Traditional Shona Games (Mitambo)

Mutambi anokanda dombo guru (mudodo) mudenga, ochikurumidza kubudisa matombo madiki kubva mugomba mudodo usati wadonha. Zvadaro anodzosera matombo acho mugomba achisara neimwe chete kusvikira apedza nhanho dzose.

A player tosses the larger "mother stone" (mudodo) into the air and swiftly scoops the small pebbles out of the shallow pit before catching the falling mudodo in the same hand. On the next toss, they sweep all pebbles back in except one, progressing from ones to twos, threes, and up to ten.

Vatambi vaviri vanogara vakatarisana pamitsara mina yemakomba. Mumwe nemumwe anodyara matombo ake mumakomba achitenderera. Kana dombo rekupedzisira rikawira mugomba rine mamwe, unotora matombo emuvengi akatarisana naro.

Each player controls two rows of pits. Players take turns picking up all seeds from one pit and "sowing" them one by one around their rows. When the final seed lands in an occupied pit on the inner row, the player captures the opponent's seeds in the facing pits.

Mutambi anokanda chigego mukati mebhokisi rekutanga, ozosvetuka negumbo rimwe chete achidarika bhokisi riya. Kana apedza kutenderera magedhi ose asina kutsika mutsetse,unovaka "imba" yake mubhokisi raasarudza.

Players toss a flat marker stone (chigego) into numbered squares and hop on one foot through the grid without stepping on any boundary line. Completing a full round lets a player claim a "house" square where they may rest on two feet while others must hop over it.

Vana vanovaka dzimba diki nemashanga mushure mekukohwa. Vanogovana mabasa emhuri: vamwe vanova Baba, Amai, Vana, naSekuru, vachidzidzira kubika sadza chairo mudzimba dzavo diki nekugamuchira vaenzi.

Played in the dry post-harvest season, children build miniature homesteads and take on family roles—mother, father, elders, and children. They grind real grain, cook miniature meals, practice polite Shona etiquette, and host neighboring play-families.

Vana vanomira mudariro guru vachiimba nekuwombera. Mwana umwe chete anopinda pakati achitamba, ozonongedza shamwari yaasarudza kuti vapinde vose mudariro vachitamba.

Children stand in a wide circle clapping and singing the call-and-response chorus. One dancer steps into the center, describes the qualities of a friend in song, and chooses a partner to join them in a joyful dance before switching places.

Mutungamiriri anodoma dingindira (semuenzaniso: mhuka, michero, kana nzizi). Vana vanoimba "Katswe!" vachiwombera, uye mwana wese anofanira kudoma zita idzva nenguva yerwiyo asina kudzokorora revamwe.

The leader announces a category (such as wild fruits, rivers, birds, or totems). To a steady pounding rhythm where the chorus shouts "Katswe!", each player in the circle must call out a valid Shona item on the beat without hesitating or repeating a word.

Mwana mumwe anovhara maziso pamuti mukuru vamwe vachinhwandira. Anobvunza achishevedzera kuti "Wakavanda here?", vamwe vachidavira kuti "Kwete!" kusvikira vati "Huya!" obva atanga kuvatsvaga.

One seeker closes their eyes at home base while others scatter to hide. The seeker calls out "Are you ready?" and once the hidden players call back "Come!", the seeker must find them before they sprint back to touch the home base tree.

Vatambi vanokamurwa kuita zvikwata zviri. Chikwata chimwe chinodzivirira nzvimbo yacho uku chimwe chichiedza kupoya nepakati pasina kubatwa ruoko.

Two teams face off across marked zones in the courtyard. Runners must feint, dodge, and dash past the defending taggers to reach the safe beacon and score points for their team.

Chikwata chiri mukati chinomira pedyo neshongwe yematombo. Vanhu vekunze vanokanda bhora kuti varove vatambi; vari mukati vanoedza kuriga nekuzovaka patsva matombo ose vasina kurohwa nebhora.

One team guards a central stack of flat stones while the outer team throws a soft ball. The inner team must scatter the stone tower and cooperatively restack every stone while dodging throws from the fielders.

Vatambi vaviri vanobata miromo yetambo refu vachiizunguzira, uku vamwe vachipinda mukati vachisvetuka maererano nenziyo dzinoshanduka nhanho nenhanho.

Two turners swing a long rope in rhythmic patterns while jumpers leap in, perform turns, claps, and ground-touches in sync with chants, and exit cleanly.

Mutungamiriri anobvunza vana muchimbo kuti "Chii chinorwadza?", vana vachibata nhengo yemuviri yadomwa (musoro, mapfudzi, mabvi, tsoka) vachiizunguzira mukutamba.

A song leader asks "Chii chinorwadza?" (What hurts?) and names a part of the body. All children grab that body part and dance with it, adding each previous part in a cumulative sequence until everyone bursts into laughter.

Mutambi anosunga tumashizha twehuswa kumusoro nekuzasi achivanza pakati nembama yake. Mumwe anofanira kufungidzira kana kusunga uku kuchabuda semhete imwe chete kana mbiri.

One player holds a bundle of six grass blades in their fist and ties the exposed top and bottom tips in pairs. The challenger tries to predict or tie them so all blades link into one continuous loop when the fist opens.

Vana vanogara mudenderedzwa vakatarisa mukati. Mutambi mumwe anomhanya kunze kwedenderedzwa achiimba, ozodonhedza chinhu seri kwemumwe. Uyo anofanira kuchinhonga omudzingirira asati agara panzvimbo yake.

Players sit in a circle facing inward while one runner circles outside chanting "Zai rakora!" and quietly drops a token behind a seated player. That player must discover it, leap up, and tag the runner before they complete the lap and claim the empty spot.

Mutambi mumwe anoita "Mufudzi" kune rumwe rutivi, mumwe oita "Bere" pakati, vamwe vose vari "Hwai". Mushure mekuimba nekupindurana, hwai dzinomhanya dzichiyambuka chivanze dzichinzvenga kubatwa nebere.

After a dramatic call-and-response chant between the Shepherd (Mufudzi) at one end and the Flock (Hwai) at the other, all the sheep sprint across the open yard while the Hyena (Bere) in the middle tries to tag them.

Vatambi vaviri vanomisana vakatarisana vachiimba nekuridza maoko muchimiro chinokurumidza: kuombera pamwe, kuruboshwe, kurudyi, nepazvipfuva.

Two partners face each other and execute increasingly rapid cross-claps, back-of-hand taps, knee slaps, and synchronized foot jumps to traditional polyrhythmic rhymes.

Vana vanounganidza murwi wejecha vomisa kamuti pakati pawo. Mumwe nemumwe anobvisa jecha nhepfenyuro nenhepfenyuro. Uyo anodonhedza kamuti anorasikirwa nemutambo.

Players build a compact cone of sand with a vertical twig balanced at its apex. Taking turns, each player sweeps away a handful of sand from the base; the player whose move causes the stick to fall loses the round.