Kids in ancient Egypt loved to play, just like you! Archaeologists have found toys buried in the sand: wooden animals with moving jaws, spinning tops, balls made of leather stuffed with straw, and dolls with hair made of beads.
Egyptians loved board games too. The most famous was called senet. Players moved pieces across a board with 30 squares, trying to reach the end first. Even King Tut loved senet — four senet boards were buried in his tomb!
Kids also swam in the Nile's safe spots, played leapfrog and tug-of-war, and raced each other. Grown-ups liked music and dancing at festivals, with harps, flutes, and rattles called sistrums. Fun is one thing that never goes out of style!
1. Name two toys Egyptian kids played with.
2. What was the famous Egyptian board game called?
3. How do we know King Tut liked senet?
Write what each word means in your own words.
Write T for true or F for false in each circle.
You need: paper, a pencil, and a small button or coin for each player.
Draw a board with 30 squares in 3 rows of 10, like senet. Mark a START and an END. Take turns moving 1, 2, or 3 spaces (flip a coin or roll a die). Add 2 'lucky' squares (move ahead 2) and 2 'trap' squares (go back 2). First to the end wins!
Draw an ancient Egyptian toy — a wooden animal, a ball, or a senet board.
1. Which games from ancient Egypt do kids still play today (or games like them)?