Story: Children’s play

A stick game in progress, Rotorua, 1960s

A stick game in progress, Rotorua, 1960s

These children are playing a traditional Māori stick game at Rotorua in the 1960s. After European colonisation many traditional Māori games were either suppressed or abandoned. Tī rākau (stick games) survived, and sometimes were even adopted by Pākehā groups such as scout troops. The other Māori games that persisted, such as hand games, string games and ruru (knucklebones), often bore strong similarities to traditional European games.

Using this item

Auckland City Libraries - Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero, Sir George Grey Special Collections
Reference: 996-429
Photograph by G. B. Scott

Permission of Auckland City Libraries Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Peter Clayworth, 'Children’s play - Traditional Māori and settler children’s play', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/40831/a-stick-game-in-progress-rotorua-1960s (accessed 20 April 2024)

Story by Peter Clayworth, published 5 Sep 2013