Running Games

“Running was one of the most purposeful skills to develop strength, lung power and endurance. The variations in games using running were vast among all tribes. Boys and girls reaching adolescence and women and men participating in arduous competitions gave power and healing to their people.” (Dee Ann Brady-Leader)1

““Run and Scream” is a Blackfoot game that develops and maintains endurance of running. Traditionally, each player would take turns, one at a time. Others enjoy playing the game all together having the participants line up along a line, take a deep breath and run as far as they can while screaming as loud as they can. When they have run out of breath, everyone plants a decorated stick into the ground to measure their performance” (Mary Ellen Little Mustache).

The farthest stick wins for each round. This game is also a test for oneself to measure a person’s own development of stamina and endurance. The sticks are decorated to find them in the tall grasses and to prevent them from falling down a gopher hole. More information on the “Run and Scream” game can be found on our website.

“Run and Scream” is a great way to get exercise. Did you know exercise increases blood flow to the brain? This is necessary for the transport of oxygen and nutrients the brain needs for heightened alertness and mental focus. People who exercise often have improved short-term memory, exhibit a faster reaction time, and have a higher level of creativity.

Exercise increases your child’s strength, flexibility, and endurance. These skills are essential for building the confidence children need to go through the various challenges of childhood; for example, to run to catch the bus, carry heavy books, and bend to tie shoes.

Are you expecting a newborn? Enhanced cognition and memory have been found in children and adolescents who were physically active including children from women who exercised during pregnancy and elderly people have benefited with reductions in depression.  

 1.          Dee Ann Brady-Leader lives in Montana and works with the International Traditional Games Unit.