Rixiwátali Place: New Mexico
Form of organisation: Teams
Materials: throwing stones, or similar,
Description of the game:
Among the native American in New Mexico, Rixiwátali was not only intended for play and pastime. Children used this game to also practice their marksmanship and learn to estimate distances - two qualities that they urgently needed for hunting.
The game is played as follows: Four children form two groups, with two players each. Each player receives six throwing stones. The stones of the two groups should have different colours, such as red for one team and black for the other, so one can better distinguish the teams. One target pit is dug in the sandy soil and the players are lined up twenty steps away from the pit. From here, the players alternately throw at the pit: First, one player of the first team, then one player of the second team. The player hitting the target will receive four points - but only if the counterparty fails to hit the pit with their next throw. Subsequently, the stone already lying in the pit will be deemed “slained” and the points will be awarded to the other team. The team that first scored twelve points wins.