Hand game

File:Mushi-ken (虫拳), Japanese rock-paper-scissors variant, from the Kensarae sumai zue (1809).jpg

Mushi-ken, a Japanese hand game (1809)

Hand games are games played using only the hands of the players. Hand games exist in a variety of cultures internationally, and are of interest to academic studies in ethnomusicology and music education. Hand games are used to teach music literacy skills and socio-emotional learning in elementary music classrooms internationally.

Examples of hand games

• Chopsticks (sticks)
• Clapping games
• Mercy
• Morra (finger counting)
• Odds and evens
• Pat-a-cake and variations:
  • Mary Mack
• Red hands (or hand-slap game)
• Rock paper scissors
• Thumb war (or thumb wrestling)
• "Where are your keys?" (language acquisition game)

Less strictly, the following may be considered hand games:

• Bloody knuckles
• Fingers (drinking game)
• Jacks
• Knife game
• Spellbinder
• Stick gambling
• String games, such as cat's cradle

References

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