Matatena, Tabas and Gonggi: Five Stones, Three Countries

Picking up objects off the ground while another is in the air is a game found in much of the world: matatena in Mexico (with a little ball), tabas or chinas in Spain, and gonggi in Korea (with five stones). Seated in pairs, we bring heart rates down with a test of precision and patience.

How to play

1. Explain the game and its three versions. In pairs, seated, five bottle caps each (2 min).
2. Gonggi version: toss one cap up, pick up another from the floor and catch the tossed one; then by twos, threes and all four (3 min).
3. Matatena version: same, but toss the ping-pong ball and let it bounce once before catching (3 min).
4. Pair record: how many full rounds you finish without a miss, taking turns; at the end, put the caps back in the bag (2 min).

Rules

• Play seated and stay in your spot.
• On a miss, your partner takes a turn, no arguing.
• Use only one hand to toss and pick up.
• Count the caps at the end: they all have to come back.

Variations

Adaptations

• Visual impairment: use big brightly colored caps and the ping-pong ball with its audible bounce.
• Limited mobility: play on a table at wheelchair height.
• Fine-motor difficulties: use small beanbags, which are easier to catch.

Learning goals

• Improve fine hand-eye coordination.
• Calm down with a quiet challenge.
• Learn a game shared by very different cultures.

Equipment for a class of 25

• bottle caps: 75
• ping-pong balls: 15

Teacher tip

Plastic bottle caps are the cheapest option; ask each student to bring five. It also works in the classroom on rainy days.

More activities like this

More cool-downs for Middle School