Play it East Asian style

East_asia
Map East Asia

These two games are popular with kids in East Asia:

Pull-bell: an ancient Chinese yo-yo.

Did you know that kites were also invented in ancient China?

Pull-Bell

This toy is the Chinese version of yo-yo. It was invented during the Ming Dynasty (1386-1644). The pull-bell is a lot like the yo-yos you see in North America, except the string is held by two sticks which you move to control the yo-yo, instead of hooking it to your finger.

P35-mahjong-board
Mahjong is China’s most popular board game.

Mahjong is China’s most popular board game.

Mahjong (pronounced mah-jawng)

This ancient Chinese board game is popular all over the world. It’s played by adults and kids using a game board and a pile of ornately painted or carved stones. The player’s goal is to clear the board of all stones by finding matching pairs.

Almost half the world lives on less than $2.50 a day.