Shatong

Shatong
Variations of the name: chato/chatong, shatung

Number of players: 2 teams with at least two players

Equipment needed: lots of open space, preferably land so you can dig an elongated shallow hole that you need in order for your team to score the 'shatong points' (you’ll see later how this works) and two pieces of stick about an inch in diameter one long, about a foot and the other short, about half a feet.

First, you (including your opponents) must create a shallow furrow on the ground, where you can do this (see image):


Now that everything is set up and the first to play has been decided, this is how the game is played.

Each team member takes turn. The first one hurls the short stick off the furrow using the longer stick. Now he/she must be careful that the opposing team does not catch the short stick. If the other team catches is, the current team loses their turn and the opposing team takes their turn to hurl/launch the short stick.

Now if “shorty” (the shorter stick) gets hurled with none of the opposing team catching it, all the members of the hurling team will go to the drop site (the exact point where shorty fell).

From here, except for the person who hurled shorty, (so if it’s a two-man team, only one will do this) will have to run up to the furrow shouting “shatoooooooooooooooo!” The opponents will be with you all the way to make sure you did not lose your breath or stop saying the “magic word”. If you failed to reach the furrow and ran out of breath and stopped, the opposing team takes their turn to hurl, and no points are made.

If you are successful, then you partner (the one who hurled shorty) gets to count the distance from the drop point up to the furrow using the longer stick (known here are “LS”).

See image below as example:



If the hurler hits shorty with LS as he launches shorty off to open space, and the “shato” runners don’t lose their breaths; then the count is using LS X 2. If the hurler launches shorty and hits is twice before it goes off to its drop point, then instead of LS, shorty is used to count the distance from the drop point to the furrow (making the score much higher).


If the hurler hits shorty three times before it drops, then not only is shorty used to measure the distance from drop point to furrow, but also the count is increased to threes!

Teams note their scores and the team with the highest points wins the game.

What children learn:
- play as a team; take turns
- good math practice, counting in 2s, 3s
- free exercise that is also lots of fun
- fresh air, love for nature and the earth
- some pretty mean “batting” skills (hitting ‘shorty’ is not that easy!)