Game of graces facts for kids
The game of graces was a popular game for young girls in the early 1800s. It was invented in France around that time. The French name for the game was le jeu des graces. People thought this game was very proper for young ladies. They also believed it would help them become more graceful. Boys rarely played graces. If boys did play, it was always with a girl. Two boys never played this game together.
How to Play Graces
Graces is a game for two people. Each player needs two dowel rods. These are like thin wooden sticks. One player starts by taking a wooden hoop. They place the hoop over their two rods. Then, they quickly pull the rods apart. This sends the hoop flying into the air. The other player tries to catch the hoop with their own rods. The first player to catch the hoop ten times wins the game.
Learning to throw and catch the hoop well takes practice. To throw the hoop, hold one rod in each hand. Place the hoop over both rods. Let the hoop slide down a little. Then, cross the rods to make an X shape. The hoop should rest in the lower part of the X. Pull the rods apart quickly. This makes the hoop shoot up and away from you. It will fly in the direction you are aiming.
The hoop is usually about 9 inches (23 cm) across. It is often decorated with colorful ribbons. These ribbons are wrapped around the hoop. Their ends hang off. The ribbons help make the hoop softer to catch. They also slow down its flight.
Graces in Modern Times
The game of graces is still remembered today. Cooperman Company, a shop in Vermont, makes new versions of this game. They create solid, bent hoops just like the originals. These are often sold to museums across the country.
In 2011, a toy company called System Enterprises introduced a game called RingStix. This company is based in Florida. RingStix is now sold in many specialty toy stores. The main idea of the game is the same as graces. However, the wooden rods are now curved sticks. The wooden hoop is a plastic ring that glows in the dark.
Traditional Variants
Serso is a game similar to graces. It is played in Poland. In Serso, each player uses only one stick. Two players stand some distance apart. The player with the ring throws it towards the other person. They use their free hand to throw it. The other person tries to catch the ring with their stick. After catching it, they remove the ring from their stick. Then they throw it back to the first person. The game continues like this. Serso was very popular in the 19th and 20th centuries. The name Serso sounds like cerceau in French. Cerceau means "circle." People believe this game might have come from ancient Rome.
See also
In Spanish: La Grace para niños
