Gorodki: Knocking Out Russian Figures with a Thrown Bat

Gorodki is a traditional Russian game in which players throw a bat to knock figures made of five wooden cylinders, such as the cannon, the star or the well, out of a square called the town. With pool noodles and light pins, teams plan the order and angle of each throw to clear every figure in as few throws as possible.

How to play

1. Introduce the game, its popularity in Russia and neighboring countries and its logic: knock all five cylinders out of the square in as few throws as possible (3 min).
2. Chalk six 1.5 x 1.5 m squares with a throwing line 6 m away, and show three figures drawn on a worksheet (2 min).
3. Team practice in groups of four or five: throw the noodle spinning horizontally, underhand, at a simple figure of five pins in a row (6 min).
4. Competition: each team takes turns building three figures from the worksheet and counts the throws needed to clear each one; before each figure, the team agrees which cylinder to hit first (10 min).
5. Wrap-up: compare throws per figure and analyze which angle and order worked best (4 min).

Rules

• Throw only when no one is between the line and the square or beside the town.
• The noodle is always thrown underhand and horizontally.
• No one steps into the town to reset pins until the whole team has thrown its turn.
• A pin left touching the square's line is still in.

Variations

Adaptations

• Wheelchair user: throws seated from 4 m with a shorter noodle.
• Visual impairment: a partner describes the figure and taps the ground next to the first pin to hit.
• Shoulder injury: throws with the other hand or rolls a ball instead of the noodle.

Learning goals

• Adjust the angle and spin of the implement to be more effective.
• Plan a sequence of actions as a team to solve a movement problem.
• Learn about a traditional Eastern European game.

Equipment for a class of 25

• pool noodles: 12
• bowling pins: 30
• chalk: 6
• worksheets: 6

Teacher tip

Cut the noodles into 30-inch pieces and wrap tape around the middle to add weight so they spin better. If any students have Eastern European family, ask whether they know the game or a close relative of it, like Swedish kubb.

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