Education Category: Games
Ages:

Introduction

When we were in Malawi we went to LIYO. That is an organisation who care for the children, so there are a lot of children on the placard. We played with the children some Malawian games and we taught them also some Dutch games. For example 'Schipper mag ik overvaren?' what means in Engels; 'Skipper can I cross the river?'.

Game instructions

Setting: there are two groups of kids. One group stand against one wall (or side) of the playgrouns, the other group against the opposite wall (side). One person is the skipper and stand in the middle of the playground.

Game: Group one  sing the song. 'Skipper can I cross the river, yes or no? Do I have to pay you money, yes or no?' Then the skipper has two options to say;

- 'NO : If the 'skipper' says 'No', alle children run to the other side of the schoolyard. The group has to try to cross, but he skipper tries to catch as many 'sailors' as possible. All the people who have been touched by the skipper have to stay with him in the middle. 
Then group two has to do the same, but it is getting more difficult, as there are ever more skippers in the middle to catch them.
- YES : If the skipper says, the children ask: 'How?'. The skipper chooses a way to cross over, for example skipping, hopping, etc. The skipper itself also have to move in that way and tries to catch another child. If he catches one, that on has to be the skipper as the game repeats as well.