Children's Games (Bruegel) Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Children's Games
Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Children’s Games
Artist	Pieter Bruegel the Elder
Year	1560
Type	Oil on panel
Dimensions	118 cm × 161 cm (46 in × 63 in)
Location	Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

Children's Games is a famous painting by the Flemish artist Pieter Bruegel the Elder. He painted it in 1560 using oil on a wooden panel. This amazing artwork is now kept at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, Austria.

What the Painting Shows

This painting was first mentioned in a book in 1604. It was bought by Archduke Ernest of Austria in 1594. Some people think it was meant to be the first in a series of paintings about the different stages of life, with Children's Games showing Youth. But it seems Bruegel didn't paint any more in this series.

The painting is packed with children of all ages, from toddlers to teenagers. They are busy playing all sorts of games! You can see them rolling hoops, walking on stilts, spinning tops, riding toy horses, and even having pretend tournaments. They play leapfrog, blind man's buff, and do handstands. Some are blowing up pig bladders to make balloons, while others play with dolls and other toys.

The children have even taken over the big building in the town square. It might be a town hall or another important building. This shows that even adults, who run important city affairs, can be seen as children in the eyes of God. Even the landscape in the top left corner is full of kids swimming and playing by the river.

Bruegel's goal with this painting was more than just showing a list of games. He wanted to show how serious children are when they play. They are just as focused as adults are in their "important" jobs. The message is that to God, children's games are just as meaningful as what adults do. This idea was common in books and poems from that time. One old poem from 1530 compared people to children who are totally focused on their silly games and worries.

The Games in the Painting

About 80 different games have been found in the painting! Here are some of them, starting from the bottom left:

Number	Game	Notes
01	Playing with dolls
02	Playing 'Holy Mass'	Using small church objects for play.
03	Water gun and owl on support	Shooting water at a bird.
04	Wearing masks	Dressing up for fun.
05	Swing	The classic hanging seat.
06	Climbing a fence	A popular activity, especially with neighbor's fences!
07	Handstand	All about balance!
08	Play the "knot"	Bending your body into twisted shapes.
09	Somersault	Flipping and rolling forwards, backwards, or sideways.
10	Fence riding	Another game involving fences.
11	Mock wedding	Pretending to have a wedding. Mock child weddings were common folk traditions.
12	Passing through kicking legs - running the gauntlet	A bit painful but exciting!
13	Blind Man's Bluff	A classic game where one person is blindfolded.
14	Playing with birds	Always popular.
14b	Making hats with twigs	Like weaving baskets.
15	Soap bubbles	Bruegel shows children blowing bubbles with clay pipes, proving this fun has been around for at least 400 years!
16	Shell bobbin	A flying spinner made from nut shells.
17	The "Toton"	An early version of roulette and dice games.
17b	Toy animal with leash	Looks like a stone dog.
18	Knucklebones	A very old game played with five small objects, originally sheep ankle bones.
19	Mock baptismal	Acting out adults bringing a baby home after a baptism.
20	Morra	A hand game, similar to rock, paper, scissors, dating back thousands of years.
21	Piñata	A decorated container filled with toys or candy, broken during celebrations.
22	Walk on stilts	Walking on poles with footrests, these are short.
23	Play leapfrog	Jumping over each other's bent backs.
24	Mock tournaments	Pretend competitions of different kinds.
25	The "Pope's seat"	Holding a child by gripping hands.
26	Hobby-horse	Riding a wooden stick with a horse's head.
27	Playing the flute and the drum	Making simple music with basic instruments.
28	The simple roll hoop	Children and adults worldwide have played with hoops for centuries.
29	Shouting into a barrel from a hole	Finding many uses for a barrel.
30	The hoop with bells	A different way to roll a hoop.
31	Riding the barrel	Another popular game with barrels.
32	Hat throwing	Throwing hats through open legs or seeing who can throw farthest.
33	Raisinbread man	A bread loaf shaped like a man, perhaps a Dutch duivekater.
34	The penalty of "bumbouncing"	Bouncing someone's bottom on planks.
35	Ball made with an inflated pig's bladder	Inflating a pig's bladder to make a balloon.
36	Buck buck	A group of children make a "pony" and others leap on their backs until it collapses.
37	To play shop	Bruegel signed and dated the painting on a wooden plank here.
38	Playing Tiddlywinks	Using small discs ("winks") and a "squidger" to flick winks into a pot.
39	Playing Mumblety-peg	An old outdoor game using pocketknives.
40	Building (a well)	Like building sandcastles, always popular.
41	Pulling hair	Is it a game or a fight?
42	Catching insects with a net	Not just butterflies!
43	Playing the scourge	Not a very safe game.
44	Playing marbles	Ancient and still popular today.
45	Pitch and toss	Players toss coins towards a wall; the closest coin wins.
45b	Twirling a hat on a stick	Something clowns often do.
46	Making a procession	Popular with both children and adults.
47	Playing the porter	Or maybe a goalkeeper?
48	Who's got the ball?	Hiding the ball and guessing who has it.
49	Riding piggyback	Still a fun way to get around!
50	Singing door-to-door	Especially around Christmas with carols.
51	Bonfire	Lighting a fire, a dangerous but common activity.
52	Riding a broom	A variation of hobby-horse, but with many players.
53	Pushing a wall	Good for exercising muscles.
54	Hide-and-seek	A game where players hide and one or more seekers try to find them.
55	The "devil's tail" or the "snake"	A role-play street game.
56	Grappling	A basic form of wrestling.
57	The "devil chained"	Another role-play street game.
58	Run, jump on a cellar's door	Noisy and a bit unsafe!
59	Bowling	Players roll a ball to hit pins or get close to a target ball.
60	The token	Running and passing a baton to the next runner.
61	Throwing walnuts	Perhaps a version of bowling or bocce, hitting a group of nuts.
62	High stilts	Walking on very long poles.
63	Pole vaulting	Exercising on a horizontal bar.
64	Balancing a stick on a finger	A fun balance game, like a clown would do.
65	Put up a show	Acting out a play.
66	Spinning tops	Using toys that spin on a point.
67	The trolleys	Baskets moving on a line.
68	Flying a ribbon on a stick	Letting a piece of cloth fly in the wind from a stick.
69	Whom shall I choose?	A girl picks her "baby" from friends under a blanket.
70	Bocce	Teams throw balls to get closest to a smaller target ball.
71	Pirouetting skirts	Girls swirling their skirts around and around.
72	Climbing a tree
73	Swimming	A healthy and fun exercise.
74	Diving	Jumping or falling into water is always fun!
75	Floating with an inflated pig's bladder	Using a bladder to float or play water games.
76	"Dethroning the King"	A role-play game.
77	Playing with sand	Building castles and digging holes.
78	Coil tournament	A pretend fight between knights.
79	Rattles	A noisy musical game.

Children's Games (Bruegel) facts for kids

What the Painting Shows

The Games in the Painting

See also