Games
by jfriesen[note: I think this is out of order because I am trying to catch up on posting!]
On Tuesday I went to Demotico Scholeio and visited again with the third grade class. It was the next to last day of school and they were a bit excited. They told me about the games that they play on the playground and taught me one of their games.
Many of the games that they play are very similar or the same as games that students in the United States play. They play Freeze Tag, but they call it something like Bone Tag (because you become as stiff as a bone when tagged). They also play hide and seek, hopscotch, soccer, basketball, and jumprope. The girls showed me a long patty-cake rhyme that they do. I think that they know lots of them. It really made me wonder where these games come from and why childern from such different parts of the world play the same games!
One game they play differently than we play is Dodge Ball. They call it Apples. They play it with only two people on the edges and the rest of the class in the middle. The two people throw the ball back and forth trying to hit as many people as they can and get them out. I am not sure of all of the rules, but if you are interested I may be able to find out more.
I taught them a game that my students loved to play when I was teaching called Heads up, Seven up. Do you know that game? They are a small class and so we only had 5 up, but the kids loved the game and had so much fun. 
At first they didn’t understand the strategies of trying to trick people and pick people who would not expect you to pick them. They picked their best friends and it was easy to guess who picked them. After a few tries and some practice they were very tricky! 
They taught me a new game
(at least new to me!). Maybe you would llke to try it. It is called Buzz (like the sound of a bee). One person turns their back to the group and hides their eyes. Then the group beind them all begin to buzz like bees and one of them taps the person hiding their eyes on the back. She turns around and tries to guess which one of the buzzing bees tapped her. If she guesses correctly she gets to stay “it” and do it again. If she does not guess then the person who tapped her becomes “it” and the game goes on. It looked fun. 
Tonight is the final festival at school and I am going to attend and take pictures to share with you.
Here is the picture of an amphora that I promised you. 
Your Greek word for the day is Kalimeara (kaly-mera) which is “good morning”. I hear and say this word a lot!
Sister Susie asked what the Greeks thought about the movie Alexander. I talked to several people who said that they did not like it. They said that it emphasized less important parts of his life (his love life) and didn’t show important things about him. It was not a good movie.
Iselda asked how long archeologists have been studying Corinth and it is since 1896 Over one hundred years!
Keep those good questions coming. Each time I ask about things I learn so much and I hope you do too! Sometimes the questions you ask are SO good that not even the archaeologists know the answer and it gets them trying to look things up or thinking about things that they had never thought about before.
