KaiThis game comes from the Torres Strait

and traditionally uses the thick, red, oval fruit of the kai tree, which is

light when dry.

Number of players: Teams of 4-8

Equipment: Small beach ball or soft sponge ball.

• Teams stand in a circle 1 metre apart. • Start by throwing the ball in the air.• Each player takes a turn to hit the ball upwards with the flat palm of their hand.• Keep the ball in the air for as long as possible, counting

through the letters of the alphabet with each hit.

• The team that is able to work their way furthest through

the alphabet without dropping the ball wins.

• Start again if the ball hits the ground, if players don’t keep their hands flat, or if any player hits the ball twice in succession or passes it back to the previous player.• Older players should hit the ball at least a metre above head height.

Kee’anThis game comes from North Queensland and was used to practice throwing skills. Traditionally a large animal bone with twine attached to it was thrown over an emu catching net and into a pit. The skill was to get the bone into the pit without touching the net. Kee’an means ‘to play’ in the Wik-Mungkan language of North Queensland.

Number of players: Up to 8 players, singly or in teams of two.

Equipment: Foxtail or comet balls or a tennis ball in a long sock; a net (e.g. volleyball or badminton net); plastic bin; bucket or plant pot for hole.

• Set the bin on one side of the net, in a central position, about 2 metres back from the net.

• Players stand on the opposite side, about 6 metres back from the net (closer for younger players).

• Each player takes turns to throw the ball over the net and into the bin.

• This game is mostly played for fun and recognition for a successful throw.

• A simpler version of this game can be played without the net.

KolapThis throwing game was played on Mer Island in the Torres Strait in the 1900s. The game is named after the beans of the kolap tree, which were used as throwing objects.

Number of players: 2-4 players in two teams.

Equipment: Two small mats/towels; 4-8 small flattish objects suitable for throwing (e.g. beanbags, coins or small stones). You may also find fallen fruits or seeds from nearby trees that you can use (but please don’t pick fruit from the trees).

• Two players stand 2-3 metres behind each mat.

• Each player has 4 ‘kolaps’ and teams take their turn to try and throw these onto the mat in front of them.

• Kolaps must land completely on the mat to count as one point.

• The team that reaches the combined score of 20 first wins.

TaktyerrainThis is a team throwing and dodging game. Taktyerrain means ‘to fight’ or ‘to hit one another’ in the Wembawemba language of Victoria. In most parts of Australia, children played mock combat games as a practice for adult life. Toy spears were made from grasses, reeds and rushes. Spears were held at their lighter ends and thrown either with the hand or with a toy woomera (throwing stick).

Number of players: Two teams of 4-8 players.

Equipment: A soft ball for each player, (e.g. sponge balls, paper balls); line markers.

• Teams stand 6 metres apart.• On the signal to start, players throw

their balls to try and hit the players of the opposing team.

• Balls that land in the opposing teams side can be used by that team. Any balls in the middle area are retrieved when there is a stoppage in play.

WemeThis is a stone bowling game played by the Walbiri people of Central Australia. One player threw a stone which was then used as a target by the second player. Players alternate turns with each aiming at the other’s stone. Weme means ‘throwing something at something else and hitting it’ in the Eastern Arrernte language of Central Australia.

Number of players: 1-4 players, playing alone, one against the other or in teams of two.

Equipment: Balls/bowls such as bocce balls; two line markers.

• Set the line markers 10 metres apart.• Players stand behind one line, and the

first player rolls their ball underarm toward the second line. (If the ball passes beyond the second line, the second player scores a point).

• The second player rolls their ball to try to hit the first ball. If the ball is hit the second player scores a point.

• Both players collect their balls and restart the game from the other end. The second player now has the first turn.

• The first player to reach 11 points is the winner.

WoggabaliriChildren from the Bogan and Lachlan rivers area of NSW played a kind of football with a ball made from possum fur. The ball was spun by women and was about 5 centimetres wide. To play this game with skill req uired great agility. Woggabaliri is the word for ‘play’ in the Wiradyuri language of Central and Southern NSW.

Number of players: 4-6 players.

Equipment: Soccer ball, volley ball or beach ball.

• Players do not take sides – this is a cooperative game emphasising skill.

• The aim is to keep the ball from hitting the ground.

• One player kicks the ball up in the air and the other players try to kick it (one touch only) again before it hits the ground. Less experienced players may use two touches.

• All kicks must be made with feet or knees and players must have one foot on the ground when kicking the ball.

• Players mustn’t push each other out of the way to reach the ball.

Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens Kaialgumm Games TrailPlaying to learn is something children do all over the world. Here

in Australia, Indigenous children traditionally used games to practice skills such as hunting, fighting and even looking after

their babies. Many of these games have been handed down for generations and are still played today.

The Kaialgumm Games Trail takes you to six sites where you can use the QR reader on your smart phone or tablet to find out more about traditional games and how to play them. The word kaialgumm comes from the local Yugambeh language of the Gold Coast. The kaialgumm was traditionally the chief in hunting. Practice the games with your friends and find out who is the kaialgumm in your group!

Let’s get startedFollow the map above to start the trail.

Use the QR reader on your smartphone or tablet to scan the QR codes located along the trail. This will link you to a website telling you how to play each game.

Don’t have a QR reader on your device? Just go to the App Store and search for QR Reader. It’s free to download the app, or pick up an instruction sheet from the

Friends Centre.

Most of the games only use simple equipment, such as balls, beanbags, or even seed pods from a tree. If you don’t have these things with you, please speak with the volunteers at the Friends Centre, who will be happy to lend you some equipment.