cards and three people. The purpose of the game is to win the last round of play with one of five particular cards in the deck as well as to gather matching tricks of the other cards. Players must strategize with each other during the game and keep track of the cards that have been played in order to win and gain points effectively. This game has many variations.

Gemme

Gemme is the Danish version of American hide and seek. The game is played exactly the same with slight variations. The seeker counts to 100 while the other players hide. Then when the time is up the seeker tries to find the missing players. The first person to get found must be the new seeker.

Spark til Daasen

This game is the Danish version of freeze tag. The English translation of the game name is Kick the Tin. This game is like hide and seek where players hide and are found. However, when the seeker finds the hidden players they must kick a tin and call out the name of the player they just found. Other players may free players who have been found so that they can hide again.

Gemme Fingerbel

Gemme Fingerbel is similar to the American game Hide the Thimble. A thimble is hidden by one of the players while the other players have left the room. The other players must come into the room after the thimble has been hidden to find it. The hider can give clues such as "colder" or "warmer" for the finders if they have trouble finding the thimble. Whoever finds the thimble must be the next hider.

Catch Me If You Can

This game is very similar to American tag. There is one person who is the designated chaser. The other children run away and try not to get caught. There is usually a designated "helle" (or home) where participants can go to rest for a while where they cannot be caught. However, if someone refuses to leave the helle then the game is spoiled so it is discouraged to spend any long lengths of time in that area.

Laenkfange

This game would be translated "capturing chains" in English. This is a tag variation game. The first catcher tries to catch another child or participant. When this occurs the two players join hands and hunt together. After the fourth person is captured the chain splits into two. This continues until all children have become part of the chain. Even adults sometimes play this game in Denmark.

References

• Pagat: Tarok
• Issuu: Traditional Danish Games