Offers instructions for playing traditional games of various types from different continents, as well as new games, both competitive and cooperative, for groups large and small, designed by children themselves.

This book stresses three contemporary topics which are important to any person working with young children: multiculturalism, creativity, and cooperative learning. Glenn Kirchner, one of today's leading experts in elementary physical education, has collected games from all over the world and compiled them in a beautifully illustrated book that will serve as a resource for teacher educators and in-service teachers alike. This edition is the result of a thirteen year collaborative project conducted with hundreds of teachers in fifty participating countries. The first part of the book features traditional games played by children on six continents. Although many of these games are unique to a given culture, some are modified versions of the same game - demonstrating the universality of children's games while introducing students and teachers to cultural variations. The second and third parts of the book depart from the traditional games and focus on new games invented by children from the fifty participating countries. Almost half of these are cooperative games.Two chapters explaining how to guide children to invent their own games will enable teachers to use Kirchner's methods with their own students.

Preface.

Acknowledgments.

Introduction.
I.POPULAR TRADITIONAL GAMES FROM SIX CONTINENTS.
1.Running and Tag Games.
2.Simple Ball Games.
3.Manipulative and Guessing Games.
II.NEW GAMES INVENTED BY CHILDREN.
4.New Games for Two to Five Players.
5.New Games for Six to Fifteen Players.
6.New Games for Sixteen or More Players.
7.How to Help Children Create Their Own Games.
III.NEW COOPERATIVE GAMES CREATED BY CHILDREN.
8.New Cooperative Games for Two to Five Players.
9.New Cooperative Games for Six to Fifteen Players.
10.New Cooperative Games for Sixteen or More Players.
11.How to Help Children Invent Their Own Cooperative Games.
Bibliography.
Games by Country.
Index.