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Kho-Kho

Run, dodge and work as a team.

Children playing Kho-Kho
Players
9 a side, but 6 children is plenty for a street game
Ages
7 and up
What you need
An open ground and two poles or markers

In villages across Maharashtra, Kho-Kho has been played for hundreds of years on nothing but a flat patch of earth and two poles. The word 'kho' is simply the sound of the handover — a single syllable, because there is no time for more. Children who grew up shouting it learned something quietly useful: the fastest runner does not always win. The one who knows when to hand over does.

How to play

  1. 1Eight players from the chasing team sit in a line, each facing the opposite direction to the one beside them.
  2. 2One chaser stands ready at a pole. Three runners from the other team enter the field.
  3. 3The chaser runs after the runners, but cannot cross back over the sitting line.
  4. 4To pass the job on, the chaser touches a seated team-mate from behind and shouts 'Kho!'
  5. 5That team-mate springs up and takes over the chase, running in the direction they were facing.
  6. 6Every runner tagged is out. Teams swap roles and the faster team wins.

Good for the body

Short bursts of sprinting and sudden turns build stamina, strong legs and balance. Half an hour of Kho-Kho works the heart harder than most gym sessions.

Good for the brain

You are watching three runners at once while deciding which team-mate to pass the chase to. That is live decision-making under pressure, and it sharpens exactly the attention you need to spot the quick method in a maths question.

A note for parents

Kho-Kho is one of the best games there is for teaching a child to plan a move before making it — the whole game is about choosing the right moment to pass the chase on.

Played today?

30 min

Ask a parent before going outdoors.