Mehen: Ancient Egyptian Coiled Snake Race

A movement version of mehen, one of the oldest board games in the world, from ancient Egypt, whose board is a coiled snake: teams move along a spiral of cones based on their throws to reach the head and come back. It builds accuracy, teamwork and spatial awareness.

How to play

1. Share the origin: mehen boards have been found in Egyptian tombs more than 4,500 years old. Lay out a 3-loop spiral of 25 cones; the center cone is the head.
2. Make 4 teams of 6 in pinnies. Each team has one game piece at the tail of the spiral; the rest throw from their line to three hoops 1, 2 and 3 steps away.
3. Taking turns, a team member throws a beanbag: in the near hoop, the piece moves 1 cone; the middle hoop, 2; the far hoop, 3. A miss means the piece stays put.
4. The piece walks along the spiral without skipping cones. At the head, it picks up a beanbag from the center as a trophy and heads back toward the tail with the same throws.
5. When the piece reaches the tail with the trophy, the team scores a point and another student becomes the piece. Throwers rotate after every throw and pick up their own beanbag.
6. Play for about 16 minutes. For the last part, a piece that reaches the head becomes a lion and can send a rival piece back to the tail by landing on its cone on the way back.

Rules

• Pieces walk along the spiral; no running or cutting across loops.
• Safety: beanbags are thrown underhand and collected only when the hoop area is clear.
• If two pieces land on the same cone, the later arrival moves back one cone.

Variations

Adaptations

• Students with limited mobility: be the piece moving in a wheelchair along a wider spiral, or throw from a closer mark.
• Autism: number every cone in the spiral so it's clear how far is left.
• Skill level: students who never miss throw with the non-dominant hand or facing away from the hoops.

Learning goals

• Throw accurately to hoops at different distances.
• Work with the team by taking turns in different roles.
• Learn about an ancient Egyptian game and its snake-shaped board.

Equipment for a class of 25

• cones: 25
• beanbags: 24
• hoops: 12
• pinnies: 24

Teacher tip

Leave enough room between the loops of the spiral for two pieces to pass without bumping.

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