Recently my family resurrected the game of Mancala. It had been sitting stagnant on our game shelf, until my I pulled it out to teach my 6 year old brother some Math concepts.
The game is played on a board with 12 holes and two stores (called Mancalas). With four stones in each hole, each player empties one hole at a time by placing one stone in each consecutive hole, moving counterclockwise. The goal of the game is to get more stones in your Mancala than the other player does. Here are some cool fact about this game that make it one of the best for anybody to play.
- Mancala can be played by anyone, regardless of age or level of expertise. It’s easy enough for a 4 year old to master, yet can challenge even the most strategic mind.
- Mancala can be played anywhere. Dig a couple small holes in the ground, pick up 48 small stones, and you have a game.
- Mancala has been around for years, maybe since the beginning of civilization. Several findings date stone game boards to 5000 BC.
- Mancala is incredible for brain stimulation, especially in strategic thinking. To make a good move, one has to plan several steps ahead and
- Mancala is extremely flexible. Sure, there are “official” rules, but many countries have their own versions of the game and variations can be made to fit your personal playing style.
This would be the game of games, if there was one!