Comanche Indian Children's Games

Comanche Indians lived in the Southern plains of Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico and were an organized tribe that is still strong today. Comanche Indian children do many of the same things as other children, such as go to school and do chores, but there are some games traditional to Comanche Indians. These games can be played with several children as a group.

Play a traditional Comanche game with modern materials. Originally, the netted hoop for this game was made from reeds and the net from rawhide, but you can substitute a hula hoop instead. For poles, pointed whittled sticks were used in the past, but you can use plastic lawn darts or fallen sticks. To play the game, one child rolls the hoop while another tries to throw his pole through the rolling hoop. Each player starts by throwing one pole. If a player misses, the other gets his pole. The player who collects all of the other player's poles is the winner.

Comanche children's dolls were hand made with natural items from the earth such as pine needles, buckskin and handmade beads. You can make dolls using natural materials or store-bought materials. Children can pretend that the dolls are visiting a traditional Comanche village.

This game is similar to basketball and was traditionally played between tribes. It is thought that the game originated when the animals challenged the birds to a great game of ball. Divide the children into two groups and have each pick an animal he would like to represent. When the child has the ball, he should try to emulate the animal while trying to make a basket. For example, if the child is a bird, he can try to fly the ball through the hoop without allowing the ball to touch the ground. Play the game until one side has reached a set amount of goals.