games

Educational game

Educational games are games explicitly designed with educational purposes, or which have incidental or secondary educational value. All types of games may be used in an educational environment. Educational games are games that are designed to help people to learn about certain subjects, expand concepts, reinforce development, understand a historical event or culture, or assist them in learning a skill as they play. Game types include board, card, and video games. An educational game is a game designed to teach humans about a specific subject and to teach them a skill. As educators, governments, and parents realize the psychological need and benefits of gaming have on learning, this educational tool has become mainstream. Games are interactive play that teach us goals, rules, adaptation, problem solving, interaction, all represented as a story. They satisfy our fundamental need to learn by providing enjoyment, passionate involvement, structure, motivation, ego gratification, adrenaline, creativity, social interaction and emotion in the game itself while the learning takes place.

Video games

With the increase and availability of technological devices, there has been a shift in what types of games people play. Video or electronic gaming has become more widely used than traditional board games. Barab (2009) defines conceptual play as "a state of engagement that involves (a) projection into the role of character who, (b) engaged in a partly fictional problem context, (c) must apply conceptual understandings to make sense of, and ultimately, transform the context". The goal of such play spaces is to have the "gamer" engage in the narrative while learning cognitive and social skills. The ability to immerse oneself in the gaming process facilitates "empathetic embodiment" which occurs when a player learns to identify with the character they have chosen for the game and the virtual environment of the game

Game-based learning

Game-based learning (GBL) is a type of game play that has defined learning outcomes. Generally, game-based learning is designed to balance subject matter with gameplay and the ability of the player to retain, and apply said subject matter to the real world

Origins

In his classical essay, "Upon the Aesthetic Education of Man", Friedrich Schiller discusses play as a force of civilization, which helps humans rise above their instincts and become members of enlightened communities. He states that "humans are only fully human when they play". While the text is limited by the author's beliefs in concepts such as freedom and beauty, it nevertheless sets the stage for Johan Huizinga's classical study, Homo Ludens.

Games have long been employed as a means of education. Using the ancient game of chess, noblemen of the Middle Ages learned strategies of war. During the Civil War, volunteers from Rhode Island played American Kriegsspiel, which had originally been created in 1812 for training Prussian officers-of-war.[4] Then, in the early 19th century, came the creation of Kindergarten by Friedrich Fröbel, which was based on learning through play. Children delighted in his Fröbel Gifts, simple educational toys such as blocks, sewing kits, clay, and weaving materials

The Championships

The Championships, Wimbledon, commonly known simply as Wimbledon, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, and is widely considered the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London, since 1877 and is played on outdoor grass courts.

Wimbledon is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the others being the Australian Open, the French Open and the US Open. Since the Australian Open shifted to hardcourt in 1988, Wimbledon is the only major still played on grass.

The tournament traditionally took place over two weeks in late June and early July, starting on the third Monday in June and culminating with the Ladies' and Gentlemen's Singles Finals, scheduled for the Saturday and Sunday at the end of the second week. However recent changes to the tennis calendar have seen the event move a week later to start on the first Monday in July.[8] Five major events are held each year, with additional junior and invitational competitions also taking place. Wimbledon traditions include a strict dress code for competitors and Royal patronage. The tournament is also notable for the absence of sponsor advertising around the courts. In 2009, Wimbledon's Centre Court was fitted with a retractable roof to lessen the loss of playing time due to rain.

History

Beginning

The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club is a private club founded on 23 July 1868, originally as "The All England Croquet Club". Its first ground was off Worple Road, Wimbledon.[9]

In 1876, lawn tennis, a game devised by MClopton Wingfield a year or so earlier Spencer Gore, the winner of the inaugural Wimbledon Championship.and originally given the name Sphairistikè, was added to the activities of the club. In spring 1877, the club was renamed "The All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club" and signalled its change of name by instituting the first Lawn Tennis Championship. A new code of laws, replacing the code administered by the Marylebone Cricket Club, was drawn up for the event. Today's rules are similar except for details such as the height of the net and posts and the distance of the service line from the net.

The inaugural 1877 Wimbledon Championship started on 9 July 1877 and the Gentlemen's Singles was the only event held. It was won by Spencer Gore, an old Harrovian rackets player, from a field of 22. About 200 spectato

The lawns at the ground were arranged so that the principal court was in the middle with the others arranged around it, hence the title "Centre Court".[c] The name was retained when the Club moved in 1922 to the present site in Church Road, although no longer a true description of its location. However, in 1980 four new courts were brought into commission on the north side of the ground, which meant the Centre Court was once more correctly described. The opening of the new No. 1 Court in 1997 emphasised the description.

rs paid one shilling each to watch the final.[10]
ajor Walter

21st century
Wimbledon is considered the world's premier tennis tournament and the priority of the Club is to maintain its leadership. To that end a long-term plan was unveiled in 1993, intended to improve the quality of the event for spectators, players, officials and neighbours.[13] Stage one (1994–1997) of the plan was completed for the 1997 championships and involved building the new No. 1 Court in Aorangi Park, a broadcast centre, two extra grass courts and a tunnel under the hill linking Church Road and Somerset Road. Stage two (1997–2009) involved the removal of the old No. 1 Court complex to make way for the new Millennium Building, providing extensive facilities for players, press, officials and members, and the extension of the West Stand of the Centre Court with 728 extra seats. Stage three (2000–2011) has been completed with the construction of an entrance building, club staff housing, museum, bank and ticket office.[14]
A new retractable roof was built in time for the 2009 championships, marking the first time that rain did not stop play for a lengthy time on Centre Court. The Club tested the new roof at an event called A Centre Court Celebration on Sunday, 17 May 2009, which featured exhibition matches involving Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, Kim Clijsters and Tim Henman. The first Championship match to take place under the roof was the completion of the fourth round women's singles match between Dinara Safina and Amélie Mauresmo. The first match to be played in its entirety under the new roof took place between Andy Murray and Stanislas Wawrinka on 29 June 2009. Murray was also involved in the match completed latest in the day at Wimbledon, which ended at 11:02 pm in a victory over Marcos Baghdatis at Centre Court in the third round of the 2012 Championships. The 2012 Men's Singles Final on 8 July 2012, between Roger Federer and Murray, was the first final to be played under the roof, which was activated during the third set.[d]
A new 4000-seat No. 2 Court was built on the site of the old No. 13 Court in time for the 2009 Championships.[15] A new 2000-seat No. 3 Court was built on the site of the old No. 2 and No. 3 Courts

game artist

A game artist is an artist who creates art for one or more types of games. In video games, game artists are responsible for all of the aspects of game development that call for visual art. Game artists play a vital role and are often credited in role-playing games, collectible card games and video games.

Role-playing games

Many game artists are called upon to develop graphical treatments for the environments and elements in which role-playing games take place. For example, in the Monster Manual early Dungeons & Dragons artists created visual representations of monsters players might encounter while adventuring.] Many such depictions may influence subsequent art and the type of campaigns or adventures that developers and players create.

Art for role-playing games can be expressed in a variety of media, from pencil drawings, to pen and ink illustrations, to oil paintings or even 3D models created with a computer. Therefore, no one skill set can be pinpointed as necessary for a role-playing game artist, beyond that of some artistic ability. Necessary skills will vary from game to game and developer to developer.

Video games

In modern video games, game artists create 2D art, such as, concept art, sprites, textures and environment backdrops; and 3D art, such as, models, animations and level layout. Video game artists can earn an annual salary anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000 depending on experience and region

Benefits of Girls & Boys Playing Sports on the Same Team

As a parent, you may be struggling to find a sports team for your child to play on. An important concern is whether your kid should play on a single-sex team or a co-ed team. A team mixed with boys and girls has many benefits, including friendship building and stereotype smashing.

Prevent Stereotyping, Separate by Ability

Child psychologist Laura E. Berk claims in her book "Child Development" that somewhere between ages 9 and 11 kids begin to develop gender stereotypes. Involving them in coed sports early is an opportunity to curb those notions before they start, according to Sam Snow of Soccer America's "Youth Soccer Insider." Berk suggests it's best to separate prepubescent girls and boys based on ability and cognitive development rather than gender.

Girl Power

Sports for girls in general has many benefits, including better grades, better body image, less depression and higher chance of graduating from high school, according to the Women's Sports Foundation. Allowing girls to compete alongside and against boys enhances their view of themselves and makes them more resilient according to Jeffrey Rhoads, author of "The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the Best Youth Sports Experience for Your Child."
Friendship Building

Allowing boys and girls to play sports together builds friendships that might not otherwise exist. Learning to view the opposite sex as a friend and not something intimidating is something kids can carry with them for life, wrote Steve Sampsell in "KidSports Magazine." Sports at this prepubescent age is social; the kids are meant to have fun and get some exercise and the camaraderie will serve them well, according to Tim McCoy, director of member services at PA West U.S. Youth Soccer.

Things to Consider

There is no one-size-fits-all time when genders should be separated in sports. Some girls develop faster than boys and may be able to compete with boys their age well into puberty. An example of such a case was a 12-year-old Ohio girl named Makhaela Jenkins, who

in 2013 fought her school's district in court over her right to play on a boys-only football team. She won. According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, there were more than 1,500 girls playing on boys football teams that year, and the trend was growing with a 17 percent uptick since 2009.

Tips, Tricks Your PC Gaming Performance

1.Optimise Games Using Gaming Evolved Or GeForce Experience

If you're the proud owner of a gaming rig, then you're in all probability rocking either an AMD Radeon or Nvidia GeForce graphics card. This means you can take advantage of AMD Gaming Evolved or GeForce Experience to quickly and automatically optimise your games' graphics towards performance or quality.. To do this, simply download and install Gaming Evolved or GeForce Experience. Open whichever of the two programs you installed, then let it sync with your games library. After that: If you're using Gaming Evolved click Library at the top, click the game you want to optimise from the left-hand pane, then use the slider to choose whether you want the game geared towards performance or quality. The slider will recommend a particular setting depending on the specs of your PC. If you're using GeForce Experience click Games at the top left, click the game you want to optimise in the left-hand pane. Next, under the table of graphics settings in the middle, click the cog icon and use the slider to decide whether you want to optimise towards speed or performance. When you're done, click Apply.

2.If You Don't Have An SSD, Buy An SSD

Now, I'm not planning for this list to turn into a set of instructions telling you that the only way to speed up your PC is to just upgrade every component inside it. However, I'm prepared to make an exception with the SSD on account of how much it's improved my PC and gaming life. An SSD (Solid State Drive) is a relatively cheap purchase (you can pick a decent one up for under $80), which drastically increases loading times on your PC. Windows will boot in a matter of seconds, loading times in games will be noticeably quicker, and it's particularly handy for open-world games - where it can help reduce slowdown or 'hitching' when exploring the world. Because an SSD doesn't rely on mechanical components, it never needs to be defragged, and it's also completely silent - no crunching or grinding like your old SATA drive. If there is such a thing as a miracle PC component, it's this one.

3.Monitor Your PC Temperature

If you only recently made the switch to PC after years of playing on consoles, you should be aware that your PC's going to be more high-maintenance, but treat it well and it will reward you with gaming performance like you've never experienced before. During game sessions you're going to need to track your CPU (processor) and GPU (graphics card) temperature if want to get the best performance; if your temperatures are too high, your graphics card might start 'throttling' and reducing clock speeds. A great program to monitor your PC temperature is MSI Afterburner, which lets you keep track of and tweak components like fans, CPU and GPU. When you install Afterburner, make sure to install RivaTuner as well when the option appears. Once you've done this: Go to Settings (cog icon, if you have the same weird 90s-futuristic interface as me) > Monitoring tab Select GPU temperature from the list, then tick the Show in On-Screen Display box. Do the same for CPU temperature and Framerate Click the On-Screen Display tab, select a button to Toggle On-Screen Display, then click OK. Next time you run a game, make sure Afterburner is running in the background, then use the button you selected to toggle the on-screen display So what are reasonable temperatures? When you're not running games, both your CPU and GPU should be running no higher than 50-60C. As a general guideline, under maximum strain your GPU shouldn't be hotter than 85C at most, while your CPU should be no higher than around 70C.

BALLoON GAMEs for kids

BALLoONS GAMES

Hot Air Balloons

There are several ways to play hot air balloons, but in a nutshell your guests need to keep a balloon (or balloons) in the air for as long as they can. You can keep it really simple by having no specific rules or you can introduce specific guidelines to make it harder, and more fun. Some of my favourite Hot Air Balloon games are:

Have your guests stand in a circle and choose a theme. It could be your party theme, or it could be something completely different. The birthday child starts by calling out an item related to that theme, and then bats the balloon to the next person. That person can only hit the balloon once they have called out another item, so they need to think fast. If a person can’t think of anything new and the balloon falls, they are out of the game.
Try to keep the balloon in the air without using your hands. If you like, you can specify which body part your guests can use. It may be they can only use their knees, elbows, head, feet or chest.
Have all your guests stay on their knees, while trying to chase the balloons and keep them afloat. To make it harder still, you could make all your guests stay seated and just streeeeetch!
Balloon Grab

Blow up lots and lots of balloons, and scatter them all over the floor. Give the guests 2 minutes to gather up and hold on to as many balloons as they can. The winner is the person holding the most balloons when the timer stops.

Hot Balloon

Have your guests sit in a circle and bat a balloon around as you play some music. When the music stops, the last person to have hit the balloon (or the person who is actually touching it!) is out. The last person left in the circle wins.

Popping Race

Divide your guests into two teams, and line them up at one end of your lounge or backyard. At the other end have two boxes filled with balloons, making sure there is one for every child. On the count of three, the first child in each team runs to the other end of the lounge, chooses a balloon, and pops it by jumping, stomping or sitting. They then run back to the team and tag the next person to continue the race. The first team to pop all their balloons wins.

If you like you could put a small prize in each balloon, so the child gets something to keep when it pops.

Balloon Treasure Hunt

Blow up different coloured balloons (one for each child), and wrap up the same amount of prizes in different coloured papers to match the balloons. If you don’t have enough different coloured papers, you could just write the colour on the wrapper, or attach a co
loured ribbon. Hide the balloons around the house and send your guests to find a balloon each. The colour of balloon they find indicates the coloured parcel they receive at the end of the game.

Balloon Stomp

This is a great way to burn off some energy, and works well if you have a large space like a rumpus room or empty garage.

Poke a few sweets or treats into balloons before blowing them up and tying the knot. Tie a piece of string to each balloon, and then tie one balloon to the ankle of each guest. Everyone then runs around trying to stomp on other peoples balloons, while at the same time trying to protect their own. This game could potentially end in lots of stomped feet, so it’s a good idea for everyone to remove their shoes first.

For a pre-school version of this game, check out our Games for Pre-schoolers article.

Water Balloon Toss

Divide your guests into pairs, and give one person in each team a water balloon filled with water. The pair stands about one metre apart, and then tosses the water balloon between each other, and back again. If they can make the throw without the water balloon hitting the ground, they then take a step back, and throw again. The partners continue to get further and further apart, until finally they drop the catch or end up with water all over themselves. The pair which makes the longest successful throw wins!

Target Practice

Give everyone a different coloured balloon to blow up, but ask them to hold on to the neck rather than tie it in a knot. Place a target in the middle of the floor, and on the count of three, have everyone let go of their balloons. (Your target could be a box, a hoola hoop, or simply a mat.) You can play this game for as many rounds as you like, by allocating points for bulls eyes or ‘closest to the mark’. After several rounds, the person with the most points wins.

Darts

Poke small sweets or prizes into balloons before blowing them up and tying them in a knot. Use sticky tape to attach the balloons to a large noticeboard, making sure there is at least one balloon for every child. One at a time, let the children throw a dart at the board, and they get to keep the prize from whichever balloon they pop.

Obviously this game is only suitable for older children, and you will need to be very strict with your supervision to keep everybody safe.

Round up the Sheep

Divide your guests into two teams, and provide each team with a big cardboard box to act as their sheep pen. Release lots and lots of balloons into the backyard or rumpus room, and ask the teams to ‘round up their sheep’ with their hands behind their back. They’ll will have to work together to find the best strategies, and you’ll be surprised by some of the techniques they come up with. The team that gets the most sheep in their pen – wins.

Birthday Party Games

Birthday Party Games for kids

These birthday party games will make your birthday party or the one you're hosting a hit without having to spend any extra money on supplies for the party games.

A few of the birthday party games below require supplies but they're common objects that you probably already having laying around your house. Also don't be afraid to improvise if you have a similar object or you can still play that game with a slight variation. Chances are your guests won't even notice.

This list of birthday party games are great for all ages and you can often add variations to make them work for adults or even younger children. They'd be great for family birthday parties too.

You can find even more birthday freebies such as free birthday invitations that will help you throw the best birthday party ever.

If your party is for a holiday or near one, take a look at these party games for Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day, and even the Super Bowl.

Treasure Hunt Game

This birthday party game gives clues to the guests that lead them to areas around the house or yard until the reach their final prize.
I love this birthday party game because you can customize it for little kids all the way up to adults.

Three-Legged Race

This is such a fun birthday party game that is fun with kids but hilarious for adults.

Button-Button

Who has the button? Let your guests play detective to find out.

Fruit Basket

This birthday party game is great f

or larger groups of guests and kids and adults will equally love it.

Games and Sports in the World

Best Indoor Games and Sports in the World

Top five

1.KABADDI

Having its origins in ancient India, Kabaddi is also the national sport of Bangladesh. It is an extremely popular sport in South-East Asia and has gained widespread intional limelight. The 11th Asian Games held in Beijing, China (1990)ernational acceptance. It was during the SAF Games in Dhaka, 1985 that Kabaddi shot into internat

saw Kabaddi being introduced for the first time and has been held regularly ever since. Played over a 45-minute stretch with a gap of 5 minutes in between, Kabaddi also witnesses a World Cup competition of which India is the current champion. Highly physical with a similarity to wrestling, Kabaddi is being further propagated through the Pro-Kabaddi League in India.

2. BOWLING

To a layman this game might seem like a childish indulgence- getting hold of a humongous ball just to knock over ten odd-shaped pins at the end of an alley h

ardly qualifies as a game, eh? Wrong. The sport of bowling has been accepted and is played by over 95 million people across the world, spanning more than 90 countries. Its roots are in Ancient Egypt (discovered from remains by Sir Flinders Petrie) and also the Roman Empire where the people used husk balls, leather balls, etc. Pin bowling, as it is known today (with 10-pin, 9-pin and even 5-pin variations), was first established in New York in 1895. Besides providing a fun evening out, bowling gives plenty of exercise for the human body and helps in strengthening of muscles, burning fat, etc.

3.BILLIARDS

A general term used for Carambole Billiards, this is the most popular game from the family of billiards (others include three-cushion billiards, pool, etc). It is believed to have its origins in France in the late 1700s. The carambole billiard game (most popu

lar in the family) has a very simple objective- a point is scored (known as count) when the cue ball hits both the object balls in a single stroke. As soon as a preset number of points is reached the winner is decided. Other variations of billiards include limited-rail billiards, balkline billiards, cushion carom, three-cushion billiards, etc.

4.SQUASH

This is a racquet and ball sport that can be played by two (singles) or four (doubles) players. The name squash comes from the softness of the ball that is used in the game. Harrow school is recognized with the invention and popularization of t

his game which used racquets similar to, but a lot lighter than, those used in tennis. The rules of the game have undergone a lot of changes over time. According to the conventional scoring system, the first player to reach 9 points is declared the winner of the game. If the score line, however, reads 8-8 then the player who reached 8 first gets to decide whether the game will be played to 9 or played to 10. However, according to the current accepted scoring system, games are played to 11 and must be reached keeping a difference of 2 in order to win. According to the World Squash Federation, England is the country with the highest number of squash courts in the world. Jahangir Khan of Pakistan is widely considered to be the greatest player of the game.

5.TABLE TENNIS

Analogous to its outdoor counterpart, table tennis can be

played by two players (singles) or by four (doubles). The rules of the game, however, are slightly different. The service must be done in a way so as to make the ball drop once in one’s own half of the board and once in the opponent’s half, and thereafter in the opponent’s half only. In doubles, the rally is continued by players alternating among themselves thus adding an extra dimension of challenge to this extremely fast game; also, in doubles, the service is done diagonally between opposite sections of the board! This game originated n England in the late 1800s where it was played mostly by the elite class as a post-meal game. Owing to the sound of the ball being hit to-and-fro between the racquets, this game is also known as ping-pong. The first ever table tennis World Championships was hosted by London in 1926. With 2 World Championships and a World Cup title to his name, Jan-Ove Waldner is considered as one of the finest players of this game.

KerPlunk

game

KerPlunk is a children's game first marketed by the Ideal Toy Company in 1967. The game consists of a transparent plastic tube, plastic rods called straws (normally numbering 26 to 30 in total and of various colours – yellow and red predominantly) and several dozen marbles. The base contains four separate numbered trays and the straws are passed through holes in the middle of the tube to form a lattice. The marbles are then placed in the top of the tube and held in place by the lattice.The onomatopoeic name of the game derives from the sound of the marbles tumbling to the base of the tube during play.

At the start of play, the entire tube is rotated so that a hole in the base of the tube is aligned with the active player's tray. Players take turns removing a single straw from the tube while trying to minimize the number of marbles that fall through the web and into their tray. Once a player has committed themselves to a particular straw by touching it, they must remove it. The player who accumulates the fewest dropped marbles wins.

The game is manufactured and marketed by the Milton Bradley Company in the UK and by Mattel in the USA. The modern version of the game uses a pink or blue tube rather than the original purple-colored tube. There are also other versions of it, such as a Toy Story-inspired version that uses a tube shaped like a rocket ship and Little Green Men figures instead of marbles. In addition, the KerPlunk Game to Go features a collapsible tube, making it more portable than the standard version. Another game has also been released known as KerPlunk 2. The rules are the same, except the marbles that come with the game are colored and, after falling, move around a spiral pathway similar to that of a gumball machine. It also has flashing lights and an assortment of sounds.

new game

Football

Football is a family of team sports that involve,

to varying degrees, kicking a ball with the foot to score a goal. Unqualified, the word football is understood to refer to whichever form of football is the most popular in the regional context in which the word appears. Sports commonly called 'football' in certain places include: association football (known as soccer in some countries); gridiron football (specifically American football or Canadian football); Australian rules football; rugby football (either rugby league or rugby union); and Gaelic football. These different variations of football are known as football codes.

Various forms of football can be identified in history, often as popular peasant games. Contemporary codes of football can be traced back to the codification of these games at English public schools during the nineteenth century.The expanse of the British Empire allowed these rules of football to spread to areas of British influence outside of the directly controlled Empire. By the end of the nineteenth century, distinct regional codes were already developing: Gaelic football, for example, deliberately incorporated the rules of local traditional football games in order to maintain their heritage. In 1888, The Football League was founded in England, becoming the first of many professional football competitions. During the twentieth century, several of the various kinds of football grew to become some of the most popular team sports in the world.

Early history

The Ancient Greeks and Romans are known to have played many ball games, some of which involved the use of the feet. The Roman game harpastum is believed to have been adapted from a Greek team game known as "ἐπίσκυρος" (Episkyros) or "φαινίνδα" (phaininda),] which is mentioned by a Greek playwright, Antiphanes (388–311 BC) and later referred to by the Christian theologian Clement of Alexandria (c. 150 – c. 215 AD). These games appear to have resembled rugby football ] The Roman politician Cicero (106–43 BC) describes the case of a man who was killed whilst having a shave when a ball was kicked into a barber's shop. Roman ball games already knew the air-filled ball, the follis. Episkyros is recognised as an early form of football by FIFA.

A Chinese game called Cuju , Tsu' Chu, or Zuqiu has been recognised by FIFA as the first version of the game with regular rules.] It existed during the Han Dynasty, the second and third centuries BC.[citation needed] The Japanese version of cuju is kemari , and was developed during the Asuka period.] This is known to have been played within the Japanese imperial court in Kyoto from about 600 AD. In kemari several people stand in a circle and kick a ball to each other, trying not to let the ball drop to the ground (much like keepie uppie). The game appears to have died out sometime before the mid-19th century. It was revived in 1903 and is now played at a number of festivals.[citation needed]

There are a number of references to traditional, ancient, or prehistoric ball games, played by indigenous peoples in many different parts of the world. For example, in 1586, men from a ship commanded by an English explorer named John Davis, went ashore to play a form of football with Inuit (Eskimo) people in Greenland.[24] There are later accounts of an Inuit game played on ice, called Aqsaqtuk. Each match began with two teams facing each other in parallel lines, before attempting to kick the ball through each other team's line and then at a goal. In 1610, William Strachey, a colonist at Jamestown, Virginia recorded a game played by Native Americans, called Pahsaheman.[citation needed] On the Australian continent several tribes of indigenous people played kicking and catching games with stuffed balls which have been generalised by historians as Marn Grook (Djab Wurrung for "game ball"). The earliest historical account is an anecdote from the 1878 book by Robert Brough-Smyth, The Aborigines of Victoria, in which a man called Richard Thomas is quoted as saying, in about 1841 in Victoria, Australia, that he had witnessed Aboriginal people playing the game: "Mr Thomas describes how the foremost player will drop kick a ball made from the skin of a possum and how other players leap into the air in order to catch it." Some historians have theorised that Marn Grook was one of the origins of Australian rules football.

The Māori in New Zealand played a game called Ki-o-rahi consisting of teams of seven players play on a circular field divided into zones, and score points by touching the 'pou' (boundary markers) and hitting a central 'tupu' or target.[citation needed]

Games played in Mesoamerica with rubber balls by indigenous peoples are also well-documented as existing since before this time, but these had more similarities to basketball or volleyball, and no links have been found between such games and modern football sports. Northeastern American Indians, especially the Iroquois Confederation, played a game which made use of net racquets to throw and catch a small ball; however, although it is a ball-goal foot game, lacrosse (as its modern descendant is called) is likewise not usually classed as a form of "football."[citation needed]

These games and others may well go far back into antiquity. However, the main sources of modern football codes appear to lie in western Europe, especially England.

start planning your summer fun

Are you ready to start planning your summer fun?! Well, here we go!

1. Capture the Flag – What fond memories you must have, running through the neighborhood playing Capture the Flag with your friends. You’re never too old for this classic game OR maybe it’s time to share the tradition with your kids! To play, you could grab these, or two bandanas, or even some old cloths.
2. Hula Hoop Competition – Let’s see just how well you can move those hips! Gather your close friends and some inexpensive hula hoops and see who can hula hoop the longest. You’d be surprised just how much of a work out it really is.

3. Three-Legged Race – Choose your partner wisely for a three-legged race! We suggest grabbing your spouse. You two should be well in sync with each other already…don’t you think?!

4. Badminton – Set up a backyard net and host a friendly badminton tournament with neighbors, family and/or friends!

5. Croquet – This old time classic is still sure to be a hit! Another great game to teach the kiddos!

6. Backyard Baseball – Whether you’re setting up t-ball for the kids (this set is great for 3 and under) or throwing up some balls for you to hit out to friends, backyard baseball is a true American classic.

7. Flag Football – Be sure not to leave the ladies out of this one! In fact, a little flag football might be the perfect way to flirt a little with your spouse while enjoying the nice outdoor weather. To make things easy, you can grab this Capture the Flag set from Amazon.
8. Ladder Golf – Opposing teams take turns throwing 3 bolas on the varying rungs of the ladder. The first team to 21 wins! You can grab the game here.
9. Volleyball – With or without a net, you can volley a ball in the backyard with your family or friends. But to add a little friendly competition, set up a net and create a two-team tournament!
10. Tug of War – Flex those muscles! Grab a rope out of the garage and see just how strong you really are! Make sure to create balanced teams…it’s only fair!
11. Horse Shoes – RINGER! Take turns tossing your horse shoes to the stake. First to 15 wins!
12. Corn Hole – The new backyard FAVORITE, corn hole is hit well into tail-gating season! You can make your own, or buy a set here. If you haven’t gotten on board with this game yet, you’re missing out on some competitive fun!
13. Frisbee Golf – This is an at-home way to set up Frisbee Golf! It even includes printables and a fun twist if you want to play with just your spouse! I actually have this frisbee golf disc set, and it’s great for beginners!