Lagori
Knock the stones down, then build them back.
- Players
- 6 to 12, in two teams
- Ages
- 7 and up
- What you need
- Seven flat stones and a soft ball
Seven flat stones, one soft ball, and any patch of open ground — Lagori has needed nothing more for over five thousand years. It is played under different names in almost every Indian state: Pittu in the north, Lagori in the west, Seven Stones in English. Children who have never met can start a game within a minute, because the rules live in the stones themselves.
How to play
- 1Stack the seven flat stones one on top of the other in the middle of the ground.
- 2One team takes turns throwing the ball to knock the stack over. Each player gets three tries.
- 3The moment the stack falls, that team scatters and tries to rebuild it.
- 4The other team picks up the ball and tries to hit the rebuilding players below the knee.
- 5A player who is hit is out. If the team rebuilds the stack first, they shout 'Lagori!' and win the round.
Good for the body
Throwing, ducking, sprinting and crouching in quick succession — it works the shoulders and legs together and sharpens reaction speed.
Good for the brain
Rebuilding the stack while dodging a ball forces the brain to hold a goal in mind while handling constant interruption. That is concentration under distraction, which is precisely what a noisy exam hall demands.
A note for parents
Also called Seven Stones or Pittu. It teaches children to keep working towards a goal while under pressure, and needs nothing but stones you can find outside.
Played today?
Ask a parent before going outdoors.